Baby Drake

January 2011

2011-02-09T12:37:00.000-08:00

Hey all! Here are some fun pix of our January! We had a fun month- we had a good amount of snow (at least for Fayetteville- one storm we had 4 inches!), Joey had his boy cousins visit, and he got to meet Curious George. He is growing like a weed, and talking even more.

As of today, Jonathan has been at BMW for 1 year! One year down, one year to go! We've joined a church and are making friends. One thing about this town is that people are used to families only being here for a short time. We are looking forward to see where the Lord will send us next.

I am still working at Panera, but depending on Jonathan's school schedule, I won't be there too long. He's already taken a placement test for Fayetteville Tech CC to study Electrical Engineering. We're waiting to hear back...we're pretty sure he's gotten in but waiting to hear for sure and to see what his class options are, since he can only go at night.

Other than that, nothing much is happening here. We've been very happy to see so many family members the past few weeks and looking forward to seeing lots more in the upcoming weeks!!!!

Love,

J,L&J~

Joey trying out an early Christmas present

2010-12-20T13:11:00.000-08:00

THANK YOU AUNT DENISE!!!!

sorry about how the camera turns up on side- so you'll have to turn your head!!!!

December and Joey's Visit with Santa

2010-12-13T17:39:00.001-08:00

He did so great with Santa!!! We had Woofie and a cookie, so all was well in the world!

My sous chef- this is what he had to pull out of the cabinet so he could crawl in. The child is obsessed with the blender- but not to worry, its not plugged in. he will put who knows what in side, then put the lid on and make a sound like he's blending. He likes to make Mommy smoothies =)

He looks so old here!

Joey has been full of surprises the past few weeks!!!! He has been a blast. Discovering everything- and quite the little sponge. As if he didn't follow me around before, he's been glued to me- and to Woofie. That dog has not left his side. He is doing better with his eating and is now well on the road to feeding himself with utensils!

He is weighing in at over 28lbs (its not official, just on our bathroom scale!) and we've measured him to be about 34 inches. He is talking NONSTOP, but we love it. Still loves anything with wheels, big trucks, school buses, and Elmo & Big Bird. Oh yes, Thomas the Train is always a fav. Joey can sing the first 3 notes of Sesame Street pretty much on pitch almost every time. He has started laughing (on his own) at the funny parts, it is so cute!!! Tonight, he's expanded his vocabulary with 3 words!!!!! He is so funny.

The boys have been adjusting well to me working so much. I've been working about 20 hours a week. I was supposed to be dining room/greeter but its turning out to be more like cleaner/dishwaster/maid all rolled in to one. I have met some good people there but its a lot more work than they let on. The store closes at 9, but most of the time we don't get out until 11 or later!!!! We've broken all the records for Panera.

Well, we will write more later. Hope this finds everyone well!!! Enjoy the photos!

Fall 2010

2010-10-22T12:13:00.001-07:00

He always hides in the corner when I'm chasing him!

Sweet boy- he loves his belly button!

Joey and Daddy at the Pumpkin patch

Sitting on the tractor's BIG wheel!

Paging Dr. Drake

Here are a few photos I've taken so far this fall. The PJ ones were taken this morning, sort of an impromptu photo shoot! Joey is definitely becoming more vocal and is extending his vocabulary! He knows all of his grandparents, aunts and uncles by playing the matching game and he can even say some of their names. He's starting to put some words together like, "Keys for car", and "put shoe on/off" and "ba-you" which is his, "i love you". We've been going outside and playing soccer, swinging in the hammock, blowing bubbles, checking our ever growing tomatoes. He is a blast and is definitely keeping us entertained. For Halloween, he's going to be a chest xray! Stay posted for pix from that! When we took him to the pumkpin farm, he absolutely LOVED it. He has a book about pumpkins and he has been reading it constantly for several weeks now and loved being able to actually touch the pumpkins in the field.

His latest favorite thing is trains. He loves to throw his arm up and pull the whistle and say "choo choo". We found some Thomas the Train videos on netflix and anytime we go near the tv he starts "choo chooing", indicating that he wants to watch. We've been able to go to Barnes and noble quite a bit during the past few weeks, where they have a giant train table in the kids section. We can barely pull him away even after we've been there for over an hour. After only going twice (I think), right after we walked in the door of B&N he started "choo chooing"- he already knew where we were. His memory is incredible. He is getting more and more in to reading. He'll go over to his book basket and pull out a book that he wants you to read and come bring it to you and then sit in your lap. He's gotten to the point that he'll show us certain things in the books as we read, like we'd shown to him in the past.

Hope everyone is well. Talk to you soon!

J,L,J =)

Tony turns 1!!!!

2010-10-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

I'm so embarassed- my last post was in JUNE!!!! Just wanted to send out some very cute pix of Joey and two of his cousins, Mark and Tony. We went to Tennessee to celebrate Tony's first birthday!!!! What a wonderful time we had. Joey had some playmates and I had some personal time with Ali. Don't let that fool you though- we were always baking or cleaning up after the boys or doing something to get ready for the party. Saturday morning, the 4 of us kids and Ali's husband ran a race. It was my first competitive race, and it was so much fun! It was 4 miles, I ran all of it, except for about .5mi which was up 2 large hills. We had such a great time together!

Happy birthday, sweet Tony!

Joey at the party and with Uncle Jeff and Aunt Nini at the partk

The birthday boy with Linds

A picture of the two oldest!

Joey and Mark playing at the park!

Happy birthday Tony!!!!!

Joe Joe's first (real) haircut

2010-06-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

Business in the front Party in the back

Pre haircut pose (note the wings!!!)

post hair cut

being a ham for the camera!

Some updated Photos!!!

2010-06-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

In Hilton Head Island with Beeba, Granna and Matt

At the beach with Papa and Boggie:)

More from Joey's party

2010-05-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

Joey and OC playing with some new toys

Joey's 1st birthday party!

2010-05-11T11:49:00.001-07:00

Here are some highlights from Joey's party!!! We had such a great time with everyone!!!

The Drakes

YES PLEASE!!!! I'M LOVING MY CAKE!

Me, Mom (Boggie) and Lindsey (Nini)

My cake that Mommy made! Granna getting me ready for my party!

Sorry for the delay!!!!

2010-05-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry this has taken us so long! Our sweet Joey turns 1 this Saturday!!! Cannot believe it. What a blessing he has been to us. He is so precious and sweet!!!! He is talking up a storm now and so incredibly mobile, but crawling only. He is lightning fast!!!! He is trying to get the courage to walk on his own, but it's definitely still going to be a few weeks. He's been jumping on his bed though so you know his legs are strong!!!!! Today, when he woke up from his nap I hear, "Uh oh" multiple times. When I went in, his bear had mysteriously made his way out of the crib!!!!!

