Care to dance?

Charlie has some new moves - they just happen to be with Mama's favorite Christmas song! =)

Happy Holidays!

XOXO

6 month photos...err, I mean 9 month photos...

6 months photos? Yeah right. We did, however, make it to the 9 month photos! =)

These are the "sneak peaks" from Jamie. She is so talented.

Check her out - www.jamiegibbonsphotography.com

Happy Fall Ya'll

Yesterday, the Biddick crew packed up and headed out to the apple orchard. We decided on Epplegarten - just east of Verona. The weather was beautiful, and I think Charlie could vouch that the apples weren't too bad either....

Big boy!

He is "standing" at 8 months? I think we are in trouble...

Tomatoes.

Tomatoes.

I thought dicing and freezing the tomatoes wouldn't be so hard...

well, at least not as hard as canning would be.

I soaked.

I blanched.

I diced.

Ta-da!

28 cups of tomatoes.

Whew!

I am feeling like such a good housewife.

Devil's Lake - August 2010

Oh where, oh where, oh where have you gone?

Oh where, oh where can you be????

Well, needless to say, I took a break from blogging. Ha! Like I was a professional anyway... :) Quick update - Mr. Charlie is almost 8 months old. Wow! I am not sure where the time went, but he is still the happiest baby ever. We are so very lucky!

Charlie did just get through a small battle with infantigo. It didn't bother him a bit. He was a champ at taking his antibiotic - and, in 7 days, it cleared up. He also just sprouted a tooth! He was beside himself for a few days, and after chalking it up to "he must be teething", there is now one VERY sharp object lining his chompers! I suspect another one will pop through soon. He is still chowing down on breast milk, but he is getting some solids too. His favorite are pears, naners and apples. He is getting the hang of feeding himself yogurt puffs and puff ring cereal. He will be a pro soon! He took his first bottle of formula yesterday - I think he drank it so fast, he didn't realize it was something different. He is also becoming quite the mover! His maneuver isn't a "full" crawl, but it is close - and, he is fast! He is growing up way to fast for me.

Brad and I are still trying to keep up with Charlie. With both of us working 40+ hours a week, it can prove to be no small feat. He is in good hands at daycare, however. Charlie loves, loves, loves his Tracy. We again got very lucky with her and her family. It makes me leaving for work a bit easier - but, I have to admit, I do still drive to work teary eyed at least once a week. He grows so darn fast - I can't help but think that I am missing something...

I hope all of you are enjoying your summer. I can't believe that September is around the corner! Hopefully, by the next time I check in - Charlie will have wonderfully mastered "ma ma" just as much as he has "da da"... :)

XOXO

ABC Biddick

Happy Valentine's Day!

~Charlie sends his love~

Bad Mama...

I have been horrible at updating my blog. In fact, it might be a bit worse than horrible...BUT, I have some photos and updates for you today! :)

Lil' Peanut, aka Charlie, was born on Christmas Day at 2:30 am. We labored ALL day Christmas Eve with back labor. We decided to head to St Mary's around 5:30 pm and we were admitted at 6pm. To make a long story short:

Back labor = no fun
Pain reducing shot = sickness
Big baby - small Mama - dramatic drops in heart rate = cesarean
Cesarean = beautiful baby boy



Having a baby of your own has been a lot of what I had expected. We are very lucky, however, Charlie is a very good baby for us. He sleeps in pretty good chunks throughout the night, he is eating well and he might be the cutest baby that I have ever met. ;)



This weekend, while my parents were here, Charlie mastered the skill of "chatting". He had a very long conversation with Grandma yesterday. There were lots of "coos", gurgles, "ahhs" and smiles. He also had a few things to share with Grandpa too! He is holding his head up more and more each day. I am also convinced that he changes in looks overnight every night!

Valentine's Day is around the corner. Brad and I are convinced that we have the sweetest lil' Valentine around. Remember to squeeze your loved ones tight, and smother them with kisses. XOXO

Quick Update...

Just a quick update...

Brad and I went to our appointment yesterday (one of which I was FOR SURE not going to make it to)... At any rate, they hooked us up to a few monitors. One was for heart rate and the other for contractions. Everything looked really good AND, I was having some contractions. I am still at 2 cm though - that was a bit frustrating. I am aware that the dilation can change in a second, however. Today, we go back in for a amniotic fluid "measurement" test. I guess this is pretty standard procedure with overdue babies.

