A BIRTH-DAY STORY

WARNING: This is a LOOOOONNNGGG one! With LOTS of pictures!

Well, I hardly know where to begin. The last 2 weeks have been a little bit of a blur with nights and days meshing together. I have found myself holding Charlie-Marie next to her bed trying to remember if I had just picked her up to feed her, or if I had just fed her and was putting her to bed. I guess that is the sleep deprivation setting in. Last night I kept dreaming I had put her to bed with me and kept waking up in a real sweat flapping the covers around frantically looking for her in the mess of sheets and blankets and scolding myself out loud “Why would you EVER do that!” (Waking Dan in the process). I also dreamt that I had fed her in bed and I actually woke up, rolled over and reset my alarm for the next feeding. An hour later I hear her fussing, look at my clock and think I just fed her…then realized I actually didn’t and it has been almost 4 hours– it was just a dream. Am I going crazy? Am I not awake enough, I have to have such crazy dreams that wake me up in between?

ANYWAY, besides the crazy effects of exhaustion, we are doing WONDERFULLY!!! Yesterday was Charlie-Marie’s 2 week check-up. She has grown ¼ of an inch AND her weight gain surprised even the doctor. The doctor said that by week 2 they only expect the baby to get back to birth weight (they lose weight after birth) but Charlie passed that last week. Today she weighed 6lb and 10oz. An entire 9 ½ oz gain from birth weight! She is a rock star eater and she gets in and gets it done.

So, on to the birth story, huh? Where to start? I guess I could start from the day after my 39 week pregnancy update. It was a Friday and I was SO sure I would be having my baby by the end of the weekend. I had all the signs that it could start at any moment – which messed with me a little because I just kept waiting and waiting for labor to start. I found myself saying things like, “I just can’t wait until my contractions hurt” – I knew I would regret that! I was so sure I was going to have the baby soon that I called my Mom and got her convinced and so excited that she flew in the very next day (Saturday). As soon as she arrived, my contractions all but stopped. It was like a mean joke. I was really worried my Mom would have to leave before Charlie made her debut. So we did things like go for long walks on the beach, eat delicious food, show off Florida to my Mom, enjoyed her company, bounced on my exercise ball (just hoping to bounce things along), contemplated trying black cohosh tea, introduced my mom to our church members and friends, but most of all loved and enjoyed ME time with my mom. I had so much fun with her there. And after I got over the initial pressure of wanting to get the baby out ASAP I really enjoyed the time we spent together. Looking back at it, everything worked out perfectly and I am so glad things played out the way they did…

Bouncing on my Ball

The Ball inside me!

Homemade pizza

Careful! We don't want a C-section by pizza cutter!

Walking on the Beach

Lunch just off the beach

So, Saturday…Sunday…Monday…Tuesday…Wednesday morning came and went and NOTHING! Every night I went to bed thinking – this is the night! Then on Wednesday I had my doctor’s appointment in which she checked me – no change from the previous week except that I was barely dilated to a 2. I was a little frustrated and it took a lot to hold in the tears. We also got another ultrasound (it was kind of hard to see – I think because she had grown so much and was so cramped). They checked her fluids and the placenta and they were all good. The doctor explained that she didn’t like to go much over the due date so we made the decision to let her strip my membranes and if labor didn’t start on its own by Thursday morning we would be admitted into the hospital where she would then break my water and get labor started. I really didn’t want to do that and I was feeling a little (ok, a lottle) overwhelmed and a little sore from having my membranes stripped and I think I let a few tears leak out. Dan was so great and reassuring and between him and my Mom we came up with some good distractions…

