Author Archives: playinghousewi

Have I Mentioned I’m Impatient?

Posted on by

Yesterday afternoon I called my doctor’s clinic to find out a little bit more about what to expect from my first visit. The reality is that all I wanted to know was whether or not I’d get an ultrasound. So, I’m sure you could imagine my surprised / frustrated / angered / upset / crabby response when the nurse explained that I would not have an ultrasound until 19-20 weeks. The conversation went something like this…

Receptionist: No mam, you won’t have an ultrasound until 19-20 weeks…

Me: I’m sorry, what? How will you know there’s a heartbeat?

Receptionist: Oh, if you took a pregnancy test, you’re definitely pregnant. Those things are like 99% accurate.

Me: I understand that I’m pregnant. But what about miscarriage? How will we know that the baby is okay?

Receptionist: Oh, you’d probably know.

Me: But I read that sometimes there is no heartbeat, but you don’t have signs of miscarriage for weeks or months even.

Receptionist: Yeah, I wouldn’t worry.

Me: Uhhh. I guess thanks?

Needless to say, I got off the phone and was irritated. I’ve never heard of that! I can’t even list the number of first trimester ultrasounds I’ve seen posted to Facebook, not-to-mention all the blogs I’ve read. I decided I needed a second opinion… so I called the other clinic where my doctor sees patients. This conversation started out in a similar way with the receptionist explaining that ultrasounds are not given until 20 weeks; however, some lovely woman (receptionist or nurse) who overheard our conversation set the record straight. Turns out they can do a first trimester ultrasound and my nurse, Debbie, can place the order for it at my appointment next week. This means that I likely will not get my ultrasound that day, but at least I’ll have one coming! Instant smile.

So, what are the takeaways?

1) While the first receptionist was quite annoying, her lack of worry and concern actually made me feel a little better. I’m comfortable with the idea that I’ll know if something happens, but since I haven’t noticed anything, I should assume everything is great.

2) Our little baby will have his or her first glamour shot soon AND, hopefully we’ll get to hear the heartbeat.

3) I’m glad I called. I like knowing what I’m walking into.

As for what to expect at the first appointment… this is a bit unclear, but it seems as if we will review my husband and my medical histories, I might get some blood tests, she’ll tell me “what to expect when I’m expecting,” answer my many questions, talk diet and exercise, and other informational items. So, being that I’m a pre-planner, I also have been working to fill out a form I found on the March of Dimes website.

Family History Form from March of Dimes

Family History Form from March of Dimes

I already went through it with my parents and we will be going through it with Mark’s parents this weekend. I think that by having all of this information collected at our first appointment, we’ll be better prepared to ask questions. Here’s the link to the form.

Symptoms

I’m feeling pretty good today. Definitely more chipper! I mean, it is Friday after all. I’ve still been getting pretty tired, but it helps that I’ve been in bed by around 9 or 9:30 every night this week. I think my husband – a true sleep lover – is enjoying that side effect. Yesterday he said to me, “If there is a positive to you feeling kind of crappy… not that I’m glad that you don’t feel well or anything… but if there was a positive, it’d be that we’re getting to bed so early.” We’re the type that spends most of our non-working, waking hours together and goes to bed at the same time. So, I guess he’s right! It does feel nice to get a good night’s rest.

We also worked out again last night. I was a bit sluggish during the workout, but all-in-all, it felt good! I’m going to go again tonight to ensure at least 3 workouts this week. Gotta make sure I’m staying healthy. Which reminds me, I’m not sure if it’s possible that I’m showing already or if I’m just absurdly bloated, but either way, my tum is sticking out more than normal. My clothes still fit, although that tum of mine seems to be hanging over or out of some outfits a touch. Also, my scale shows that I’ve gained 2 pounds. I refuse to accept that just yet. Every day I feel totally inflated, so maybe I’ll wait until I’m 12 weeks to accept my “first trimester gain” amount.

Until then, I’m going to continue to eat healthy and workout!

No Grudges

Posted on by

Last night I got in a bit of a tiff with my husband. The actual initiator of the fight is pretty unimportant, but the underlying theme was:  “You just don’t get what I’m going through. I know you can’t really see it, but I’m pregnant and I need you to take care of me.”

