10 Months Young

This month literally FLEW by - how did it get to be May already?? April was full of fun and challenges for the Burnetts - we survived our first stomach bug and then proceeded to give it to all of our guests at the crawfish boil we hosted - sorry friends... this #rookiemom thought after 24 hours we weren't contagious anymore...

Overall this month has been the best yet - I know I keep saying that but it is oh so true.

Both boys are trying new things every day - Wyatt has become even more expressive and loves to talk to Siri on the phone. His eyebrows and the way his face lights up slay me. Owen is WALKING yes, full blown walking, he is so proud of himself too - it's quite possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen. Both boys babble non stop and love to read books to each other and play peek a boo together, I could watch them play all day. We unsuccessfully tried to drop our morning nap but they just weren't ready - teething has a way of making big babies seem little again. 

I still can't believe in two months we will have two TODDLERS - I feel like just yesterday we were going to the hospital to have them. I also never thought I would long for the newborn days but I think I am just far enough out of the haze to be wishing for another snuggle buddy. You might think I'm crazy but have you ever smelled a newborn? Do it and then get back to me. 

Loves: Pulling up on everything, standing in the bath, wrestling with brother, stealing toys, car keys, Daddy, Mama, eating bluebonnets, eating diapers, pulling on Daphne's hair, reading books, crawling as fast as possible, WALKING (Owen), Face time with anyone and everyone, playing on the fireplace, climbing onto the fireplace, climbing onto the activity table, climbing onto EVERYTHING, the splash pad, playing with the big kids everywhere, swinging, pushing toys around, peek a boo and chasing each other, exploring outside and everywhere in the house, dino nuggets, mac n cheese, all kinds of fruit. 

Hates: When mom takes things away, when anyone leaves the room, when mom tries to fish foreign objects out of our mouths, diaper changes, being still, being strapped into anything, nap time, anything that requires being trapped in the living room, broccoli, yogurt (owen). 

ANNNNNND Picture dump!!

Humble Pie

As I was sitting down to put the finishing touches on a "day in the life" post about our busy but productive day yesterday God served me up a slice of humble pie. I wanted to write the post to remind myself and other moms of littles that we CAN get things done, it just takes a little perseverance. I wanted it to be a reminder that I can accomplish things - but I realized this morning that what I get done has nothing to do with me. It is by the grace of God that our little household is manages to be productive day in and day out. 

So with that in mind here's a little glimpse into our yesterday and this morning. 

5:45 - boys wake up ready to play - after nursing them I crawl back into bed for my 2 -  hours of uninterrupted sleep and the man I am lucky to call husband wakes up with the boys. He spends the next hour and 45 minutes playing with and reading to the boys.

7:30 - Time for hubs to get ready for work so I take over baby duty. Now that they are eating table food I set up breakfast and that keeps them occupied while I get ready to head to the mall for a Stroller Strides class.

8:40 - I pull out of the driveway on the way to an 8:45 workout - not too shabby as far as time goes. Usually running much further behind.

9:00 - We catch up with the ladies and jump into the workout - my arms are killing me today by the way... thank you Amber ;)

10:00 - l leave mall and head to meet a lady about buying our keurig - after hitting up starbucks of course (Side note: I finally got around to listing a ton of stuff that is just taking up space in our garage... check out the Bell County Consignment page if you're in the market for some garage treasure)

10:30 - both boys are passed out in their car seats (so much for dropping morning nap...) I head home to load up the things I need to return to Old Navy and Bed Bath & Beyond and print out the coupon for the oil change (FYI - local peeps BBBeyond takes buy buy baby returns)

11:00 - We arrive at Market Heights to get some shopping done - it only takes me 10 minutes figure out how to attach buggy bench to cart and unload/load the boys, then we head into stores to shop/return. Both boys were behaving nicely but started to meltdown after about 45 minutes...

