Food! Fried chicken goodness!

The husband has been asking for fried chicken for a while now, and I can honestly say I'm not a big fan of it really. KFC is not one of my regular stops to say the least. So I researched recipes and he wanted me to try out Paula Deens. The recipe was simple, the only different thing I did was brine the chicken for a few hours. Wow! It was deeelicious!! The best! Wow again! Crunchy, juicy, and fully cooked! Ha! I'm so afraid of chicken and being undercooked and bloody-yep it's happened! But not this time! I was so proud of myself, and I enjoyed every bite! 

I used 4 drumsticks and 3 thighs, skin and bone in. Put in a big container and covered with water and added in about 1/4 cup of salt probably. Seems like a lot but there was a lot of water. Let that set in the fridge for a few hours. 

Whisk 3 eggs with 1 cup of franks pepper sauce 

Dip chicken in the mix

Then put 2 cups of self rising flour in a large dish and season with garlic salt and lots of pepper

Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess

Heat oil in a cast iron skillet ( I used my Dutch oven) to 350 degrees 

Put chicken in very carefully and cook for 15 minutes, turning every few minutes

Continue cooking in batches until all done

I put the chicken on a cooling rack and then put in a 190 degree oven to keep warm. 

Transitions...

Being a mom is rewarding, but definitely hard. I envisioned so many things, but they didn't always turn out exactly as I would have liked.
I was totally all for breastfeeding & when the baby got jaundice, she was so aggravated and did not want to. So I decided to pump. Gee whiz is that a LOT of work. At first, I was pumping every 2 hours. Whatever she needed, I had to provide. It was no big deal when the husband was here, but when he left to go back to work, there were many pumping sessions of the baby laying in my lap or her bed crying b/c I wasn't able to tend to her properly while i was hooked up. Going places was practically torture or rushed b/c I had to be home in order to pump, or I would definitely regret it (b/c of the pain of waiting). At first it wasn't bad b/c she couldn't eat all the milk that I was producing...but then her appetite started to pickup and I just couldn't get that much out.
So, I set a goal that I would pump until she was 6 months old. The task seemed very daunting..needless to say, after many talks and arguments with my husband... I have now stopped pumping. Baby is almost 3 months old, I know many people will be disappointed in me, but 3 months (almost) is better than 3 weeks, or 3 days. I have to know that I gave it my all, but I seriously feel as though I have made the right decision for my daughter. It seemed as though my breastmilk was truly just killing her stomach. If I could have changed my eating habits things might have gotten better, but I can honestly say, that I absolutely can NOT do that. Yes, I probably could make the change for a little while, but without a shadow of a doubt I would cheat and I can't stand the thought of hurting her one bit. So we have switched to formula. Even though I know some may not agree with this, I have to remember that I am her mother, and I have to stand up to my own decisions. the hubs and I have agreed on the decision, and that is what we are sticking to.
She is growing like a weed, and I think she will be just fine! I love her more than anything in this world.

2 Months

2 Months old already.. gee how time flies, before I know it she will be crawling and getting into the dog bowls! ha!
Age: 2 Months (as of Aug 4)
Weight: 9 lbs 1 oz.. FINALLY!!! I was so suprised when I took her to the doctor! it was very exciting to see her gain over a pound.
Height: 22 inches (always growing in length for sure)
Hair/Eye color: hair is still blonde/dirty blonde. Some people say it has a little reddish tint, so a little strawberry blonde as well. Eyes are still are dark blue.
Likes: Taking a bath, sitting in your swing- She is starting to focus on the TV some, and loves the Baby channel.
Dislikes: not a fan of having to wait on a bottle, but other than that there isn't much that really bothers her.
Memorable Moments: I was just so happy when I saw the number on the scale this time around at the doctor! It was definitely a shock and it was so encouraging! had to get her first shot this month- I thought she might take it like a champ, but I have never seen that look on her face, poor baby! But as soon as I picked her up, everything was fine, and she was out like a light the whole car ride home.