Drake Stephen Donnell

Fun To Be One!!

2010-08-20T20:18:00.000-07:00

Drake officially turned one July 15th. He took his first steps on Father's Day and is mainly walking now, he crawls sometimes still. He only weighed 19lbs and 7oz at his one year check up but he isn't likely to be a big boy judging by Jeremy and I's size. He only says "dada" and "mama". He will clap when you say patty cake but that's about it. We have finally started letting Drake have over night visits with the grandma's. Woohoo!! That was a tough one. We went to Jamaica and I was actually okay. I didn't spend the whole time crying in the room because I missed my baby. His best friend/cousin Ryan had officially moved half way across the country to Kentucky :( She will be gone for 2 and 1/2 years. Jeremy is working the 7a-3p shift now so we actually have a normal schedule now. Drake is still going to Mother's Day Out 2 days a week when I work. It is amazing to see how excited he gets to see other children, especially cousin Parker.

Growing Like A Weed

2010-03-03T14:58:00.000-08:00

Drake has started going to Mother's Day Out twice a week so he can interact with some other kids. He has done really well, however the teachers asked my mother in law if he was been held alot. He doesn't want the teachers to set him down. I finally got a new vehicle so that Drake has a DVD player to watch Baby Einstein when we go somewhere. Jeremy and I are planning on going to Jamaica this summer. We are leaving Drake with the grandparents so that should be interesting, especially since he has never even stayed the night away from me. Drake still is not crawling yet. He is so close but just can't figure out how to get his arms to move.

2010-03-03T14:56:00.000-08:00

2010-01-16T18:42:00.001-08:00

So we have been super busy with all the holidays. Drake is rolling over every direction and can scoot himself backwards but hasn't started crawling. He gets on all fours and rocks but that is all and I am in no hurry for him to crawl. He is teething but no visible teeth yet. He went to the doctor two days ago and he has a double ear infection and a severe cold. He is doing better now though. He is such a happy baby and is a real snuggler. I can't believe he is already 6 months old! It goes by so quick. He is still spitting up like crazy. Today he spit up in Jeremy's face and it looked like a bird pooped on him. I laughed so hard I couldn't breath.

2010-01-16T18:32:00.000-08:00

2009-11-29T20:18:00.000-08:00

Drake weighed 14lbs at his doctor's appointment and he is 24inches long. He is finally catching up. He isn't rolling over yet but he is so close to rolling from his back to his stomach. I am guessing he will start any day now. He has a good grip and he thinks it is really funny to pull my glasses off my face. He has also started grabbing onto Roxy's legs or collar. She doesn't try to bite him though she just looks at me and Jeremy for help. He was so good at Thanksgiving. He just smiled at anybody that would hold him. Hehas started to show some fear of certain people, but he usually warms up to them after a little while.

Joy in Every Moment

2009-11-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

Drake is now fascinated with his voice and mouth. He loves to babble and hear himself. This morning when he woke up I put him in bed with Jeremy and I hoping he would go back to sleep, but no instead he started to make motorcycle noises with his lips. I finally got up with him after about 5 minutes. He is getting so big. He has his 4 month check up on the 17Th. I can't wait to see how much he weighs.

2009-11-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

MY PRIDE AND JOY!!

2009-10-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

2009-10-25T11:53:00.000-07:00

Jeremy has been doing great watching Drake when I have to work on the weekends and in the mornings before my mom gets to our house. The only thing Jeremy hasn't done yet is bath time and we are fixing to change that. Jeremy even took Drake to church when I had to work on a Sunday. We have managed to avoid any illness so far thanks to my quarantining of Drake and other sick family and friends. So hopefully we will continue to stay healthy once flu season hits!

Drake now tries to hold his own bottle. He loves to watch TV and especially watch Parker play games on the iPhone. He also thinks he is ready to sit up. He does his mini set-ups everyday just practicing for the day he can set all the way up.

Daddy dressed Drake and brought him to Enid to meet me. Daddy also failed to put the tennis shoes mommy had laid out on Drake. He decided the John Deere boots that were 3 sizes too big looked better.

Look What I Can Do!

2009-10-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

Drake has started to interact more. He likes to it his toys and make them spin in his bouncy seat. I am back at work now and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. He slept through the night for the first time the night before my return to work. How lucky was that!

2009-10-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

2009-10-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

BLESSED

2009-10-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

Drake's baptism

The sponsors

My parents also joined the church the same day.

Jeremy's family

More of my family. My grandmother's sister and her daughter just happened to be visiting from California, so they came to the baptism.

