Ultimate Frozen Mud Pie Dessert

This is one of my favorite dinner party desserts... Yummy!

1 pint (2 cups) coffee-flavored frozen yogurt
Chocolate cookie pie crust
1/2 cup caramel topping
2 T chopped pecans
Cool Whip

Spread slightly softened yogurt evenly over crust. Freeze about 1 hour or until firm. In small bowl, mix caramel and pecans. To serve, top each serving with Cool Whip and caramel mixture.

Cole Thomas at 22 Weeks

Here's this week's update from Babycenter.com:

At 11 inches - about the length of a spaghetti squash - and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

The Shower is Finished... Really!

Today, Tom officially finished the shower. There is no more work to do - we just have to wait until the sealant is dry (approximately 24 hours). That means that we'll be taking showers in our master bathroom by Tuesday! WOO HOO! I must admit, the floor looks fantastic. Here are a couple pictures:

Merry Christmas!

We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas. The festivities started on Christmas Eve, when we visited Jodi's house after Santa made a surprise visit that morning! We shared a good meal and lots of fun opening presents. My favorite parts of the night were when Sarah opened her Nintendo DSI and was soooo excited and when Sydney dressed up in her Cinderella outfit and cleaned Jodi's house with her new cleaning toys.


After dinner, Tom and I went back to the house and prepared for Santa's arrival. On Christmas morning, Syd came down to find all sorts of toys under the tree, including a princess tent; sit and spin; and baby doll with stroller, high chair, and crib. The reaction was a little subdued... she immediately went for the baby doll and wasn't really interested in opening much of anything else!


Yesterday, my parents came over, and we celebrated a Drumheller Christmas. Tom was excited to receive a special pair of socks for snowmobiling, and Mom and Dad were pleased to find out they can go to the movies at least one more time before swearing it off due to outrageous pricing! :) Later, we went to dinner. My favorite part of the day was when Sydney introduced the waiter to everyone at the table!



Here are some picture highlights:

Sarah and Syd getting in the spirit.

Sarah thanking her mom for the Nintendo DSI!

The calm before the storm.

Tom and Syd playing in her princess tent.

Cole Thomas at 21 Weeks

Here's this week's update from Babycenter.com:

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — about the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now.

My Lil Gymnast

Last Monday, Syd and I took our first mommy and me gymnastics class in Leesburg. The class was fun (and exhausting) but also highlighted how structured class time is probably something Syd could use in the near future. She's the youngest in the class, and it showed. For example, the teacher would tell all the kids to sit on a line while she gave instructions. Syd would do it for about 10 seconds and then bolt. Anyway, she did have a good time and took a super long nap that day!

One reason I signed her up for gymnastics was because of how she's been hanging and tumbling around the house. She routinely hangs from the powder room sink and the kitchen island. She is also a champion forward roller. Check out the video!

Escaped Convict Part II: The Video Evidence

Escaped Convict

This morning, I followed my usual routine to take a shower. I collected Sydney and a new package of fruit snacks and put her in her playpen. However, half way through my shower, her little voice seemed a little closer than normal. When I moved the shower curtain out of the way, there she was! She was sitting with Elmo on the toilet (lid closed) helping herself to whatever she could reach on the sink. Oye! The days of containment in the playpen are apparently over. She didn't even fall out - however she got out was apparently graceful because there was no big bang or crying involved. Oh well... another milestone achieved!

A Couple New Videos

This morning, Sydney was playing peek-a-boo instead of eating breakfast. You'll see that she thinks this game is hilarious!

Here's Sydney's current repertoire of animal sounds. To be honest, the video doesn't include everything. She can also do a turkey, crocodile, Michael Jackson (hee-hee), and Santa (ho, ho, ho). I'll try to catch her doing these sometime soon.

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was our 20-week sonogram (1 week early - if you're keeping count). Anyway, the big takeaway from today is that our baby is a boy! We are so excited to be adding a little boy to our family. We can't wait to start buying blue everything! Yeah for the first male grandchild! Everyone is thrilled! Here is one of my favorite pics from today:

Syd and Santa

This weekend, Sydney and Sarah spent some quality time with Santa during the kids party for work. Each year, Argon sponsors a great kids party - with catered lunch, moon bounce, face painting, balloon animals, crafts, Christmas movies - everything! Anyway, the girls had a great time. Here are some pictures:

BB2 at Week 19

Here's this week's update on BB2 from babycenter.com:

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of an heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

If baby cooperates, we should be able to confirm boy or girl tomorrow! Stay tuned for the big news. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving was especially relaxing and fun. We spent the morning practicing our regular tradition: watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and planning our attack for Black Friday! In the evening, we enjoyed chatting with family and friends at Mom and Dad's.

Black Friday was incredibly successful. We hit Kohl's, Target, IHOP, the mall, Toys R Us, Costco, and Target (for a second time). We stopped around 11:00 am, and we had either finished Christmas and birthday shopping all together or made a pretty big dent in it.

Since Black Friday, I've done quite a bit of wrapping. From now through Christmas, it should be smooth sailing!

Sarah's Birthday - Belated

We celebrated Sarah's birthday a couple weeks ago. It was great to get together with the family and help Sarah mark her 9th birthday! We dined on Papa John's pizza and ice cream cake for dessert. Sarah received a ton of toys and games and seemed to really enjoy herself. Anyway, I think one of the best parts was the birthday tiaras. Check out the pictures:

BB2 at 18 Weeks

Here's this week's update from babycenter.com:

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

Speaking of gender, we're scheduled for our next sonogram on December 8. If baby cooperates, we should be able to find out whether BB2 is a boy or girl!

Turkey Noodle Soup

Here is a phenomenal turkey noodle soup recipe. I make this soup throughout the year - not just at Thanksgiving. I often substitute chicken for the turkey. I also add an extra can of broth.

