Top 10 Moments of 2010

2010 was a year full of ups and downs for our family. We had our fair share of challenges with every one of us landing in the ER at least once! Thankfully, we had many more happy times. Here's our list of the top 10 good moments of 2010:

10. Tom continued to improve Bergemuda this year with the addition of the playground. The kids absolutely love it, and it was totally worth the wait!

9. Sydney learned the meaning of the word 'brave' this year. She rode a camel at the Loudoun County Fair, she rode an elephant at the circus, and she got her flu shot without crying!

8. We had plenty of fun times at the pool, but one of the best was when Sydney would stand on Tom's hand. She was so excited to be so high in the air above the water, and it made for one of the year's best pictures.

7. Syd's second birthday party was a lot of fun. We had plenty of family and friends with us to celebrate, and Sydney really enjoyed it.

6. Nina surprised me with an awesome baby shower at Lightfoot in April. As a lot of folks know, Tom and I had our wedding reception at Lightfoot, so it is a very special place for us. It was the perfect location to celebrate the impending arrival of Cole with our closest family and friends.

5. Last year, because of the snow, we didn't end up celebrating our birthdays until 2010. But - when we did, it was awesome. We enjoyed dinner at Benihana (mahalo, Jodi!), and everyone had a great time.

4. In the last 12 months, Sydney's vocabulary has exploded! She can now speak in full sentences and tell us exactly what she's thinking. She's had us laughing more than a couple times this year with the crazy things she says.

3. A big moment for Sydney this year was starting preschool. Although it was difficult for her at times, she's really come a long way with the transition to becoming truly independent and being away from mommy a couple times a week.

2. On December 7, Tom, Sydney, and I witnessed Cole crawl for the first time. It was awesome to be able to share this very special milestone as a family.

1. What else could be our number 1? On April 27, we welcomed the arrival of our son Cole Thomas. What could be better?

We are truly thankful for all the blessings of 2010. And, we're already excited to see what 2011 holds in store! To start, Sydney will be turning 3; Cole will be turning 1; and Tom and I will be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary (we're even thinking of renewing our vows!). Thank you to everyone who took part in making 2010 such a great year. We can't wait to share more good times in 2011.

Cole Thomas at 8 Months

Our little boy is growing like a weed. The last time he was weighed, he was hovering right around 20 pounds. He's currently wearing 12-month clothing, and he's eating a ton. In addition to eating every orange vegetable (which explains his handsome orange complexion), he's also eating peas, green beans, pears, and now bits of pancake! And - he recently learned to drink from a straw. He continues to puke after almost every meal, but the amount has significantly decreased. He finally seems happy. Until now, he hadn't really been a smiley baby. Now - almost all of the sudden, he's started to grin, smile, and laugh. I'm hoping this change in disposition is because he's beginning to feel better.

He's crawling everywhere and trying to climb the stairs. He's beginning to pull up on the couch and certain toys. He can stand while holding your hands. He loves to play pony boy and peek-a-boo.

Besides the digestive problems and allergies, Cole seems to be a healthy baby. Knock on wood: he's not had a bad cold or illness yet. His sleep patterns are improving. He usually takes three naps a day. The first and third nap are usually 30 minutes. The middle nap runs about 90 minutes. He still wakes up once a night to eat, but last night, he slept through. I'm hoping last night was the beginning of a pattern!

The only other thing I'd like to point out is his awesome hair. It's getting longer now, but still stands on end!

What Happened to the Pictures?

A lot of folks have been asking about our Picasa site. Recently, we decided it was time to lock it down. You can still see the pictures, you just have to be included on our list of e-mails. If you are interested in being able to view the Picasa site, shoot me an e-mail, and I'll add you to the list. I uploaded a bunch of Christmas pictures today!

Christmas 2010

Wow - have we had a fun-filled couple of days! Christmas eve, we got things started with a trip to Pump It Up - a local inflatables party place. Syd and Tom had a blast sliding down the slides, maneuvering through the obstacle courses, and bouncing on the bouncers. We even met up with Syd's friends Chloe and Jacob - twins that are in Syd's class at school. This activity was meant to drain some of Syd's energy and ensure a good nap before heading to Jodi's house for the Bergeman family Christmas; however, all it did was drain her energy. After a non-nap, we headed to Jodi's for Christmas eve dinner and presents.