I guess the reality is that this is something that has been bothering me and it was bound to manifest in the first possible way. It started because the first week we found out we were pregnant, I was telling my husband about some of my symptoms and he made some comment like, “Do you think maybe it’s not that bad and you’re just looking to feel something?” He apologized right away, but no matter what, I couldn’t get it out of my head. It felt like he was thinking it all the time.

Some other little things that helped to develop my, “you think I’m faking it” complex:

  1. “When you’re pregnant, we should…” – I had to quickly remind him that I AM pregnant…
  2. Normally my husband is a total nurturer and takes care of me in all of my neediness… but lately, he’s seemed a little distant.
  3. My husband asked me how far along I was the other day. I told him, “6 weeks and 5 days… doesn’t it feel like I should be further along?” To which he replied: “No, I feel like it’s going really quick. Last time I thought about it, you were only 5 weeks pregnant.” Now, I’m sure he didn’t mean last time he thought about the baby… but still. It’s been almost 2 weeks since you thought about the baby’s progress???

Anyway, in my anger, I needed to talk to someone who had recent experience to see if my husband was being a total dud, or if it was normal for it to feel like he just wasn’t getting it… so, I called my sister, who has two kids (almost 2 and almost 4). Turns out, based on my sister’s experience, her friends’ and the Internet… this is pretty darn common. I guess it makes sense. From the exhaustion to the nausea to the bloating to the headaches, I think (and worry) about this baby non-stop, every day. But for my husband, he doesn’t have any of that. His biggest reminder is a bitchy or whiny wife and I’m sure that’s hard to source to the baby at times.

So, I spoke with the hubs and simply reminded him that we are already parents. I am a mom. My job is to sacrifice my wants to care for this child and give it everything it needs… and my only way of doing that is by taking care of myself. And my husband is a dad. His job, as it will be when this baby is born, is to take care of the baby and the momma and provide for us. His only way of doing that right now is by supporting and taking care of me.

It seemed to resonate. So much so, that the husband sent me to bed while he cleaned up after our guests and I woke up to this silly little note in the bathroom…

"I love you because... you don't hold grudges :) "

“I love you because… you don’t hold grudges 🙂 “

AND… if our chat wasn’t enough, I sent him this great blog post I came across last night: Read it here! Hopefully between the two, things will click and we can go back to being on the same page.

Symptoms

My biggest symptom has been exhaustion. This has been SERIOUS, head-to-toe exhaustion. I have been getting at least 8 or so hours of sleep – and very, very hard sleep at that – yet still, I wake up feeling so incredibly tired. After telling my sister that the baby will be doubling in size this week (from .25″ to .5″), she reminded me that this could be the source of the exhaustion. As my baby goes through this big week of growing, she will require a lot of energy and strength from me. We’re both working hard this week.

Other than that, although probably as a result of that, I’ve been very emotional. At least once or twice a day, I feel tears well up in my eyes (some happy and some sad tears). I’m trying to pick my battles and make my main focus be on not getting riled up.

Today the baby is officially 7 weeks. We’re nearly at the 20% mark!

First Doctor’s Visit in One Week… and Counting

Posted on by

One week from tomorrow, November 6th, is my first doctor’s appointment. I can honestly say that I have never been more ready, anxious and excited to go to the doctor… EVER. Everyone tells you to relax and to not over think things, but really, it’s not 100% possible. For the most part, I go through my days happily and without worry; however, without fail, my mind seems to wander to that scary place at least once a day.

This morning it started pretty early… 5:45 am to be exact. I was straightening my hair and found myself googling, “would I know if my baby’s heart stopped beating – first trimester,” on my phone. Like I’ve mentioned, this week I’ve felt pretty darn good. I’ve had little bouts of symptoms – nausea, headache, heartburn, emotion overflow, exhaustion – but nothing that really changes my step. As much as I’m grateful for feeling great, I’m also longing for some gut-wrenching vomiting. No, I do not enjoy vomitting, but I did read that momma-to-be’s who throw up are way less likely to miscarry. I’d for sure take some barfing to ensure our little baby is going to stay with us.

So, back to my googling and what I learned… Pretty much nothing. As with most pregnancy-related things, it’s different for all women. Some people will experience the same symptoms of a miscarriage if their baby’s heart stops beating… however, this could take days for some women and months for others. Some people don’t. So I guess I just have to wait for my appointment to make sure everything is going well. 