Cooking spray
1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices carrot
3/4 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices celery
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups (3 ounces) uncooked egg noodles
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 bay leaf
2 cups shredded turkey (about 8 ounces)
Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add carrot, onion, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is lightly browned. Add celery, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth and next 3 ingredients (through bay leaf); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add shredded turkey; cook 3 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle with coarsely ground black pepper, if desired.
Original source: Cooking Light

Daddy and Sydney's Bike Ride

About a month ago, we purchased a Burley tow-behind trailer for Tom's bike. The trailer basically allows Sydney to ride safely along while daddy goes on a bike ride. Anyway, today was the maiden voyage for the Burley. Check out the video.

Updates

Wow - it's been a while since I last posted. Oh well. Things have been busy around here. Sydney and I have been busy getting back in the swing of things with playgroup and other activities. Tom's been busy at work and at home working on the shower. I don't want anyone to get too excited, but we have new tile permanently attached to the shower floor. All that's left is grouting, sealing, and caulking - how long could that possibly take? :)

As far as fantasy football, there is big, big, big news.

Did you hear? The Reptiles won! At my expense. Oh well, it was a long-time coming, and they deserved the win with a whopping 140 points scored. They not only beat me, but also took the top spot for high score of the week. Gooooooooooooo Reptiles!

BB2 is steady growing. I think it's safe to say that my belly button is well on its way to being an outie. I have been experiencing some massive headaches, so I'm headed to the neurologist this week to determine the cause. I think most everyone agrees that I *must* be carrying a boy and, therefore, *must* be experiencing hormone-driven migraines. We shall see.

BB2 at 14 Weeks!

Here's this week's update from Babycenter.com:

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

Night 2 with the Toddler Bed

Night 2 with the toddler bed went way better than night 1. Last night, Syd slept from 7:30 pm to 5:45 am with no interruptions! YEAY! I tried to put her back to sleep at 5:45 am, but she was ready to get up, so we ended up starting our day at 6:00 am. Oh well... I'd much rather have 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep (for me) and get up at 6:00 am than a later wake up with plenty of interruptions. Let's hope today's nap is easier than yesterday's!

Happy Halloween and Sweet Dreams

Sydney went trick-or-treating for the first time last night! She did very well. We went to a grand total of three houses. It didn't take Sydney long to get the hang of it. By the time we got to the last house, she was holding out her Elmo trick-or-treat bag (thanks to Jodi) and hoping for the best. After trick-or-treating, we came back to the house and handed out candy. We had an almost record-breaking 10 trick-or-treaters!

Last night was a big night for a variety of reasons. After Sydney finished trick-or-treating and eating her dinner, she went to bed in her "big girl" bed for the very first time. Tom took off the front of the crib and replaced it with a short rail (to keep her from rolling out). Anyway, we put her to bed around 7:45 pm, and she stayed in until 10:45 pm, at which point, she took a header out of the crib on to the floor. I think she fell because she's so used to standing up in her crib, leaning on the front rail, and crying for mom. Anyway, it only took one header to learn. After that, she woke up a couple more times and just cried. I went in, gave her hugs and kisses, and back to bed she went. As far as I'm concerned, it could've been worse.

I told Tom this morning that this afternoon's nap would be the real test. Well, it was a test for sure. After running around in her room for an hour and 15 minutes, she finally fell asleep on the floor next to her bed. I guess she'll eventually learn that the bed is much more comfortable than the carpet!

BB2 Appointment and Update

So, my doctor's appointment this week went well. The baby's heart rate was 154, which is middle of the road, and the growth seems to be on schedule. During the appointment, we discovered that we were cutting it very close on a test (that requires a sonogram) that we wanted to take. The doctor was nice enough to call over to the Radiology Associates and get me an appointment for today. Here's the thing: the test that we wanted can only be conducted between 11 and 13 weeks of pregnancy. Today, was the last weekday of week 13 - so we thought we had time; however, when the technician started taking measurements, it turns out the baby is measuring almost 15 weeks old! So - we could not take the test, which is fine - more than anything we just wanted this opportunity to see the baby on the sonogram. While the technician was doing her thing, she said, "Oh!". Mom B was with me and pounced on her! "What does "Oh!" mean? Do you know the sex of the baby? Can't you give us an inkling?" Anyway, it turns out that the technician thought that we may be having a boy! She told us not to go out and buy a ton of blue, but she said that things look promising. How exciting!

Yeay! We're Protected!

It's official. Everyone in the Bergeman household has received their vaccination for H1N1. Meanwhile, everyone around us still seems to be getting this nasty virus! Of 1600 students at Mom's school, nearly 300 were absent because of "flu-like symptoms." We're praying that they all recover quickly and don't end up in the hospital. Sydney will still need a booster on or after November 19, but in the meantime, we're 100% protected! House arrest officially ends tomorrow, when Sydney and I head to playgroup. Woo hoo!

Snarky's Lost His Sparky!

I'm very sad to report that something horrible has happened. Snarky has lost two weeks in a row - and to Lorraine and Jodi! What could possibly be going on? Perhaps Snarky did drink the turtleade (he's experiencing the same results as the great reptile club) or maybe the pressure of performing has finally caught up with him? Whatever it is, these are sad days in Snarkyville.

These are also sad days for Unnecessary Roughness. I'm on a 3-loss losing streak. Eeek! Clearly, it's all the fault of Jay Cutler, Brian Westbrook, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Anquan Boldin. Really - they should be ashamed of their performances. I could throw longer passes, not drop the ball, and actually make it to the end zone pregnant. Buck up boys - it's time to perform!

Lorraine is the leader of our league, followed by Snarky (for now) and Jay. Mom, Dad, and Jodi are holding strong in the middle of the pack. Angus and I are holding up the rear.