Baytowne Wharf Village

We picked up some fresh shrimp and cooked them up for lunch

After our fun and great food we decided we would go home, take a nap, and then head to the beach for a good walk. I got up from my nap and noticed my contractions were a little different, a little more uncomfortable. I couldn’t help but feel giddy! By 4pm I started recording contractions at ever 4-7 minutes and every hour they seemed to notch up in intensity, but I was still doing laundry and helping my mom sew and do this and that around the house. Finally that night I took a nice bath. From the moment I got out at about 10pm my contractions were coming every 3 minutes and they were stopping me in my tracks and forcing me to breathe through them. Despite the discomfort it was still pretty exciting. We decided we would head to the hospital. We arrived around 11pm and they checked me and I was 5 cm dilated. I was VERY happy about that! They checked us in and it was literally within minutes of getting into our room that the contractions really became painful and I have to admit I got a little scared during a few of them. “What am I DOING?” “Is this really what I wanted?” “Maybe I SHOULD get an epidural” – these were just a few thoughts I quickly tried to dispel as Dan helped me focus and use the skills we had practiced. It is funny though, I didn’t use even half of what I learned or prepared for, but we found what worked for us and I think I was mentally prepared. Dan was amazing. He was so confident in me and just kept reminding me of what I wanted, how I was doing, distracting me, helping me work through each contraction and rest in between. My mother was wonderful as well. I was so glad she got to be there. I can’t say enough what it meant to me to have Dan and my Mom on each side of me, encouraging me on. I had my mom counting out loud during my contractions. I think she was counting for about 4 hours straight. It was funny because sometimes she’d loose count or skip a number when she got really high and I know she probably thought it wasn’t helping, but it really did. And just when she was about to stop I’d chime in for a few numbers – forcing her not to stop. She was a real trooper to do that for me! :O)

As Dan, my mom and I recall the events after being admitted into the room I have discovered that my perception of what happened and how slow or fast it happened was VERY different from what actually happened. Moments went so slow for me, and yet 5 hours flew by! It felt to me that I transitioned very soon after getting into the room and it lasted forever, when really it took a few hours for me to transition and the actual transitioning didn’t last as long as I thought. I was laboring down really well according to the nurses. I on the other hand was just focusing on getting though each contraction. It felt like a really big rope was looped in a circle 8 in my pelvis and someone kept tightening and twisting it behind my sacrum. I was also amazed that I could actually fall asleep between contractions. But sometimes a strong contraction would hit and wake me like a hard slap in the face and I would panic and grab Dan then my bar (I had this bar across my bed that I would kneel and put my forehead on and grab with both hands and sway my hips – it seemed like that was the only way to get through a contraction – I have the pattern of the sheet covering the bar burned into my memory clearer than anything!) being on my back or side were almost unbearable. Every time they came in to check me they made me get on my back and without fail I would have a contraction during the check and I thought I just might die. Those were the moments I lost control, but Dan was there and helped me work through it. I got to a point where I needed some relief. I was in transition and I had multiple contractions coming one on top of the other and it was hard to focus for so long. I finally asked for something to take the edge off so my Mom went out into the hall and my Doctor had just arrived. She came in and checked me and said I was really close and that the IV drugs really won’t help. They just sedate the baby and mess with my mind and make it harder to focus. But she encouraged me that I was almost there and that I was doing really well. I also remembered from my preparation that when you feel like you just can't take it anymore you are just around the corner. She let me labor through 2 more contraction sets then she broke my water (I had a slow leak, but she finished the job to help me over that last edge). THAT REALLY intensified the contractions! I labored just a little more and it seemed that I just wasn’t getting that last bit dilated, but I had an incredible urge to push which I could control until the peak of contractions and I couldn’t help it. So Dr. Graham spent the time during the next two contractions manually dilating me while I was on my back. If I thought I would die before, I knew then that nothing could be more painful and this time I really would die! But somehow I made it through and we were ready to push.