Which actually has me thinking… I hope they’ll do an ultrasound at this visit. All I know is that it’s 1.5 hours and I’m not seeing the doctor.

Does anyone know what this appointment consists of?

 

 

Symptoms

Sheesh… can you tell I’ve been in “a mood” this week? For some reason, I’ve been super gloomy the past few days. I’ve been pretty happy when I’m home, but not so much when I’m at work. I feel very tired and worn out and could use a little break. Maybe this weekend I’ll be able to get a little R&R. That might help.

On the positive, I did in fact work out last night! And actually, despite the fact that I felt so tired on my way over, I had a great workout. I go to a place called 9rounds, and absolutely love it. It’s a 30-minute, kickboxing circuit workout. I let them know that I’m in the early stage of pregnancy and they were able to adjust my workout, which was great. And, even better, I’ve got sore arms to show for it. As much as muscle-soreness is a pain (literally), I kind of love it. It’s nice proof that you did in fact work your bod. I’m going to try and make it again tonight.

I was supposed to head to a friend’s for dinner after work, but she cancelled this am. Now, the night is mine! And, since I was the one who was making / bringing dinner, the hubs and I will be ready to go when I get home from the gym.

High School: 10 Years Later

Posted on by

The Reunion (Saturday, October 26, 2013)…

I’m not going to lie, I’ve been dreading this past weekend for a while now, because this weekend was my 10-Year High School Reunion. So, why was a I dreading it (if it’s not obvious)?

  1. The superficial conversations.
  2. The judging.
  3. My insecurities.
  4. My pregnancy secret.
  5. The fact that my pregnancy secret would prevent me from tipping back enough drinks to forget about my insecurities.

HOWEVER, to my surprise, I actually had a great time. The superficial conversations were at a total minimum and I was able to catch up with some friends I hadn’t seen in a heck of a long time. In fact, I ran into one friend who I literally hadn’t seen since high school and it was SO nice catching up. She actually lives by me… very exciting news!

As for the dreaded judging, there was definitely still judging, but I was too excited to catch up with old friends to notice too much of it. And my insecurities… these actually almost got the best of me thanks to my husband. Sometimes men are just so dumb. In his attempt to “help me,” he informed me that he didn’t like my eye makeup. I spent about 10 minutes trying to fix it, while holding back tears. But, I toughed it out, my husband apologized for being a dick and we had a great time!

Regarding the whole no one knows I’m pregnant thing, my secret turned out to be pretty easy to keep. I strategically went to the bar when no one was around and ordered a club soda with lemon. Being that my normal drink is a vodka soda water with lemon, it was an easy fool. Plus, the reality is, no one cared enough to play detective… and thankfully, I left before any shots were taken!

So, all-in-all, it was a pretty fun night! Also, a learning opportunity for me. Who knew I didn’t need a drink to kill the nerves?

This is what happens when I ask my husband to take a photo...

This is what happens when I ask my husband to take a photo…

For your enjoyment, my senior quote: “We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere.” I had it listed as “anonymous”… turns out those are the wise words of Tim McGraw.

The Birthday Celebration

Sweet Carolyn Making a Wish!

Sweet Carolyn Making a Wish!

Yesterday was a great day celebrating a really great friend. We were off to a little bit of a rocky start due to some friction between our friends fiance and us girls, but thankfully, it didn’t cloud our day! We picked the thirty, flirty and thriving Carolyn up at around 10:15 am for a delicious brunch at the River Club. After we were thoroughly stuffed, we took the birthday girl to Neroli for a prenatal massage (our sweet Carolyn is 15 weeks into her pregnancy with her first little nugget). When Carrie was done with the rub down, we were all waiting for her with the sweetest little ducky onesie you’ve ever seen.

THE cutest little onesie gowns!

THE cutest little onesie gowns!

Then, it was time for a mani / pedi and some coffee. Once she was thoroughly pampered, we took her back to my house, where I had some delicious treats (non-alcoholic beer bread and cheese ball dip from Tastefully Simple) ready and dinner on the stove. Unfortunately, our sweet Carrie’s man couldn’t get over the tension to join us for dinner, but all the other men were able to come, which was great! We all sat together around the table and celebrated a truly amazing woman. Although I don’t get to see them as often as I’d like, I just love my girls.

My lovely ladies!

My lovely ladies!