We had a yummy dinner at Jodi's, including Honey Baked ham, mashed potatoes, carrot cauliflower casserole, cheesy bacon green bean casserole pot pie, and fresh rolls. Dessert was double layer pumpkin cheesecake. I think the highlight of dinner, though, was our Christmas crackers. For those who don't know, Christmas crackers are wrapped cardboard tubes that look a little like an oversized Smarties candy. Everyone had one, and we all opened them at the same time. Each one opens with a little bang and a prize inside. Most of us got paper crowns, but there was also a mini harmonica and a yo yo. The paper crowns made for some fun pictures.

After dinner, we opened presents. To describe the opening of presents as a free-for-all would be an understatement. Things were crazy this year. At one point, I looked down to see Sydney opening one of Tom's presents. Wrapping paper was flying, and gifts were everywhere! Some gift highlights included a netbook computer for Sarah, diamond earrings for Grandma, and an electric toy guitar for Sydney.

We headed home to put the kids in bed around 7:30 pm. Before they hit the sack, we put out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. Sydney slept really well. We didn't hear a peep from her until 8:00 am. The first thing she said when I walked into her room was, "Santa was here???"

We headed downstairs, and she was so excited. She received exactly what she asked Santa for: a music box (a preschool version of an iPod). She also received blocks, a magnadoodle, and a ton of stocking stuffers (think slinkies, coloring books, little toys, candy, and even a pair of princess pajamas). Cole received a variety of baby toys and some blocks. He found baby spoons and binkies in his stocking.

After we opened presents, we headed over to my parents' house for the Drumheller family Christmas. Lorraine had had planned shoulder surgery on December 23, so she had been there recovering for the past couple days. We enjoyed breakfast casserole, coffee cake, and cinnamon rolls while opening presents. Some highlights included a Nook for mom, handmade sock monkies for Syd and Cole, and a new wallet preloaded with pictures of his grandchildren for Papa.

We headed home for nap time around 1:00 pm. Sydney finally took a nap, and we woke up refreshed and ready to go to Max Grandma and Big Papa's house for dinner. Grandma made a traditional turkey dinner, and we were whipped by the time dessert rolled around! The kids were at home in bed by 8:00 pm, and we were soon to follow.

Whew! That even sounds like a lot. Today, we're taking it easy as we wait on the snow to arrive. This particular storm has been difficult to pinpoint. We've had predictions from a dusting to 14 inches! I guess we'll have to wait and see. Merry Christmas!

Grasshopper Brownies

It was a well-known fact that you could prowl the halls of Argon ST around 1:00 pm and usually find a free lunch. We had lunch catered almost daily for different meetings and lunchtime learning sessions. One of my favorite desserts from the local caterer was a brownie that was covered in mint cream and topped with a thin layer of chocolate. This recipe is a pretty spot-on recreation.

1 box of brownie mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
2 c confectioner's sugar
1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 t peppermint extract
green food dye
6 T butter
1 c chocolate chips

Prepare brownies as specified on the back of the box. Let cool.

Mix sugar, 1/2 c butter, and peppermint extract until smooth. Spread over cooled brownies. Let set (about 15 minutes).

Melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat. Poor chocolate over frosted brownies. Let set (about 1 hour).

Enjoy!

Cheesy Bacon Green Bean Casserole Pot Pie

This may be a new holiday favorite - to go along with the double layer pumpkin cheesecake!

1/2 lb bacon sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic
12 oz bag of fresh trimmed green beans
1 stick butter
1/2 Cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 1/2 Cups chicken broth
1 1/4 Cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 sheet puff pastry thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook bacon in medium dutch oven over medium heat until browned and crisped. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate then discard all but 2 Tablespoons of bacon drippings. Saute onions in remaining bacon drippings until softened, about 5 minutes, stir in garlic and cook for a minute. Reduce heat to low. Boil green beans in pot for 5 minutes, until just fork tender. Transfer beans to a ice water bath. Add beans to onions and garlic along with the crisped bacon.