Everything was all set up and ready to go for pushing. We started and I was absolutely and totally amazed that as a contraction came and I pushed – the pain was gone! It was so wonderful to have such relief and to be doing what I felt I needed to, not just fighting the urge. It was great. However, I soon started to panic as I felt an urgency to get her out. I couldn’t tell if my pushes were effective and they gave me an oxygen mask. In this case my nursing knowledge did not help me since I knew they usually do that if the baby’s heart rate has dropped (which it had, but no one told me that the oxygen sent it right back up and they didn’t remove the oxygen or tell me it was helping). I started hyperventilating and feeling very claustrophobic with the mask on. I kept grabbing at it and breathing out outside of it, then breathing the oxygen in then breathing out of the mask. I just kept pushing and I couldn’t tell if anything was happening. Thankfully, I had so much encouragement from Dan, my Mom, the nurses, and my incredible doctor. She was so calm and explained things to me well and let me know how I was doing, she had me reach down and feel the top of Charlie’s head to help me see how close I was. She was also amazing in that she spent the entire pushing phase stretching and massaging the tissue to avoid tearing and an episiotomy – which was a complete success and I am very grateful that she spent that time. My total pushing time of about 30 minutes could have been cut in half if she had cut me, but she knew I didn’t want that and she was willing to be patient and put the work in to have my goals reached. She is an incredible doctor - there at 3 am (not on call). We finally came to the last push. That is where the pain came back like fire, but was also over before I knew it. I watched the doctor lift her out and I was totally amazed to watch a little head, shoulders, body, butt, legs, and feet emerge. HOW DID THAT WORK? HOW WAS SHE IN THERE? I just remember that moment being slow motion. Three blinks and she was out and I was in total amazement! 5:27am.

They laid her on my stomach. I just remember looking at her, rubbing her with the towel (I remember she was actually quite clean), saying something to her, watching Dan cut the cord, then she was whisked away. They said she was stunned. She hadn’t yet opened her eyes or made any noise. I watched Dan and the nurses bustling around the warming bed while Dr. Graham delivered the placenta and cleaned me up. I was sore, but so distracted when I finally heard little Charlie-Marie cry. It was like the world stood still and I couldn’t help but cry too. It was all just so amazing. They finally brought her to me and she was beautiful, wide-eyed, and amazing! Dan and I just stared at her and there was quiet. It was just my family. It was peaceful, beautiful, and I just can’t say it enough – amazing! I was in love with her instantly, and my love for Dan felt stronger than I ever thought possible. My own mother who gave birth to me at my side. I was so overwhelmed with real joy. I’ve been so very happy in my life, but I wonder if this is the first time I felt REAL JOY with my little family. The next few hours were quiet with everyone but me slipping in and out of sleep. I just kept staring at my little baby girl. It is no wonder they call the entire process of having a child the Miracle of Life, because it truly is! I felt so blessed and happy.

It took a long time for the adrenaline to wear off and by the next day I was exhausted and I was sore in places and muscles I never thought possible. Apparently I grabbed and pulled on the bed rails pretty hard – my entire back and arms were sore. I also had a couple of really nasty bruises taking up half of my left forearm from 3 IV attempts and my left hand was swollen from fluid leaking into the tissue (bad IV job - I probably could have done it myself). And I had a strange bruise-like feeling across my forehead and it took me a while to figure out that is where I was pushing my head against the bar during labor. But none of it mattered when I got to hold my little one. I felt so proud of myself. I’d had the delivery and birth I wanted. I did it all myself (well, with the help of Dan and my Mom and doctor). I had accomplished my goal! I felt so good and my recovery has be so fast and easy. But the best feeling of all was feeling so complete with our little girl! God has been so good to bless us with this little angel. I feel closer to Him when I hold her. I thank him daily. I know He helped me through the labor and I feel peace and joy to be blessed with the responsibility of being Charlie-Marie's mother.

Well, that is it for now. We have thoroughly enjoyed Charlie-Marie over the last 2 weeks. Every milestone is an adventure. She is starting to track things with her eyes and it feels like she is actually starting to look at our faces. She has basically figured out breastfeeding and has the weight and diapers to prove it! Definitely the diapers! We are loving our little girl. Although I get my little baby blue moments and cry for a reason or none at all, I am so very, very happy and so greatly blessed. I can’t wait to share more of our little Charlie-Marie.