Keep posted for more pix after his party this weekend!!!!

New House, New Life!!!!

2010-03-10T13:36:00.000-08:00

We are officially residents near Fayetteville now!!! We moved this past Saturday! We are so grateful to have had a bunch of people from our Sunday School class to help us in Charlotte and Jon's brother Sam & his girlfriend to help on both ends and my parents in Fayetteville. We were pretty much all packed up and ready to go when we got the truck on Saturday morning. We will post pictures after we get everything set up the way we want it!

Joey has been such a great sport during the packing, moving and unpacking. We have a very large (for us!!!) backyard which we've been out in a few times already. He just loves being outdoors!!!! He is growing like a weed. He is probably almost 32 inches now, and last time we took him to the doctor a few weeks ago, he was over 21lbs. His hair is getting crazy long and blonde and curly. He is a great representation of the two of us. He is crawling everywhere! He is very much a typical boy and he loves anything and everything electronic. We gave him our old laptop and he loves it!!! He had a stuffed dog that he adores. One day we started playing with it and I asked him what a dog says and said "It says, 'Woof woof'". So that is the dog's name, Woof Woof. Any time he sees it he must have it. I'm thinking his first birthday party theme will be dogs :) Sometimes he will even ask for Woof by name. He's starting to talk some more. Some times he will say "thank you", or even his name, "Joe Joe". Today when I went in to get him up from his nap, he was standing up in the crib and was literally eating it. There are more than 5 bite marks and chunks of it missing. If someone holds on to his hands he will walk!!!!!

I will be staying at home for a few months at least, getting settled in and being a full time mom. Jonathan is really liking his job so we are very glad about that.

Sorry for this to be so short, but Joey is reaching for the computer cord so I must sign off.

Talk to you soon!!!!

2010-01-30T17:55:00.000-08:00

Our little ham

Curly Q!!!!!

He is Skyping with the Florida crew and really trying to crawl.

We are starting to get into all sorts of new adventures with Joey. He is so close to crawling, as you can see above. He can get himself up and ready, he starts rocking, but then collapses. His next step is to start rolling around on the floor until he gets the toy he wants. He is discovering absolutely everything. He is talking a lot more. He has discovered his tongue- he sticks it out all the time. We've been calling him "lizard lips" because he keeps sticking his tongue in and out so quickly while he's trying to talk!!!! It is hysterial.

Joey has his 9 month appointment on Tuesday, so I will update after that with his stats.

He did great on the trip to Florida to see Jon graduate. He was getting over yet another ear infection, but that seemed to be all cleared up before we left. His fan club was waiting for him when we deboarded and once we saw Matt he was hardly let go!! He loved being with his Daddy of course. Jon has kept him at home, except for the day of his interview in Fayetteville.

Jon starts his new job on Tuesday at Valley Motors BMW! We'll be renting a house about 15 minutes away, so it'll be convenient to work. Everything seems to be pretty close proximity to each other. I will be able to stay home with Joe Joe for a little while, and then look for something part time. Once we get settled in, find a church and then a day care for him.

Don't forget, May 8th is Joey's first birthday party. We will be having a party for him on that day- it is a Saturday! I know it seems early, but it is only 3 months away, so invitations to follow in just a little bit.

Talk to you all soon!!!!!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

Our handsome little man. Who would've thought he'd be a blonde???

Our sweet boy during his photo shoot the day after Thanksgiving!

He is sporting a shirt from hisAunt Nini that says, "I'm stuffed!"

The Drake Family

The newest additions!!! All the Drake greatgrandchildren with Grandma

We had such a wonderful Thanksgiving. The three of us were able to be home together for 4 days. It was awesome. Jon flew in Thanksgiving morning, and then we went back home and met Grammi and Papa for breakfast and then drove up to Winston Salem to be with the Drake family. I don't know the exact total for how many people were at the table, but including the babies, I think there were over 20! We had great food and had fun being together.

Joey has had some very minor health concerns. He's had 2 right ear infections back to back in the past 3 weeks. He had a reaction to his meds (amoxicillon) for his first one, so now he is considered allergic to all drugs in that family. But so far, he seems to be making improvements with the new medicine.

We've had a busy few weeks here at the Drake hotel. Lots and lots of visitors!! I was so happy to have everyone come and visit. I know they all loved being with Joey and spending time with him. Thank you all for coming! It really added to our time of Thanksgiving.

Joey has one tooth officially! I think more are soon to follow. He also has mastered sitting up on his own!! And he is doing great. He has a toy, Baby Einstein, that he just loves. He gets in it for sometimes 45 minutes at a time and just plays!! The seat bounces, so all you have to say is, "Bouncy, bouncy" and he knows exactly what to do and starts bopping up and down!

Please pray for us as we are still in limbo for our location after Jonathan gradutes in mid January. He's submitted his resume to numerous places. We are praying that we know something in the next few weeks. We only have about 6 weeks until he is done. These 6 months have really flown by.

What a tremendous year the Lord has blessed our family with. We are so excited to see what God has in store for us over the next few months. We will keep you guys posted!

Love to you and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

a long over due update

2009-10-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

beautiful blue eyes and a smile

first time eating in his high chair!

i just love this picture!!!!

Sadly, this will be very short because i'm running very low on steam and there is too much to do here.

Joey has reached a new milestone. Two Thursdays ago, he started saying "da da" and now he says it constantly. he says it on the phone with his Da Da, while he looks at his picture- it is so adorable. He is trying desperately to sit up by himself. He is doing great in his 'school'. he used to be the only boy, but now he has to share the ladies with another cute little guy. I think he'll be getting his first haircut this weekend. Pretty much all of his dark hair has fallen out except for a little bit at the base of his skull!!!! It looks really funny. I will be sure to post pictures of that when we cut his hair! For halloween, he's going to dress up as a chest xray- in honor of his mother :) Next year, I'm sure he will be sporting something BMW. he is trying to cut some teeth and I can tell he's really starting to get umcomfortable. He is eating ihis cereal now 2 times a day and we've started him on veggies. So far he really likes peas, sweet potatoes and he'll be trying butternut squash soon. He wasn't a fan of the avacado but we'll try that again later.

We're having Joe dedicated at our church this Sunday morning. It will be a special day for us. He will be almost 6 months old at that point- cannot believe that!!!!

Jon is doing really well down in Orlando. Top 5 in his class. Pray for him as he starts to assemble his resume and hopefully will be able to start looking for a job and find one quickly.

I have my big exam on Saturday November 7 at 12p. Pray for me- I'm very nervous.

