The Yates Family

Beautiful Baby Girl

2010-03-14T15:06:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe that it was almost 9 months ago that this beautiful creature entered our lives. Don and I are so in love with her and feel so blessed to be her parents

Lots Of Firsts

2010-03-14T14:57:00.001-07:00

The last three months have been filled with lots of fun firsts. Anabelle is now able to sit on her own, chew food, feed herself and put a spoon in her mouth, stand with support, and scoot around on the floor on all fours. She is out of her infant carrier and is in a "big girl" car seat and has a hugh chair that she eats her meals in. She still has no teeth but is getting a lot more hair so mommy can finally put bows in her hair. I think that she looks like such a big girl in her high chair.

Swimming Lessons

2010-03-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

In January, we enrolled Anabelle in a month long water babies swim class. We had tons of fun and Anabelle really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, though, we only made it to half of the classes since she ended up being sick the last two weeks in January. The important thing is that she looked awfully cute in her swimsuit!

Christmas Morning!!

2010-03-14T14:38:00.000-07:00

Anabelle had a wonderful first Christmas with our family in Little Rock. Santa Claus took very good care of her this year, since she had been such a good girl :)

Here are some pictures of her opening her gifts on Christmas morning

The best Christmas gift mommy could have ever hoped for

Her bib says "Who needs Santa, when I have Grandma"...boy was that true!

With Daddy at my Memaw's house

'Twas The Night Before Xmas

2010-01-03T09:55:00.000-08:00

As long as I can remember, we have always spent the night of Christmas Eve at my Memaw's house. It is something I look forward to all year long and this year did not disappoint

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

2010-01-03T09:46:00.001-08:00

Anabelle ready to go pick out her very first Christmas Tree:

All bundled up:

Wow, these things are cool!

Everyone but the cat

Thanksgiving 2009

2010-01-03T09:38:00.001-08:00

This year (and every year) we spent Thanksgiving with my family in Little Rock. Don and I were very brave and DROVE to Little Rock with our 6 month old in the backseat. Surprisingly, she did very well and slept almost the entire time both ways. The drive takes about 5 hours, which is a pain. But, I actually thought that it was a lot less stressful than hauling a baby with all of her stuff (car seat, stroller, bag, bottles, etc) through the airport. We had 2 wonderful Thanksgiving meals on Thursday, and got to spend a lot of quality time with the fam. All in all, it was a nice trip.

The happy family

Turkey coma...oops, I mean formula coma

It's Been Awhile...

2010-01-03T09:31:00.000-08:00

Things have been busy at the Yates household with work, a baby, 2 pets, and life. I must admit, I have been a terrible blogger lately. So, stay tuned, I will have updates on here very shortly

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T04:37:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-10-28T09:37:00.001-07:00

Today is my wonderful husband's 40th birthday. As such, Anabelle and I made a wrecktastic birthday cake for him. Here are some pics of Anabelle helping me bake

4 Months Old

2009-10-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

Our little Bella Boo turned 4 months old on October 18th. It is hard to believe that it has been that long since I had her. While I loved having a sweet little newborn, I have to admit, this stage is SO much fun. She now recognizes Don and I and is so smiley. She is also doing a hearty laugh now that just melts my heart.

A couple of weeks ago, we went for Bella's check up at her pediatrician's office. She weighed in at a little over 15 pounds and was 25 1/4 inches long. She is healthy and took this 2nd round of immunizations better than the last time. The doctor also confirmed that she is teething. We got to start "solids" so we have been feeding her rice cereal for the last couple of weeks. This weekend, I plan on introducing sweet potatoes....YUM!

I Suck

2009-10-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have really sucked at updating our blog lately. It has just been SO busy! I am about to update it now so hang tight for some new pics

Jump Jump

2009-10-08T19:41:00.001-07:00

Don and I put together Anabelle's jumperoo last night. She isn't quite big enough for it yet, but sure does look cute sitting in it!

Anabelle's Baptism

2009-10-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

The Yates Family traveled to Arkansas for Anabelle's Baptism last weekend. Even though we are members of Custer Road UMC here, I wanted to take her to Little Rock to be Chistened so that my family could be part of this happy occasion. Here are some pictures of the Blessed event:

On the way home, our plane got delayed, here is a pic of us goofing off at the airport

3 Months Old

2009-09-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, our baby girl turned 3 months old. It is very hard to believe that it has already been that long since I had her. I can definitively say that it has been the best 3 months of my life to date. At her last doctors appointment, Anabelle weighed in at 13 pounds, 14 ounces and is continuing to grow more every day.

Several big changes and milestones have been met in the last month. For starters, she got her first ear infection and first round of vaccines. Those clearly were not my favorite events of the last 4 weeks. Some of the neat things that she is now doing include tracking objects, smiling, giggling, cooing, holding her head up, reaching for objects, and turning to the sound of mom/dad's voices. She has also slept through the night one time and is now sleeping on her back in her crib (a milestone I never thought would happen). Additionally, I went back to work this week and have been so impressed with how well she has adapted to being with a nanny 3 afternoons a week and being in a daycare 2 afternoons a week. She is just a joy and we are so proud to have her as our daughter.

Daddy and Bella Boo

2009-09-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

Bella has been spending a lot of time bonding with her daddy lately. Here are some pictures of what they have been up to:

Napping

Watching T.V.