Dad cuts the cord

Dad shielding her eyes and she is holding his hand

Trying to wait patiently to see my baby again

First Bath

The awesome shower

A "celebration dinner" provided by the hospital.

2 left: heading home
2 right: our room and Dan's fold out bed - he LOVED it!

Another for the Grandparents...I promise storytime soon!

For the Grandparents...

...and any and all other Charlie-Marie fans.

I promise to get up to date one of these days. So for now you can enjoy these treasures. Pictures just do not do her justice. No matter how many pictures I take, I cannot really capture how beautiful and special she is. Something about her spirit cannot be captured in pictures.
You can see how she is already growing so much. Her face is rounding out.
Don't miss the videos at the end too!

Snuggling with Grandma Mookie


Snuggling with Skippy


Lovin' from Mommy and Daddy
(this dress is still so big on her, but I was dying to dress her up)

So precious!


Kisses from Mommy



Smiling with Mookie


My little monkey



The most she has ever cried...bathtime in the hospital.

INTRODUCING...

Charlie-Marie Savannah BrewerBorn Thursday

January 21, 2010
at 5:27 am
weighing in at
6lbs 0.5oz
and 19 in. long

We are absolutely thrilled to welcome our little one into our family. It seems like I have known her forever. I have so much to share with you all about the pre-labor, labor, delivery, and of course our beautiful baby girl. SO BEAUTIFUL!!! However, I am tired and between sleeping, eating, and feeding it has taken me this long just to get this much up. We are all so very, very happy and healthy. I can't wait to give more updates so for now, enjoy some of these pictures and video!

She is about 2 hours old here.

Little feet!

Finally I get to really hold and see her!

This is a terrible picture, but I love it because I was so happy - I'd JUST given birth to my little girl!

Passed out after a feeding (it almost looks like she is posing)

Passed out again!

Snuggling with Grandma

Catching some Zzzzzz's

She gets so wide-eyed sometimes!

Heading home

SHOCKING!

Watch me Grow and 39 Week Update

Isn't it fun to see the progress?

Well, still no baby. I guess it shouldn't be a big surprise considering my official due date is still a week away, but I was having more contractions and cues that labor was in the not too distant future at the beginning of the month than I am now! I remember on New Years day never thinking I would make it this far. I am not frustrated and I am mentally preparing myself that I could even be overdue. BUT I REALLY, REALLY hope not. Besides, I feel like things are gearing back up ever since my doctor's appointment this morning.

It is amazing how within one week so much more discomfort can set in. Suddenly everything aches! My lower back, my upper belly, my feet, my shins (I really think I am getting shin splints), and my lower legs and feet have been getting swollen. My socks leave these gnarly prints in my legs now at the end of the day. I am trying to keep well hydrated and elevate my feet more. I have adopted "waddling" - I can control it and don't usually do it in public, but the waddle actually takes some of the pressure off my hips and pelvis somehow. I think I am ready to have this baby! But we'll let her take her sweet time and cook up a little more. She does, however seem like she is ready too. She is definitely getting cramped in there and every movement is felt!

Today was my 39 Week doctor appointment and was meant to be my last but I have an appointment Wednesday if there is still no baby. The doctor said the baby can come anytime. She even offered to induce anytime I want if I were so inclined. I have to admit it would be kind of nice to know exactly when things could start, but I will let baby run the show. We had another non-stress test for the baby which she of course aced in the first 5 minutes again. When the doctor checked me she said I was still at 1 cm dilated, but a "loose" and "soft" 1. Dan joked that I should be offended my doctor called me loose! She said the baby is SO low and very well engaged, she seemed very surprised I wasn't more dilated than I was. She said I am about 90% effaced. We also had a great talk with her about more of her opinions and practices with labor and childbirth and found out that she has only a 7% c-section rate, AND she almost never performs an episiotomy (for which I am happy about). She put our mind at ease for a lot of other things as well. She is on call ALL weekend so this would be the perfect time for baby to arrive! I am so happy I have a doctor who truly loves her job and I feel like she is really dedicated to me as an individual patient, not just another pregnant number. I feel very at peace with her and trust her judgement a great deal.