We will keep you posted with any new news we get. We hope to be able to post a video of Joey talking really soon!!!! But for now, you'll have to settle with some photos :)

Joe Joe in his swing

2009-09-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

Please check out his hat- he loves it!!!!

4 Month Doctors Visit, Jon coming home, Eye Doctor....yikes :)

2009-09-23T19:14:00.000-07:00

Joey had his 4 month peds appointment on Wednesday the 16th! He weighed 16lbs 14.5oz and they measured him at 26 inches, but I've consistently measured him at home to be just about 28 inhces. At any rate, he is in the 75-90% on the charts! His pediatrician gave us the green light to start some solids, so we started cereal this week. Pictures to come later! I was thinking to hold off for a little while longer, but he has started to wake up in the middle of the night again, so I figured it was time. He had to get more shots, but he did pretty well with them.

Jonathan came home the following Saturday morning through Monday morning. We had quite a whirlwind weekend but it was awesome to have him home. Joey acted like he never missed a beat, although I do think he was a little sad the first few days after Daddy left. We went up to Blowing Rock to meet David, Ali and Mark and long story short, we ended up driving back to TN with them for the night. We came back to Charlotte early Sunday morning for some much needed family time. Jonathan went back to Orlando early Monday morning. The next time we'll be able to see each other is October 9th. Feels like a long ways away, but I know it is right around the corner. Thank you all for being so encouraging to us- it is both wanted and needed.
Jonathan is doing great in school- he's in the top 5 of his class!

Joey had is appt today with the eye specialist. He said that the tear duct that's clogged is normal (which we knew) until about 12 months of life. Anything after that, we'll have to see where it leads us. He also does not think that his eye is from a defected 7th facial nerve, but from excess skin above his eye and he will hopefully grow into it. He has been such a joy for me. Being around him reminds of the reasons we are sacrificing now.

Please continue to pray for us as we are wearyand need some pep. Fortunately I have a bunch of company coming before the end of October, so that is keeping me busy. Jonathan is studying anywhere from 4 to 6 hours a day. On the weekends he drives to his parents (only 1.5 hours away) to help with putting in the patio with his dad.

Promise to send some photos soon!

Some new photos of Joe Joe!

2009-09-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

The Drool King "just waiting for someone to notice how cute I am over here"

Me and my buddy

my beautiful man laughing at Mommy being goofy

These pictures were taken within one week of each other. And he already looks so different!

These are two of my favorite pictures of him ever

Just chilling! So big sitting in his chair!

Sick of me taking pictures!!!

Jon's First Visit Home

2009-08-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

Jonathan came back to Charlotte on Saturday morning. His flight got delayed; which put him back in at 2am, instead of 1. Joey was a total trooper, getting up with me and going to pick up his Daddy!!!! Got home and we all went immediately to sleep- only to wake up a few hours later (literally) for Joey's morning feeding. Joey was very attentive to his Daddy's voice and recognized him right away. One of the sweetest moments for me as a mom was listening to my son talk to his Dad. They continue to talk every night when Jonathan is off from school. And I know Jonathan loves it too. Anyway. The three of us spent all day together on Saturday. While Joey napped, Jonathan and I played some of our new Wii!!!!! That thing is so much fun! We were really able to relax and have some very much needed family time.

Sunday morning we went to our church and then up to Winston. Jonathan's brother, Adam, was being ordained and it was such a special time, since we were all there together. Mom and Dad Drake and all the boys were together. Jon's grandparents, aunts, uncles, and several cousins were able to be there. The ceremony was great- hardly a dry eye in the place. We came back to Charlotte that night, hoping for a good nights rest, but morning came too quickly. We had to get up at 3:50, in order for Jonathan to be ready for the cab to pick him up to head to the airport.

All of our friends and familly have been a great encouragement to us. Got word today that my boss is ok with me leaving 2 Fridays a month a little bit early in order for Joey and I to get down to Tampa at a decent time (we will be meeting Jonathan at his parents' house in Tampa!!). This is such a blessing. We decided that 5 weeks is just too long to go without seeing each other, so our goal is just about every other weekend! God has been blessing us left and right- my boss was able to work it out so it is feasable from a work stand point to be able to head down!

Major prayer requests for this week: I'm still trying to study to take my boards hopefully in November!!! Jon is working hard down and studying some intense info in Florida. And a praise is that Joey growing like a WEED. He is just under 17lbs!!!

My boys

my buddy

chilling with Daddy

blue eyes

playing with daddy

cool dude

Me and my boys

2009-08-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

We are well into our new living situations for about 3 weeks now. Jonathan is knee deep in school work and is doing extremely well. He goes to classes from 1:30-8pm and studies just about all morning. Being apart has been a slow adjustment, but we are getting there. Jon is able to go to his parents' new house (it's about an 1hr 45 mins away from school) every weekend. We're thankful that he's able to see them a lot, not only for company, but for some good cooking too!! While he's there, we're able to Skype and that has been a blast. Joey loves seeing his Daddy up close. He's starting to get used to it; he's been smiling quite a bit at the computer. He is so captivated by it!

I started back to work July 31st. It was a very rough day for me, but my Mom was here to help! She watched Joey for me on Friday. It was quite a relief knowing that he was in great hands and it really helped me not to worry. That night, Evan, Joy, Sam, and Matt were on their way up to WS, and they were able to stop in for dinner and some cuddle time with Jo-Jo. Mom and I had a great time together, cooking, watching FRIENDS and relaxing together. She went with me to Joey's day care (we call it school) on Monday morning and was my moral support! I could not have done that weekend without her. She was such an encouragement to me, when I needed it most. The teachers at school have been wearing Joey OUT!!!! This kid could hardly stay awake to eat. We feel so comfortable with the school and they take such good care of him! Last week, he did his first two pieces of artwork and I can't wait to bring it home and put it on the fridge.

Both Jonathan and I are thankful that we've started into our respective roles because it is helping the time pass by more quickly. We are so excited and we are anxiously awaiting August 21st, when Jonathan will be able to come home for the weekend.

Joey of course is awesome, and changing a lot and quickly. He is so very close to rolling over, but maybe's he's holding out until Daddy comes home!!!! He's smiling a ton and starting to chat now. He's very responsive when you say his name or smile at him. He doesn't have any doctor's visits this month, so I'm not sure how much he weighs, but we're thinking about 14-15 lbs. And he is so LONG!!! About 28 inches already. He is beautiful and such a joy to have around. Pray for his eye- he has a clogged tear duct. He keeps rubbing it a lot and I'm not sure if it's hurting him or if he's just finding his hands. He also keeps rubbing his hair, which I think is hysterical!!!