Here's the story for next week:

I play Mom
Snarky plays Jay
Angus plays Chey
Dad plays Jodi
Lorraine plays Stirling

Good luck!

Introducing Shrimp Bergeman

Here's the update on BB2 for week 13 from Babycenter.com:

Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

H1N1 Swine Flu

So - as some of you may know, Syd and I have been staying close to home for the last two weeks in an effort to avoid contracting the Swine Flu. The flu seems to be rampant in Northern Virginia. I know many, many folks who have gotten it: people in my mommies group, people at work, people at Tom's work, and - of course - Sarah and Jodi. Obviously, there are plenty of stories on the news about many more people who are struggling with this illness. Usually, Syd and I are pretty careful about disinfecting and washing our hands, but we've never really gone on house arrest before. Why the drastic action? Here are some facts and figures:

- Pregnant women and children under age 2 are specifically at higher risk of H1N1 than people in other age groups

- Since H1N1 was first discovered in 2008/2009, more than 150 children have died of H1N1 or pneumonia or other disease caused by H1N1 (this is significantly higher than from the regular flu).

- The spread of H1N1 is particularly high in Virginia/Maryland/DC (there are only two other regions in the US where H1N1 has a higher incidence).

- Pregnant women are four times more likely than the general population to be admitted to the hospital if they contract H1N1.

- During the first four months of the H1N1 outbreak, more than 100 pregnant women were hospitalized in intensive care and 28 died. That's a 28% death rate! Most of the women who have died from the virus were initially healthy when they caught the virus.

Obviously, this is a very scary situation. Jodi and Sarah's experience just underlined the importance of taking proactive measures. Here's some of their experience:

- Sarah was exposed to H1N1 on Friday and had full-blown symptoms by Sunday. Her illness was confirmed as flu on Monday. Jodi got it almost immediately after Sarah got it.

- Sarah's fever was consistently 101 or 102 with Motrin and Tylenol in her system.

- Sarah's doctors are especially concerned about the possibility that the virus will push congestion and infection into her lungs and chest - causing pneumonia.

At this point, Sarah and Jodi seem to be doing better. Say a little prayer that they will recover quickly.

The silver lining about this illness is that there is a vaccine available. The CDC recommends that pregnant women and children under the age of 2 especially get the vaccine. All the doctors that I have chatted with (OB, GP, and Pediatricians) have agreed that the risks associated with the vaccine are far fewer than the risks associated with getting the illness and then having to treat it and the possibility of secondary infection.

If you do end up with H1N1, here are some tips from Jodi:

1) Get plenty of liquid Tylenol and Motrin in the house now. Sarah typically takes chewable versions of those drugs, but was too sick to get them down with this virus.
2) Stock up on juice, Sprite, Gatorade, and Pedialyte. You'll need to push lots more fluids than usual to stop the fever from dehydrating your child.
3) Find a drive-through pharmacy near you. Tamiflu was in short supply this week, but I called around until I found a pharmacy that had it. It was enormously helpful for Sarah. I wasn't able to get it, and it took me much longer to start feeling better.
4) Harris Teeter has a drive-through grocery service. If nobody is able to get into a store for groceries for you, you can order them on their Web site, pull into the drive-through lane at the store at the appointed time, and they load everything into your trunk for you.

I think that covers it for now. Stay healthy!

Nacho Potato Soup

Here is another one of our favorites... very cheesy (you can adjust if necessary)!

1 pkg (5 1/4 oz) au gratin potatoes
1 can mexicorn, drained
1 can tomatoes with jalapenos
2 c water
2 c milk
2 c cubed American cheese

In a saucepan, combine potatoes and sauce mix, corn, tomatoes with juice, and water. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 18-20 minutes (or until potatoes are tender). Add milk and cheese. Cook on medium until cheese melts.

I've used Velveeta instead of American cheese, and it works just fine.

Happy Anniversary to us!

What a great 8 years! We've had the opportunity to enjoy life's great celebrations and some challenges, too. We have a beautiful little girl and another baby on the way. I couldn't ask for anything else. Sydney and I are lucky girls! Tom is definitely a lucky guy! Happy Anniversary to us!

And - She - Will - Go - All - The - Way!!!!!!!!!

Unbelievable upset this week:

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Jodi (the owner who chose her team based on uniform colors and the sound of players' last names) beat the previously undefeated Snarky Sparky! And folks, she didn't beat him by a few points - try 25. Take that, Dad! Many of us have a sneaking suspicion that Jodi's upset had something to do with her new found swine powers. We'll see if the swine helps her moving forward.

In other news, Yertle's sad story continues. Really, I do feel bad at this point. Apparently, Lorraine, doesn't though - because she beat him pretty bad this week. Sorry - Yertle!

Last week, Yertle noticed that Stirling had forgot to update his lineup and asked that I notify him of his omission. I did just that. Well, thanks Yertle. He updated his lineup and proceeded to beat me to a pulp. I guess misery loves company!

To round out this week's games: Jay beat Mom (ouch!) and Chey beat Dad.

Needless to say, we no longer have any undefeated teams (Jodi managed to bring them both down - what's wrong with this picture?!?!?). Here's the story for next week:

I play Dad
Jodi plays Stirling
Lorraine plays Snarky
Jay plays the Turtles
Mom plays Chey

Good luck to all!

BB2 at 3 Months!

This week is a huge milestone in our pregnancy. We're officially 3 months pregnant and starting our second trimester! This is especially good news because the risk of miscarriage dramatically decreases after the first trimester, and it is safe for me to take some drugs if I get sick. With the huge incidence of swine flu in this area, the fact that I could take drugs if I got sick is big news!

Here's this week's update from Babycenter.com:

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now. Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

Chicken Divan with Rice

This is one of my favorite casseroles. Easy to make and yummy to eat.