We are getting SO excited and realize this could happen any time now. Thank you all for the encouragement and well wishes. Your prayers and thoughts are appreciated. I can't believe we are so close to holding our little one!

Baby Shower!

Saturday the ladies in my branch at church threw me a baby shower. It was so wonderful. The food was absolutely scrumptious and I felt so very loved and spoiled. I have really grown attached to my little family at church here. I feel like this is my nitch, that this is where I am meant to be at this time -
and it feels GREAT!

They made a "diaper cake" made out of rolled up disposable diapers and decorated it with all kinds of fun things and trinkets. Little plastic babies and pink teddy bears, a glass slipper, roses, bows, baby spoons, a onesie, a bib, a wand, a little pink hand puppet pony, socks, and more! It was so cute and SO CREATIVE! (click on the photo to get a bigger picture)

They played a game where everyone guessed my girth then they measured my belly, then we just ate and talked for a while. Last, I got to open presents and was blown away at the thoughtfulness and generosity of these women. Again, I felt so very loved! Some highlights of gifts were a few adorable outfits, some super soft blankets and swaddling, and a little sleeper bed thing that you can put in your big bed so baby can sleep there and not get rolled on or have pillows or blankets fall over her. I thought that was pretty neat! There was so much more and I had so much fun! I can't wait to use it all for our little baby girl!

Happy Birthday to Dan!

Friday we celebrated Dan's birthday. It was a relaxing night at home of a movie, home-made pizza, and an oh so DELISIOSO strawberry pie! I made it with the crust recipe from the Potato-Bacon Torte recipe. I made my own recipe for the insides which I will post some time. Don't you just love the criss-cross top! (I've decided to retract my promise on no mention of food and baby - They currently dominate every aspect of my life and it will probably squeeze into every post in one form or another so I might as well make it easier on myself. OH! And did you notice the baby ticker?
We are now in the single digits!!!)
Dan got some quality x-box playing time and then opened presents! It was a simple but very enjoyable night. I am so glad Dan and I are such good friends and are able to keep each other company and keep each other entertained.

The sisters dropped off a candygram for Dan's b-day. I thought it was so cute!

I am so lucky to have Dan. I keep trying to type a tribute of sorts to him here, but every time I attempt to explain all that he is and does and what it means to me it just comes out so trite and...I don't know...just not enough. I just don't know how to write what I feel and see in him. He is my best friend, my companion, my protector and provider. He is my balance in life and also my motivator. He makes me want to be better and is always opening my mind to knew thoughts and ideas. He sacrifices so much to help me or be with me for whatever I need - even if it is the very last thing he wants to be doing. He is happy to make me happy. He brings me so much joy and laughter EVERYDAY! He is such an example to others and is so faithful in all of his responsibilities. The world and countless people in it are better because he is here. I love him!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAN!

I Made it Monday: 2 Pumpkin Recipes! Casserole in a Pumpkin and Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

Ok, I lied. This post IS including food, but not baby. I promise the next will be totally food and baby free. I just wanted to post this one since it is Monday and I have been saving this one for an I made it Monday for a while now. Enjoy.

There are 2 recipes here so be sure to scroll down to check out the yummy pumpkin seeds too!

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the first, so here is one from online that resembles it, but mine looked MUCH better!!! :O) You will just have to trust that it was very cute, fun, and tasty! Maybe I'll take a picture next year! Oh, and Dan loved it!
So in October I had bought a sugar pumpkin because last year I learned that once Halloween is over you cannot find them ANYWHERE!!! Even though it is a fall food. I really wanted to make the traditional Bulson Casserole in a Pumpkin for Dan. When I was home visiting I got to have it there, but I really wanted to make if for Dan when I got home. A change in the recipe I made that we enjoyed was that I didn't have enough potato so we used sweet potato and it was really good! Also, I overmeasured most of the spices mixing up tsp and Tbs in my mind and I was so scared it would ruin everything, but it worked out in our favor - or should I say flavor! So don't skimp on the spices - it is tasty! All-in-all it was a great success, especially compared to the first time I attempted to make it in college...