A few praises/answers to prayer requests. My boss was able to help out with my hours 3 days a week, allowing me more time with Joey at night! We were able to pay off one of our cars, which is allowing either Jon or Joey and I to fly to see each other almost every other week! And Joey and I are able to fly to Florida for Labor Day! We are very excited, and I'm terrified of flying with a baby.

Here are some new photos of our little man. Please continue to pray for all three of us as we're each making huge adjustments in our every day lives.

Me and Joey right before I left for work my first day back

Joey and Mom

Joey discovered his fist...waiting for it to become magical

Me and my buddy

2009-07-24T05:49:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken at the beach. Joey and I went back this past Monday and returned Thursday night. We had a great time. Ali was there with Mark and that was so much fun watching Mark trying to interact with Joey!!!! Mark just celebrated his first birthday and is sooo big.

Joey rolled up on his side twice on Wednesday. It was so exciting. I love to watch him grow and discover new things; it is such a joy. He started sleeping through the night about 2 weeks ago. That has been such a relief, seeing as I'm going back to work next week. Jon and I had just been talking about we would need Joey to sleep through the night and it was either that night or the next night that he did! He's been going ever since. He usually sleeps from 9ish to about 6. Pray that he continues to do this! This has also helped him to nap better during the day. He is growing so quickly. He's laughing and smiling and cooing. We made a trip up to Winston Salem last Friday so Jonathan could say good bye to everyone. It was the first time his grandparents had seen Joey since he was about 4 weeks old. It was quite a change.

We're having techinical difficulties with the computer that we usually use. It's not connecting to the internet, so I'm having to be very creative on how I get the pictures online. Since we just got back last night, I have not attempted to upload any that I took. The above photos were emailed to me. So be patient! I will get some more new photos on here soon.

Jonathan had his orientation in Orlando on Wednesday. It didn't last as long as he thought it would, so that was nice. He had to do some work on his computer that BMW supplied in order for it to be functional for school. Just like his school here in Charlotte, the classes begin every 3 weeks. His 3 roommates have started the BMW school 6 weeks ago, so they've been able to give him some pointers and study material already. Always a hard worker, Jon is already starting to study diligently. As soon as I get his mailing address I will post it. I'm sure he'd love an encouraging note or food:) The first few days we were apart were very hard, but as of now we're settling in. It will be disrupted again next Friday and the week after as I try to adjust going back to work and taking Joe Joe to daycare. Pray for me to be calm so I don't upset Joey at all and for my own sanity. We have about a month until we see Jon again and we can't wait! We're already couting down the days.

Much love to you

J, L, & J

Emerald Isle

2009-07-14T17:58:00.001-07:00

On the dock

Joey cooperating, before he realizes whats happening

Right after Joey had his feet put in the water....he was not happy

What a cutie!

2 Month Check Up and Jon's Graduation

2009-07-14T05:46:00.000-07:00

Playing on his toy from Aunt Nini

Jon and I at his graduation!!!!

Our beautiful boy

Joey had his two month check up on Wednesday. He got a great report all around! He weighed 12lbs 12.5 oz. They measured him at the same length as last time (22.5inches) which I knew wasn't right. So they measured him again and said he was 23.5 inches. But I measured him when we got home and got close to 25 inches. He is growing wonderfully the pediatrician said. He is getting very interactive, smiling when we talk to him. His Aunt Nini gave him his floor play mat and he LOVES it. We'll put him on it and he'll entertain himself on it for 30 minutes at a time. He is sleeping pretty well. Most of the time in 7 hours stretches at night. He still is stubborn and doesn't want to miss anything during the day. But, we're trying to make progress. He is holding his head up for quite a while. He is so strong!!!!!

Joey was well behaved for his Daddy's graduation on Friday. He graduated from the Nascar Technical Insitutue. He had lots of honors, including Excellent attendance, Director's List, Alpha Beta Kappy National Honor's Society, Student of the Course 5 times, Ford Specialist, and is going to BMW academy next week. He is leaving for Orlando Monday July 20th. Pray for all of us as we're going to be apart for a while. The school is 6 months total, but we're hoping to see each other once a month. Thank God for webcams where we'll be able to talk live to each other and he'll be able to see Joey.

We're having a great summer. Can't believe my 12 weeks is almost up. Fastest 3 months ever!

2009-06-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

one of the few naps he took at the beach

sleeping on his Grandma on the beach

Jo Jo and Grandma

Joey trying to smile :)

In honor of Papa Waters

in his special outfit he wore when he arrived at the beach

Before my camera died....

2009-06-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

We left June 6th for our first real road trip with Joey. He was so great in the car! We headed to Richmond and made a surprise stop in Hopewell and introduced Joey to his Greatgrandmum. He loved cuddling on her for a while. My camera was working still at this point, but I forgot to take it in. Mum was great with him. She was glad we stopped by so she could make sure she got some Joey time before we all got together for our family reunion. Tuesday the 9th, we went to Sam's graduation from Hermitage! Joey did perfectly up until Wednesday. The boy would not sleep during the day Wednesday or thursday. Friday when he woke up around 7:45, I noticed he had an eye infection, which explained the lack of sleep. I took him to see a friend of ours who is a pediatric nurse and she gave us some drops and took care of him. We were able to leave that afternoon to head to Urbanna for the family reunion! Joey's eye was a million times better Saturday morning! We got to Urbanna and immediately Joey was taken from us by his grandparents, Uncle Jeff, Great Aunt Denise and Great Uncle Steve. I was able to take pictures the first night, then my camera went dead. We had a blast, doing what we do best: eating and sharing recipes. Denise and Steve's new house is beautiful and they put on quite a spread for us. Steve took the boys fishing and they caught more than 30 fish- Jon caught 11 himself! We had such a wonderful time with everyone and can't wait to do it again next year!!!

Before we left for the reuinion, Jon's mom, Joy, asked us if we could come back to Richmond when we were done. She had gone to Winston Salem to meet her other new grandbaby, Celeste Joy, who was born June 7th. So we went back and then came home to Charlotte on Tuesday. It was an emotional goodbye when we left Richmond that last time. Jonathan's parents and Matthew are moving to Tampa this weekend. Mom Drake was especially sad since she won't see Joey until September.

Joey had his first month check up yesterday! He is progressing perfectly! He weighed 11lbs 1 1/4oz, was 23 inches long, and his head was just under 16inches (90%). He also got his first shot that we witnessed. Not sure who it was more traumatizing for. I also had an appointment yesterday and Joey met Dr. Campbell, the doctor who delivered him.

Me and Joey after his bath!