12:00 - We hit up chick-fil-a drive thru and head over to NTB for an overdue oil change on the Tahoe... I made an appointment and it still took 2 hours... not sure we will be doing that again... we were at the tire change place from 12:15 - 2:15 - which is just too long with 10 month olds, it was okay though,  everyone was super nice and accommodating, we ate our lunch, the boys crawled around on the floor for awhile - then we walked to the park to swing and nurse - luckily it wasn't raining yet.

2:15 - As soon as we hit the road to head home - both boys passed out. After no nap all day it was time. I unloaded them - changed diapers and Wyatt went right to sleep - Owen had other plans... After about 40 minutes of CIO and cuddling and nursing it was clear he would not be sleeping today. Both boys were awake by this point so I barricaded the living room - sat out of sight in the kitchen and let them play while I enjoyed some me time. They played happily until Dad got home and I headed out for dinner with girlfriends.

*This is one of my favorite times of day... just listening to them explore and play together - it is one of the things that makes being a twin mom so fun. They always have a buddy and it is less work on me to entertain them.

Overall it was a fairly uneventful day - I'm sure there were things that I could have freaked out about, like when they melted down at the park and I had to nurse one standing up while pushing the other in the swing, but I think I've finally settled into the mind set that with two babies chaos is inevitable. 

Twin mamas, the sooner you accept that almost everything is out of your control.. the easier it gets, I promise.... and yes it DOES get easier, every stage comes with new challenges but you also get better at handling them and you become more mentally and emotionally equipped to handle the unique situation you have been blessed with. 

So yesterday I was feeling pretty good about myself... making it through a hectic morning with no total losses... I won't lie, I actually said out loud to myself "You got this, you are rocking it." (Yes sometimes I talk to myself in the car...) 

This morning I was in the same mindset, rocking and rolling ready to head out the door for another awesome workout when BAM - Wyatt face plants into a chair that he is pushing around the kitchen and busts his lip open (full disclosure it was totally my fault because I pulled the chair away to put it back where it belonged, not realizing he was still holding onto it #Momfail) 

Meanwhile, while I was cleaning him up I seemed to forget that Owen was on the loose, until I heard a splash followed by giggles and realized he was playing in the dog food and water bowl... after removing him from the situation I notice he's chewing on something, so I wrestle him to the ground and pull out what looks to be a Rolo wrapper... #Ievensweptyesterday

After finally getting them all settled and together, realizing that Wyatt only had a minor flesh wound and fat lip (pretty sure it won't be the last) I composed myself enough to realize we still had time to make it to Stroller Barre... which at this point I NEEDED. I got everything packed and headed out to start the car, only to realize my keys were not in the diaper bag, but in the front seat of my locked car. 

I had no choice but to give up at this point... I realized that some mornings you have to give in, you have to lean into the mess instead of trying to clean it up and control it. It's okay to take a day off, stay inside, eat another donut and cuddle up with your babies while Raffi sings some lullabies via youtube on your chrome cast. 

On the bright side, the boys are taking a MUCH needed morning nap and I'm going to spend some MUCH needed time hanging out with G-O-D. 

8 Month Update

:.

These little dudes turned 8 months old on Leap Day! It only took me a week to get their picture taken and find the time to write this little update. They are everywhere and into everything and they certainly keep me on my toes.

I know I will probably keep saying this, but I LOVE this age. They are so fun to interact with, and are really starting to develop into little people. Their personalities are so different already and I can't wait to watch them grow and change even more in the next few months.

New skills/Firsts:

Standing on his own regularly (Owen)

Babbling all consonants*

Clapping for songs

Dancing

RSV

Ear Infection (Wyatt)

Throw Up (Wyatt choked on a leaf... that was fun, Owen comfort nursed to the point of vomiting when he had RSV and then a week later choked on some grass)

*Pretty sure Wyatt consistently calls me Mama - Owen however prefers "Bubba and Dada"

Wyatt is still super cautious with everything, he has to be able to touch whatever surface he is traveling to next, Owen on the other hand is our little adventure seeker, standing on his own and trying to walk every day, he's even taken a few micro steps but he's not fully walking yet. Wyatt is still the thinker but Owen has started studying every little detail of every toy he picks up. Watching them learn and develop new skills is so fun. I can't wait to see what month 9 has in store.