Hanging out of Daddy's bike

Stuff On Anabelle's Head

2009-09-01T17:47:00.003-07:00

I am pretty sure that when Anabelle is older she is going to hate Don and I for embarassing her in such a way. But, it was fun!

Videos

2009-08-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I have really sucked at taking video and getting it posted. Today, I am trying to rectify this situation. So enjoy these brief videos that we have taken in the past few months.

Happy Baby

2009-08-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

Here is my precious dumpling today. She is so happy and getting so big!

5 Days Old

2009-08-28T14:06:00.001-07:00

Here is video of the baby when she was 5 days old

Going Home

2009-08-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

At The Hospital

2009-08-28T14:01:00.000-07:00

Here is a short video from when we checked into Baylor to have Anabelle

Our Trip To Little Rock

2009-08-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

Last week, Anabelle and I took a trip to Little Rock so she could meet her family. She had already met her grandparents since they came to Dallas when she was born. However, she had not yet met her very large extended family. I was extremely nervous to take her on the plane since nobody wants to sit next to the lady with the baby. And I was afraid that there might be a coup if she screamed the whole way there. But, to my surprise, she slept on both the flight to Little Rock and the flight home.

We had a very fun, but very busy time while there. Anabelle had lots of fun hanging out with her cousins Joe, Emily, and Madison. She also met 3 great grandmothers and a slew of Aunts and Uncles. My friend Robin took us to Firefly Pottery to make a plate with her foot and hand prints on it, which she thoroughly hated but I quite enjoyed. All and all it was a wonderful trip, but Daddy was ready to have us home.

Like Father Like Daughter

2009-07-28T14:51:00.001-07:00

I caught this picture last night. I think that it is so funny that they are in the same pose.

Miller and Anabelle

2009-07-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

Miller, one of Anabelle's besties came over for a play date on Sunday. Anabelle had been awake all day so she slept pretty much the entire time. Miller is my friend Robin's son and he is now 4 months old and has gotten SO big! He has such a sweet disposition and was very smiley the whole time. I can already see that he is more laid back that Miss Anabelle.

Frank's 1st Birthday Party

2009-07-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

Today Anabelle went to her first birthday party. Her friend Frank Dixon is turning 1 on the 30th and his party was today. It was super fun and Anabelle got to meet Sophie and Zach Moroneso and play in Frank's swing. We all had a great time.

Anabelle's BIG bow

2009-07-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

This bow was a gift and I think it is so hilarious on Anabelle. Don was taking pictures and Snowflake spontaneously decided that he needed to be in the pic too so he came and sat down next to us with a big smile on his face. It was too funny!

Ya'll Win

2009-07-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

Okay okay. Everyone can stop giving me a hard time about not being on facebook. I finally joined. I will probably get sucked in but oh well.

4 Weeks Old

2009-07-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it, but Anabelle is 4 weeks old today. She is holding her head up like a champ and sleeping really well. Last night, she slept from 10pm-3:15am and then from 3:45-7am. Here are some more pictures:

Doctor's Appointment

2009-07-10T05:54:00.000-07:00

Anabelle went in for a check-up yesterday. I cannot believe how fast she is gowing. Here were her stats:

21 inches long (still), which puts her in the 75%
8 pounds, 5 ounces, which puts her in the 50%
Her head was 34cm, which puts her in the 25%

So, it looks like she is a little on the tall side, I am not sure where that came from. She also has a peanut head, which clearly came from me. The doctor said that all of her internal organs were developed well and was impressed with how strong she is...she is already holding her head up. We have to go to the hospital on Monday for the second part of a PKU screen and then we have to have her second Hepatitis B shot this month. Her next check-up will be at 8 weeks.

Friends

2009-07-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

Anabelle is such a lucky girl. She has already had visits from 2 of her "besties"--Micah and Frank.

Last Friday, my friends Amy and Alyson came over and brought us lunch. Aly has a baby girl named Micah who is almost 7 months old. She is so cute, I can't wait for Anabelle to be old enough to actually play with her.

Anabelle and Micah

Sweet Micah

My friend Ashley came over and brought us lunch with her son Frank today. Frank will be the big 1 this month so he was playing and talking up a storm. He seemed really interested in Anabelle. I think that he will be her boyfriend one day :)

Frank putting Snowflake in his place

Frank and Anabelle 4 Eva

Cute

More Pictures

2009-07-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures of our precious baby girl

First Bath At Home

2009-06-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

Anabelle had her first sponge bath at home yesterday. She was not a happy camper about it and she peed all over her daddy (which I thought was quite hilarious)

Hook 'Em

2009-06-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

Don is not really a baseball fan. However, he is a die hard Longhorn and since they are playing in the college world series, he put Anabelle in her longhorn bow for luck. It must have worked because they won last night.

Update on Jaundice

2009-06-23T06:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Anabelle at her Pediatrician's office yesterday. The doctor checked her bilirubin level and it had gone down almost a full point. So, he wasn't too worried about her because apparently her level peaked on Sunday and should keep going down from here. We are still drinking formula and pumping so mealtimes are highly involved around here. We are going to visit the lactation consultant today at 3:00 to see if we can't get her working back toward nursing.

