Taco Cups

Good Tuesday morning!

Austin had a very good birthday. Since we celebrated on Sunday, Monday was just a family dinner (Italian chicken). I think he's going to enjoy being 18. I wish I could say the same. We watched his baby videos for about an hour before 24. They make me feel very melancholy and sad... mainly because my hair was so big and no one cared enough to tell me!

I've jotted down my numerous thoughts on Amazing Race, 24 and Jon & Kate so I won't forget anything Friday morning... all four of them.

Roxie is playing in another tournament game tonight, and this is a team we've beaten once and then they turned around and beat us the second game we played. If we win, we play Saturday for the championship. We are psyched! I love basketball season... one of the few sports I understand. Except for that three seconds in the lane thing... what's that about? I'll let you know how she did on Wednesday.

Austin

What shall we call this kid?

Really, the choosing of Austin's name wasn't very difficult. We made lists of all the names we liked. We read several Baby Name books. If I didn't like one of Mike's choices, we crossed it off the list. If he didn't like one of my choices... we put a little star beside it. But one night we said Austin, and we both agreed we liked it. We said Austin Faulkner. We liked that, too. We had already agreed we wanted him to have a "family" name, and Michael was the obvious choice for that one. Austin Michael Faulkner. Not difficult. No big discussions or fights. No tears. It was very easy to name him. And we immediately began referring to him by name. "Do you think Austin's going to like the teddy bear border we picked out?" "Do you think Austin is going to spit up a lot?" "Do you think the way I'm gaining weight, Austin is going to weigh 14' 2" by the time he gets here?"

The day Austin finally arrived!

Yes, I was still gaining weight at warp speed. Thankfully, I had not started gaining weight until I found out I was pregnant, so when I hit 47 pounds on the scale, I knew by the next visit I was going to be the big 5-0! And we all know what that meant... another talk with the doctor about my "caloric" problem. (I had already received four such "talks/lectures," and I wasn't looking forward to number five.)

One week later, and nine days from my due date of March 2, I did indeed tip the scales at 50. The nurse weighing me said, "The doctor is not going to be happy with you today."

To which I replied, "I am an intelligent 29 year-old woman who at any minute is going to give birth. I am thinking I do not want any more lectures from a man who has NEVER been pregnant!"

She must have delivered the message, because my visit with my doctor was incredibly short wherein he informed me "nothing was happening," and he said he'd see me in a week.

I was a little disappointed about the "nothing was happening" part, but I could hold out a few more days. It was definitely time though. My maternity clothes were tight (caloric), my ankles were starting to swell (caloric), and sleeping had become next to impossible (caloric).

I went to Food World and was buying... you guessed it! MORE FOOD. I was halfway through my shopping trip when I sneezed. Uh, oh. If you are a woman who is 38 1/2 weeks pregnant and has put on 50 pounds, you know sneezing is a no-no. "Well, this is just great," I thought to myself. I'm 29 years old and I just wet my pants... in public no less! I put myself between my buggy and the food, and waited for someone I knew to walk by so they could walk behind me to my car (for embarrassment sake). No one. Great. I decided to wait five more minutes and then I would just walk out by myself. I figured that would be when I saw everyone I knew in Cullman.

About that time, a pregnant lady with a small toddler in her shopping cart came around the turn. I didn't know her, but I knew she'd understand. As she started to pass me, I asked her my special little favor. She was so sweet. Her face just melted into compassion, and she gladly offered to help. She left her buggy at the register... I left mine in the aisle, and we both got empty buggies and with one in front and one right behind, she walked me to my car. "I can never thank you enough," I said, relieved.

"If this is the most embarrassing thing that happens to you while you're pregnant, you'll be very fortunate. Are you having twins?" she asked.

"No. I have a caloric problem," I whispered.

"Don't we all, honey. Don't we all." And with that, my helper and her toddler waddled back into the grocery store.

To make a long story much shorter, at 2:00 the next morning, my water broke. Mike and I got ready to make the hour long drive to Birmingham to finally meet Austin face-to-face. We called our parents and the hospital, and I was getting ready to take a quick shower and do my hair and make-up before we left. First mistake... I told the nurse I was going to take a quick shower and do my make-up before we left.

"Oh, no. You get down here right away. You do not take a shower when you're an hour away from the hospital."

"Well, I take very quick showers, and I'm not having contractions or anything like that. I'll be just fine."

"No, ma'am. You get in that car right now and get to the hospital." She was so bossy, and I was hoping she was going to be off-duty before Austin was born. I didn't want one of the first people he came in contact with to be so unpleasant.

I told Mike what she had said as I was going to the bathroom to get my shower and do my make-up. "No. We're doing exactly what they said to do," he said. I knew he was nervous about delivering on the side of the road... but my hair was not clean, and at 2:00 a.m. I was the kind of girl who needed a little make-up. (I didn't want Austin to be traumatized when he saw his mother for the first time.) But Mike was already dressed and taking the suitcase down the stairs to the car. He immediately came back up the stairs and hurried me along and into the car. I was not a happy camper.

"Well, I guess I could take a shower this afternoon after Austin gets here," I finally agreed as I went digging for lipstick in my purse.

We arrived at the hospital in record time (no traffic at 2:45 in the morning), and we waited for Austin's arrival. Nothing. Three hours later. Nothing. Five hours later. Nothing. But they did decide to start the "drip," which would hurry my contractions along. Nothing. Finally, the doctor decided an ultrasound was in order to see what the hold-up was. Austin was "oblique lie," which in layman's terms means he was side-to-side instead of head down ready to be born. Hmm. Well, what were we going to do?

"We're going to have to perform a C-Section," the doctor told me. So within 45 minutes of the C-Section decision, I was holding my Austin. He was beautiful. He took my breath away. His name fit him perfectly, and although I had thought he would weigh at least 14' 2", he came in at 9' 6". I could hear my doctor thinking, "And the other 40 pounds you gained were caloric." I didn't care. I would worry about that tomorrow... along with my dirty hair and a few other surprises. None of that mattered at that moment... 1:15 p.m., February 23, 1991. Not one bit.

Stay tuned for the very short and final Part Three tomorrow. (I promise.)

Taco Cups

This recipe is in the new Sandra Lee magazine, but it is from a guest reader named Laura Peitz. It is wonderful. All five of us loved the Taco Cups.

You will need:

1/2 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 (12-ounce) can refrigerated flaky butter biscuits (Pillsbury)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Salsa
Sour Cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat until browned and crumbly; drain. Add taco seasoning to browned meat, stirring well to combine.

3. Place one biscuit into each of 10 cups of prepared muffin pan, patting biscuit dough gently up side of cup.

4. Spoon meat mixture on top of biscuit dough. Top with cheese. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

So good. I served them with another recipe from the magazine (Mexican Chicken Casserole) that was just as easy and just as delicious.

I also think these would be great "snacks" for some of the football parties we have at the lot. I'm planning on giving them a try at the next game.

Alas, tomorrow will be our last February Seasonal Tradition. Very sad, but we did cram a lot into the month of February, didn't we?

Have a wonderful Tuesday, and I'll talk to you tomorrow!