Favorite Things: baths, cords, doorstops, kisses, brother, Daddy (they cry when he leaves for work - be still my heart), wheels, outlets, leaves, sticks, dirt, tortillas, puffs, pizza crust, outside, walks in the stroller, Daphne's tail and ears, smacking brothers face, smacking the walls, really smacking anything, banging on toys and making noise, biting mama, sucking on wash cloths, sippy cups, mama's yeti cup and straw, BBQ chicken/brisket/pork (they are little carnivores), Riding in the car (Wyatt), taking medicine

Least Favorite Things: Having nose wiped, saline+nose frida, sitting still, when anyone leaves the room, diaper changes, when mama takes away any of the things on the favorite list, Riding in the car (Owen) - there's not a lot for this list because over all they are pretty happy babies.

We continue to be so blessed by these little men and I am grateful every day that I get to be their Mama and spend my days hanging out with them.

Friday Faves

Back to back Friday posts... that means it has been a crazy week at the Burnett Bungalow. Both boys are fully mobile now and they care keeping me busy.

Here are some of the things I did have time to discover this week...

This article on Scary Mommy... 

I fall into a few of these categories and I have truly been working on not getting offended when people ask about the boys - or what I do all day, especially when they do just seem genuinely curious.

"The sad thing is, these are all moms that I’d love to be friends with in real life. I wish that rude, nosy folks hadn’t ruined the art of conversation for everyone, because there are people like me who genuinely seek connection with parents of all stripes. I’ve never been one for wasting time on small talk—I want to get to know the real person I’m speaking with—but I feel like chit chat is all that’s available anymore. Living in a culture where people are quick to get offended, I worry that being on the defensive all the time is preventing us from initiating true friendships and sharing our unique stories."

Buzzfeed hits the nail on the head again with THIS article

Everything from sleep to food to moods and behaviors... it was worth losing an hour of sleep to scroll through these.

This article with all sorts of amazing baby hacks! Thank you two twenty one :) 

This Eulogy from OKC Thunder Coach, Monty Williams, at his Wife's Memorial service... #amen

It is worth the 7 minutes of your day - truly up lifting.

7 Months

These sweet precious boys turned 7 months old Friday!

7 months... I'm still in shock that they've been here for just 7 short months. It literally feels like they were born 7 years ago and yesterday all at the same time. We celebrated this particular milestone with our flu shot booster! Yay shots!

This month has been big one. We got to throw a party for our Uncle Brett & Rachael who we are officially calling Auntie, both boys started crawling at lightning speed, pulling up on EVERYTHING and Wyatt has mastered the W sit - yet another #momfail in the books - but we are working on it. 

Wyatt is still as concentrated as ever and Owen has started to take after little brother in this aspect. Both boys study everything and thoroughly enjoy playing in and around their exer-saucers. Gross motor is off the charts for both boys, but Owen still pulls a little ahead. Owen is standing on EVERYTHING and trying to stand on his own, while I'm over here thinking "Slow your roll dude..." I bet they are both walking before one... #Lordhelpus

Owen concentrating really hard - I tried to call his name to get a pic but no success, pretty sure they have learned how to ignore me as well...



Wyatt patting big bro



Studying their new toy

They are finally to the age where they recognize Ben and I, as well as each other, this makes everything exponentially cuter. Their faces, their noises, everything. They search for each other in the morning and spend at least an hour catching up with each other. It's like SO much happened while they were sleeping that they have to hash it out. Seriously the cutest thing. The other morning after nursing Wyatt he popped his head up, saw Ben and it was like Christmas morning. Coos, giggles and immediate crawling to wake up Daddy. #bestillmyheart

I can officially say the boys are now eating solids, just once a day, but still it's ALMOST everyday. Both are still nursing like champs but I hope to start doing solids more than once a day in the next few weeks. They really enjoy eating anything and everything - minus peas, peas are a no go and we learned this when they decided to show off their other new skill, projectile spitting. If there were a tin bucket on their high chair trays, both boys would be masters at making the "Puh-tang" noise. You know the one rednecks make when they spit their dip?

