Callie's 2nd Christmas

I honestly don't know where to begin with this one. This is probably going to be a very rambly post, but I just need to get it all out!
Bill and I spent a lot of time and energy leading up to Christmas deciding what we wanted to share with our little girl in terms of Christmas traditions. We decided on Christmas Eve with my family  and tamales (as our usual tradition) and Christmas morning with just the three of us. Christmas afternoon/evening has always been with Bill's family in Morgan Hill.
So we were getting our tamale dinner all set up in the dining room on Christmas Eve when I heard it. The bark. Milo's bark that is usually reserved for attacking raccoons. Most of what happened next is a blur. But I know that I raced into the living room and started yelling something, probably Milo's name. And I saw my baby girl crying and scared. And that is saying something for Miss Callie, she is rarely scared. She is my tough chick. Over the next 24 hours I would learn just how tough she really is! I scooped her up and saw the blood. And cue the freak out. It was just starting to appear but there were at least 3 bite marks on her face from our normally very mellow beagle that we have had as our companion for the last 10 years. I took her into the kitchen and we tried to stop the bleeding with some towels and water to no avail. The blood just wouldn't stop. I was really trying to keep it together but I guess its kind of impossible when your child is bleeding!
So we hurriedly pulled a few things together, blew out candles, grabbed a blanket for Callie, more towels to mop up the blood for the car ride and we were off to the ER. I was so grateful for Bill's calm demeanor and thinking through the whole episode and for my mom's steady hand to keep me calm as well because I was pretty much a wreck. She kept my breathing even so I wouldn't pass out.
We brought Callie to the car and I wanted so badly to just hold her instead of putting her in the carseat, but we did put her in the seat since there were no bites on her arms of legs that would be pinched in the buckles. I think if it had just been me and Bill in the car I wouldn't have put her in the seat.
It was the longest car ride of my life. She screamed the entire way while we kept trying to stop the bleeding in the car. It slowed down a little by the time we got there. I can honestly say I have never been so damned scared in my entire life. There is no way to adequately describe what it feels like to be a mother and see your child's blood on your clothes and running down her face. And knowing that I was pretty much powerless to help her was awful. I don't even know how I put one foot in front of the other to get her to the hospital. So much of all of this is a blur but I think a lot of that has to do with all of the adrenaline that was pumping throughout my body.
When we walked into the ER it was empty except for a dad and his son. I knew it was bad when the receptionist was moving and talking so fast. Usually when we go to the ER they are methodically slow. They got our information and then we moved over to the nurse station which was an excercise in incredible pain and stupidity, as usual. Lots of questions, which is fine, I understand you need to know if we've given her any medications, blah blah. But come on, I was surprised we all had shoes on and found car keys with how panicked we all were. But the worst part was when they tried to weigh her. She had been screaming constantly since we left the house and now I was supposed to lay her down on a scale with blood dripping into her eyes? Didn't work at all, of course. And all of her screaming was opening up the cuts even more. So they had the big ole pregnant lady get on the scale with her daughter then pass her off to daddy and subtract the weight to figure out Callie's weight.
Finally we were whisked into our room where Callie was still screaming at the top of her lungs. I tried so hard to calm her down, singing, rocking, telling her it would be ok, that I was sorry, anything I could think of. Of course nothing worked and I just cried because I was so helpless and she was so scared and in pain.
An EMT named Michael Dunn ( who was absolutly amazing) came in and explained what they were going to have to do. He was incredibly sympathetic and had the perfect demeanor for the situation. He explained that normally they don't stitch up dog bites because of bacteria but these bites were so deep they didn't have a choice. The doctor also came in and started talking to me about scars and quite honestly I thought to myself "I really don't give a fuck if she has scars, I just want her to feel better and for the bleeding to stop!" And come on, a kid like Callie? The girl is going to have scars one way or another!