Fresh & Clean & Smelling Sweet

2009-10-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

2009-09-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

Acting like a big boy!

Roxy tired after a night up with Drake. She has adjusted well to Drake's arrival but she still wants to be the baby. She thinks the the boppy pillow is for her.

Drake watching Baby Einstein.

Drake will officially be 2 months tomorrow. He is doing much better with his reflux since we changed his medicine a few days ago. He had been crying almost non-stop some days and NOTHING made him happy. He is sleeping in his crib now and he finally outgrew his newborn clothes. We spent this weekend packing up his bassinet and newborn clothes. I am happy that he is finally growing but at the same time I am sad because it is all going by too fast. I go back to work Oct. 4th. My mom and mother-in-law will be watching him while I work which will be great I just wish I could stay at home with him.

2 MONTHS

2009-09-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

This was Drake's first bath in his tub. He loves his baths and is such a happy baby afterwards. I can't wait to start him in swimming lessons!

Drake actually enjoying setting by himself. He wants to be held all the time. I think he has gotten spoiled since we have had to hold him so much because he his fussy alot with his reflux.

I was trying on Drake's baptism outfit and the hat has to go. He is getting baptised on Sept. 20th.

Drake's first OU game. This was before the game started or he wouldn't have been smiling.

Drake in his first hunting outfit. He is ready for Dove season.

1 month old!

2009-08-13T19:42:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it has already been a month. Drake still doesn't sleep much at all at night. He was diagnosed with acid reflux and is on medication now so he is getting better. He also isn't gaining much weight. He has only gained 4 ounces in a month so we are having to visit the doctor frequently. Even though I am sleep deprived I wouldn't trade a minute of my time with Drake. It is truly amazing how you can love someone so much instantly!

Drake smiles really big sometimes when he has gas and I happened to get it on camera.

Well we already knew he looks just like his dad but here is a pic to prove it.

HE'S HERE!!

2009-07-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

Drake finally made his appearance on July 15th @ 8:27 pm. He was a healthy 7 lbs and 4.4 ounces. Everybody thinks he looks like his daddy and I have to agree. The labor wasn't that bad. I had about an hour of severe contractions and once I got my epidural I was great. I only had to push for 15 minutes. Drake has his days and nights mixed up so he rarely sleeps at night, but he will eventually figure it out.

False Alarm!!

2009-07-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

I went to work on Tuesday and as soon as I got to work I started to have contractions one right after the other. I thought for sure I would be in real labor by that night but the contractions got father apart as the day went on and finally stopped by that evening. I was so disappointed. We went to the doctor on Wednesday and the dr. said I was dilated to 2cm and was 50% effaced and he stripped my membranes again. I lost my mucus plug today but I have only had like 2 contractions today. I am grasping at straws at this point. We go back to the doctor next Wednesday if I don't go into labor before then, and if I still haven't had Drake by then I am planning to schedule an induction for hopefully Friday the 17th. I am just really hoping to go into labor before then because I want it to be a surprise and I may chicken out and not go through with and induction until I have to. Its all up in the air right now.

38 weeks!!

2009-07-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

4TH OF JULY WEEKEND!!

2009-07-05T15:18:00.000-07:00

We usually always go to Grand Lake on 4th of July. Jeremy has only missed one other 4th of July at Grand Lake in his life and I have spent all but one 4th of July at Grand since me and Jeremy have been together. With me due any day now it was not an option to be that far from Enid. We spent the weekend hanging out in Kathy and Melvin's pool with both of our families. We had a great time but it was strange not doing to usual 4th of July routine that we are use to, but we will probably never do the usual routine of anything after Drake is here. These are our nephews Ford and Parker of whom live just a few blocks from us. Of course Roxy had to join in the fun in her new bikini!

By far the most common craving of pregnant women is not to be pregnant.

2009-07-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

I feel like I could not possibly get any bigger but I am sure I will. At our doctor's appt. this week the doctor checked me because I had been having some cramping and he said Drake had dropped even more, I was dilated to a one, and I was effaced, but I am not sure how much. He also stripped the membranes to try to help me go into labor, however still no baby so I guess it didn't work. Our last ultrasound estimated Drake to be 6 pounds and 4 ounces, but I feel like he is at least 12 pounds. I am so ready to have this baby I can't hardly stand it. In the mean time we had our first cook out at our new home and it was a success. Nobody died from food poisoning! Our next doctor's appointment is Wednesday but hopefully I will go into labor before then although it is not likely.

A HOUSE IS BUILT WITH BOARDS AND BEAMS, A HOME IS BUILT WITH LOVE AND DREAMS.