1 lb frozen broccoli (cooked)
cooked cubed chicken
1 c cooked rice
1 can broccoli cheese soup
1/3 c milk
breadcrumbs
cheese
butter

In a 2-qt baking dish, place broccoli on the bottom. Cover with chicken and then rice. Mix soup and milk and put on top of rice. Cover with cheese, then breadcrumbs, and then butter. Cook at 450 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot.

Fantasy Football Round-Up: Week 5

Here's the story for week 5:

The beatings continue when it comes to poor Yertle. Mom showed him no mercy. He did put up a good fight, so we'll give him that!

In the battle of the Dads, Snarky Sparky continued his undefeated streak by beating HurryUpHurryUp. My Dad even tried this week!

In the biggest upset of the week, Jodi beat Lorraine. And she didn't just beat her, she smashed her. Jodi - with her "I'll pick my players based on their uniform color and how I like their last name" strategy managed to double Lorraine's points! Way to go, Jodi!

Lastly, I must tip my hat to Jay. He beat me by 11 points. I thought for a second that I was going to mount the biggest comeback of all time, but alas it was not meant to be.

So here's the story for next week:

Jodi plays Dad
Lorraine plays Angus
Mom plays Jay
Dad plays Chey
I play Stirling

We'll have to see if Lorraine shows Angus some mercy or if she puts the blood in Blood Turtles!

Chicken Orzo Soup

This is another good one... and good for you!

1 (32-ounce) container fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/2 cup uncooked orzo
2 teaspoons olive oil
2/3 cup coarsely chopped carrot
1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/4 cups water
3 fresh parsley sprigs
1 fresh thyme sprig
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Bring 1 3/4 cups broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add orzo; cook 10 minutes or until done. Drain.

While orzo cooks, heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add carrot, celery, onion, and chicken; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in remaining 2 1/4 cups broth, 1 1/4 cups water, parsley, and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Discard herb sprigs. Add orzo, spinach, juice, salt, and pepper; simmer 1 minute.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Two great soup recipes coming your way! Here's the first...

Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package broccoli florets
2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces light processed cheese, cubed (such as Velveeta Light)

Heat a large nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add broth and broccoli. Bring broccoli mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes.

Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in pepper. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.

Place one-third of the soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return pureed soup mixture to pan.

Original Source: Cooking Light

BB2 at Week 11

Here's this week's update on BB2. It's from Babycenter.com, and in case you're wondering if you missed something, they alternate between he and she. :)

BB2, who is just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional.

Our Big News!

Tom, Sydney, and I are incredibly excited to announce that I'm pregnant, and we're expecting a new member of our family May 3, 2010. So far, we've told family, close friends, and work. We've not yet made the big Facebook announcement, but we figure this little post will be a "reward" for those folks who read our blog!

As of today, I'm about 10 and a half weeks pregnant. We decided to make the announcement a little early based on my appearance. We'll probably make the Facebook announcement when I'm officially 12 weeks, which will be October 19.

In the meantime, I'm trying really hard not to get sick. Right now, Syd and I both have a little cold, so things aren't going as well as we'd like. We would like to send a special thank you to all our family members who went out and got the flu shot several weeks ago. Now that there are shortages of the shot, we feel especially thankful that our family (including Bergeman Baby #2 - BB2) is protected.

Our next doctor's appointment is scheduled for October 29 at 4:00 pm. Stay tuned for details. We'll post other fun baby news along the way.

Whoa is Yertle...

It's a sad, sad time for Yertle the Turtle King. Really, I feel bad even writing this (not really). He's lost four in a row and been accused of including banned substances in the Turtleade he gives his players before the games. Whoa is Yertle. He claims he continues to play each week's top scorer (I don't believe that's the whole truth). Really, we should all feel bad for him. Maybe this week is his week? He's playing mom, who's 2 and 2... it's not going to be easy, Yertle!

Here are this week's results:

Obviously, Snarky Sparky beat Yertle, I beat Jodi, Dad beat Jay, Mom beat Sterling, and Lorraine beat Chey. Lorraine and Snarky Sparky are now officially 4 and 0 - undefeated!

Next week are some of the best match ups of the season:

I play Jay (I'm on a two-win run... you're going down), Jodi plays Lorraine, Snarky Sparky plays Dad, and Angus plays Mom.

Good luck, folks!

Sweet Victory!

At last! Some semblance of normalcy has returned to fantasy football. This week, Lorraine, Jay, both Dads, and I won. With the exception of Lorraine, this seems much more in line than in previous weeks!

Speaking of Lorraine... I'm not quite sure how she did it, but she was our high scorer this week with 146 points. In fact, she managed to outscore everyone by a minimum of almost 50 points. How on earth?!?!? She doubled her opponent's score! Way to go! She goes into week 4 undefeated. Let's see if she can keep it up.

In other results, Jay beat Jodi (he showed her no mercy - we'll see how that works out for him), and Dad B continued his undefeated streak. Unfortunately, Angus was wrong when he announced that this was his week to stop losing. Sorry, pal.

Looking ahead, we have the following match ups for next week: I play Jodi and Angus plays Dad B. Eek! I hope there's a miracle in store for Angus. Otherwise, he'll be looking at 0 and 4 while Dad B will be 4 and 0!

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

We celebrated Grandpa's birthday this past weekend. It was a low-key, but fun celebration. Lorraine and Angus and Tom, Sydney, and I went to Mom and Dad's house for Lowry's crabs. The crabs were good, but several fought back. Angus and I both left with Redskins band-aids. We had some fantastic cheesecake for dessert. Overall, it was a fun evening.

Paeonian Springs Fall Festival

The Paeonian Springs Fall Festival was held yesterday. It was a rainy, muddy day. Even with the crappy weather, we had a decent turnout, and my chili cook-off was surprisingly successful. Only 4 or 5 folks had confirmed that they'd be participating in the cook-off ahead of time; however, 9 chilis were entered in the competition on the day of. We ended up raising a bunch of money for the P Springs council, which is the "governing body" of our little town. As a bonus, toward the end of the afternoon, the bounce house dried out enough for Syd to do some bouncing. She had a blast.