They both left for a while and Callie finally passed out. Sweet relief for us all. I was glad that her body was resting. Bill and I started talking about whether I could handle being in the room since they were going to have to strap her down and I knew that if she could see/hear me and not get to me it would just make it harder for the doctor and the EMT to do what they needed to do. Also we were worried that the stress and adrenaline would put me in early labor. When the EMT came back they put Callie's arms into a pillow case and basically put her in a swaddle. Luckily she was still sleeping while they were doing this. Then came the pappoose and the velcro restraints over her legs and chest.
That's when I left to go meet with my parents in the waiting room. It was absolute agony being in that room while I knew that Callie was screaming for me. One of the funny things that happened was that when I walked out into the waiting room where my parents were what was showing on all of the tvs? The Sound of Music, one of the movies that I was named for.
After a while ( I have no idea how much time passed while we were at the ER) the EMT came to get me since they had finished. My baby girl looked so tired you almost wouldn't have recognized her. I don't think there is anything or anyone that could have stopped me from taking her out of Bill's arms. And we both cried and cried. I must have told her how sorry I was a gazillion times by the time the night was over. Bill got the discharge instructions and I rocked Callie like she was a newborn. Then another odd/funny thing happened. There had been a very young baby in the ER that had been crying most of the time we were there. All of a sudden Callie tried to leap out of my arms yelling "Baby! Baby!" Like she was saying "Someone help the baby!" I only hope she will be that protective of her baby sister.
We were so happy to leave it was amazing. When I carried her out to the waiting room where my parents were waiting she yelled out "Amma Amma!" for my mom and leaped into her arms. For the zillionth time, I was so glad my mom was there with us. We got her back into the car seat and headed home. I just leaned my head against the carseat and stared at her and thought "Oh my god. Its over. She's ok. I can't believe she is ok." As we drove I tried to remember if the dog was still in the house. Would he just be sleeping on the couch like nothing had happened? If he was in the house would he come after her again? Luckily in all the commotion before we left the house Bill, the ever level headed one, had put him outside.
I was a little worried about how she would react when she got home. Would she be scared? But nope. It was business as usual. Time for snuggles and Finding Nemo. She laid on my belly and chest and watched her favorite movie and I held her and didn't think I would ever be able to let her go.
Her face looked horrible. She pretty much looked like she had been mauled by a wild animal. There were 6 punctures and bites that they had to stitch up. One was on her eyelid. It is an absolute miracle that there seems to be no damage to the eye itself. One of her eyelids is still swollen shut but it is improving. We had to keep ointment on the stitches and try to keep the closed eyelid dry because the puncture on her lid drains right into the corner of her eye so it looks like she cries blood. Cleaning out her eye and keeping the ointment on is horrible of course, but we gotta do it.
When Nemo was over we wanted to try to keep our bedtime ritual so it was time to read. And of course she wanted to read Go Dog Go. Bill read to her while I cried because I know that we cannot in good faith keep our dog that has been our friend and companion for 10 years. Milo was scratching at the door the whole time we were reading. He might never go after her again but we just can't take that chance. I don't think he is a bad dog. I know that if he REALLY wanted to hurt her he would have gone for her neck and we would have lost her. I think he hit his limit with a toddler's poking and prodding and having food in front of his face. I really hope that we can find a good home for him. I can't even think about most of that decision yet, but I know it has to be done. So if any of you readers knows someone who doesn't have kids and that would like an older, mellow lovable full bred beagle please let me know. We are broken hearted over the whole situation. 
We talked a lot about it after Callie went to sleep, taking stock of just how lucky we were. Bill told me what it was like in the room while they were stitching her up. I felt so guilty that I wasn't there but we both agreed it was the right decision. Bill had to help hold her down and just kept talking to her to try to calm her down. I am so glad that Bill could be there for our girl, even if I couldn't. He is my rock and I know I wouldn't have gotten through this without him holding me and Callie while she screamed and I cried. Just feeling his hand on my shoulder steadied me more than I thought possible. We also talked about the fact that we can't keep Milo. The more I thought about him, the more I told myself "You can't think about this. You have to get rid of him. You can't possibly take the chance that this could happen again. So just stop and do what you need to do."

