Team Francks

White Chicken Enchiladas

Found this recipe on Pinterest (which led me to the original recipe)and have made it several times and we really really really like it!

I've been making chicken enchiladas forever with cream of chicken soup... and they're really good.  But I think I like this version better and Joey LOVES this version... so our family is endorsing this version of chicken enchiladas and gives it two thumbs up!

p.s. My favorite part is the bubbled cheese on it... the recipe calls to broil it for a couple of minutes... broiling anything is scary to me... but it really does make the cheese perfect!  so don't skip the broiling step!

p.p.s I think next time instead of using chili's I might try Herdez Salsa Verde (green sauce)... I LOVE Herdez Salas Verde... great flavor!

picture is not mine... from the original blog

10 soft taco shells

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 pan

2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese.  Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.

3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute.  Add broth and whisk until smooth.  Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  

4. Stir in sour cream and chilies.  Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.

5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

The last few days with just me and my little buddy.

In just a couple of days it'll be me, my buddy, and my our new buddy.

grateful for every moment... big and small.

name poll...

I wasn't going to do this... I'm pretty private about names... I think half the fun of a new baby is finding out the name... especially when you do Invitro and pretty much all of the "surprise" of the process has been taken away from you... but as I've mentioned before we're struggling with names... so I'm posting it here for all to read.  Because I really really want your HONEST (but kind) opinions.

I have very very very strong opinions about names... I hate made up names.  I hate weird names.  I hate "unique" spellings.   I can't just like a name... it has to have some significance to us... family/church/etc.  I know its weird.  But that's just how I am.  And Joey is just as opinionated about names as I am.

So here are our three names that we're trying to decide between.  Please submit your vote and comments below. 

Ezra

I think this is an absolutely horrible name (no offense to Ezra Taft Benson who was a wonderful man and I think very highly of).  But I hate everything about the name Ezra.

BUT... this is Joey's very top vote.  He LOVES this name.  LOVES.  Ezra Francks.  blech.  Have I mentioned I hate it?

John David

One name.  He would go by both names.  Not John.  Not David.  John David.

Pros:

It's the name we strongly considered for our first child.  It's a family name.  John is Joey's dad's first name... David is my dad's name.  I think its a beautiful name.  I love how it sounds and I love that it works well with our last name.

Cons:

I have two first names... and I've fought my whole life to go by both names.  Now that I'm older I like having two names... but its hard.... People always want to drop the second name.

But I'd want him to go by both names. I HATE the name John (no offense to the Johns of the world).  I hate the name JD.  I'd rather not name him John David than to have him go by John or JD. 

Plus on both sides of our families we have a million Johns, Davids and even a John David or two.

Jack

Pros:

We got the name as a nickname from Jacksonville... My dad is from Jacksonville Florida and  Jacksonville has a lot of family significance for us and is very near and dear to my family's heart.

I don't like name Jackson... so it would just be Jack.

I like that its common but not too common.  People wont have a hard time knowing how to spell or say it.

I love that its a name that would fit a little boy as well as a grown man.

Jack.  Easy and simple.

Cons:

It doesn't really flow well with our last name.  Jack Francks.  That's a whole lot of 'ck' going on.

Joey has an uncle named Jack... we love Uncle Jack.  But he would not be named after Uncle Jack.  I don't want there to be any confusion about that.  :0)

It is a little bit more common than I like... but like I said above its easy to say and easy to spell and that's not a bad thing!

Oh... and before you suggest us naming him John David and calling him Jack... not an option.  It will either be one or the other.  :0)

So there you have it... our three names we're fighting considering.

Happy Voting!  And I love to hear any thoughts or input you have.

when I was 36 weeks with Buddy I made this scrapbook page...

 

 (click here if you want to read the journaling bigger)

 

And here I am at 36 weeks...

We can't agree on a name.

His bed is not set up.

His room is not ready.

Nothing has been washed.

Car seat has been located but needs to be washed and put back together.

I feel stressed out.  Not because he's coming (obviously)... just because I'm not ready for him to come yet.

I should never ever blog when its late and I'm tired.

I guess I just don't ever ever want him to feel less loved... or like we're less excited for him than we were the first go around.

Because we are so so soo very excited... and feel so soo soo incredibly blessed that we get to do this again. 

I don't know if I'll get to do this again. I hope so. I pray we do.  But my body doesn't work like it should.  It takes lots and lots of medical help for us to have our babies.  Lots.  Which stinks.  I'd have 12  kids if I could.  Seriously. 

I just need to slow down... and savor every little moment.  Every little kick.  Every little hiccup. 

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank my Heavenly Father for this miracle.  I know how incredibly lucky I am.

T minus 23 days little man.  I love you.

tender mercies...

It's been a long, hard road...  a road I didn't know if we'd get to go down again... and we are so so incredibly grateful to be here.