To make sauce melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper until well combined then whisk in chicken broth until thick and creamy, for about 3-4 minutes. Once hot and creamy stir in shredded cheese until melted. Pour cheese sauce over beans then transfer to a 9 inch pie plate. Trim square puff pastry edges to more of a round (does not have to be perfect). Lay puff pastry over beans, folding edges under. Cut 4-5 slits to allow for steam to escape. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until puff pastry is nice and golden. Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing into.

Pizza Bake

This was a good change of pace. It definitely tastes like pizza. The sausage and pepperoni was a little much for me, but Tom and Sydney loved it. I didn't use all the sausage or pepperoni called for in the recipe. Next time, I may even cut it back a little more. Regardless, this will be a new addition to the regular rotation.

1 (19 ounce) package Bob Evans® Italian Sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
1 (16 ounce) jar pizza sauce
1 (2 ounce) package diced pepperoni
1/2 c sliced yellow bell peppers
2 c shredded four-cheese Italian blend, divided in half

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until browned. In large saucepan, cook macaroni according to package directions, drain. In 9-inch square baking pan, combine sausage, macaroni, pizza sauce, pepperoni, yellow peppers and 1 cup cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese over sausage mixture. Cover and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until sausage is fully cooked.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

We celebrated Daddy's birthday all weekend! On Saturday, Tom and I enjoyed a spectacular date night. We went to Tom's company's holiday party and then headed over to Melanie and Colin's house for a fabulous house warming party. On Sunday, we hosted a little family party. Tom's parents and Jodi and Sarah came over. We had a great spaghetti dinner with chocolate iced cake for dessert! Happy Birthday Tommy! We love you.

Thank You Mom!

For my birthday, mom quilted me the most beautiful, awesome table runner. It is a blue, white, and silver print with poinsettias and perfectly matches our dining room. It also fits our ridiculously long dining room table - which is no small feat. She also gave me a rosemary bush and decorated the dining room table for Christmas. I absolutely love everything. She has a creativity and knack for decorating that I just do not have. I can't wait to celebrate our birthdays tonight at the table!

This Week at Preschool

This was a really fun week at preschool. On Tuesday, Syd celebrated Christmas with her classmates during their classroom Christmas party. We made candy cane reindeer, decorated Christmas cookies, played Christmas freeze dance/duck-duck-goose and pin the nose on Rudolph, and ate a ton of snacks. She also received a stuffed reindeer that she's been bringing everywhere with her! Earlier today, the reindeer was "dressed" in Cole's shoes and was dancing in the living room.

On Thursday, Syd participated in her school's Christmas pageant. The pageant involved each class singing a Christmas song in front of all the parents and friends. All of the kids had some sort of prop; for example, one of the older classes sang Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer while wearing headband antlers and shaking jingle bells. For Syd's class, they had babies (for Baby Jesus). Although it was not even close to recognizable (I actually had to check the program to confirm), Syd's class sang Little Baby in the Manger. They all had their babies and rocked them while singing (see the picture of Sydney)! Other songs that were performed by other classes included Let There Be Peace on Earth (with bells), Away in the Manger, and Must be Santa. The Pre-K kids performed Frosty the Snowman as the grand finale. The whole program lasted about 40 minutes. After the program, we headed back to the school cafeteria for a reception - complete with peanut-free cookies! Yeay! It was a really great way to finish off school before Christmas break (by the way, I love how Syd's school can actually celebrate Christmas).

Anaphylaxis - What Is It?

Before Sunday, I was under the impression that anaphylaxis was the inability to breathe. If you had asked me on Sunday whether Cole was having an anaphylactic reaction to bananas, I would have said no because he did not exhibit any signs of difficulty breathing. He did not cough, wheeze, hiccup - nothing. Also, his tongue and lips did not swell. This is the number one reason I did not drop everything and take him to the hospital immediately.