Callie slept off and on through the night although I only slept about 4 hours. All I could see was her bloody face, crying out for me. I bolted out of bed everytime she cried. We ended up having a very mellow Christmas Day at home with my parents and Bill's parents came by as well. All in all it ended up being a nice day for all of us, even if a little bittersweet. We are so incredibly lucky that our baby girl is ok. The whole experience probably took at least 5 years off of our lives but we are definitely counting our blessings today. So hug your babies tight! They are the most precious things we have!

Hockey and Kids

Advice for about-to-be moms

I have two good friends who are due for the first babies in the next few weeks. Which of course makes me think of Callie's birth and my journey since that fateful day.
It's a little funny to think back on it and remember what a wreck I was! We took so many classes. Most months we had at least one class that took up a whole day or weekend. Mostly because I was so freaked out about birth. I think largely because we don't normally talk about it, unless you are hearing horror stories. Or maybe those are just the ones that stick in our memories. For whatever reason, we don't talk about the process all that much unless you are about to go through it.
Looking back, I'm not sure that I would change what we did, I  met an amazing teacher: Heather Ward who helped me tremendously. Seriously, if you are expecting, go to her website. She is amazing. She said something that really stuck with me. She was talking about when you've reached your limit with a newborn. The screaming won't stop. You're exhausted and you feel like you're going to snap. She said: "Put the baby down in a safe place, like a crib. Pour yourself a glass of wine and go outside for a few minutes. Scream at the top of your lungs if you need to. " The thing I remember the most is that she said "WHEN this happens. Not if. It will." It definitely scared me, that word: when. I am totally the person that would normally say "Nah, not me. I can handle it." But she wouldn't let me. And I am eternally grateful for that. It was one of the few times I could tell myself, I am not alone. Heather told me this would happen so its ok.
A class that I wish I would've taken but didn't was a class on baby massage. It might sound silly but it really helped Callie when she was colicky. Luckily I found a dvd at the library on the subject and a very generous friend, Megan, who came over to show me one on one how to do it.
I wish I would've taken fewer classes on the birth process. The classes that our midwives taught covered everything I needed to know, I just didn't realize it at the time!
The bottom line is, about-to-be mamas, you just need to surround yourself with a good team. I was so lucky that I had a dream team. I had my husband, my doula, Tara Gomez ,my midwife Bethany Monte and my mom. Oh ya, and Milo, my dog. He wouldn't leave my side the whole day. It was oddly comforting to have that warmth near my feet as I braced against each contraction. If you have people around you that you are second guessing, that you might feel embarrassed around (about gee I don't know...being really naked!), or that you just don't trust, your labor will be much longer and harder. I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to handle the pain or that my head would get in the way of what my body needed to do. Ends up I didn't need to worry. Sure birth is painful. But it is one day and it comes and goes. I had Bill and Tara there to hold my hand and tell me what to do and to make me eat.
Mamas: food is so important before you go to the hospital! Eat as many good carbs as you can when labor first starts. You won't feel like it later. In the later stages of labor, my favorite things to eat were honey sticks (they are amazing! the perfect burst of energy and very easy to eat) and high water content fruit like honeydew. I remember in the middle of the day Bill made me some gnocchi and it was really tough to eat but I am glad I did because I didn't really eat again until 2am when we were settled in our recovery room and I had almost passed out white as a ghost on the floor of the delivery room after losing too much blood.
Sleep. I really wish I had gone back to sleep after labor had started at 5am. But I was too excited. So if your labor starts in the middle of the night or early morning, get some more sleep because you are going to need all your energy. I remember in the midwives' class they said when labor starts in the middle of the night let your husband sleep. I'm pretty sure I rolled my eyes. I thought to myself, "What the hell? I have to feel contractions and water breaking and he gets to take a nap? Puhleaze." But they were right. You are going to be leaning on your partner, both literally and figuratively, more than you can imagine. You will be in probably the weakest state of mind of your entire life and you will need them at their best.
Stay home as long as you can. I am so glad I was able to labor most of my time at home, in my comfort zone. The minute you go into the hospital your stress level goes up and strangers are coming and going and you may have some make you feel about how long it is taking or that you're trying to avoid drugs and c sections. Obviously, the drawback at home is if you really want drugs you most likely won't have them there. And clearly, if you are struggling and you would feel better and safer in the hospital then GO!
When you get to the hospital, make friends with your nurses. Screw the doctor. He/she is going to come in at the very end of your labor, when the head is crowning, you know, when it is practically over. The nurses, however, are with you the whole time and you want them on your side. Our midwives had suggested bribery and we complied! We brought cakes and brownies baked by my amazing mom. We had amazing nurses and they were incredibly helpful and attentive and not pushy at all.
Also while in the hospital, make sure you pack some food/snacks for dad. When we got to our room at 2am we were both famished. Sure they bring meals for mama but nothing for dad, unless you want to pay. So we had lots of snacks in our hospital bag, I thought to get me through labor but it ended up being dinner for Bill. Also if you are going to have people visit you in the hospital ask them to bring a burrito or pizza or something for daddy. I will always remember when my mom was on her way to see us in the hospital, Bill called her and said "I will give you a million dollars if you bring me a burrito from Mondo Burrito." Poor guy was desperate!
And a word on visitors, you may want to limit it to the absolute minimum. You are going to be so tired and sore you might not feel like talking/seeing many people. Save the visits for when you get home and settled and you are more rested. Plus, you've got nurses coming in at all hours to check your bleeding, replace ice bags, work on breast feeding, give you medication and god knows what else.
Dads: rub her back if she is comfortable with it and don't be shy about it. However, some mamas in labor don't want to be touched at all and if that is the case, back away slowly. But in my case, I had nothing but back labor because Callie was facing backwards. It is the worst back pain I have every experienced. But Bill and Tara switched off grinding their fists and elbows into my lower back and it saved me. My midwife told me later that the location of my tattoo on my lower back was the perfect placement, she said it was like a bullseye! So spend some time BEFORE you go into labor figuring out what feels good and what doesn't. It is worth the time, especially for you dads so you don't get your head bitten off anymore than necessary:)
Take pictures. That was something that Tara did for us and I am so grateful. Some of my absolute favorite pictures are the ones she took just after Callie was born. When I want to hold on to that first feeling of meeting her I just look at the pictures. There was an amazing photo of Bill and I both looking at Callie for the first time and it will reduce me to tears everytime.