Jaundice

2009-06-21T13:49:00.001-07:00

Being a new mommy is certainly stressful at times. Anabelle was diagnosed with Jaundice while in the hospital. This has affected her ability to nurse because it makes her very sleepy. But, it also means that she needs to nurse more often. I had a very hard time getting her to nurse yesterday after we got home from the hospital and I thought that it was because of gas. However, it turns out it was because her jaundice was getting worse. I finally decided to give her formula last night. This was totally traumatic to me because I am trying to get her to be a breast fed baby. But, it turns out, I did the right thing. We had to go to the hospital this morning to check up on her levels and they had gotten a lot worse over night. She probably would have had to be re-admitted had I not given her the formula. I was pretty emotional about the whole thing because if you commit to the nursing then her jaundice gets worse but if you give formula, you may ruin the chances of getting her to breastfeed properly. But, I talked with the pediatrician and a lactation consultant today and we have a plan. Hopefully, I can get this figured out soon. Here are some pics from today:

Naked Sun Therapy

With Mommy Getting Ready To Go To Baylor

Waiting For My Bloodwork With Daddy

A Star Is Born

2009-06-20T17:14:00.000-07:00

On Thursday night at 9:22pm, Don and I welcomed the love of our lives, Anabelle Elise, into this world. After 39 long weeks and 4 days, we were scheduled for an induction at Baylor.

Our day began at 7am when we left our house for the hospital. Once we got there and checked into our room, I was started on Pitocin. The first couple of hours were quite enjoyable and uneventful. Around lunchtime, my doctor came to examine me and I was still holding at 2cm dialated and was totally comfortable so she broke my water. After that it didn't take long to start feeling some serious contractions and about an hour later, I was asking for an epidural (which, I now know is the best invention EVER).

It took my body a little while to respond to the epidural so I started to sweat it a little thinking that I was going to have to live with the pain. By the time it did kick in though, they had given me so much that I could not move my body at all. That was a little scary so I had them back off a little. The nurse checked me again after this and I was only at 3cm. By this time, it was like 2pm so I was thinking that it was going to take forever. But, alas, my body kicked in. When my OB came to check me approximately 10 minutes later I had gone from 3cm dialated to 8 centimeters dialated. Apparently I was having some seriously strong contractions, which Anabelle didn't like so much. They actually had to give me a shot to stop my contractions! From there, we were allowed to relax and let my body get ready to push.

At 6pm, I was ready to start pushing but my epidural was wearing off so we had to wait for the Anesthesiologist to come back and give me a new drip. So I didn't actually start pushing until around 7:15. The first hour, I was doing great but after about an hour and a half, I was starting to get totally exhausted. So, when we hit the 2 hour mark, my OB decided to help me out with the vacuum. I honestly don't think that I could have gone much longer so this, I thought was a great idea. After she came out, we realized that the cord was wrapped around her in a way that wasn't putting her in distress but was inhibiting her from descending well. Regardless, she was born and we were all very happy/exhausted. We finally got to our hospital room around 12:15am so it was a LONG night and I had nurses and other hospital people in my room pretty much every hour.

We got to come home yesterday and have been adjusting to live with Anabelle here. We really could not be more thrilled. Here are pictures from her birthday

YAY!

2009-06-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

Last week, I spoke with my doctor about possibly inducing. Working was getting harder and harder and I wanted to stop, but at the same time, I didn't want to be sitting around for 2 weeks wasting my maternity leave without a baby.

Well, today I heard from my OB and I am going to be induced on Thursday morning (assuming I don't go into labor before that). I am so excited...and also terrified! A huge life change is coming!

Ta Da!

2009-06-12T05:52:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I finished the nursery. I don't have a lot of decorating sense, but I think that it looks pretty good. We still need to put together her swing and the video monitor but that is about it.

As you all can see in the pictures some changes have been made since I last posted pictures. I bought those bird prints online and then I mounted and framed them and made the bows for the frames. All in all, I think that they came out pretty well. We also got the glider and the mobile since I last updated the blog. The glider is now my favorite chair in the house, but I am not too sure about the mobile. I was deciding between that one and one other. I ultimately got that one since it matched the art, but I am not so sure that I like it in the room. I think that it is really cute by itself but I am not sure if it really matches and it seems like a big plastic eye sore attached to that beautiful crib. I thought about returning it, but I bought it online and that seems like a hassle...what do you all think?

38 Week Update

2009-06-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

Today I saw the doctor for my 38 week check-up. I have made progress, but I wish that it was more...oh well, I guess that I will just have to stay pregnant a little while longer. So far, I am dialated 2 centimeters and am effaced about 70%. My doctor still thinks that I will have this baby very close to my due date, which is next Sunday. I go back to see her next Wednesday so I will have another update then.

We have made a lot of progress in the nursery, I will post pics soon, it has just been SO busy. I got the glider together, put up artwork, and got the mobile attached to the crib so there are really just a couple of odds and ends that I need to tie up before Miss Anabelle arrives.

Pretty

2009-06-05T06:53:00.001-07:00

I love hydrangeas!

This hydrangea bush was a gift from my dad. It is called an Anabelle Hydrangea so he bought one for me and one for himself. It is starting to bloom just in time for Anabelle to get here. How pretty!