Wish us luck. I do have a feeling that this Babe is going to be welcomed on Baby Jesus' birthday. If that is the case, we may consider a name change to Jesus or Mary...Brad has voted for Frankincense. :)

I hope everyone has a very happy and joyful holiday! Much love. XOXO

Snow Day

So, just as almost everyone else, Brad and I had a "Snow Day" yesterday. Brad's was actually a half snow/half sick day. He seems to be back on the up and up today, however. AND, most importantly, he did get to use the JD snow blower!

Believe it or not, I have all the gifts bought and wrapped already! I know, right...I am WAY ahead of my usual Christmas curve. I made a few treats over the weekend, and I might make more depending on when Peanut decides to make his/her arrival.

Speaking of peanut, I will give you a quick run down:

How far along? 39 weeks. Wow! 39 - I never thought that I would get here, but yet I look back and think "man, that went fast"!

How big is baby? Too big to move around in my lack-of-waist. You can see when it is snuggling in - with it's butt out! I am guessing he/she is around 7 or 7 1/2 pounds.

Sleep: Here and there. Some nights are WAY better than others. I am feeling really antsy tonight, so we will see how the sleep is...

Movement: Still moves quite a bit. There are definite "snoozing" times and active times throughout the day.

Food cravings: Still those damn pickled beets.

Labor signs: Lots of them. At my Doc appt (I will spare you the details), but she did mention that I am progressing very nicely. In fact, I am much farther than I thought I would be...

What I'm looking forward to: Meeting the Babe. Brad and I took a tour of the hospital on Sunday. I have come to grips as to how this thing is going to get out of here. I also think that my "lack of knowledge" in this department might be a blessing...I have no idea what I am in store for.

What baby's doing this week: Fattening up - and definitely getting ready to enter the world!

So, keep your fingers crossed that this show gets on the road sooner rather than later! :) I think the excitement is outweighing the jitters for Brad and I. We will be sure to share the news with all of you as soon as Baby B is here!

I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season!

XOXO

Can I please have my feet back?

Seriously. The joke is over. To the person who switched my feet with theirs - can I have them back?

Quick update

How far along? 35 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Still keeping this one under wraps. :)

Maternity clothes? Getting tired of wearing them. I often wonder - will I remember to put my zipper up when I am back in "normal" jeans?

Stretch marks? I still love cocoa butter lotion.

Sleep: Intermittently.

Best moment this week: We had beautiful weather yesterday for the last Badger game day. Oh - and Miss Anika turned ONE on Sunday. She is so stinkin' cute and was very excited for her cake.

Movement: HUGE movement!

Food cravings: Not really any in particular...

Labor Signs: Still lots of Braxton Hicks and back pain...

Bag Packed? No. What the heck do I put in that thing?

I am a blog post thief... :)

...but, I found this quite interesting. Let me know if you do as well. :)

How far along? 32 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Haha - no way I am putting that number in black and white. Let's just say, I am still in the recommended window of weight gain...

Maternity clothes? Yes! I just got some new ones today - rather humorous that all the shirts are black...

Stretch marks? Knock on wood - cocoa butter lotion is my best friend.

Sleep: Sleep? Really? When do I do that?

Best moment this week: Hmmm...it is kind of annoying, but kind of funny at the same time - Baby B plays a game with me. I push his/her foot/leg or something of the sorts out of my rib - as soon as I remove my hand, it quickly goes back in the "rib position". Other than that, I have LOTS of movement.

Movement: TONS. I can tell that they are running out of room a bit. The movement isn't so herky jerky anymore...I love watching my belly move.

Food cravings: No cravings persay, but I have noticed a definite increase in hunger. :) And yes, I ate pickled beets for breakfast this week. :)

Gender: No idea. I have had a few dreams of a blonde curly haired baby - not necessarily boy or girl.

Labor Signs: Lots of Braxton Hicks. Not fun.

Belly Button in or out? Haha - in for now, be sure to check next week - I believe it is on the way out.

What I am looking forward to: Meeting this lil' peanut. We can't wait.

Weekly Wisdom: Wisdom? That resides in my mind - of which, I have temporarily lost... :)

Polka Dots

Yay! Finally, the dots are on the wall! :) I actually just got the valance today too. That will be going up shortly...