(I tried to brown a 3 pound frozen chunk of hamburger in a pan. That was before I learned about thawing - It ended up being half burnt and took litterally about 2 hours.I've come a long way folks!)

Casserole in a Pumpkin
Ingredients:
2 lbs hamburger (we used ground turkey)
4 potatoes grated or cubed (in this case I didn't have enough so I also used sweet potato which was very good!)
3 carrots grated or cubed
1 onion chopped
1/2 tbs salt
1/2 tsp oregano (I actually did 1/2 tbs)
1/2 tsp cumin (did it again here)
1 tsp vinegar (got this one right)
1/2 tsp pepper (realized my mistake after adding 1/2 tbs of this one)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (actually doubled this to make up for seriously overmeasuring the other spices! And almost cried)
1 can tomato soup
3 eggs beaten
1 tbs sugar
1 medium sugar pumpkin

~ Cut out lid of pumpkin, clean out. Replace lid and bake at 350* on cookie sheet 45 min.
~ Brown hamburger and onion, add potatoes and carrots and cook until veggies are tender.
~ Mix remaining ingredients and combine with meat mixture.
~ Pack into pumpkin (it probably won't all fit, so just as much as you can and enjoy the rest for leftovers - or for those that hate pumpkin!), replace lid, and return to oven for 1-1 1/2 hours.
~ Remove lid and stir occasionally for last 20 min.

______________________________________
With the Pumpkin Seeds from the pumpkin I made this sweet snack!

Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin seeds
3 Tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
cayenne pepper to taste
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
2 Tbs sugar

~ Preheat oven to 250*. Line baking sheet with parchment paper (I didn't have this so I just sprayed my pan with olive oil). Spread seeds in an even layer.
~ Bake until dry, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Let cool.
~ In a medium bowl, combine 3 Tbs sugar, and all of the salt, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne.
~ Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat. Add pumpkin seeds and remaining 2 Tbs sugar.
~ Cook until sugar metls and the pumpkin seeds begin to caramelize, about 45-60 seconds (I don't think I had mine hot enough because it took a little longer).
~ Transfer to bowl with spices, and stir well to coat. Let Cool. (may store in an airtight container for up to 1 week)

38 Weeks and counting!

It was recently brought to my attention that my recent blog posts (save one) are all about baby or food...or both. It is true that these are the two obsessions that seem to consume my life at this time, but I promise that my very next post will be something totally unrelated to baby and food! BUT since today marks 38 weeks of pregnancy I have to update. Be sure to leave a comment or email me with your prediction of the delivery date and time - the person closest to it will get a little something! :O)We had a doctors appointment this morning. A LOT has been happening this week and I was sure I had progressed in the dilation department, but I am still at only 1 cm. BUT, I am now 70% effaced (instead of 50% from last week) AND her head is very low and nestled right in to place. The doctor even seemed surprised at how low she was. She said not to worry about only being 1 cm because it could change any time, fast or slow. I've known something was happening down there because I've had so many braxton-hicks and real contractions this week and something else happened last weekend to denote that progress is in the works, but it isn't something you post on a blog, so if you really want to know you can email or message me, but writing it here would definitely count as TMI (too much information).

I'm really feeling good, but because she has dropped so much there are some resulting discomforts. Baby's head is often right on a bundle of nerves which make it hard to walk (its really pathetic looking sometimes). Breathing is so much better, but trips to the bathroom have increased (as if they weren't enough before). Another new phenomenon from her dropping is that her weight pulls and stretches the nerves on top of my tummy making the whole upper part of my belly numb (like my foot is asleep or something). But none of it is unbearable and only means D-day is that much closer so I'll take it - even the 2 days of swollen feet which is not bad compared to most women I've heard of.