More Progress

2009-05-31T14:57:00.001-07:00

Today we put the crib together (and by "we", I mean Don as I basically sat there and watched). We were both thinking that it would be really difficult, but it took less than 30 minutes and was way easier than the changing table to assemble.

So, The nursery is almost completely together now, the changing table needs to be organized and we should get the glider in the mail this week. Also, I haven't bought artwork yet. That has been difficult so I wanted to wait until everything was in the room before I made my final decision on what to buy.

Here are some more pictures:

A better picture of the light fixture

The crib up close

A look at the room

The precious crib bedding

N.I.P

2009-05-29T17:11:00.001-07:00

Nursery In Progress...FINALLY!

We are finally making some progress on Anabelle's nursery. Two weeks ago, an electrician came out to install her chandalier light fixture (which I love). But this week, a family friend, Cookie, came all the way from Little Rock to paint the nursery and one of our bathrooms. She did a phenomenial job and even hung the curtains for me! Tomorrow we are having all the carpets in the house cleaned and then we will start moving the furniture in. We have already put together the changing table, but not the crib because it won't fit through the door once together and our glider is supposed to be delivered this week. So, I will keep updating this post with new pictures as we get everything together. Tell me what you think so far!

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Fun Side Effects Of Pregnancy

2009-05-28T17:28:00.000-07:00

Ya'll, I am seriously swollen!

Look at this picture of my feet, they look horrible and I just had a pedicure!

My feet, legs, and hands are now about 3x their normal size...fun times

36 Week Check-Up

2009-05-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

I went for my 36 week exam today. I will be going to the doctor weekly from here on out. I got checked to see if I have made any progress toward delivery. The OB reported that Anabelle is in position at -2 station, I am about 60% effaced and am dialated about the size of a fingertip. She said that based on my progress to date, it looks like I will deliver very close to my due date, but she doesn't think that I will go past 40 weeks...THANK GOD! I will continue to keep everyone posted.

He's My Favorite Honkey

2009-05-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

Born in Arizona, moved to Babylonia...KING TUT

Today Don, Courtney, and I went to see the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art...don't we look cute in ourEgyptian headdresses?

In true procrastinator fashion, we waited until the last day to go, so it was a mad house! It was also a lot harder for me to stand and walk for 2 hours since my body is so huge. But, it was really worth it. We got to see a lot of really cool (and very old) artifacts from the tomb of King Tutankhamun as well as from the people believed to be his father and great grandparents. The coolest thing was probably the gold head cover and tomb of Tjuya who was believed to be his great grandmother. Those Egyptians really had style!

Give Me A Freakin' Break!

2009-05-15T05:46:00.000-07:00

Is anyone else bored with network television?

I basically don't even watch TV anymore, except for the news, reruns of Two And A Half Men, and Grey's Anatomy...

which brings me to my next rant...

Last night was the big 2 hour season finale of Grey's. I have been pretty frustrated with the show on and off throughout the season, but I decided that I was going to stick with it through good writing and bad (that promise was never more difficult than when Dereck Shepard uttered the words "Am I a doctor or an executioner?"...you are a doctor, idiot!)

I thought that we were done with this stupid Denny side story. But, alas, last night they brought it to a whole new level...he is not only a hallucination, he is actually her brain tumor? WHAT!? And now both Izzy and George may be dead. I cannot imagine this show without 2 of it's main characters. But, I am sure they are going to have to write at least one of them off and it has to be George, right? I mean, where has he been this season anyway? All he is anymore is the Chief's bitch and there have been numerous episodes that didn't even have him in them. I think that the show's writers have decided to kill all the primary characters during this show's run. Let's take a look at what they have done so far, shall we?

1. Meredith--she drown last year, but lucky for her, Denny and her mom sent her away from the light. Plus, she has the love of Dereck to keep her alive. Oh, and she did have that bomb scare thing a couple of years ago.
2. Christina--almost got killed by an icicle to the heart this season, but luckily she lived as well. She also had that miscarriage that nearly killed her
3. Denny--dead
4. Mama Grey--dead
5. George--dead?
6. Izzy--dead?
7. Alex--nothing yet, but I am sure they will think of something
8. Dereck--they can't kill him because he has to save all the others when they die
9. Callie--please God, don't let them kill her off, she is the only interesting character

Okay, that is my rant

I feel much better!

The Anabelly at 34 weeks

2009-05-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

I went for my 34 week check up this morning. I cannot believe that this pregnancy is almost over...and at the end of it, I am going to be responsible for a completely helpless human being!

The Good News: Anabelle has turned and is in position, she is also beginning to drop. Plus, we are both happy and healthy.

The Bad News: She is reportedly going to be a big baby. Thank God for drugs! Also, my hands and feet are starting to swell and it is hot as hell outside.

Here is a picture Don took of me yesterday, I am looking a little ragged as it was a long day at work.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T11:37:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful moms out there! I am blessed to have an awesome mom and stepmom who have both been incredible influences in my life. Equally important, I have two very wonderful grandmothers who definately played a role in shaping who I am.

So, Happy Mother's Day mom, Julie, Memaw, and Grandmother Kathleen...I love you all!

This is a picture of my mom and I on my wedding day

And here is my mom with her mom, Grandmother Kathleen

Me and my sisters with my stepmom, Julie

My dad's mom and my Memaw, whom I spent a lot of time with growing up.