Dr. Campbell and Joey

Mum, Mom, and Joey

Joey with 2 of his cousins, OC and Celeste

Joey in his favorite spot: curled up on his daddy

Our Sweet Guy

2009-05-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

Well Mommy and Joey got to spend lots of quality time together this past week. Dad was gone in VA working on our townhouse. Of course Joey would've picked that week to try out some new things, such as not sleeping in his crib for 6 nights. He's been sleeping decently at night but we are still getting up a few times for food.

He is such a joy for us. He is making us laugh quite a bit with his cry. He is growing rapidly. We went to the pediatrician on Tuesday and he had gained 1lb in 6 days! He was up to 9lbs 4oz, almost 1lb more than his birth weight of 8lb 7oz. Joey is starting to outgrow some clothes already, which is very depressing.

We are getting ready to make a long journey. Saturday June 6th we are treking up to Richmond for several days. Joey's Uncle Sam is graduating from high school on the 9th and we're glad to have the opportunity to share that with him. Then we're going to Urbanna for a DeFalco/Waters/Bingham reunion at the Bingham's new house! We are SO looking forward to introducing Joey to his great aunt and great uncles and grandparents. We are taking our camera for the whole week we are gone, so you can expect to see lots of great pictures!

Speaking of, here are some recent pictures of our little man.

Welcome Joseph Michael!!!!

2009-05-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

Joey joined our family Friday, May 8th at 5:30 pm! He weighed 8lbs 7oz, and was 21.5 long. We went into the hospital Thursday night to get a dose of cervadil to help with the induction. I was officially induced Friday morning about 7:30. Joey was being slightly difficult during the day, making it hard for the nurses to find his heartbeat to monitor. I was encouraged to walk around but when I was doing that, I was not able to feel my contractions (which I thought was a good thing :) But since I couldn't feel my contractions, I was not dilating. Finally at 3:45, after Jonathan and Dad had just made a quick trip home, Dr. Campbell came in to check me and told me and Mom that I was not making any progress and that when he touched the baby's head he felt it bouncing. This led him to believe that either his head was too big to fit into the birth canal or it would take an extra long time to drop into position. He wanted to do a c-section- in 45 minutes. I called Jon in tears and he and Dad left the apartment immediately and joined us. Evan, Joy, the boys, Fudge, Ali and Mark would be there shortly so the timing was perfect. They prepped me for surgery and then brought Jonathan in. All I'll say is that the surgery was awful- I was in so much pain. I remember them bringing Joey around the sterile curtain and I could barely see his face through the tears (of joy and pain). Jonathan went and cut the umbilical cord and snapped some first photos for us. After completion, I went to recovery while I waited for what seemed like forever for more numbing medication. I don't really remember holding Joey for the first time. I remember my mom came in first to the post-op and visited for a few minutes, then Joy, Dad, Evan, and Ali, one at a time. They wheeled me back to my room when some more family came in. I was so medicated, I don't remember much from this point on. I had an awesome nurse, Amanda, who took great care of all three of us.

Partially thru Friday night, I was able to get on my side to sleep which was such a relief for me. By Saturday, I physically felt so much better in the morning I was up walking around by the time our visitors arrived. All day Saturday and Sunday we were showered with family and friends coming to meet our latest addition.

We were discharged on Monday and made the 3 mile drive home. Mom, Ali and Mark were there waiting for us. Ali and Mark left on Wednesday and Mom is here until Saturday. Here are a couple of pictures from the first few days. We will be posting some more soon.

We really do appreciate all the prayers and love we've experienced this weekend. We cannot express our thanks enough.

38 weeks

2009-04-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

We headed to the doctor today. We had another non-stress today and everything was great. He was moving around great!!!!! After that, we went to see Dr. Rollins. She checked me and I have dilated 1 cm already. We set a date and time for us to be induced. I have to go in Thursday at 6pm to get the process started. I will officially be induced Friday morning. Thankfully, our favorite doctor, Dr. Campbell, is on call next Friday so he'll be the one delivering our son. I don't have any more doctor appointments scheduled- just heading to the hospital! I haven't had any real nesting yet...but it hit a little bit today when I got home. I think just realizing that there is an actual deadline maybe is whats doing it :) I have desperately been wanting to bake, but I can't.

Thankfully I have been doing pretty well with the diabetes, although I am still on insulin at night. My weight has stayed pretty steady- about 33 in all. My swelling has continued to get worse, I have had to buy some crocs- they are the only shoes my feet will fit into by lunch during the week. Jonathan has been awesome rubbing my feet just about every night. I'm sleeping pretty well for the most part but I still have to get up at least once to go to the bathroom and I try to make my nightly snack run at the same time. I hope this will continue, just so we can get some rest.

We are going to hide this weekend as it's our last weekend without a baby. We will resurface at some point next week. Keep praying for us. We will keep you all posted!

Nursery Photos

2009-04-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

We have finally completed the nursery with 13 days to go!!!!!! Everything is washed and ready. It looks great. We received the curtains that Mom made this week and hung those up! We got the rocker Thursday night and Jonathan put that together as well as a matching book case that holds the CD player, monitor, and books. The dresser is fully stocked with clean clothes. We are absolutely ready for the little man to arrive. Even the car seat is in the car. Our bags are packed and just waiting to rush to the hospital. Just in case you haven't heard, we are officially being induced sometime on the 8th if he doesn't come before then. Baby and I are doing our best to accomodate everyone's request for timing, but he cannot and will not be stopped. Pray for us that we get a bunch of rest over the next 13 days and are able to spend as much time as possible together. We will keep you all updated as we get them! These are the new photos of the nursery...just waiting for him!

The rocker with a shot of the bookcase, and CD player

Our wonderful crib and bedding!

A full shot of the rocker, bookcase and quilt

The curtains Mom made for us with the swing we borrowed from Ali and
my childhood rocker!

37 Weeks

2009-04-23T15:19:00.001-07:00

After our crazy experience last week at the doctor, today was a piece of cake. Last week we did have an ultrasound, but he wasn't being overly cooperative. Today he was, so there are pictures below!!! He was so cute! Last week, they wanted to monitor my fluid, and today it had more than doubled since last week. They checked me today and no progress. It is a definite though that we will be induced May 8th if the baby does not come on his own. My legs and ankles are starting to swell considerably. I've ordered some Crocs so my feet will have some wiggle room. I have become very tired. Jonathan has been wonderful helping me with everything. I've been getting some contractions, but nothing too bad.

Hope you enjoy these photos below. Stay tuned for more updates and some pictures of the nursery!!!!!

The arrow is pointing to his hair!!!!

His little face :)

This is a good profile picture!

I love that you can see his chubby cheeks in this one!!!