Fantasy Football Round-Up: Week 2

We had some huge scores this week: 183 points from Dad's team (HurryUpHurryUp) and 173 points from Jodi's team (Delay of Game). Again - are you kidding me? Dad and Jodi are hardly playing! I can almost guarantee they didn't even check their lineup this week! Also, Lorraine is currently in first place. What kind of alternate universe are we living in? Angus and I are keeping up the rear.

Next week's most interesting match ups:

Lorraine plays Mom
Jodi plays Jay

We'll see what happens!

Fun with Comparisons

Mom gave me my baby book a couple weeks ago. I figured it might be fun to compare certain measurements and milestones...

I was born weighing 6 pounds and 10 ounces and 20 inches long
Sydney was born weighing 7 pounds and 14 ounces and 22 inches long

At 6 months old, I weighed 15 pounds and 4 ounces and 27 inches long
At 6 months old, Sydney weighed 16 pounds and 2 ounces and 27 inches long

I rolled over at 4 months
Sydney rolled over at 4 months

I sat alone at 6 months
Sydney sat alone at 4 months

I crawled at 8 months
Sydney crawled at 9 months

I walked at 11 months
Sydney walked at 13 months

I said a couple words at 23 months
Sydney said a couple words at 17 months

My first ride in a plane was at 6 months
Sydney's first ride in a plane was at 18 months

More Swimming Lessons...

Sydney started her next batch of swimming lessons this week. This time, I really feel like the lessons were actually lessons aimed at teaching her to swim (compared with just an introduction to being in the water). She had several little exercises where she had to do a mini doggie paddle followed by kicking her legs. Anyway, I could see how these exercises will eventually teach her how to swim. I think she had a good time!

Are You Kidding?

Last place? Really? Ugh! I'm last place in our Fantasy Football League? How did this happen?

Yesterday, I received the following voicemail:

Julia? Commish? Is this the commish? I was wondering if someone could quit the league? You're already behind by 14 points. I'm thinking you may want to go ahead and quit!

Nice. I would say I'd keep the caller's name a secret to protect the innocent; however, Dad B is not innocent. Can you believe he left such a snarky message!

My only saving grace is that I'm winning in my other league.

Here's this week's wrap up:

Cheyenna, Lorraine, and Stirling are first, second, and third place. Mom and Dad B also won their games!

Looking ahead, we'll see if Cheyenna, Lorraine, and Stirling's teams are actually as good as they were this week!

This Is How I Found Her!

Sydney took a super long nap one day last week. It was nice because I had a bunch of work to do. Anyway, I heard her stirring over the monitor. When I opened her bedroom door, it was apparent that she decided she didn't need her shirt. I took this picture as I asked her, "Sydney, where is your shirt"?

Sydney's New Ride

This afternoon, Sydney took her new tricycle for a test drive! For a while, I've been struggling with outdoor activities in the afternoon. Until Syd's playground is finished, we can't really hang out in the backyard (unless we're swimming) because I don't like being too close to the pool, and there wasn't much to do in the front yard. So, yesterday, we bought a tricycle. Daddy put it together in a snap this afternoon. It's nice because it has a handle that enables me to push her and steer until she gets the hang of it herself. Then, the handle comes off, and off she goes! Anyway, it was a huge success. She cried bloody murder when it was time to get off the bike. Hopefully, quitting time next time around won't be so traumatic.

Macaroni and Cheese

This is my all-time favorite macaroni and cheese recipe. Yummy!

1 1/2 c elbow macaroni
Nonstick cooking spray
1 T olive oil
1 T flour
1/2 c nonfat milk
1/2 c cauliflower or butternut squash puree
1 1/2 c reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz reduced-fat or nonfat cream cheese
1/2 t salt
1/8 t paprika
1/8 t pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

While the macaroni is cooking, coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add then oil, then the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture resembles a thick paste but has not browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the milk and cook, stirring every now and then, until the mixture begin to thicken, 3-4 minutes. Add the vegetable puree, cheddar, cream cheese, and seasonings Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the macaroni and serve warm.

Original Source: Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld

We love Ruthie!

Oh - it was so nice to visit Great Grandma Ruthie this weekend! Grandma, Jodi, Sarah, Tom, Sydney, and I traveled to Chicago to spend some quality time with our beloved Ruthie. Sydney's first plane ride was pretty uneventful with the exception of a really leaky diaper, which required us to strip her on the plane and wash the car seat cover at grandma's! Ruthie was in great spirits the entire visit, and I think we all agreed that she seems to be moving around better this time than the last time we saw her. She loved spending time with her great granddaughters, Sarah and Sydney! We even got to see the cousins at dinner on Friday night at Brett and Shelli's house. Overall, the trip was a success. I've posted some pictures below, but the rest are on the Picasa site.

The whole gang

Tom and Ruthie

Mom and Daughter

Julia, Sydney, and Ruthie

Four Generations

Crockpot Beef-and-Bean Burritos

Served this to the Bergemans tonight. Everyone seemed to enjoy it! It was pretty easy, so this will likely go into our regular rotation. In fact, I think I'll add a new Regular Rotation label.

1 (2-pound) London broil
1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
12 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped plum tomato
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream

Trim fat from meat; rub seasoning mix over both sides of meat. Place meat in an electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray; add onion, vinegar, and green chiles. Cover with lid; cook on low-heat setting for 9 hours. Remove meat from slow cooker, reserving cooking liquid; shred meat with two forks. Combine meat and reserved cooking liquid; stir well.