LOVE IT!!

2009-05-05T18:36:00.001-07:00

Most of you who read this blog know that we were having Anabelle's crib bumper made sinceyou provided your wonderful opinions on my fabric choices

Well, after the long wait it arrived TODAY!!

I love it, I love it, I LOVE IT!

Totally worth every penney.

We haven't yet assembled the crib so here are pics of it on our floor. Let me know what you think, I am really happy with the finished product.

Speaking of things I love, here are the gifts that Ashley, Becky, and Jennifer gave me at my shower

They had all of this stuff made to match the fabric I picked out for Anabelle's room...how smart are they?!

This is the boppy cover, burp cloth, changer, bib and what I learned is called a "taggie blankie"

This is an awesome diaper bag and wipes case.

How cute am I going to be with all of my matching gear!

Baby Showers

2009-05-05T17:53:00.001-07:00

I have to say, I have THE most wonderful friends. Becky, Ashley, and Jennifer threw me a baby shower a couple of weeks ago at Ashley's house. We invited my close girlfriends that live here in Texas and I got a bunch more baby essentials. Most of my friends have babies now so their advice and guidance have been so valuable to me. I feel incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful support system.

Here are Robin and I, she just had a baby boy named Miller in March

This is me with my friend Renallie, I call this picture "Fat Girl With Skinny Girl"

In this picture are: Courtney, Alyson, Amy, Meri, Jennifer, Me, Ashley, and Becky

Then, last Friday, my co-workers and boss from the private practice I work in took me out to dinner at Macaroni Grill for a small shower. My boss had a really cute cake made with a baby and blanket on top (I didn't have my camera, so no pics) and they gave us some more clothes and our bassinet. Again, Don and I are just so lucky to have such wonderful people around us!

Joy And Sorrow

2009-04-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

I have experienced a vast array of emotions this weekend. On Saturday, my close friends threw a baby shower for me that was absolutely lovely. It was so fun to have all of my girlfriends in one place and Anabelle got a bunch more cool stuff. I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful support system. I haven't had time to upload the pics but I will do that this week and post them.

This morning though, one of my best friends, Becca, sent me a text message that her Aunt Jane had taken a turn for the worse over the night. Becca has a very close knit family and her Aunt has been battling cancer for about the last 6 months. Since I grew up with Becca, I have spent a lot of time with her Aunt Jane over the years and her youngest son was friends with my brother, Aaron. I received another text message from Rebecca around noon saying that Jane had passed away. So, that was sad. Then I realized that tomorrow marks the 3 year anniversary of the death of my stepdad, Paul....things have just been so busy that I haven't been paying attention to the date.

Shortly after all of this, Don and I had to go to Baylor Hospital to begin our childbirth classes. The instructor started off by showing us a video of some births and it struck me as so profound that for these babies and for my baby, life is just beginning. Yet for other important people in my life, their journeys are ending. It awe struck me. But, you know, I actually feel really at peace with it all...especially during this Easter season when we are reminded that we have victory over death through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

This was the obituary for my stepdad in 2006:

Turn Baby Turn!

2009-04-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

So, I went for my monthly doctors appointment today. It was tons of fun, I had my screen for gestational diabetes today so I had to drink this lovely sugar beverage that made me and Anabelle vibrate for about an hour. I am supposed to get a call from my doctor to let me know if I have diabetes sometime in the next couple of days. Other than that, Anabelle is doing great and her size is right on target. I did find out a couple of interesting things though.

1. I am in fact, having Braxton-Hicks contractions. I had one while the doctor was examining me. I thought that sensation was Anabelle moving. I have been telling them every month that I have not had any contractions...oops!

2. Anabelle is still in the breech position. She was in breech during my last appointment and should be moving into the birthing position, but she hasn't started doing that. My doctor said she has another 4-5 weeks to get into position before we have to start looking at options. A c-section does not scare me, so either way, I am fine. I did, however, come home and look up ways to assist Anabelle with turning and found these suggestions, which I found to be utterly ridiculous and hilarious. These are my favorites, tell me which ones you think I should try!

- Do headstands, preferrably in a pool
- Visualize the baby turning while saying something like the following:

I am lying here in a tilt, I take long breaths and relax my body. Your head presses toward my chest. The pressure of your head makes you wiggle. Come around baby! Move your head, move your body to take the pressure off. Turn around, tuck your chin and come toward my cervix. My cervix and vagina are your opening to the world. Come close, so you will be all ready to come out when the time is right and Ill be ready to welcome you. Turn around so I can welcome you, I am giving you room to turn around

- Put my iPod in my pants and play classical music
- Place a flashlight to my skin on my pelvis and play music to the baby, which will make her want to "go towards the light" as the saying goes
- Place clothespins on my pinky toes (supposedly this is an acupuncture technique)

In other news, we had a good but fairly uneventful Easter. We went to church and gave each other baskets. I hope that all of you guys had a good Easter too!

What A Weekend!!

2009-04-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

I had a VERY wonderful but VERY busy weekend. It all started Friday morning when I went over to Robin B.'s to see her and the precious baby Miller. He is very sweet and a really good baby. Robin has had him home for a little over a week now and she is doing an awesome job. Hopefully, I will be able to adjust as easily as she has.