She has been as active as ever and still growing. She has started this thing where she pushes her foot out as far as she possibly can out of my left side - to the point that there is no mistaking a footmark there...so much so that you can actually grab it and tickle it. She doesn't ever pull away immediately so I'm not entirely convinced she doesn't like it. BUT she always seems to know when I pull the camera out because she stops it immediately - I'll catch her one of these days.

I have definitely been nesting. I didn't think so for a while until Dan pointed out all the things I have been doing. I have just had so much energy to get the entire house and nursery ready to go. Closets, garage, nursery, bedroom, guest room are all ready to go. Diapers are all prewashed and ready to go (did I ever mention we are doing cloth? I will save that for another day), carseat is installed, stroller set up. Baby clothes organized, washed, counted, and put away. Hospital bags packed, a few freezer meals in the works (our freezer is pretty small so there isn't too much I can do there), and MUCH...MUCH More. Our house is the cleanest and most organized it has been since we've been married.Dan caught me working on a closet

Well, we are SO excited. Coworkers of Dan's keep telling him that, "Your life is going to change forever man" (and not in a positive tone), but we are ready for that change, we want that change, and welcome it with open arms. We are ready and waiting for our little girl and cannot wait to hold her and look at her. It is so amazing! The countdown is on and she could realistically come any time, but I'd like to make it to my baby shower on Saturday which I'm sure I'll be able to do. My guess is in the next week. What is yours?

WE made it Monday: Potato-(Tukey)Bacon Torte

Dan and I got ambitious a few nights ago and together we tackled a recipe I had seen made on the Food Network challenge. The recipe was by Melissa d'Arabian, who is the most recent winner of The Next Food Network Star. I've never tried a recipe like this before and NEVER even thought to attempt home-made pie crust. Dan was amazing! I really love cooking with him. It is becoming a hobby we like to do together. There was no way I could have done this without him, I knew I would have puttered out half-way without his help.

It turned out SOOOOOO good! We were just in heaven eating it. It was like ultimate comfort food! We did substitute the bacon for turkey bacon, and I could not find Gruyere cheese anywhere, so we just used what we had - I would definitely suggest a strong cheese though. Ours could have used a little more cheese POW! Also, instead of fresh thyme we just used dried and strained it from the cream.

We had so much fun making this and we really felt like we had accomplished a great feat when we were done and got to enjoy our spoils! We also enjoyed left overs another night and breakfast! Very filling! Now we want to use this pie crust recipe and make other things with it, like chicken pot pie or even a fruit pie! CAN'T WAIT!

HERE is the Torte and crust recipe and I'll type out the Pie Crust recipe below.

Pie Crust:

Ingredients:
1 cup butter (2 sticks), cubed and chilled
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
8-10 Tbs ice water
egg wash: 1 egg yolk, whisked with a splash of water

Directions:
~ Put the butter, flour, and salt in the food processor, and pulse lightly just until the mixture resembles wet sand.
~ Add the water, 1 Tbs at a time, pulsing briefly after each spoonful of water. Keep adding water until the dough just begins to gather into larger clumps.
~ Transfer equal amounts of the dough into 2 resealable plastic bags and pat each into a disk. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
~ Remove one of the disks from the bag to a flour coated surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 10-inch round. Gently fit the rolled dough into a 9-inch pie pan, and refrigerate while you prepare the torte ingredients.
...
~ Roll out the remaining disk of refrigerated dough after pie is filled. Cover the pie with the dough and crimp the edges closed.
~ Brush the top and edges of the crust with egg wash.
~ Make a few slits in the center of the top crust, for the steam to escape, and put the pie pan on a baking sheet.
~ Bake the torte at 375* F until crust is browned and crispy and the potatoes are cooked through, about 50-60 minutes. If the crust edges get too brown, cover them with some strips of aluminum foil.
~ Remove the pie from the oven and let rest at least 15 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.