Warm beans and tortillas according to package directions. Spread 2 tablespoons beans down the center of each tortilla. Spoon a heaping 1/3 cup meat mixture on top of beans. Top each with 2 tablespoons cheese, 2 tablespoons tomato, and 1 tablespoon sour cream; roll up.

Original source: Cooking Light

Tilapia Tacos

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup green salsa
Cooking spray
1 can mexicorn
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 can chopped jalapeño peppers
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup diced peeled avocado
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 cup packaged angel hair slaw
Lime wedges (optional)

Combine sour cream and salsa.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add corn, onion, jalapeño, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove mixture from pan; wipe pan clean with paper towels. Combine avocado and juice; toss gently. Stir avocado mixture into corn mixture.

Sprinkle fish evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Place cornmeal in a shallow dish; dredge fish in cornmeal. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add half of fish to pan; cook 3 minutes. Carefully turn fish over; cook 2 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and fish.

Warm tortillas in the microwave. Divide fish evenly among tortillas; top each serving with about 3 tablespoons corn relish and about 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream mixture. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Farm Fun

After Sydney's 18-month appointment, we headed over to Frying Pan Farm. Frying Pan Farm is a working farm located in Herndon. When I was little, mom used to take me and Lorraine to the farm to see all the animals and an occasional horse show. Anyway, Grandma and Grandpa met us there. We had loads of fun meeting all the animals, practicing making the sounds they make, learning about farm life, and taking a hay ride. Check out the pictures.

18-Month Appointment

This morning, Sydney had her 18-month appointment. Here are the vitals:

Weight: 22.6 lbs (25%)
Height: 33.5 inches (95%)
Head Circumference: 18.8 (85%)

Overall, it was a great appointment. Dr. Plescia confirmed that Sydney's runny nose is from teething and not from her cold last week. He was also pleased to hear that she met certain milestones, like combining words (good-girl, night-night, good-bye), running, walking backwards, and mimicing mommy. He said his take on the appointment was "meets or exceeds expectations." Syd's next appointment won't be until her second birthday, which is only 6 months away! Time flies!

Coleslaw

This is an incredibly easy coleslaw recipe. It's also very good! I serve it on top of the Carolina barbecue sandwiches. This is one of those recipes that gets better the longer it sits.

1 package of precut coleslaw mix (cabbage and carrots)
1 c mayonnaise
1/4 c white wine vinegar
1 t celery seed
1/4 c sugar
Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients except for coleslaw mix. Add coleslaw and toss.

Carolina Barbecue

This is a fabulous Carolina barbecue recipe - especially if you like it spicy! Removing the fat from the meat can be tedious, but it's totally worth it. I'll post the cole slaw recipe that I serve with this momentarily. Stay tuned.

1 5-lb pork roast (butt or shoulder)
1 T salt
Ground pepper
1 1/2 c cider vinegar
2 T brown sugar
1/2 T Tabasco
2 t cayenne pepper
2 t crushed red pepper

Place pork in crock pot. Season with salt and pepper. Pour vinegar around pork. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Remove pork from crock pot. Remove bones and excess fat. Shred pork.

Strain liquid and reserve 2 cups. Toss the rest. Add sugar, Tabasco, cayenne, and red pepper to liquid. Add to meat (to your liking) and serve on sandwich rolls (I use potato rolls).

Fun at JW Tumbles

Today, Syd and I went to playgroup at JW Tumbles - a local gym for kids. She had a great time on the trampoline, parallel bars, slide, jungle gym, and ride-on toys. It was fun to take her to one of her first "gymnastics" classes. :)

Here are some more pictures - they're toward the end of the album.

Party at Bergemuda...

This past weekend, I decided that we hadn't spent enough time partying at Bergemuda this summer. So, at 6:55 am, I sent out this text message:

Party at Bergemuda today - be here!

I sent the message to Jodi, Lorraine, and both sets of parents. I added the parents on a fluke. I figured I'd call them later in the morning to ensure they received their text messages. However, to my suprise, both sets of parents immediately responded and said they'd be here! It turns out that our parents are quite the texters.

Anyway, we had a lot of fun, and it was nice to hang out at the pool once Sydney went to sleep. She's down to one nap, and this was the first party we'd hosted since the change from two naps to one. Turns out that one nap ends up giving mommy a lot more pool time. :)

Enjoy the pictures!

Spicy Beef Roast

This is a family favorite! I believe Jodi originally found the recipe, and it's something that appears on the dinner table many times during fall and winter!

3 lb rount tip roast
1 T peppercorn
1 1/2 t garlic
3 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 c soy sauce
2 T worchestire sauce
2 T dry mustard

Rub meat with peppercorn and garlic. Cut meat so that there are four slices about an inch deep each. Mix all other ingredients. Pour mixture over meat. Cook meat in crockpot 4 to 6 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.

Original source: Jodi Bergeman

We *ARE* Ready For Some Football!

It's the happiest time of the year: the football season. Our Redskins are getting ready to start another great season, and we're getting ready to start a friendly competition. This year's fantasy football league is called Illegal Celebration. If you want in, let us know. Right now, it's several family members and friends. For first-time owners, here's some free advice for you:

What you need is a *really* good kicker!

Happy Birthday Papa!

If we're being technical, today is actually Papa's birthday eve, and tomorrow is his actual birthday. But we don't need to be technical to party, so went ahead and celebrated today. Steve and the girls were in town, so we headed over to Grandma and Papa's house for some barbecue and ice cream cake. It was a pretty low-key celebration, but very nice and lots of fun!

Beach Babes

Syd, Jodi, and I headed to Virginia Beach this week to visit one of my oldest and dearest friends, Kate Larsen, and her family. We had a lot of fun! We played in the sand, jumped waves, built sand castles, played on the beach playground, and ate seafood and Dairy Queen. My favorite day was definitely our last day there. We woke up early, ate breakfast at the hotel, enjoyed Starbucks on the beach, played with Kate and her girls, Vivienne and Georgia, and then ate a yummy seafood lunch before heading home. It was a very fun getaway, but waaaaaay too short!