Things they love this month: Being outside, reading books, singing with mama, swinging, sitting up in the bathtub, splashing (Owen), drinking water from a sippy cup and straw (Wyatt), holding hands with each other, playing peek a boo with EVERYONE including Daphne, pulling Daphne's tail, and her ears, eating fruit and cookies and grass and leaves, chewing on everything, pulling up, hitting and banging on toys, studying the mirror, cuddles, the windows down in the car, and so much more.

Things they hate this month: When mom leaves the room, when Daphne leaves the room, loud noises, getting stuck under toys, falling while trying to climb, shots, being strapped into anything including car seats, not being able to see each other, when mom won't let them drink the bath water, when mom takes away grass and leaves, when mom claps her hands or says no.

Weight - About 19 lbs each

Height - Around 25 inches or so

Feet - Huge like puppy dog paws

Hands - Full of wrist rolls

Sleep - We are getting there...
having much longer stretches and falling asleep on our own now!
(thank you cry it out)



Those arms and those rolls... yum.



Owen, the big bro, always checking on Wy-guy



Oh Hey Mom, just chilling in my swing...



Hey, Mom, You still there?? Peek a boo?


And just to prove that they don't sit still for photos all the time... OUTAKES from our 7 month "photo shoot"

Friday Faves

It's FRIDAY!! Which means time for Ellen's Friday Faves - enjoy! 

I love saving money and I love it even more when I can take that money and immediately purchase Starbucks with it. If you are my Facebook friend you know that I am obsessed with Ibotta. It's a grocery rebate app and allows you to get cash back on stuff you already by. I love it so much they don't even have to pay me to tell you - but they will. If you sign up using this link https://ibotta.com/r/numntwp you will et $10 and I will get $5. Then you can have your friends sign up and get the same awesome bonus! WIN WIN... anyways - it's great, check it out and you're welcome. 

We just booked our trip to Mexico to celebrate me turning 30 and surviving a year raising twins. So that has me thinking about summer and summer time drinks. So I was browsing my reading list and stumbled upon this delicious recipe for cucumber lime cilantro margaritas. I have not made it yet but just looking at I am salivating. 

33 Slow cooker recipes with only 3 ingredients. I have a love, love relationship with my crockpot. It is sometimes the only way I can put dinner on the table. This website is amazing and I fully plan on trying lots of these recipes during our "No spend" February. I also love New Leaf Wellness for the same reason. Check both out - you won't regret it.

I talked about Lucie's list in my registry post but I just received word that... wait for it... they are now allowing you to register as a TWIN MOM!! The lack of registry resources fro twin moms is appalling so I'm super stoked about this. If you or anyone you know is expecting twins pass this info along, like yesterday. 

This sweet post written to twin moms in the first year - oh how I needed to hear some of this this week. Especially this "Friend, you WILL get through this first year. And when you do, you will look back with awe and wonder and realize just how strong it made you. Get ready to light the candles and CELEBRATE. It’ll be here before you know it. Their first birthday won’t only be to celebrate them, but to celebrate YOU. YOU, their momma who loves them more than you ever thought possible. YOU, their momma who gives up your own comfort and conveniences to focus your energy on taking care of them. YOU, their momma who was chosen for them because you ARE strong enough. You can do this. Hang in there. It’s double the work, but I promise, it’s also double the fun."

Cloth Diapering Update

Since the twins were born, lot of people ask me about how the cloth diapering is going, some of them are choking back laughter and others are genuinely curious. I won't even fault people for thinking I'm crazy for cloth diapering twins, I am. You can read all about our reasoning/decision to cloth diaper here.