 

Sure there were a few in there that were not fit for public consumption, but that's ok. That's why we love digital, right? I'm not sure I would've liked having video but if you think you would, go for it. 
But my most important piece of advice: let it go. Relax. Women's bodies have been doing this for, uh, well. Forever! We are literally built for it. You can do this. Stress will delay your labor and since the average for the first baby is 24 hours of labor, delay is not preferable:) You are strong enough and focused enough. You are amazing and your son or daughter is so lucky to have you for a mama.

2nd Time Around

I get asked a lot, "So how is it the second time around?" referring of course, to my second pregnancy. Well, the first trimester was a lot more challenging the second time around. When you have a toddler around you don't have the luxury of taking a nap when you want to. I had a lot more nausea this time as well.
But I would say after the first trimester was over, things have been much simpler this time around. For some reason the time seems to go faster, maybe because I am trying to keep up with a very active toddler. I am also a lot more relaxed about the dos and don'ts. I'm not as worried about eating the wrong foods. Now that's not to say that I'm eating pickles for breakfast. Quite the opposite. Because I don't want junk in the house for Callie to eat, I don't tend to eat it either. But I don't freak out at having a little bit of deli meat (I just can't say no to salami for some reason!) or soft cheese. Is it a risk? Of course. But not the biggest in the world. I am careful about where I am getting said foods.

Another nice thing is not being so freaked out about the big day. The first time around with Callie, I was totally petrified of labor and birth. So much so, that I spent far more time reading and researching about labor than I did about actually being a mom! I managed to get through a 16 hour labor with no drugs or interventions of any kind so I feel pretty confident that we will be ok. And I generally know what to expect, which is what was so frightening the last time, the unexpected, the uncontrolled. I think a large part of that comfort with the unknown and unplanned is because, although it took a while to get it through my head, so much of early motherhood is about letting go of control. I know that my body knows what to do and it will tell me if something is wrong.

I am also MUCH more active this time around. Probably because I'm not working full time, so I have the time to go for walks and runs. I have been doing 5Ks, 10Ks and half marathons during this pregnancy so my weight has stayed down, even though I look just as big I am about 10 pounds lighter than I was at this point in my first pregnancy. I do get a fair amount of grief about doing these races. "Is it safe?" "Doesn't it hurt the baby?" "How can you run with a belly?" Good lord people. Calm down. It is safe.  I wear a heart rate monitor to make sure my heart rate doesn't go about 165-170. I carry A LOT of water. On my long walks I carry instant ice packs to keep my body temperature down and plenty of food. I have consulted my doctor and personal trainer. I'm not running the entire race. I walk most of it, but every 1/4-1/2 mile I jog for 30-45 seconds. And as for how do you run with a belly? Pretty much the same way anyone else does. One foot in front of the other. I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I cross the finish line and I'm not going to stop unless my body tells me to. The other reason I am much more active is because I have a VERY active toddler to keep up with.