Check out the pictures.

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

I hate making plain pancakes. Mostly, because no matter what I do, they don't taste like IHOP pancakes. So, I usually add something to my pancake mix: bananas, blueberries, or sweet potatoes. This morning, I had none of these mix-ins. So, I came up with apple cinnamon pancakes. I'm sure a similar recipe is somewhere on the Internet, but I figured I'd put this up so I have it the next time I want to make these pancakes.

1 cup pancake mix
1 cup applesauce (I used Sydney's unsweetened applesauce)
1 t cinnamon
Water

Combine ingredients and add water to desired consistency. Continue to make pancakes as usual. Enjoy!

Garlicky Spaghetti

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
5 ounces arugula leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Place pasta in a small bowl. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, tossing gently. Set aside, and keep warm.

Return pan to medium heat. Add oil, garlic, and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until garlic is lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, tomatoes, and beans; cook 2 minutes. Add pasta; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add reserved pasta water and arugula, tossing gently to combine. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and cheese. Serve immediately.

Original Source: Cooking Light

Bergemuda Car Rental Closes

For the first time in more than 2 years, we're down to three cars! Yes! Really, it's been pretty ridiculous. We joked that with only two licensed drivers and four cars, we could open our own car rental company. Many friends and family have enjoyed the ability to "rent" our vehicles while theirs were in the shop. That's not unlikely to change because we still have one extra car, but we sold the Miata last night, so things are a little more reasonable. We're already enjoying the simplified life!

Gooooooo T - I - G - E - R - S!

Today was a busy, busy day. After Sydney, the grandpas, and I went to training camp, we all loaded into the van and headed back to Leesburg for Sarah's cheer camp performance. She performed several group cheers and then the cha cha slide. It was fun to watch her, and we left feeling all pumped up! HA! Here are some pictures and a video.

Striking a pose

Having fun

Hail to 'Em!

Late July and early August is one of my favorite times of the year... because yes, I've been ready for some football!!!! Last year's losing season is long gone, and the slate is clean for a new, winning year for the Redskins.

Hail to the Redskins... Hail victory...

I'll spare you the entire song. Anyway, Sydney and I and both grandpas went to training camp today! We had a blast, although we roasted. It was typical late-July weather in Northern Virginia: hot and very, very humid. But, all the sweat was worth it to get a sneak peak at our favorite players playing our favorite game.

The guys looked great. We saw Jason Campbell, Jim Zorn, Clinton Portis, Santana Moss, and Chris Coooooooooooley! We didn't get any autographs, but we did take some fun pictures. Check out all our training camp pictures on the Picasa site.

Sydney Takes an Important Call

Sydney *loves* to put just about anything up to her ear and pretend she's talking on the phone. Just this afternoon, she peeled apart her grilled cheese sandwich and put one half to her ear and started talking. Anyway, Mrs. Chabot had said I had to catch her on video "talking" on the phone. So here it is... Enjoy!

Cousins

Yesterday, Sarah came over to play. She was playing with one of Sydney's toy balls, and Sydney thought it was absolutely hilarious. It's so nice to see the girls playing so well together!

Dark Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Bars

These are the best chocolate chip cookie bars I've ever had; they could do some serious damage to my rear and thighs. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to pray that Tom eats more than I do (if you must know, I may hide them from him). If you want one, come on over.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3/4 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 eggs
1 cups dark chocolate chips, divided
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until creamy. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat in egg. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Stir in half of the chocolate chips. Spread into prepared pan and sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top.

Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan. Invert pan on a cutting board, and cut into bars.

Original Source: www.dinnersforayear.blogspot.com

Theater in the Woods

This morning, Syd and I headed to Wolf Trap to enjoy Theater in the Woods! We saw Cathy and Marcy's Song Shop. It was a fun show. There were two women (Cathy and Marcy) who both played banjos and one man (Chris) who played (?!? is that what it's called) the beatbox. Anyway, Sydney loved it. She sat on my lap and wiggled and danced for about 35 minutes. The last 25 minutes, she played with her pals who came with us. I think my favorite song of the show was Hip Hop Humpty Dumpty. Check it out:

www.cathymarcy.com/~tspire/store/images/stories/catalogAudio/b2bb_clips/06HipHopHumptyDumpty.mp3

Bread Machine Focaccia

Yummy! This was very easy to make and made the house smell spectacular. We used it to make mozzarella, tomato, and pesto sandwiches and pepperoni pizza.

Change: I sprinkled some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and ground salt to the top of the bread before baking.


1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

Place water, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, garlic, 1 tablespoon rosemary, bread flour and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough cycle; press Start.

Remove dough from bread machine when cycle is complete. Pat dough into either a 9x13 inch baking pan or 12 inch pizza pan. Use your fingers to dimple the dough every inch or so. Brush with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with remaining rosemary.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Cover focaccia with plastic wrap while oven preheats.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Original source: www.allrecipes.com

Sydney *Loves* the Ocean!

Sydney had so much fun at the beach this weekend. She loved playing in the sand and the ocean. I had to keep an eye on her because she would've run straight into the ocean if I'd have let her. A couple different times, I'd stand with her on the beach and let the waves roll over our feet - she'd have let me do that with her all day long! Check out these fun beach pictures.

Sydney plays in the sand.

Sydney and mommy on the beach.


Sydney and the Chabots.

Sydney, Grandma, and Grandpa.

Oh. My. Gawd.

This past weekend, Syd and I headed to Bethany Beach, Delaware, for Sydney's first beach experience. We had an excellent weekend: we played in the sand, we jumped waves, we hung out at the Chabot's beautiful beach house, and we enjoyed spectacular weather. However, the most memorable moment for me was on Saturday afternoon...