From there, I drove to Little Rock for the weekend for my baby shower and nephew's b-day party. On Friday night, I had dinner with my friends Kathryn and Becca, we have been friends since elementary school so it is always fun to hang out with them. I wish that I could see them more.

On Saturday afternoon, my mom and step-mom hosted a baby shower for me. It was for family and close friends, but there were a TON of people there. My family is so wonderful, they always go overboard. So, Anabelle got her first taste of what it is like to be spoiled rotten. It took me a solid hour to open all of the gifts and some creative thinking to get them all in my car. It was a really nice shower and I got to see a lot of people who are very dear to me, including my oldest sister Sarah, who flew in from L.A. for the event. Here are some pictures of the fun:

Sunday, we celebrated my nephew Lucas' 2nd birthday. He actually doesn't turn 2 until the 14th but since they were in town for the shower, we took the opportunity to celebrate. His party was at the zoo and the kids loved it. Lucas got some really cool toys too.

Hello 3rd Trimester!

2009-03-30T17:59:00.001-07:00

Well, I am now 28 weeks and officially in my 3rd trimester. I am starting to feel the effects of this pregnancy. I am definately feeling more and more uncomfortable and my body tires out really easily. It has also gotten quite difficult to bend over. So much so that I saw one of those reach and grab contraptions at Target yesterday and seriously pondered buying it! Work has gotten pretty interesting as well since I am either sitting on the floor or in a kid chair for most of the day. I have been coming up with various ways of getting out of these positions. Here are some pics that we took yesterday of my "Anabelly". My entire body is starting to expand now too...fun times!

front view

side view

Happy Birthday Maddy!

2009-03-27T04:56:00.000-07:00

Today is my niece, Madison's birthday. She is *gasp* eight years old today! I cannot believe it...how time flies!

So Cute, So Spoiled

2009-03-23T08:12:00.001-07:00

Oh my gosh, this dog is SO spoiled! Don and I are the worst...all Snowflake has to do is give us a cute face and he gets what he wants. What are we going to do when it is our actual child! YIKES! I think that it is safe to say that Anabelle is going to rule the roost!

Nursery Colors

2009-03-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

I have had several calls and e-mails from people asking me what the colors of the nursery are going to be. The main colors are going to be pink, brown, and white. However, the fabric we have chosen for the bumper has a little bit of green in it as well. Here is a picture:

I am probably going to order the bumper sometime in the next couple of weeks and bought a coordinating crib skirt at Restoration Hardware this week. Here is a picture of that:

It feels like I still have A LOT to do to prepare. Hopefully, I will get it all done before Miss Anabelle makes her debut.

March Doctor's Appointment

2009-03-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctor this morning for my check-up. Everything still looks good, my blood pressure was good, Anabelle's size and heart rate were good and on track with what they should be. My doctor says that if my weight gain continues on the trend that it has been on, I will be on target. So, I am supposed to gain roughly 14 more pounds. I still have 15 weeks but it seems like all of a sudden, things are getting down to the wire. I now have to sign up for my birthing class, start looking for a pediatrician, and sign up for a baby care basics class. Additionally, I have to start going to look at child care centers for when I go back to work and get the nursery together. Nine months seems like a long time, but it sure does fly by fast!

On a side note, my friend Robin had a beautiful baby boy on Monday. He was a little early so he has been in the NICU and she has to go home tomorrow without him. Keep them in your prayers!

Still Working On Crib Bedding

2009-03-06T07:28:00.001-08:00

We got our swatches of #s 1-6 and have pretty much ruled out all of those. We are still waiting on 7-9 and have ordered some more swatches which I should get next week. I like all of the paisleys but Don generally hates paisley. I worry that the ones that are only pink and brown will make the nursery too dark. Here are pics of some of the new ones we are looking at:

More baby stuff

2009-03-02T19:27:00.000-08:00

I am starting to think about the nursery and am looking at fabrics for the bumper. So far, these are the ones that are in play. I am waiting on swatches of these to see if I like any. If I don't, I will go back and look into some others as well. There are a lot of beautiful fabrics out there, it is hard to choose.

R.I.P. Kenji

2009-03-01T06:40:00.000-08:00

Today marks the 1 year anniversary of when Don and I had to put our beloved dog, Kenji to sleep. Don had Kenji for 13 years, so it was very difficult for everyone here. He had been diagnosed with cancer in November and almost died then. But, we were able to temporarily save him and make him feel better. The cancer, however, had spread and in February, Kenji just started getting sicker and sicker until he couldn't stand or walk anymore. Kenji was such a happy go lucky boy and always had a big smile on his face, even in those last days when he felt really bad. We still miss him everyday but know he is in Heaven waiting for us.

More Belly Pics

2009-02-26T18:24:00.001-08:00

Here are some pics of the belly at 23 weeks. They aren't the best pics of me (it was a long day at work), but you can see how big I am getting. It seems like I am fatter every day!

Thank God!

2009-02-26T05:37:00.000-08:00

Our door project is finally over! I always forget how much I hate projects until I am in the middle of one. On Saturday, our contractors were here pretty much all day, which makes it very difficult to get things done. Then, they took all of the doors to be painted. So, we have been living without doors since Saturday evening. However, last night, they were here until after 9 getting everything completed. The doors look great, they did a WONDERFUL job, it is just difficult having your routine interrupted and your house in chaos for awhile. Here are pics of the new doors!