Symptoms

Today I am officially 6 weeks and 5 days pregnant, and I’ve gotta say, I feel pretty good. The biggest symptoms I’ve been having is feeling bloated, a bit nauseous and feeling extremely sensitive. And actually last night, my hands and feet were feeling very puffy. So much so, I put a huge pillow under my legs in the middle of the night. I think that helped, but the big reminder is that I need to get my ass to the gym to keep my circulation going. I’m going tonight, no matter what! You can hold me accountable.

I’m also very tired. I got a pretty decent amount of sleep this weekend and last night, so I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy or the fact that it’s Monday… but either way, I’m ready to curl up with my hubs for the night.

Engagements and birthdays and babies… oh my!

Posted on by

I’ve decided that my life has never been any better than it has been this past year. Last night I met my sweet little Erica – a friend who I’ve known since 1st grade – for our monthly happy hour. Last time we met, I was 3 weeks and 2 days pregnant and 99% convinced I was with-child; although, I had no test to prove it. Being that most of our happy hour visits include at least 2-3 glasses of wine each, my little drinking partner noticed my lack of consumption. I had told her about all of my symptoms and that I thought I might be pregnant, and we left it at that. SO, I was excited to see her last night and confirm that I was right!

BUT, everything got way better and so much more exciting upon arrival. Erica started telling me about her recent trip that weekend to the Smoky Mountains with her long-term, live-in boyfriend (who is just perfect for her). She told me this great story about taking a walk in a field and coming across this huge pack (or herd?)… whatever, a group of elk. She said they just stood there watching and Jake (the bf) took tons of pictures. I’m a visual person, so of course, I was anxious to see them.

She handed me her phone and told me to scroll to the left. I’m going through the pictures, loving these giant elk, when all of a sudden, I came across THIS ONE:

photo 2

The beautiful & perfectly happy Erica & her future hubs

Obviously, my reaction was something like… “SHUT UP! OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD! YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED!” All the while, my eyes are welling up. Now you have to understand, we all knew that Erica and Jake would be getting engaged SOMEDAY… but we always joke that every time it rains, Erica pushes back her timeline. Like, “We were going to get engaged this year, but did you see that rain? Now we have to pick up sticks this weekend. We’ll probably push back the engagement a few years.” It’s not really THAT bad, but kind of… regardless, it was such a happy moment to hear that they were finally making the commitment and entering into such a happy time together.

Now, onto the goods… how amazing is that ring? Just under 2 carats of flawless beauty. Her lovey designed the ring himself, including all of the engraving. Beautiful!

That's a lot of bling!

That’s a lot of bling!

So, we started talking about how to tell the other 3 girlies in our little group, which was a blast. We have a pretty fun idea planned. BUT, Erica was saying how she wanted to wait to tell them until after the weekend because we are celebrating our beautiful friend Carrie’s 30th birthday on Sunday and she didn’t want to take away from her day. She was mentioning how she hoped all the other girls would be excited with everything going on in their lives and I said, “yeah, I wonder how they’ll react to me being pregnant.” She said, “Yeah… wait what? You are? I KNEW IT!!”

We spent the next couple hours reminding each other of the other’s new situation… “You’re getting married!” “I know… you’re pregnant!” “Holy shit!” Don’t you just love girl friends? Mine really are the best!

She's getting married!!!!

She’s getting married!!!!

I feel like this post should end, “And they all lived happily ever after.” It’s just so amazing to see everyone so happy and to be so happy. Every day gets better. Even just the little things. I laid in bed with my hubs this morning for a good 30-45 minutes just chatting and laughing. It just felt so simple and amazing. I’m very grateful.

Symptoms

Still feeling happy, alert and chipper today (can you tell?)! I find myself getting pretty darn tired at night, but am otherwise feeling great. And actually, I don’t even really feel nauseous today.

I will say that I slept like a ROCK last night. My head hit the pillow at 10 and I didn’t wake up until my husband got up for a drink of water this morning at 6. It’s crazy because my husband was also out last night and didn’t get home until 11pm, which means that I slept through him coming home and my dog’s very verbal welcome. That’s success.

Oh! The other thing I discovered yesterday is that nylons are the devil. I had to get up and take my nylons off in the bathroom at work yesterday by about 2 pm because I felt like they were trying to kill me. To counteract yesterday’s horribly uncomfortable outfit, today I’m in a sweater, black leggings and riding boots. RELIEF!