I'm not going to lie to you, it's not the easiest or cleanest thing in the world, and in fact I can be quoted the first week as saying "Yeah, this is terrible" BUT I'm 100% honestly glad that we stuck with it. Plus it saves me just enough money to fund my wine and coffee habits which is good enough reason for me to keep going. 

We did not start putting the boys in cloth regularly until they were about 10 weeks old, or as I like to call it "down to one poo per day" - looking back now, I would trade breastmilk poo for solid food poo ANY DAY. I didn't even need the diaper sprayer back then... #thosewerethedays

Very quickly I realized which diapers were for us and which were not. Unfortunately I had purchased about a million and two that we did not like (all the more reason to start out buying used and try a variety). I still have a giant sack of pocket diapers I need to unload... so anyone who needs them, please inquire within - I'll make you a stellar deal. 

Personally I find the microfiber to be a pain in the ass because of compression leaks (when baby sits the diaper squirts the pee out - this happens in disposables too just not as frequently).  That being said I do love the bumgenius freetimes (which are microfiber). My favorite diapers though, are the Bum Genius Flip covers with organic cotton inserts and bamboo/hemp boosters, and Bum Genius Elemental diapers (the cotton version of freetimes). All of these are followed very closely by the G diaper system - because it has a nice slim fit. 

The benefit of all in one is that they are similar to disposable in you take them off and toss them, then put a new one on. I like the flip covers with inserts because the cover is reusable so if you're out and about you don't have to pack a bunch of diapers, just a few inserts and a back up cover which takes up MUCH less space. 

The reason why I prefer the cotton over the microfiber is solely because of absorbency, the cotton does not leak the same way microfiber does. It is only a small perk that cotton also happens to be more "natural", most people like the microfiber because it wicks the moisture from baby and keeps their bums pretty dry. This is perfect for kids who don't like to be wet, but our boys will literally sleep in a puddle of their own pee... so cotton works just fine for us. 

We still use disposable when we are visiting friends/family and sometimes out and about - but I have become more comfortable using cloth around town since poops are much less frequent. We always use disposable at night, mainly because I don't have the patience to figure out what nighttime cloth diapers will work - and it can be a literal mess of trial and error.

Cloth diapering accessories I couldn't live without

2 Wet bags - I love this one by skiphop

Diaper Sprayer*

Spray Pal Splatter Shield**

This Ikea Drying Rack

Diaper Pail with Giant wet bag

*you don't need this until they start eating solids/purees

**the sprayers are super powerful and without this my bathroom would literally be a shit hole

Perks of Cloth

Less rashes

Less blow outs

An extra $20 or so a week in the budget

Good for the environment

Some of the not so nice things about cloth

Spraying the poo... just ew

The extra laundry (I really only mind the folding/putting away)

Putting them on a wiggle worm (so many snaps)

Some are super bulky and can give baby an odd shape (purely cosmetic here)

So there you have it - an honest update on our cloth journey. I'm not sure how much longer we will continue down the cloth path but I'm hoping it will only get easier as they are needing less frequent changes.

To my childless friends

Let me preface this post by saying, this is not going to be what you think. I am not here to tell you what you can or cannot say to me or what you can or cannot do with or around my children. I am also not here to justify all my new behaviors or give excuses on why I have fallen off the face of the Earth. I am simply here to say thank you. To express my unending gratitude to you for your understanding, your kindness and your ability to remind me who I was before I spent my days sporting yoga pants, a messy, unwashed top knot and wiping snot on my sleeve.

There are so many articles floating around the web these days shaming people without children for their “behavior” towards parents. While I completely understand where some of these mamas are coming from, and I do agree that there are certain lines not to be crossed, did we also forget that we used to be childless? Did we forget that we used to enjoy sleeping in on Saturdays and brunch on Sundays? Did we forget how to be human, and kind? Where does this attitude towards non parents come from? Is it something they lace the IV bags with at the hospital?