February Doctor's Appointment

2009-02-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

I had my monthly check at the OB this morning and there is not much to report. Anabelle's size was good, her heart rate was great, my blood pressure was good, I haven't started swelling yet, and I gained another 4.5 pounds. I will go back next month. Then in April, they will check me for gestational diabetes. That's about all.

Bye-Bye Old Ugly Doors

2009-02-08T13:20:00.000-08:00

Well, I swore that I wasn't going to do any more projects in this house after we tried to sell it this summer and were unsuccessful (stupid economy crisis!)

BUT, the original plan was to try again this summer since we thought that it would take more than a day to get pregnant. However, since we have this wonderful blessing of precious Anabelle coming into our lives this year, it seems that it will be at least next summer before we attempt to sell again.

SO, (sigh) I decided to do a door project. Our old doors were in bad shape and after we put in new floors last year, the workers were never able to get the bi-fold doors in the kitchen to go back on properly.

Yesterday, we had our carpenters here for about 6 hours. Since our house was built in the 70s, all of the doors had to be fitted to the jambs since nothing in standard anymore. They were able to get that done and those doors hung. However, they are going to have to be taken down again to be hauled to their shop to be painted with a spray machine. Here are some pics of what is happening so far:

Here is a pic of one of the new doors, they came primed but are not painted yet and don't have the hardware on them yet.

Here is a picture of our old, plain white doors.

My carpenters are on another job all week, but it looks like they will probably be back on Saturday to fit the bi-fold doors in the kitchen and the door to the garage. Then they are going to have to take all of these doors to be painted and bring them back to be re-hung and the hardware fitted. I imagine that will be happening the following week. This whole thing is a beat down, but I am sure it will all be worth it in the end!

Baby Boy Brant's Shower

2009-02-04T09:04:00.001-08:00

My friend Robin had her baby shower last Saturday. She was originally told that she was having a baby girl but 2 months later found out, it is actually a boy (just in time for her shower). He is expected to make his entrance in March

Finally, a belly pic

2009-02-03T18:33:00.001-08:00

I have had several requests for a belly pic, so I finally got around to doing it. Here is a pic of the belly at 20 weeks...looking at this picture, it is hard to believe that the belly is probably going to double in size by the end of this thing...YIKES! And the boobs are out of control already!

Fun Times At The Vet

2009-02-03T18:12:00.000-08:00

Okay, so Snowflake has a small growth on the side of his mouth that popped up last month. Tomorrow he is going to the vet to have it removed. When I made the appointment, we learned that he cannot have any food or water past 8pm tonight...okay, he will be a little whiny in the morning, but we can deal. Well, today I learned that they are not sure if they are going to have to put him all the way under or use a local anesthesia, but if he does get put under, we cannot feed him until Thursday morning. Y'all, I am really hoping that is not the case because he is going to be PA-THETIC tomorrow night after he hasn't eaten or had any water all day. I really do not want to have to deal with that!

Here is a picture of Snowflake saying "mommy, I am so hungry, please feed me"

Some Spelling to Ponder

2009-01-30T18:24:00.000-08:00

So today Don and I realized that we were spelling the name "Anna-Belle" differently. I was spelling it literally, as Annabelle and he was spelling it Anabel. We consulted our baby name book and it turns out that there are 4 ways of spelling her name: 1. Anabel 2. Annabel 3. Anabelle 4. Annabelle. I think that we are leaning toward Anabel now because that seems the easiest to write but Don also likes Anabelle. I want it to be easy for her, but I also don't want to confuse people with some strange spelling.

Also, one of my patient's mom suggested that we spell Elise with a "y", making it Elyse. Her daughter is named Elise and she said that any time they take her to any doctor's or other appointment, they call her Elsie. It doesn't matter as much with the middle name, so I think that I am going to stick with the traditional spelling of the name.

Any thoughts?

Pictures of Today's Sonogram

2009-01-29T17:39:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures of Annabelle from our appointment today with the sonographer.

This picture supposedly shows that she is a girl, I personally have no idea what I am looking at.

This is how the sonographer told us that the baby is a girl, it was very cute!

In case you can't read it, it says:

"Hi Mom and Dad

I am your baby daughter"

Here is a picture of my little yoga baby, she was in the plow position for almost all of the pics.

It's A.....

2009-01-29T09:34:00.000-08:00

GIRL!!!!

Don and I went for our sonogram this morning and the sonographer determined that we are having a girl. We could not be more happy right now. More importantly though, she stated that our baby girl is "very healthy", which also made me excited. She was doing yoga and putting herself into the plow position, it was very cute. Also, both the sonographer and Don decided that she looks like me, lucky girl! When I get home tonight, I will post the pics for everyone to see.

One more announcement, her name will be Annabelle Elise Yates

Yes We Can!

2009-01-20T17:44:00.000-08:00

Today was such a wonderful and exciting day! I am so proud to be witness to this historical election and inaguration and I could not be prouder of my country right now. YES WE CAN!