I was wrong, wrong, wrong. Here is the official definition of anaphylaxis from the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network:

An anaphylactic reaction may begin with a tingling sensation, itching, or a metallic taste in the mouth. Other symptoms can include hives, a sensation of warmth, wheezing or other difficulty breathing, coughing, swelling of the mouth and throat area, vomiting, diarrhea, craming, a drop in blood pressure, and loss of consciousness. These symptoms may begin within several minutes to two hours after exposure to the allergen, but life threatening reactions may get worse over a period of several hours.

In some reactions, the symptoms go away, only to return one to three hours later. This is called a “biphasic reaction.” Often these second-phase symptoms occur in the respiratory tract and may be more severe than the first-phase symptoms. Studies suggest that biphasic reactions occur in about 20% of anaphylactic reactions.

In Cole's case, he experienced hives, a sensation of warmth (his skin was hot to the touch), vomiting, a drop in blood pressure, and a near loss of consciousness. His initial reaction just included the hives and the sensation of warmth; his second-phase symptoms included the vomiting, drop in blood pressure, and near loss of consciousness.

Never during Cole's case, did I consider administering his EpiPen. Again, this was because I was under the impression that the EpiPen was only for use on children who were not breathing or who were having difficulty breathing. I did not know you could administer the shot to a child that had an open airway.

Again - I was wrong.

According to the EpiPen Web site:

If your child shows signs or symptoms of an allergic emergency, inject the EpiPen Jr. immediately, then promptly call 911 and seek immediate medical attention. Signs of an allergic emergency may include:

- Closing of breathing airways
- Wheezing
- Sneezing
- Hoarseness
- Hives
- Itching
- Swelling of the lips or tongue
- Numbness or tingling of the lips or tongue
- Skin redness
- Fast heartbeat
- Weak pulse
- Feeling anxious
- Confusion
- Stomach pain
- Incontinence
- Faintness or unconsciousness

Also according to the Web site: Don't be afraid to use the EpiPen during an allergic emergency. Using it at the start of such an emergency may prevent the reaction from becoming worse. There are no absolute contraindications to using an EpiPen in a life-threatening severe allergic reaction.

I am so thankful that I took Cole to the ER on Sunday. Things could have ended much worse, and I'm lucky that I've had this experience to learn what I should be doing. So - this is my PSA. For those you who are new to allergies, I hope this post can help you if you find yourself in an allergic emergency situation.

Holy Bananas!

Sunday morning, I decided it was time to start Cole on fruit. So far, he's done very well with vegetables. He's had pumpkin, sweet potato, butternut squash, carrots, acorn squash, green beans, and sweet peas. For his first fruit (besides pumpkin - which I don't really count as a real fruit), I decided to go with banana. Banana is typically considered a mild fruit that's easy to digest. Here's a great description of banana from one of my favorite baby food sites (www.wholesomebabyfood.com):

Bananas are also known as one of nature's own antacids. They are known to help protect against stomach ulcers and ulcer damage. The reason for this seldom known and almost odd fact is that bananas contain "mucilaginous bulking substances". They help the intestines with producing a mucousy lining and are very very easy to digest.

Awesome! I thought that maybe bananas could even help Cole with his acid reflux. So, we went for it. I mashed up an organic banana and went to town. The first sign of trouble came when it was clear that Cole didn't really care for the bananas - I mean, really - who doesn't like bananas? I gave up after getting maybe 10 little baby spoonfuls of bananas in him.

After breakfast, I headed upstairs to drop Cole's crib. He's recently learned how to crawl and how to sit up from a laying position, so I figured it was time to drop his mattress so he didn't take a header. I got as far as taking the mattress out of the crib, when I turned around to see Cole's head and neck covered in hives and his skin a fiery red. It was clear he was very itchy, too. I quickly took him downstairs to show Tom. We decided to go ahead and give him some Benadryl and keep an eye on him.

He seemed to get a little better. After the Benadryl, he stopped itching, but the hives and red skin were still present. He was able to take a little nap, so how bad could it be? After his nap, I was on the phone with Grandma Bergeman when I noticed he was almost falling asleep (passing out) in my arms. I was able to keep him from losing consciousness (although I didn't realize that was the case at the time) but as he became a little more alert, he immediately started projectile vomiting. All the bananas - every last bit of them - made a return appearance. After the vomiting, he lost all his color; he was grey. At that point, I called the 24-hour nurse line. The nurse who answered suggested I take him straight to the ER.