Instead of whining about our friends who throw dinner parties that aren’t kid friendly how about we thank them for giving us an opportunity to escape for the evening? Or here’s a thought, politely decline the invitation. Why do we think that just because we brought life into this world people ought to now bow to our commands? 

So here is my thank you note to those friends who are sticking around, it might not be short but I hope it is sweet. 

To my childless friends, 

Thank you for throwing parties where my children are not welcome. For giving me an excuse to get dressed up in something that cannot afford to have spit up on it. You have no idea how long I have waited to put on one of my dresses that currently collects dust in the office closet. One of those outfits that is simply not practical when you have to whip your boob out every 45 minutes to appease a screaming infant. Thank you for giving my husband and I time away from the house to enjoy the company of other adults without the background noise of children screaming. Thank you for caring enough to still invite us to things even though 9/10 we have to decline.

Thank you for talking to me about something other than diapers, breastmilk and baby milestones. Those things are not of interest to you, and while I appreciate when you ask about them or how we are doing, I also appreciate when you talk to me about the outside world. I love that I still have someone I can relate to on a personal level without kid talk.  Staying at home with two non verbal humans all day, I crave adult interaction, I want to remember what it's like to have intelligent conversation and discuss something besides the latest trend in child rearing. So thank you, thank you for reminding me that I am a college educated individual who has much more to discuss than diapers. Thank you for talking politics and sending me interesting articles that aren't from scarymommy.com.

Thank you for trying to relate to my newfound exhaustion by comparing my kiddo to your fur baby. Sometimes it IS very similar and when that is all you know I refuse to fault you for it. I know this might be your only way to empathize and for that I am grateful. I am grateful that even though you may not actually know what it’s like to be "new mom tired" you do know what it’s like to take care of something that cannot communicate, and how frustrating it can be. So cheers, let’s drink another glass of wine and commiserate the only way you know how. If you want me to be honest, no it’s not really the same, but I promise not to shame you for comparing your pet to my kid, and one day when you are in the thick of it I will gladly come over and snuggle that baby, and I promise to NEVER say “a little different than fido eh?” because who needs that reminder, No ONE.

Thank you for spoiling my kids. For giving them extra snuggles and buying them trinkets on your many trips to far away places. Thank you for loving on them and giving us a much needed night out every once in awhile. Thank you for buying them the adorable personalized name books that I wanted to get but simply could not justify spending money on. Thank you for being the house on Halloween that gives out the giant candy bars. Thank you for hosting a shower for me before they were even born, and for imploring your ever talented mother to make them beautiful quilts that I will cherish forever. Thank you for coming by on your day off to deliver sweet treats and give hours of cuddles to my babies. I know for you it’s so fun to have kids you can “give back”, but it is equally fun for us and our kids to have “aunts and uncles” on standby to swoop in and love on them whenever we need a break. 

Thank you for reminding me that it is okay to do something for myself. When you have children, for the most part selflessness becomes part of your daily routine. I don’t mean that in a “toot my own horn, I’m so amazingly selfless” kind of way, in fact if I’m being honest it is sometimes more of a daily struggle than routine. What I really mean is when you have children you now have to take care of the tiny humans, and put their needs before your own. I literally forget to do things for myself on a daily basis, sometimes I don’t even remember to use the bathroom until they are down for a nap. So thank you for telling me to take a shower and brush my hair. Thank you for buying me a massage or pedicure for my birthday and forcing me to use them. Bonus points if you show up and hold the little rascals while I take that much needed me-time.

BUT MOST OF ALL, thank you for your patience and understanding. I know I suck at being a friend right now, and I will probably do a million things wrong before one thing right. So thank you for recognizing that my life is different now then when we met, that while I truly enjoy spending time with you and cherish our friendship, other things come first now. Thank you for understanding that while there was a point in time when friends were my numero uno, that time is not now. Thank you for recognizing that prioritizing is hard, especially when you’re working on 2.5 hours of sleep. Thank you for knowing that I cannot do it all and for giving me grace when I don’t remember this and I overcommit myself. Thank you for still being my friend even when I forget something important or inevitably hurt you. Thank you for calling me out when I’m being a bad friend and helping me to realize that I need to be better at communicating. Please also know that whenever I can, I will drop everything to be where I am needed but that it just takes a little more finagling now that I have two little persons dependent on me.