2009-06-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

I finally got some time to post some pics of Drake's first home, me and Jeremy's last home besides the nursing home. I failed to get any before pictures but trust me it is a dramatic difference. We are all settled in and have loved every minute of living in this house. It is great being so close to almost all of our immediate family. Some of the people I work with don't even have any family in this state. I can't imagine that and believe we are truly blessed. I went to the doctor this week and Drake is showing no signs of making an appearance anytime soon. I am still working and am going to continue to do so till I go into labor or the doctor tells me I can't. It is really miserable working on my feet for 12-13 hours. Plus I can barely bend over. It will make the time go by faster though. Jeremy is back at work finally, but it sucks that he isn't home with me in the evenings now. I think I am about to drive him nuts, I count down the minutes till he gets home. I call him if he is five minutes late to see where he is. I just get really bored being home by myself and am having a difficult time transitioning from living with my in-laws and having someone home with me nearly all the time. Hopefully I will be better when Drake is here and I have someone to occupy my time. Here are the pics of the house.

The kitchen and breakfast nook

The living room and man cave

The dining room and master bedroom

The extra bedroom

2009-06-15T18:01:00.000-07:00

We finally have moved into our new house, not new but new to us. It felt great to finally have a place to put all my stuff. However, we lived there only a week and Jeremy went on strike so he is currently still not back at work. We are hoping something gets resolved soon cause I don't know how long it will be till Drake makes his arrival or the doc won't let me work anymore. It feels like he is trying to drop or do something today I don't know exactly but I am not having any contractions and I go to the doctor weekly now. We have less than 5 weeks till my due date still. I can't wait! Here are some pics of Drake's nursery. It was the first room I completed before moving in.

2009-05-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

We had our shower last weekend and had a great turn out. We got everything we need for Drake and more! It was great. We also had our 3D/4D ultrasound earlier this month and Drake really likes his fingers. He didn't want to cooperate at first but we finally got some really cute pictures of him sucking his thumb and every other finger he could stick in his mouth. I will try to post some pics from the ultrasound later this week if I can get to a scanner. Also we are finally working on our house and we will move in this weekend. We have been working on it every waking minute but it will be worth it.

7 months and counting!

2009-04-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

I decided to take a look back at the past few months to see how much my body has changed. It is just amazing to me. I cut my hair off to make it easier to take care of when Drake makes his arrival. Plus it will force me to fix it and not just put it in a ponytail. I am planning on having maternity pictures taken as long as I don't get stretch marks really bad. I am feeling much better today. Thank God! Also we are having a 3D/4D ultrasound done on May 11th so we are super excited for that.

Childbirth classes neglect to teach one critical skill: How to breathe, count, and swear all at the same time.

2009-04-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

We attended our childbirth class this month. Even with being a nurse I felt like I learned alot. Plus, I felt like it gave Jeremy a chance to be more involved with the pregnancy. I would recommend going to a childbirth class to any first time parents. We only have 12 weeks left and we still haven't been able to get into our house. We are scheduled to start working on it by May 11th, and hopefully move in around the first of June. Then we will be in a mad dash to get everything unpacked before Drake makes his arrival. I have been feeling great but have begun to feel increasingly more tired everyday no matter how much I sleep. I am actually home sick from work today. I think I have a touch of the flu. Hopefully I will be better tomorrow.

Isn't She Lovely

2009-04-15T19:48:00.000-07:00

Well Drake's newest cousin Ryan Marie finally made her arrival. She made came a little bit early but is perfectly healthy. She weighed 5lbs and 9oz and was 19inches long. I think she looks just like Rebecca but has Nick's chin. Now the next 14 weeks are really going to drag by after seeing Ryan and knowing that we will have our own baby soon. Jeremy was super excited and had fun filming Nick give Ryan her first bath and change her diaper. He has been going to the hospital to see Ryan everyday before work and after work. I hope he is that excited to see Drake! He was a little apprehensive about holding her but I finally talked him into it tonight.

Anticipation

2009-04-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

We had another dr.'s appointment today. Everything is moving along smoothly. Drake is measuring right where he is supposed to be. He is 1 lb and 13 ounces. I on the other hand had a few too many doughnuts and cheeseburgers this month. Oops! I had my glucose test today and the results came back normal which means I haven't developed gestational diabetes. Drake is likely to have a new cousin this week. Rebecca has started to have lots of contractions and the doctor says she could go into labor any day. Yippee!! Jeremy started to giggle when he heard the news, he said I bet Nick (his brother) is getting a reality check now! Jeremy appeared to be completely oblivious to the fact that he will be in the same boat in 15 weeks. The best news of all is that one of my best friends since kindergarten (Cassie) called me last week to tell me that she is pregnant. Which means Drake and her baby will probably be classmates. He is going to have plenty of children his age to play with.