BEFORE:



AFTER:



So - updates. We are at 31.5 weeks. I am going every other week to the Doc now. Needless to say, stepping on the scale every other week is tending to be a scary occurrence. I SWEAR that thing is incorrect. Blah. Baby/belly is measuring right on. I haven't take a picture of myself since the last post. I am not sure if one is in my future... :)

I know that I meant to includes LOTS of info for you all - I am also aware that my mind has left me...I will post again soon.

We are trying to get Cal used to all of this Baby stuff. She is getting accustomed to the music coming from the bassinet, she has sniffed the onesies over and over and over and - I believe that she is going to be a pretty good watch dog...

Now - we are counting DOWN...

Blah - what a gross night outside. Rain, rain, go away...

So yes, we are now COUNTING DOWN! We have just over 11 weeks until we meet Baby B. I plan on painting some polka dots on one wall in his/her room this weekend. Brad will be out of town, so I just need to get myself off the damn couch... :) I am not sure why the walls in the Babe's room look white in the photos - they are actually "fennel" - a light sage green color.

Papa Brad did get the crib together - and the dresser/changing table completed also. He is quite the husband! I believe the crib took less than a 6-pack!




Believe it or not, I do have another belly pic. I am so not fond of these whatsoever...this was just the other morning. I am not sure that I was entirely awake. I am still all belly and boobs (those can stop any time now...). And yes, I am still large and in charge. There has been TONS of movement. I can't decide if he/she likes high kicks, kick ball or karate better...it is a toss up.

Hope you all have a nice weekend! XOXO

26 weeks already?

Wow - we are at 26 weeks already. And, we have had a very exciting start to September. Last weekend, we kicked off the Badger Football season...I have to admit, I really DO like being the only sober one in the car, on the way home, at 11 pm - AFTER a full day of tailgating. Yep, love it. :)

You know, this blog is harder than I thought it would be. Brad and I do lead a rather boring life. He is out of town this weekend for a bike race. I am supposed to be organizing some of the bedrooms so we can start setting up Baby B's room. I am a pretty good procrastinator, however. Last night, we headed out for Jamie's birthday to Paisin's. So yummy! Brad and I are so lucky to have such good friends.

I have a picture posted from last weekend. I am at 25 weeks here, just hit 26 yesterday. I am feeling very large and in charge. I do believe that any day now, I will surgically remove some ribs. :) Other than that, I feel good. Fat and sassy!

How is that Baby going to come out?

Ha! Yep - that was the question of the weekend. Brad and I headed down to Mom and Dad's on Saturday. Mitchael, Breanna and I decided to take the trail down to the lake. After a few pictures, asking about the Baby, some funny stories, talking about the Baby, lost lip gloss, and wondering if the Baby knew he/she was getting his/her picture taken, etc...we headed back up the killer hill. About half way up, Breanna says, "Abby, how is that Baby going to come out of there?" (*pointing to my belly*) Before I could get anything out, Breanna finished her own thought - "I bet they just cut your feet open and the Baby falls out"...

I wish it was that easy - sadly, I don't believe it is...



Mitchael has some thoughts of his own as well...courtesy of a "kid in his class", so needless to say, they were wrong as well. I will leave the real explanation to their Mother. :)

Bump?

So, I used to LOVE looking at baby belly photos - especially, when it wasn't my belly. Now? Not so much. Above, was taken just a few days after our wedding. As you can tell - this week (below), I was less than thrilled. Maybe it is the green shirt? Baby Biddick is moving like crazy. I think that the "kicks" that I feel now, will be little nudges compared to what I am in store for in the next few months. :)

Why is Polenta so good???

It could be the butter, cream and cheese? :) Seriously though, for dinner tonight, I made my own menu of: Creamy Polenta, Grilled Chicken and Creamy Baby Bellas...I was pretty impressed. :)

Creamy Cheesey Polenta

2 cups chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup corn meal
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper

Bring stock and cream to boil on medium heat - be careful not to burn. Whisk in the cornmeal - slowly. Once it is incorporated, it will thicken up fast. Stir in butter and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Polenta serves as a nice "bed" for chicken, steak, etc...

Yes - it has the seal of the Husband. :)