Overall thanks for being you and for loving me and my kids in spite of our flaws. Thanks for sticking around and I promise to return the favor 10 times over if/when you decide to procreate.

Sincerely, 

Your very tired, very overwhelmed, friend 

who loves and appreciates you 

more than you will ever know

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This recipe is one that I had for the first time at my Aunt's house. Someone made this for her after my grandfather's funeral and it was as delicious and comforting then as it is now. I have since made a few changes to it and tweaked it to make it perfect. Today I added a new twist that turned out extra delicious. The thing I love about this soup is how versatile and adaptable it is. While it does have a Mexican flair you can serve it so many ways. I've made it with cheesy bread, tortilla chips, over a bed of rice. You can add beans to give it a hearty flavor or keep it simple. 

However you decide to tweak it, if you are looking for a good comfort soup that is easy to throw together this recipe is for you. 

You will need

A crockpot or LARGE soup pot

64 oz Chicken Broth (or 4 chicken bouillon cubes and 64 oz of water)

1 Rotisserie Chicken or about 2-3 lbs of chicken (a whole fryer)

1-2 cans cheddar condensed soup* 

2 pkg McCormicks chicken taco seasoning** 

1 medium onion diced (I didn't use today but normally do)

1/2 block velveeta

corn tortillas

cooking spray

optional: 

shredded mexican blend cheese

sour cream

avacado

pico de gallo

Serves 6-8 people

Steps

If you are going to use a rotisserie chicken, which I highly recommend you will need to de-bone and shred the chicken. This takes about 15 minutes.  I used a mesquite chicken today but HEB makes a jalapeño lime one that is AH-mazing in this soup. I prefer to use rotisserie for most recipes that call for shredded chicken because I think the mixture of dark and white meat is delicious and it's already cooked so it saves me cooking time.

If you are using just regular chicken breasts you can throw them into the crockpot whole and uncooked, you will need to shred them about 4-5 hours into the cooking process though. You can also precook the chicken in a pot with the onion.  

To de-bone the chicken I use to forks and pull as much meat away from the bones as possible then toss it into the lid. Then I use my hands to pull the remaining meat off and throw it in the lid as well. I take the same forks and shred the chicken in the lid then dump into the crock pot with the chicken broth (I used water and bullion cubes today), diced onion, taco seasoning, 1 can of cheddar soup and 1/2 block velveeta.

 

Wyatt helped me cook today instead of napping...

After you put everything into the crock pot, give it a good stir, put the lid on and set it on low for about 6 hours - you may need to stir it periodically if you are home - if not don't worry about it. Also if you need to have a longer or shorter cooking time no worries - the longer you cook this soup the more delicious it gets but if you are using pre cooked chicken it can be ready as soon as the cheese melts if needed. 

About 40 minutes before dinner I start prepping the garnishes. I normally like to fry my corn tortilla strips but today I baked them and they turned out just as good without the mess of frying. 

Cut the tortillas into 1/2 inch strips and spread out onto a foil covered baking pan so that they are not touching each other

Coat strips evenly with cooking spray

 

Bake at 425 degrees until crispy (you may need to toss them around a couple times while baking, I set the timer for 10 mintes, toss, 5 minutes toss and then a final 5 minutes to crisp them - the main thing is to keep an eye on them or they will burn)

Once your soup is done - throw it in a bowl top with crispy tortilla strips, sour cream, avocado, more cheese, pico de gallo and whatever else sounds good to you!

*If you like a thicker soup you can add 2 cans of cheddar soup - I usually do one because I prefer the broth texture

**I only had one package of taco seasoning so I substituted a spicy ranch dip packet for one of the taco seasonings and it was deliciously tangy