Happy Birthday Emily Grace

2009-01-18T18:40:00.001-08:00

My niece Emily, is turning 3. In true Emily style, she caught her hair on fire when trying to blow out her candles. When I called to tell her "happy birthday" all she could say was "I burned"

Fun With Old Wives Tales

2009-01-16T06:16:00.000-08:00

Since the day that we find out the gender of our baby is approaching, I thought that I would try out some old wives tales to see if we can predict the gender of our baby. So, here were the results

Old Wives Tale #1: The Pendulum Test
the pendulum moved back and forth, which means I am having a BOY

Old Wives Tale #2: Ancient Chinese Sex-Predictor Chart
According to the very scientific chart found at www.fortunebaby.com, I am having a GIRL

Old Wives Tale #3: How You Look Can Predict The Sex
I gained a lot of weight in the first 3 months and have had lovely bouts of acne, so I am having a GIRL since a girl supposedly "steals your beauty"

Old Wives Tale #4: The Urine Test
Women used to use draino, but today we have the more sophisticated (and by that I mean, expensive) Intelligender. This test supposedly can tell the gender of the baby based on the pH of your urine. The people at www.intelligender.com claim that it is 90% acc in predicting the gender. However, I read many accounts of women who have used this online and they claim it is a scam and it is more like 50% acc. This test predicts that I am having a BOY

So, unfortunately, none of these seem to give me any answers. I guess we will just have to wait until the 29th. Lets all hope the baby cooperates.

Only 16 Days To Go.....

2009-01-12T16:49:00.000-08:00

Until we find out what the sex of Baby Yates is! YAY!

I had my January appointment today. They went over all of the blood work from my genetic screen and everything was normal. We scheduled an appointment on January 29th with the sonogram tech to find out the sex of the baby. I cannot wait. I am really ready to start planning and buying stuff (ie doing my American duty to stimulate the economy in these tough times)

Our First Big Baby Purchase

2009-01-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

I went out to a couple of stores here in Dallas to LOOK at cribs today. However, one of the stores was having a sale so I ended up actually buying one. I am having a bit of buyers remorse, but I got a convertible crib so I can turn it into a toddler bed and then into a full-size bed. It was worth the money. I just wasn't mentally prepared to make such a big purchase today.

Here is a picture of where our child will be sleeping!

Christmas Vacation 2008

2009-01-01T10:37:00.001-08:00

Lucas' Food Montage

2009-01-01T09:54:00.000-08:00

I have decided that my nephew Lucas, is going to be a chef. Here are some of the pictures I took of him with various food items on Christmas Eve.

I am not sure what he is eating here, it looks like candy

cutting the carrots and celery with a plastic knife

deciding which craker he wanted to eat

eating the trail mix

poking the cheese log

My Very Silly Niece, Emily

2008-12-29T07:13:00.000-08:00

This is a video of my niece Emily pretending that her butt is on fire. She is a very silly girl! I have lots more pics from Christmas, so stay tuned.

New Pic Of The Baby and Genetic Testing

2008-12-21T08:44:00.000-08:00

I went in for my first trimester genetic screening on Thursday. The technician is able to tell if the baby has Down Syndrome or other genetic anomalies by measuring the amount of fluid on the back of the baby's neck-crazy, huh? It took a little while for the baby to turn over but when she/he did, the measurement was good. So, I was very happy with this news. I also did a blood test that can tell if the baby has Spina Bifida and some other things. They said we'd have the results of that back in a week. However, with Christmas this week, I am sure it will be longer. The tech said the heart, brain, and kidneys looked good. Also, we saw the spine and it looked good too. I have now gained 10 pounds, which freaked me out a bit. But the doctor said that my weight looked good, so I am just going to trust her on this issue.

Congratulations Alyson and Aaron

2008-12-11T06:41:00.001-08:00

My friend Alyson gave birth to Micah Sydney on Tuesday night. I went to the hospital last night with some other friends to see Alyson and the baby girl. She was very beautiful and tiny! Congrats Aly and Aaron, you are going to be wonderful parents!

We're Finally Ready For Christmas

2008-12-10T07:57:00.000-08:00

Well, Don and I finally got our Christmas tree and decorations up. We usually do it the weekend after Thanksgiving. However, this year has been busy, then Don got sick, then I got sick and so on. However, we are now in business. On Saturday I went and got my traditional Neiman Marcus snowglobe, which I had to go to 2 malls to get since I drove around Northpark for 45 minutes and couldn't get a parking spot! Now I just have to finish my shopping!

My yearly Christmas gift to myself
Snowflake thinks it's okay to eat Santa Claus, I guess he is getting coal in his stocking this year
The mantle, I didn't put too much work into it this year...oh well
The tree, I prefer Frasier Fir but Don has terrible allergic reactions to those

Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T17:42:00.000-08:00

We went to Little Rock for the usual Thanksgiving craziness. I got to spend a lot of time with my precious nieces Madison, who is 7 and Emily, who is 2. Emily's favorite thing to say is "I love you so bad!". It is very cute.

And Baby Makes 3!

2008-11-30T17:36:00.000-08:00

As many of you already know, Don and I are expecting our first baby on June 21st. We had our first sonogram last Wednesday and so far so good. Here is a picture of the baby!

Our New Addition

2008-07-16T14:31:00.001-07:00

Meet Snowflake. He is the newest addition to our family. Don picked him out at the Second Chance SPCA here in Plano in April. He is now 8 months old and into everything!! Don and I have really enjoyed having him with us.

2008-07-16T14:19:00.000-07:00