At the ER, I was told that Cole was experiencing anaphylaxis also known as a severe allergic reaction to bananas. He was given an epinephrine shot, steroid shot, and another dose of Benadryl. Within minutes, he was 100% better!

Needless to say, this experience was a scary one! Cole's headed back to the allergist for a follow-up this week. I'm hoping to learn more about this particular allergy and get some advice on how to proceed with introducing Cole to other kinds of fruit. In the meantime, I'm going to follow this post with a PSA on anaphylaxis. Stay tuned.

Christmas with the Chabots!

This past weekend, we were so excited to spend time with the Chabots - Cole's Godparents! We met at Mimi's Cafe for lunch. It was so nice to hear about their plans for Christmas and an upcoming family celebration they're hosting. They were also nice enough to spoil the kids with fun gifts. Sydney absolutely loves the gifts! She is the proud new mommy to a baby doll she named Strawberry Shortcake. Also, Sydney and Cole received a Little People nativity scene that Syd's been playing with non-stop since Sunday. On Monday morning, the first thing she said after opening her little eyes was, "Can I please play with my Baby Jesus toy?" The nativity scene has also been a great learning toy. Since receiving it, we've had plenty of conversations about how Christmas is a celebration of Jesus' birth. We've also been reading What is Christmas? by Michelle Medlock Adams. It's a great little book that talks about everything Christmas and why we have a Christmas day. A big thank you goes out to the Chabots for being such great Godparents and giving such fun gifts! Merry Christmas to you!

Pot Roast with Vegetables

I made this about a month ago for the first time. At the time, Tom was out of town, so my parents came over for dinner. My Dad proclaimed this the best pot roast he'd ever eaten. We'll see what Tom says when he tries it tonight! If he's lucky, I'll make some rosemary focaccia to go with it.

1 (3 to 4 pound) piece beef chuck roast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 yellow onion, halved
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bunch baby carrots
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

Season all sides of the beef with a fair amount of salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot; heat the oil over moderately high heat. Brown the meat on all sides, taking the time to get a nice crust on the outside.

Meanwhile, pour the tomatoes in your crock pot. Add the vegetables and herbs around the sides of the pot. Once your meat is browned, transfer it to the crock pot. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Odds and Ends

I've been posting a lot of recipes lately. I figured it was time to post a bunch of family-centered odds and ends.

Syd's been on a roll lately. Here are some things she's said that have had us laughing:

- Dad: "Who taught you to dance like that?" Sydney: "Jesus."

- "Where there's smoke, there's fire!"

- "Just visit pbskids.org."

- Sydney: "What flavor lollipop is it?" Mom: "Butterscotch - I think you'll like it." Sydney: "Probably not - it's brown and has scotch in it."

Cole's been on a roll, too. He's hit several milestones:

- He can sit unassisted.

- He has started to rock on all fours.

- He's eating all sorts of vegetables, including sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash, acorn squash, carrots, and green beans. Next up is peas.

- He's stringing some syllables together. My favorite is mamamamama.

- He can pick up Cheerios and gets about 50% of them in his mouth.

As for Tom and me, we're very much looking forward to a couple date nights that are in our near future! Woo hoo!

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

A few months ago, my friend Jessica made me dinner. It was spectacular - crockpot BBQ chicken sandwiches. When I asked her for the recipe, she said she was a little embarrassed to share it because it was so easy. Well, sorry Jessica - it was sooooo good, I have to share it with the world! I hope you don't mind! :)

This is the BBQ chicken I used on yesterday's BBQ chicken-crusted smoked macaroni and cheese.

Chicken breasts
1 bottle of BBQ sauce - choose your favorite (ours is good old Kraft Original)

Place the chicken breasts in the crockpot and cover with BBQ sauce. Turn on low for 4 hours.

VOILA!

Shred the chicken with two forks. Put the chicken on buns and make chicken sandwiches or use the chicken for some other use: macaroni and cheese, BBQ chicken pizza, BBQ chicken salad... Yummy! Thanks so much, Jessica!