Another difference I have noted is that I showed much earlier (like, immediately) but then my belly slowed down. This baby is much less active than Callie was. I don't feel her kick much at all. Unlike Callie who I started to feel around 18 weeks and she never stopped! The only time I have felt this baby kick is during Sharks games (I think she is a fan!) and after a workout. I am hopeful that this means she will be more mellow than her big sister. Time will tell!

Minestrone Experiment

Yesterday I got a craving. I know, I know. Pregnant lady with a craving? Weird, right? But I figure a craving for minestrone is a pretty healthy one! I had been thinking about our friend Wendy who is an AMAZING cook. We had dinner at their house well over a year ago, maybe even 2, (for the record, we have gotten together with them more recently as well) when she made the most amazing minestrone I have ever had. And let me tell you, I have had a lot of minestrone! I have even tried making it once or twice, but it was never memorable. I think one of my mistakes was using big pieces of pasta that just ended up soaking up the soup and that is no fun! Or it would end up too watery without much flavor.
Minestrone is kind of an amazing soup because it is different everywhere you go. Some people use pesto. Some use a beef base, some veggie, tomato, or bean. Some use cabbage, pasta and special vegetables. I knew I didn't want cabbage in it. I just don't like my leafy greens wilting away in my soup.
Needless to say, beyond that, I didn't really know where to start, so I went to the source and emailed my minestrone muse, Wendy. She gave me some good tips.  She recommended to start by sweating onions, carrots, celery with garlic, peppers and zuccini in olive oil. Then she adds stock, peeled tomatoes, a rind of parmesan (aha! the secret ingredient!), bay leaf, fresh thyme and oregano. She then said to simmer, season and add white beans, green beans. I thought her most interesting piece of advice was to not add inappropriate vegetables. I definitely kept that in mind when I went to the store. I had come across some recipes that called for butternut squash and things like that, that I had never seen in minestrone before. Then you can add pasta at the end.

I felt well armed and ready to hit the store. I tried to imagine Wendy standing over me and saying "No inappropriate vegetables!" So I bypassed the squash and the asparagus, especially since I am making some chili crusted tofu with asparagus later in the week anyway. Unfortunately they were out of green beans and Callie isn't really a fan of bell peppers, so I left the store without those particular items.

So here are the ingredients I worked with:
2 cans of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1 potato (that might be considered inappropriate, but I can't say no to potatoes in soup!)
minced garlic
olive oil
carrots
peeled tomatoes ( I was pressed for time so I bought ones in a can even though I had some in the garden. I know...I feel ashamed)
zucchini
salt
1/2 - 2/3 cup white wine (I opted for Grgich Hills Fume Blanc since Whole Foods had it in a half bottle)
bay leaf
Parmesan cheese rind
herbs from the garden (since I forgot to buy herbs at the store!): basil, sage, oregano, rosemary

And here is what I did.

Heated up some olive oil in a big pot and added crushed garlic. Then added the vegetables: potato, carrots, zucchini and salt. Cooked them for about 5 minutes. While the vegetables were cooking, I cut up my tomatoes. I quartered them. Next time I think I would cut them even smaller. The chunks just ended up too big. I also took half of my beans and blended them with 1/2 cup of water to make a bean paste to help thicken the soup. Once your vegetables are softening and getting nice and sweaty, I added the wine. It might be because I'm pregnant and I can't really drink, but OH MY GOD. It smelled amazing! Then I added the herbs, beans, bean paste, tomatoes, Parmesan rind and some chicken broth. I brought it to a boil and then simmered it for about 25-30 minutes. Near the end I added some orzo. Once the pasta was cooked enough we took it off the stove, chilled some for callie and ate. We served it with a couple of pieces of olive oil and rosemary bread.

So here is my verdict.
This was definitely my best attempt so far. I am not quite convinced in my minestrone abilities quite yet. Of course by the time we packed away the leftovers for lunches, the orzo had swelled to about 3 times its size. Ugh. I know by the time I have it for lunch today there won't be much liquid left. I might opt out of pasta completely next time. Or cook it separately and ahead of time instead of in the soup.
I also think I would cook the vegetables longer. They were cooked well, but the carrots were still a bit crunchy and it was a little distracting from the rest of the soup. I think I would add more tomatoes next time as well. I do like the tomatoey taste in minestrone.
The nice thing about the soup was that you really got to taste the vegetables, but I think I need more seasoning next time. Maybe some pepper and some other italian herbs like marjoram? I don't know. The thickness at the time was very nice with the bean paste.
Its still a work in progress, but I think it was a good start! Thank you Wendy!!