Goodbye Gummies, Hello Horse Pill

Posted on by

As I mentioned before, beginning a few months before my pregnancy and up until Monday, I was taking Target brand Gummy Prenatal Vitamins with the VitaFusion Prenatal DHA + Folic Acid supplement. I can’t remember exactly what prompted me to look further into vitamins (maybe a babycenter.com email), but either way, I got to Googling. Pretty quickly, I came across this list of suggested prenatal vitamin ingredients from WebMD:

Vit Reqs

After comparing my gummy vits to WebMD’s list, I discovered that my supplements were falling short. There was no iron whatsoever in them and other values were too low. This prompted further Googling and the eventual purchase of Rainbow Light Prenatal One Multi Tablet and Oceans Mom Prenatal DHA from the Vitamin Shoppe.

Here’s my reasoning…

Rainbow Light Prenatal One Multi Tablet

Rainbow Light

PROs:

  • All requirements are met or exceeded
  • All ingredients are 100% natural
  • Only one pill per day (some vitamins required up to 6 per day!)
  • Rainbow Light is a well-reviewed brand
  • When I went to the Vitamin Shoppe, the guy confirmed my research – this brand is the most purchased at the store for Prenatals

CONs:

  • The pill is GIANT – make sure to take it during a time when you’re not feeling like you want to throw up… because this thing is big and smells funny.

Oceans Mom Prenatal DHA

Oceans Mom

PROs:

  • There weren’t a lot of options for DHA supplements, which are essentially Omega 3’s, so this choice was pretty simple.

CONs:

  • As with all fishy Omega 3’s, this thing smells like shit. The box says something about a “yummy strawberry flavor,” but I’m calling bluff. Just toss it in and knock it back.

As of now, I’m happy with my vitamin choices. However, I must mention that the first day I took the new vitamins, I was super shocked to see that my pee looked radioactive. I almost had to Google, “why is my pee so yellow pregnant.” (FYI: that’s my Googling technique… question and throw in the word pregnant.) Thankfully, before I could worry too much, I remembered I had switched vitamins and knew that this was just my body’s way of releasing the unneeded nutrients.

So, at this point, everything seems to be working and I’ve actually been feeling great. Maybe my new vitamins are part of my recent chipperness? Or maybe it’s just because I’m pregnant and beyond excited! Either or…

Symptoms

I’ve been feeling pretty darn great lately. I think I’m getting used to the faint nausea and it’s not really bothering me so much anymore. I’ve even been feeling way less bloated and way more myself – weight and everything is pretty normal. I’m guessing this has to do with the fact that I’ve been back to my normal diet which includes between 1200-1500 calories / day depending on exercise. (Yes, this seems low, but I am 5′ nothing. I’ve looked this number up and it is what it should be! Also, as an FYI, turns out you don’t actually get to “eat for two” when you’re pregnant. More like, increase your diet by 300 calories starting in your second trimester – sometimes first depending on your current weight situation. Google: “how much should I eat when pregnant” or check out this link from WebMD)

Last night after work – on my way to my bi-weekly mani with my mom and sister – I was feeling so uncomfortable. I wish I could have videoed the ride because I was literally using the automatic seat decline to move up and down for about 15 minutes, trying to find a comfortable position. I wasn’t crampy or anything… just achy and uncomfortable. I think the discomfort was mostly in my lower back. Again, it wasn’t pain at all… just couldn’t find a comfortable position. Thankfully, the joy of mani-time distracted me from any and all discomfort.

In terms of sleep, I became exhausted around 8 pm. Finally, just before 9, I had to call it quits. I collapsed in bed, and slept decently well. I turned on a few songs to fall asleep to and only remember hearing about 15 seconds of one. I woke up at around 1 to go to the bathroom and then I was out of bed around 5:45. All in all, pretty successful. Although I will say, I notice I’m not sleeping in the same way anymore. I’m a total back-sleeper normally and actually sometimes cross my arms over my chest to take full mummy form and then lay still for the complete duration of my sleep. This is not my reality anymore. I am constantly tossing and turning… from my back to my side and even onto my stomach, searching for a comfortable position. I think I’m going to do some research and invest in a pregnancy pillow. I feel like I want to be in a cocoon of pillow, totally nestled in. Keep you posted on any purchases.