Life is good!

2009-03-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

Roxy has been our baby for the last 4 years and she is going to be devastated when the Drake arrives. She is pampered beyond belief and doesn't like it at all if me or Jeremy give our attention to any other dog or child. I have been kind of emotional this week which is a change from the previous weeks of pregnancy. I just received word that Lily (the baby mentioned in a previous blog) has passed. So please continue to pray for her parents. I can't even imagine what they are going through. Jeremy got to see Drake kick this week, which took him by surprise! He is quite the active baby. The realization that we will soon become parents and be responsible for another human being is finally starting to sink in. It is scary but at the same time we are just too excited! I can't seem to stop myself from buying clothes. We close on our new house March 26th, but won't be able to start working on it till April 16th. Which means we will not move in till the beginning of May. Hopefully Drake doesn't decide to make an early appearance.

2009-03-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

This is me and Rebecca (my sister-in-law) at her baby shower. She is due to have a little girl (Ryan Maire) on May 7th. We are married to twin brothers. They work together at the base, and we are both nurses in ICU at St. Mary's. We are so excited that our babies will be so close in age and always have each other to play with.
This is us with Kathy our mother-in-law. She is going from having no grandchildren to 2 in just a matter of months.

6 months and counting

2009-03-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

What a difference just one month makes. I thought the camera was making me look fat, but 50 pictures later and half blind I decided this was what I really look like.

Baby Shower

2009-03-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

I had my baby shower at work this weekend. I got lots of cute stuff! We went to our doctor's appt. and everything still looks good. Drake weighed approximately 14 ounces @ that visit. Also Jeremy's cousin's wife was due 4 days before me and she had her baby this week. Lily weighed in at 1 pound and 2 ounces and only 11 inches long. She is doing surprisingly well so far, so please keep her and her parents in your thoughts and prayers!

Ultra-Special

2009-03-06T16:10:00.001-08:00

We went for our ultrasound at the hospital this week. Drake weighs 12 ounces now. His heart rate was 148 bpm. It looks like he is missing his hand in this pic but you just can't see it. Everything appeared normal but we will get the official report at out doctor's appointment next week. Drake looked like Lance Armstrong pedaling his bike the whole ultrasound. He didn't want to cooperate very well, so Jeremy thinks he will have my temperament.

At the last doctor's appointment the doctor said he thought it was a boy but don't go buying blue just yet. Of course I was at Old Navy five minutes later. This ultrasound confirmed that it is a boy for sure so I don't have to return all the boy stuff I already bought.

Drake's feet crossed. So sweet!

Drake Stephen it is!

2009-02-12T09:37:00.000-08:00

It's a boy! The doctor is pretty darn sure. If you can tell what you arm looking at you can see the turtle between the legs. Jeremy couldn't stop smiling the whole day and neither could I. As soon as the doctor put the wand to my belly I could tell what it was.

Will It Be A Huntin' Buddy Or A Shopping Pal

2009-02-12T09:04:00.000-08:00

We found out what we were having first thing in the morning on Feb 9th. We didn't tell anybody what we were having till that night. We had arranged for our family to all meet for cake and ice cream. After the ultrasound I went home and made a cake with blue in the middle and when everyone got there we cut the cake, so they were all surprised at the same time. It was really neat and we will probably do the same with our next child.

The grandmas on their phones. Good thing we told everyone at the same time because we didn't have to tell anyone else after that!

5 months and counting

2009-02-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

I am starting to show just a little.

Meet Baby Donnell

2009-02-02T15:28:00.000-08:00

This is our most recent ultrasound picture @ 13 weeks.

Today we saw our first glimpse of you, a little piece of heaven, our dream come true.

The day we will meet seems so far away, but until you’re ready, in my tummy safely stay.

Our gift from God, sent from above, for us to cherish, and forever to love.

February 1, 2009

2009-02-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

I am 16 weeks now and feeling great. I have also been feeling the baby kick. We go to the doctor on Feb. 9th and will hopefully find out the gender of the baby. We already have the names picked out, Drake Stephen for a boy, and Adelyn Reece for a girl. My due date is July 18th as of now. The doctor said the baby is measuring large at our last doctor's appt. The heart rate was 157bpm. We finally have a contract on a home and should move-in in April.