I've been really hesitant to post about it (or even talk about it... pretty much nobody knows)... it's been a really bumpy pregnancy and I've been on bed rest a good chunk of the time. 

But today my doctor took me off most of my restrictions,  said I was fairly "normal" at this point and I'm feeling really good.

So grateful for this little (big!) miracle.

 

coming January 2012.

He's Here!

Sorry for the delay in getting the word out but me and little man have had a rough couple of days...  I was in labor for 10 hours, pushed for over an hour and then they took me for an emergency c-section which was traumatic (more on that later).

We've had all sorts of problems and I've never been so sick or in so much pain... plus little man is having trouble nursing...  it's been some of the worst/best days of my life.

We're still in the hospital... hopefully we're going home tomorrow...really looking forward to being in our place and getting established in a routine... I'll post more later.

But he's here... he's perfect... and we're so in love!

You can view more pictures here...

http://picasaweb.google.com/jknacnud/JoeyJunior?authkey=25DN8BWWhNw 

Thanks for all the love and support!

Joey, MaryRuth & little Joey

Let the games begin...

My original due date is October 5th... but I was told I could go any time between Sept 20-Oct 5th. 

 

If you pick the correct date you'll win a prize (besides seeing my cute baby posted ALL over the blog!)

 

This is how it will work...

 

Pick a date between today and October 5th (or if you think I'll go over you can list that date as well). 

 

Post your date in the comments.

 

There can be multiple winners.

 

p.s. I'll even help you out... today is Sept 20th and most likely I'm not going today... I hope not since I have to chaperone a church dance tonight!  But baby has dropped and is perfectly in position.

 

 

So let the games begin!

 

 

Pregnancy Progress

I've had this post written for several weeks but couldn't find my card reader for my camera and didn't want to post without pictures... miraculously the card reader appeared today...

I'm in the single digits now... just about five-ish weeks to go...  give or take a week.

My original due date is October 5th... but little man is measuring big so they told me to be prepared to go early.  So they've given me a projected due date of Sept 20-Oct 5.  How's that for accuracy?  My boss is loving me I'm sure.  He keeps asking me when I'm going on maternity leave.... ummmm... sometime between Sept 20 and Oct 5th??  I  don't want to tell him any earlier than I have to because I don't want to use up my maternity leave waiting for the baby to come... I want to use it when the baby is here... so I'll probably work up until the time I go in to labor.

I'm really hoping for October... I know that's crazy (with the opportunity to go early) but October is my absolute favorite month of the whole year and I would love nothing more to have this sweet baby in my favorite month of the year :)

So many emotions... excited and nervous and so not ready and by not ready I mean I have nothing done yet.

He has clothes (thanks to much kindness of others) and a pack of diapers and that's about it.  My mom is coming out in in a week to help me buy and get stuff ready.  Thank goodness!! 

So for my journal I'm going to document a couple of the goods, the bads and the uglies.

The Bad:

A couple of weeks ago I took a fall and the next day was having really sharp pains and was in a lot of pain... my dr sent me to the hospital ... they monitored me all day... I was having contractions but after several hours things let up and several hours after that they let me go home.  I'm fine... no problems since. 

My iron is really low. Which besides the normal tiredness makes me more tired... I'm on iron pills but they make my stomach grumpy.  So either I'm tired or I have an upset stomach all day... it's a toss up :)

I have a hard time sleeping.

Having to go to the bathroom every 10 minutes.

I've become a snorer.  Breath-right strips help a little bit but not a lot.

I'm pretty much dragging these days.

The Ugly:

my ankles/feet.  They are constantly hugely swollen.  And the other night when they were at their worst  I looked at them and my unshaven leg and said out loud... I have hobbit feet.  I have ugly swollen hairy hobbit feet.  And why is my right ankle twice as big as my left one? 

Wearing breath right strips every night. Not pretty.

My emotions are all over the place. 

My nose has gotten bigger.  Is that normal?

The Good:

I love feeling him kick.  Especially late at night lying in bed when Joey's asleep and its just me and little one is kicking away.  It's incredibly tender.  I've shed more than a few tears in those wee hours.

This is the most incredible experience of my life.

I love it.

I feel grateful every second of every day.

     

The Chinese Gender Chart

was correct (along with 90% of you)!!  We're having a boy!  YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

We both kind of felt for some time that we were having a boy... and we're thrilled!

I'll admit it... I'm a little nervous... I don't really know how to do the boy thing... I have mostly sisters and I've worked in Young Women's for many moons... so boys are little bit foreign to me.  But I'm excited for the new adventure and all the frogs and worms that go along with it!

sorry for the delay in posting it!! my appt went way long and then it took HOURS to get hold of my mom and I didn't feel like I could post it here without telling her first.

So there you have it... Bubba Jackie Chan Francks... we look forward to seeing you this fall!!  We love you little man!