36 Week Update- April 17, 2009

2009-04-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

So we went to the doctor today for a routinely scheduled ultrasound and to start my weekly visits. He wasn't overly cooperative for nice pictures, but at least he was head down and everything was in order :) No dilation yet...which is fine. They said my fluid was a little low so I need to go back on thursday to get another ultrasound to monitor the fluid supply. Hopefully he'll be in a better position so we can get some better pictures!

We told the OB that I started on insulin this past Monday and she said that my hormones would be leveling out really soon and not to worry. She said everything with the baby looked great, but asked us to go to the hospital immediately when we were done with her, so the baby and I could have a NST, non-stress test. Even though she did assure us that she was not worried about anything, it really made me scared and nervous. I think what made me more concerned was that she wanted me to have one immediately and then again on Monday. (Once a pregnant lady starts on insulin, it throws everything off). Jonathan heard her more clearly and was very calm throughout the entire process. We went to the hospital and everything seemed to be going well. His heartbeat was steady and fast. I was also hooked up and saw that I was having several Braxton Hicks, although I couldn't feel anything (which I guess is a good thing!) So I have to go back on Monday and get another one. They told me I should expect to get one every week until I deliver. As of right now, we don't need to talk about being induced or anything...we will just have to see.

Now on to something more interesting. during our ultrasound, they were able to do a guess of his weight- as of right now, they estimate him to be about 7lbs 3oz. They also took some measurements of some body parts (that is how they came to the conclusion of his weight). Keep in mind that today I'm 36 weeks. Initially, the first measurement of his head circumference meansured at 41 weeks...she did a second one and it said 39 weeks. Overall, the ultrasound measured him to be ahead- about 38 weeks. We will have to see what is happening next week.

Please keep praying for us. Working through the diabetes has been difficult, but a good thing for us. Stay tuned for more updates!

Week 34

2009-04-05T05:18:00.000-07:00

Today I'm officially 34 weeks and 2 days. I'm feeling really well. Thankfully still sleeping well!!!!! Gestational diabetes has been a rollercoaster. I changed up some things and it is seeming to work. The hardest part for me is in the morning when I test my sugar after not eating all night. Sometimes it's high, sometimes it's low. I'm not sure why it is fluxuating because I eat the same thing each night. Pray for me that we can figure it out before they put me on night time insulin. It can be very discouraging since I don't know what is controlling it and I'm doing everything I know how to do.

We had our work shower which was awesome. Since then, we've had 2 other showers, with one more to go! On March 28th Mom threw us a shower in Richmond at our old church for the Waters family and some friends from the church. We had a wonderful turn out and could hardly see out the back window on the way home. Yesterday we had our shower given by our Sunday School girls here. It was great. I loved being able to visit with them- I hadn't seen them in several weeks. We have another shower this coming weekend in Winston given by the Drakes side. We've already been so blessed by everyone's generosity. We have more clothes for this child than the two of us put together, and then probably some. the nursery is almost together. We're still researching strollers and car seats....so much to think about.

After this coming weekend, we are locking ourselves in our apartment- I feel like we've barely seen each other. We are not going anywhere!!!!!! We are going to use that time to just sit and enjoy our last few weeks of just the two of us!!!! Each day that passes I feel both more ready and more scared to welcome this child in our lives.

We go to the doctor again this Thursday afternoon. I'm desperate to find out how big he is and see how GD is affecting him. We will keep you posted!

Love to everyone. Can't wait to share some photos of the little man in a few weeks!!!!!

The latest

2009-03-20T03:36:00.000-07:00

Today I am officially 32 weeks along, which is very scary. this seems like time is just flying by. I have a lot to write about this morning. I had a great time with my sisters- it was wonderful to see them and hang out with them for several days. They were very helpful in preparing some meals for when I'm on maternity leave! Ali took some gorgeous maternity pictures of us- go to www.alisongibbonsphotography.com, click on proofs then Jon and Leslie's Maternity. We are so pleased with them. It was sad to see them go, but I think we needed it because none of us slept right the whole time they were here. Ali brought Mark, who was a doll. We spoiled that kid rotten. They came to our work shower on the 9th, where we got a ton of awesome things. All of it is put away in the nursery....not sure what we're going to do with all the other things we're going to get. Ali brought us more clothes that Mark has outgrown so now little JMD is set for the first 9 months of his life. In the meantime, I had to go back and take my second glucose test, which came back positive. So I officially have gestational diabetes, but it's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Jonathan is doing it with me, which is a great help. We had both been wanting the motivation to get our weight under control, and this is it. Work is going well for me- it is busy. I haven't had too much time to sit during the day at work and have noticed a slight bit of swelling over this past week. Jonathan has his interview for his advanced training on Monday. We should know something maybe even that day. This weekend I'm going to a seminar to help study for my boards, and Jonathan is going to a class for first time dads on Saturday. Next week is sort of tame during the week, but then Friday afternoon we head back to Richmond for our baby shower and some time with both sides of the family. This past Monday we started our birthing class. We really liked the instructor and the other members of the class. We are all first time parents so it's interesting to hear other concerns or things that have been happening to other ladies. The birthing rooms are really nice- all with a jaccuzi or garden tub, DVD/CD player, TV, and internet connection.

Stay tuned for more- hopefully very soon.

Love to you all

Jonathan, Leslie and JMD :)

29th week and Mom's visit to Charlotte

2009-03-02T05:18:00.001-08:00

The crib!!! It is espresso

The dresser from IKEA

This used to be mine when I was little- Mom brought it down for us

Our cute pack and play

Dad kissing his little guy

Mom took one of us!!!!

Mom lovin on her grandson

Me and Mom

Well Mom made it in on Friday and was able to go with Jon and me to my doctor's appointment Friday afternoon! It was my glucose test- I actually was able to do it this visit. I chugged the drink and then about 5 minutes later I was very jittery. We heard his heartbeat- it was 145 and perfect. She was able to Dr. Campbell, our favorite. The baby was so active all weekend- I think he likes his grandma :) I should hear back early this week about the results of my glucose test. Saturday was a productive day for us. We had coffee with some friends (another mom and daughter combo) that we hadn't seen in at least 10 years. Then we braved the newly opened IKEA...waited 45 minutes to get in the parking lot. I bought some new chairs for our kitched table and Jon put those together yesterday. After IKEA on Saturday, we put together the crib- which looks wonderful! We played around with the arrangement of the room and finally picked which one we liked. We washed 2 loads of clothes that Ali has already given us. We're saving those to organize when Ali, Linds and Mark are here this coming weekend! Sunday we made an impromptu trip to Walmart and found perfect material for nursery curtains that Mom is going to make for us! She had to leave early because they were calling for snow up a good portion of East Coast. We had a great time. We ended up getting about 4 inches of snow last night. Jon was out of school today and my office was delayed but the roads are so bad I just called in. This is our first real married snow so we're going to go out and take some pictures.