Lastly, this morning I woke up feeling insecure about the fact that I’ve been feeling so great. Does feeling great equate to something happening (or not happening) to the baby? Or should I just relax and enjoy it while it lasts?

“My parents went to Fiji and all I got was… my LIFE!”

Posted on by

Yes, I will be making a onesie that says exactly that… Because, as far as I’m concerned, our little lentil (yes, today, the baby is the size of a lentil) was conceived on our belated honeymoon. Technically my fertile week fell partly in Fiji and partly in Wisconsin, but I’m sticking with a Fijian conception. Much more romantic than the Cheese State.

The Honeymoon

My husband and I originally planned to get married on August 25, 2013, but due to my impatience and a slew of other reasons, we moved up our wedding to March 17, 2013. Our date adjustment turned wedding planning into wedding planning on drugs. We kicked it into high-gear and had an amazing wedding planned in 3 months. During that time, I also started a new job, and we purchased and moved into our new home. I think the saying is, “go big or go home,” right? We decided to go big and then go to our newly purchased home.

Anyway, I digress. My point is that with all the chaos surrounding our move and wedding, we had decided to delay our honeymoon until we could a) spend more time planning it, b) make sure we had enough (or any) money, and c) breathe. So, after months of online shopping for a honeymoon destination, we finally broke down and went to a travel agent, who led us to Fiji. From what we could see online, there was no way we could go to Fiji on the budget we had set, but with some buy-one-get-one-half-off airline tickets, we were convinced we could fit it into our budget. Of course, the trip was way over budget, but that’s beyond the point. The reality is that it was so darn worth it. We were able to relax and celebrate 6 months of marriage in the happiest and most beautiful place in the world. We also got to explore the underworld on 10 SCUBA dives and check out the air above while parasailing. Did I mention that we hung out with dolphins and saw humpback whales?  I miss Fiji.

LifeBeginsInFiji2

The happiest place on Earth.

Body Prep

So, some background: about 3 or 4 months before the wedding, I decided to get off of birth control. I had seen my sister and a friend struggle for a year to get pregnant and just knew that I wouldn’t be able to handle that. So I figured, I would cleanse my body of birth control so that when we were ready to try, my body would also be ready. To note, beginning a few months before we started trying to conceive, I also started taking prenatal vitamins. They were gummy, but regardless, I was taking them.

Now fast forward back to the honeymoon… we had decided that it would be just about the coolest souvenir in the world to bring home a baby from our honeymoon, so we decided to officially stop trying not to have a baby in Fiji. Now, don’t get me wrong… we weren’t trying… we were NOT not trying…. I think there is a difference.

So, the moral of the whole story is that we went, we didn’t not try, we had the time of our lives, and along with a beautiful golden Fijian pearl, a hand-carved bowl, tons of random knick-knacks, and an endless amount of photos and videos, my husband and I brought home a baby.

Future parents...

Future parents…

Symptoms

Today I woke up feeling amazing. I was happy, energetic, and ready to take on the day. So far, I’ve only had very mild nausea and I’m just feeling good. Maybe my little baby is celebrating her 6 week birthday and in doing so, has granted me a little break. Or maybe it’s just part of the swing of things.

Speaking of swing of things, last night I had the most absurd meltdown with my husband over a pillow. I’m not going to get into the details, because honestly, it was bizarre and hard to explain without rambling, but it ended with us “playing” tug-of-war with a pillow. By the time we were physically pulling on the pillow, we were both laughing, but the “pillow mishap” did not begin as a joke. So bizarre. Whatever… I’ll write that off as a pregnancy snafu.

Delicious Alert

Posted on by

I’m eating my lunch and just tasted the soup my hubs whipped up last night and I just have to share it! It’s delicious and healthy! I love when that happens…

Herbed Zucchini Soup

Click the link above… or follow recipe below:

Makes: 4 servings, 1 1/4 cups each

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 pounds zucchini, (about 3 medium), cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, or dill or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, (3 ounces)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Place broth, zucchini and tarragon (or dill) in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the zucchini is tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Puree in a blender (see Tip), in batches if necessary, until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and heat over medium-high, slowly stirring in cheese until it is incorporated. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or chilled.

Best part… only 115 calories for 1.25 cups of soup!