Sydney, Mrs. Chabot, and my parents had spent the morning on the beach. We skipped Sydney's morning nap in hopes that playing at the beach would give us a longer afternoon nap. Before we left the beach, I used the little water faucet to rinse her off. I forgot her cover up, so we headed back to the van in nothing but a clean diaper. As we headed home in the van, Sydney fell asleep. I *very* carefully removed her from the car and headed into the house to put her down in her pack and play. On the way, she woke up (of course). I thought that putting on clean clothes would definitely cancel all hope for a nap, so I put her down in her diaper with a blanket. She cried for about 5 minutes and then settled down. I figured she'd fall asleep pretty quickly, but that wasn't the case. I continued to check on her over the course of two hours, but she never quite fell asleep. Instead, she spent quiet time in her crib. I could hear her talking to herself and moving around. Anyway, about two and a half hours later, she started to cry, so I went into her room to get her.

Oh. My. Gawd.

Sydney was standing in her crib buck naked sucking on a binky. She'd tossed her diaper aside and, as far as I know, had been enjoying the nude life.

Thinking back, I'm pretty sure she removed the diaper almost immediately after I put her down for her nap. It was completely dry, and it makes sense that that was what had been keeping her so quiet - even though she wasn't sleeping.

Anyway, I figured you'd enjoy this little anecdote. I know her husband will years from now.

Meet Bob Bird

Bob is the newest addition to mom and dad's house. Mom made him out of gutter metal and a pop rivet gun. Anyway, I saw him this morning before he was finished, and I've gotta say - he looks much better now! I couldn't see the vision mom had, but now, he's very handsome. Apparently, she made him so that other birds would stop pooping on her mailbox. Unfortunately, Bob's not doing his job. Maybe he needs a fluorescent stripe?

Sarah's Dance Recital

This Friday marked the last day of Sarah's first summer dance class. She learned ballet and lyrical jazz. Syd, Jodi, and I attended the end of class recital. Sarah performed in three different numbers. The video here shows the last number, which was jazz. As you can see, Sarah is not only the best dressed dancer, but also the most enthusiastic.

Bergemuda: On Lock Down!

That's right, folks: the emergency alert level at Bergemuda is currently orange (one level below red). There's a criminal in our midst. Earlier today, a man robbed a jewelry store in downtown Leesburg - about 4 miles from Bergemuda. After the robbery, the man broke into a nearby home and stole a car. The car was later found abandoned. Then, the man popped up again when he broke into another home and took the occupants hostage! As I write this, the man is still barricaded in the home with the couple at gun point. Needless to say, Bergemuda is on lock down. Stay tuned for more details!

Lemon Spaghetti

Oh my gosh - this recipe should win some sort of award: it's easy to make, cooks up in minutes, and tastes good too! What more could you ask for? This one is definitely going in the usual rotation.

6 oz spaghetti
1/2 t lemon zest
1/8 c lemon juice
1/8 c olive oil
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
parsley
Parmesan cheese

Cook the spaghetti as directed.

Combine next four ingredients (through pepper flakes) - whisk to mix.

Drizzle sauce over cooked spaghetti. Top with parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Original Source: Cooking Light

Pan-Seared Shrimp Po' Boys

Yummy! We love eating shrimp for dinner. This recipe was great new way to eat shrimp. Dinner was ready in less than 30 minutes.

1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1 teaspoon capers, chopped
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
1 1/2 teaspoons salt-free Cajun seasoning
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 (2 1/2-ounce) hoagie rolls
1/2 cup shredded romaine lettuce
8 thin tomato slices
4 thin red onion slices

Preparation
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine shrimp and Cajun seasoning in a bowl; toss well. Add olive oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add shrimp to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done.

Cut each roll in half horizontally. Top bottom half of each roll with 2 tablespoons lettuce, 2 tomato slices, 1 onion slice, and one quarter of shrimp. Spread top half of each roll with about 2 tablespoons mayonnaise mixture; place on top of sandwich.

Original source: Cooking Light

What a Difference a Year Makes

When I think about all that's happened in the last 18 months, it seems hard to believe. Today, I was thinking about how this was Sydney's second 4th of July and decided to look back at last year's pictures. Anyway, I found the following two pictures of Sydney with her Aunt Jodi. It's neat to see how much Syd's changed over the last 12 months.

July 2008

July 2009

Happy 4th of July!

Wow - what a day! This year's 4th of July was packed - we were busy from morning to night. In the morning, the whole gang came over: both sets of parents and Jodi and Sarah and we participated in the 2009 Paeonian Springs 4th of July Parade. The term parade is used loosely. There aren't enough people in P Springs to actually host a real parade, so instead everyone just lines up and walks about a half block to some patriotic music. Here are some highlight pics:

The "parade."

The most patriotic dog we saw.

The P Springs gang at the parade after-party.

After the parade, we headed back to the house and enjoyed some barbecue and swimming. Even Nuts and Griffin came over. We used the Bergemuda sign to collect hamburger and hot dog orders. Tom and Sarah played a game of Bergemuda baseball using the max liquidator water gun and Syd's pool toys. Everything at the house wrapped up around 2:00 pm, when Syd went down for her nap.

When Syd woke up, we headed over to Matt and Colleen's house for dinner. There were three other little girls for Syd to play with, and we had fun catching up with Matt, Colleen, Kristi, Nathan, Howie, and Margaret.

Around 7:00 pm, we headed back to the house for yet another party. The plan was to try to keep Syd up so that she could see some fireworks. Alas, that did *not* work. Syd made it until about 8:45 pm when she melted down. Boo! She was bathed and in bed just as the fireworks started. Oh well! Maybe next year!

More pics from this year's celebrations: http://picasaweb.google.com/tbergeman/4thOfJuly2009?feat=directlink