This Thursday Lindsey is coming in for a long weekend with us, and Ali and Mark are coming either Friday or Saturday!!!!!! We'll hopefully be taking some maternity shots with Ali here! Monday is our shower at work- we are so excited! Expect a ton of pictures next week, too! This past weekend with Mom started the madness that we will know until just before the baby is born. We will try to keep everyone up to date on everything as it happens. The next drs appointment is in 2 weeks. Just to keep everyone informed: today I'm 29 weeks and 3 days. Babies at this stage are about 16-17 inches long and weigh almost 3 pounds. He is so active now- I love it!!!

Much love to you all!!!!!

27 week visit

2009-02-12T15:55:00.000-08:00

Well today was a bust. We went to do the glucose test- I was pretty nervous about it. Last month when we went to schedule it, I wanted to go next week because I didn't like the doctor who was there this week. They said I had to do it this week, so I made Jonathan go with me :) We get to the office today and when they were doing my vitals they were questioning why I was there at 27 weeks (typically the glucose test happens between 28-32 weeks). Long story short, I didn't do the glucose test. The doctor gave me an option of either doing it today or I could take it in two weeks. Now I have to start going every two weeks since I'll be in my 3rd trimester. So that's why I just decided to do it then, since I already have to go back. My vitals were good. I'm still under 20lbs for my pregnancy so I'm feeling pretty good. We're really tired to exercise and eat healthy.

You can expect a lot of posts in the new few weeks. Mom and Dad are coming down at the end of February to help us get some things really in the nursery! The following weekend, Ali, Mark and Lindsey are coming for our work shower! I'm so happy for all of our company- haven't seen Linds since May! The next weekend we'll be in Richmond for my cousin's shower, then next weekend I have a seminar to go to and then finally we will be back in Richmond for our shower at our old church, Goodwill. Lots of things happening and we're trying to rest when we can. Pray for our health- lots of coworkers have gotten the flu and a bad cold and so far we've avoided it. Can't wait for our company and trips, although it's going to take a lot out of us.

Maybe we'll be seeing you soon!!!! :)

Belly Shots

2009-02-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Several of you have been asking for an update in between the doctors visits so here you go!!! We are all doing well! Thankfully we have not gotten sick except for a slight stuffy nose. Little man is moving ALL over the place. Last weekend, Jonathan was able to feel him so much. He was excited, since all the other times he'd tried to feel him the baby practically ignored him. I know it made him feel much more connected to the baby. According to the internet, the baby is approximately 9 inches, and weighs about 2 lbs. It's scary to think of how much he's grown in 6 1/2 months, and how much he will explode in size in the last few weeks. This Wednesday, I will start my 27th week. Thursday afternoon I go for the glucose test...very much looking forward to that. We are trying to lay low and not travel too much because I'm starting to get ancy in the car if I sit too long. We've been dealing with considerable stress at work which has been hard on my body and I haven't been sleeping too well. Thankfully last night I slept for a full 8 hours. Jonathan has been given the opportunity to interview with Audi in a few weeks. He had to take an inital test yesterday, goes back in 2 weeks to take another, and then a week after that he has an official interview. We are excited about the prospect for him. The only bummer about the school is that it is in 2 locations: Pheonix or Exton, PA. Pray for us as we wait to hear about the interview and then make a decision after that.

Well I'm going to include 2 belly shots for you. They were taken at work. I look very tired in them, so I apologize! Hope you all are doing well and hope to hear from you soon!!!!

23 week Check up

2009-01-15T15:40:00.000-08:00

Today we went to the doctor for a routine check up!!!! Everything was great. We got to hear the little man's heart beat - it was 144-148. It took the tech about 2 minutes (what felts like forever) to find his heart beat which was making me a little nervous. But we found it and it was a wonderful sound!!!!! I've been feeling a different kind of movement recently. Instead of just a flutter, I've been feeling some sort of extremity bouncing around in there. I can't wait for Jonathan to be able to feel him- the doctor said that definitely by the next appointment Jonathan will be able to feel. The next appointment is my diabetes check. Fortunately there are no special instructions; I was worried I'd have to go all night then be up for at least 3 hours before I went in, but I can even it right before I go. We really liked our doctor today- I can't spell or pronounce her name but she herself was about to pop.

We have two showers planned!!!!! We are so excited. Work is throwing us the first one on March 9th, and Mom is throwing us the other one Marck 28th in Richmond. We are very happy and can't wait to see all of our families at some point over the showers!!!!

I've recently come down with a sore throat...I'm waiting for everything else to kick in soon. Other than that, we've all been feeling pretty well. Pray that any colds or sickness we get will only last for a few days!!!!

Much love!!!!

Jonathan, Leslie and little JMD :)

Meeting Baby Drake...again:)

2008-12-18T15:41:00.000-08:00

Today we went to the doctor for our anatomy scan of the baby. Everything looked GREAT! The baby looks twice as large as it did two months ago! We had our ultrasound first, the tech was the same as before. The baby didn't move TOO much during the ultrasound...the tech had a hard time getting a really good picture of his face. This time, he looked more like a Halloween ghost than an alien. that's right- we said HE!!!!!! That was one thing he was not bashful about making sure we had no doubts that it was a boy. Now, some of you may be wondering why we changed out mind about finding out the sex. I will admit that I was the one who changed my mind. Jonathan wanted to know from the start but was a good sport in going along. But I could not help myself. I'm actually really glad that we found out. anyway. Back to the baby. They said that I'm two days ahead of schedule (which I love :), so technically I'm 19 weeks,1 day. The little man weighs about 9 inches, and since he was so curled up, they couldn't get a definite height, but estimate it it be about 6-7 inches. They looked for any abnormalities in the brain, spine, and extremeties, and praise the Lord, everything looked great! Mommy (I guess I should get used to calling myself that) is doing just fine. I'm healthy, feeling pretty good. My weight gain is good. The doctor we met with today, Dr. Finlond, and he seemed very happy with baby and mommy's progress!!!! There are several people at work who have been sickly so pray that neither (myself or Jonathan) get sick!