Callie's Verdict
Callie loooved the beans and the pasta and not much else:) She did go for a couple of pieces of zucchini but definitely not the carrots. I think they probably weren't soft enough for her liking.

*Sadly, I did not think to take pictures of this one. Oh well. Sorry folks!*

Getting a taste of being a workin mama!

So for the last two weeks, I have been working almost everyday as a substitute at my old school. Now, obviously, as a stay at home mom I "work" everyday but you know what I mean!
It definitely has been tough. When the alarm went off the first couple of days, it didn't bother me. But by the 4th or 5th day? Groan.
Luckily, Bill has been able to drop Callie off at our day care in the mornings, so I didn't have to work that into my morning schedule. Otherwise I probably would have to get up at 5, not 6!
But by the time I am done for the day I am definitely excited to see my girl. I do think about her throughout the day, when I get some down time. By the time I get her home, I am pretty much toast. It is exhausting. I am used to the physical exhaustion of dealing with a toddler all day, but the mental exhaustion from work and being "on" all day is really tough. There usually is some downtime when I stay at home with Callie while she naps, but usually by the time I pick her up she has already napped so I am out of luck! There has definitely been a fair amount of Elmo watching going on in the early evenings when we have both had it!
I am not at my best with Callie by the time  Bill gets home, to be sure. And forget making dinner! There has been quite a bit of takeout and leftovers in our house lately. This week I am trying to be better about it, but its hard. The good news is that after this week I just have some sporadic sub dates planned in october and one in november.
So hats off to you workin mamas. I don't know how you do it! And I don't even have to worry about grading with being a sub. It makes me glad that I decided not to go back full time after all! The break from toddler craziness is nice though. And it has been wonderful to be able to spend time with my friends, people that I don't necessarily get to see very often. And it is so wonderful to be able to have uninterrupted conversations! What a luxury!
It is definitely giving me a lot to think about for our plans for next year.

Fresh Tomato Soup Recipe

Here we go again! Another recipe. Oh Shush.

I had a bunch of tomatoes laying around from our tomato plants (duh. what other kind of plant would they be from?) and I was worried they would go bad. And come on, let's be honest, you can only eat so much salad with cherry tomatoes on top! Plus a friend had posted pictures of her tomato soup and it just sounded sooo good and comforting. Especially after a fun filled day in Santa Cruz, some home cooked comfort food just sounded perfect. After looking online for a few recipes, I discovered that we had everything we would need at home and started tinkering. So unusual to not have to go to the store, but a very welcome sensation!

So here it is.

About 2 pounds of tomatoes (any combination: cherry, slicing tomatoes, heirlooms, whatever)
Herbs from the garden: sage, rosemary, basil, tiny bit of mint
2 bay leaves
garlic
chicken broth
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup olive oil
salt, pepper

Take your tomatoes and wash, core and cut them in half. If you are throwing some cherry tomatoes in the mix (like I did), I would leave them whole, otherwise they end up getting stuck to the baking sheet. Arrange tomatoes on a baking sheet. You could also add some sliced yellow onion, if you like that sort of thing, but I have a toddler that hates onions, and I'm not a huge fan either. Add crushed garlic (you could also use whole cloves if that's what you have on hand), 1/2 cup olive oil, salt and pepper and toss. Bake in a 450 oven for 25-30 minutes until they are carmelized. (If tomato skins bother you, you could probably remove them after waiting a bit, but I found that most of the skins got blended into the soup anyway).

Roasted Tomatoes! It really is a shame the internet isn't scratch n sniff. Cuz...damn. It smelled awesome!

Put tomatoes and their juices into a stockpot with butter and herbs. Just about cover the mixture with chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30-40 minutes. Use your stick blender to make it smooth. You could add cream to it at the end, but it was pretty creamy all on its own, but its up to you! Next time, I might add a little splash of red wine to give it a little something extra, but it was great as it was. Maybe a little shaved parmesan on top would be good too!

And what does perfectly with tomato soup? Grilled cheese, of course! We had some left over bread from the other day, so we got out the panini press (one of my best uses of $20 at target ever) and grilled up some sandwiches with some yummy sage cheddar cheese we had bought at the farmers market a while back with some tomato slices. And voila! Perfect comfort meal.

Now the real test. Would the picky toddler eat it? Thankfully yes!

Thanks for the soup mama!