We leave tomorrow to go to the beach to see my parents- we haven't seen them in about 3 months. I can barely wait until we get there!!! We will be there until Monday afternoon. This is our time with them for Christmas. We are so excited!!!!! Jonathan is off of school all next week (to be catching up on much missed XBOX) and I have to work Tuesday all and until 3 on Christmas Eve. We will be going to Winston Salem for the night to spend the inital part of the holiday with them. Then off to Johnson City TN to see Fudge, Ali and Mark and JEFF!!!!! I haven't seen Jeff since his graduation in May and I'm beyond excited to be able to spend some time with him. The only family member I'm not going to be able to see is my Lindsey. It will not be the same without her. I am desperate to see her- as it's been almost 8 months since I've laid eyes on her and Jason. Hopefully Lindsey (maybe Jason, too) will be able to come to Charlotte in early spring for a shower. But I can barely wait until then!!!!

We wish all of you, our loyal followers:) a very wonderful Christmas. As we start to prepare for the birth of our son in a few months, please remember the birth of another little boy 2000 years ago. His life saved our souls to spend eternity with Him!!!

Here are a few photos from the session today!!!!!

there is a little white arrow pointing to the middle- DEFINITELY A BOY!!!!

Here is a shot of the little man's ear, head and arms

This may be one of my favorite shots, he crossed his ankles while we were watching!

It was so magical!

Love to you all!

Jonathan, Leslie and little man Drake

Thanskgiving

2008-11-27T01:48:00.001-08:00

Let me start by staying that so many things have happened this year to Jon and myself we cannot name everything we are grateful for (but I'll try!!!!) First each other- we were able to live together again starting in March!!!!! We are both healthy. Jonathan is one of the top in his class preparing for an excellent career, I am fortunate enough to have a job. We welcomed a new life into the family, David Mark, who is amazing. We celebrated one year of marriage in September (that year seemed liked it almost did happen it went so fast!!!!). We found out we were expecting our first baby and EVERYTHING has been healthy with the baby so far and we are so thankful for that. Our families are still in excellent health and remain incredibly loving and supporting to us at all times. On the Drakes side, after our baby is born, two more babies will be welcomed into the world! We still have our country and freedom. I'm thankful for that and all those who fight for it. As I am becoming a parent, I'm realizing something more and more. My parents always told me that I could have no idea how much they loved me until I had a child of my own to love. They are right. And of couse, the example of how God have up his only child for my salvation has become more eye opening to me. I have a new "respect" and as I realize how much love God has for me as his child, and how much I imagine I'll love my child (and already do), I realize that I fall drastically short. God's love for me is way greater for me than I could ever feel for another human being.

On another note, I felt something weird in my belly on Monday and wasn't quite sure what it was. The doctor on Monday asked me if I've felt the baby move yet- I wasn't sure. So I described what I had felt for her and she said it was definitely the baby!!! I've been feeling it more and more. It is so amazing. Jonathan is jealous that he can't feel it yet but I'm hoping he will be able to by Christmas.

We hope all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family or friends, wherever you are!!!

Much Love!!!

November appointment and Mark's first Charlotte trip

2008-11-24T15:54:00.000-08:00

Baby and I went to the doctor today for a "mommy" check up. All went well. I was able to hear the baby's heartbeat through doppler; it was mid to upper 150s. They were very happy about that. I met with Dr. Fox today (for only about 2 minutes) but I really liked her. I have a feeling that all will be better than the first one. Our next appointment is December 18th when we'll have the baby's anatomy scan and check out the kidneys and brain, etc. Dr. Fox said told me today that since we're not finding out the baby's gender, that they won't know either, which assures for no slip ups!!!! I have been sick this 2nd trimester, but it is still nothing compared to some of my friends so I have nothing to complain out.

This weekend, we had our first visitors in our new apartment! Ali, David and their angel Mark came!!!! We had a blast!!! Ali had to go photograph a wedding in Arizona, so I got to hoard Mark to myself :) It was precious!!!!! I bonded with him so much. They brought him by my office today and everyone there just loved him!!!

For thanksgiving, we are going up to Richmond on Thursday, staying at the Drakes. We're going to try to see as much family while we're in VA as we can!!!!

Please continue to pray for our health this cold and flu season. Below are some pictures of Mark's trip to Charlotte!!!

Love to you all.

Back in Mom's arms

Our big man in his new fleece outift

Teething, anyone?

Head of the table

What a handsome little man!!!

Our first ultrasound

2008-10-27T16:54:00.000-07:00

Our appointment today was amazing. We were in and out in less than 45 minutes. The ultrasound tech was great! We saw so many different views of the baby.The images we have are in 3D and they are so cool. It was amazing to be able to see the spine clearly, and little toes, unfortunately we don't have any pictures of that. She turned the sound on and we could hear the baby's heartbeat- 176 beats per minute!!!! Then we met with the doctor- Dr. Campbell. He was awesome! We liked him as soon as he walked in. Very pleasant and nice- much different from the last doctor we saw. He said that he loved that the baby was so healthy! He said he was in no way concerned for the baby!! The baby is still small, 4.4 cm, which is less than 2 inches. The due date has not changed, and is still May 15th. Our next appointment is set up for November 24th to get information about birthing classes, etc. It will be a full workup. After that, we will have a "full body" ultrasound of the baby, where they'll look at all organs and limbs to check their status. In case any one has not heard, we are not going to find out if it's a boy or a girl- we want to be surprised. Thanks so much for praying for us and and thinking about us. Enjoy the attached photos of the little munchkin!!! Notice the size of the head- it is definitely a Drake :)

Love to you all :)

Jonathan, Leslie and Baby Drake

Baby's first picture!

These pictures are amazing!!!

this is a side picture, you can slightly see it's spine

This one is to show it's feet

Our new place

2008-10-19T11:35:00.000-07:00

We decided that since we are growing, that we needed a larger apartment. So we investigated and we are officially moving November 1 into a larger, first floor apartment. It is in the same apartment complex, so the move will be somewhat easy. We will post pictures soon after we move in.

We are going for our first ultrasound on Monday the 27th at 3:30. Jonathan is able to go with me, which is so exciting. I'll get pictures of that up that night!!!!!! Please continue praying for the three of us. I'm starting my 11the week today. This first trimester has flown by. I have noticed a big progression in my energy, but I still have my moments.

We will keep you posted!

Jonathan, Leslie, and baby Drake :)

Our First Doctor's Appointment

2008-10-09T15:41:00.000-07:00

October 9, 2008

I had my first appointment today! I met with Dr. Parks who was not my favorite, so I'm glad I had him early. He said that most likely I won't get any morning sickness, since I've been fortunate so far. He said everything looked great! My due date is officially May 15th. Since we're not having any genetic testing done, he requested that we come back in 2-3 weeks for our first ultrasound!!! We are very excited.

I have been feeling overall very well, just always tired and pretty much always hungry. This morning on the way to work, I dozed for a few seconds at a stop light. Some days I walk around in a daze. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for the three of us.

We will keep you posted as the news comes!!!

Jonathan, Leslie, and Baby Drake