Baby Yonemura

Feeling the Christmas Spirit

2011-12-11T12:54:00.000-08:00

We are so excited about Christmas this year! Nolan is fascinated with everything and watching his excitement brings us such joy! I've captured a few moments thus far and can't wait to share hundreds more!

I enjoyed this year's Junior League Holiday Fair and couldn't help but buy some goodies for everyone. But surprisingly the item Nolan found to be the most fun was the blingin' head bands I bought for myself! Guess he thought there is nothing that he can't pull off and he is right LOL!

In my holiday gear watching cartoons!

Phase One: Add garland and lights COMPLETED

Super cuteness!!

Feeling Crafty... LOVED decorating with all the sweets (Nolan not so interested)

Picking out the perfect Tree!

Thanks Uncle Josh for helping us get the tree and for helping keep up with a little boy whose sole interest that night was running through all the trees!

One Happy Family!!!

A Happy Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T20:35:00.000-08:00

Big Shoes To FIll...

2011-11-06T06:16:00.000-08:00

Halloween Fun 2011

2011-10-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

Playing Dress Up in Japan

2011-08-12T19:59:00.000-07:00

We are currently experiencing our first family trip to Japan and it has already been amazing! There will be many posts and pictures to come but yesterday was a very special day for me and my mother-in-law Mayumi. She took us to her Aunt`s traditional Japanese style home to give me a day of beauty and dress up! She got to see me in a traditional white wedding Kimono, royal kimono (which had only 5 layers opposed to the usual 12!!) and a fun beautiful cherry blossom Kimono. I had the opportunity to be prepped for one hour with hair (a traditional Japanese wig) and make-up - this usually takes 3 hours so I was thankful for the quicker version. Now these are Kimono`s that I will likely never experience again - Brides in Japan can borrow these for their wedding and get the hair and make-up for around $10K! Here are a few pics of the experience - it was amazing and I will remember that moment with Mayumi forever! (Special thanks to our family (the O`Haras) for doing this and providing us with an amazing dinner that followed!)

Day At the Zoo

2011-07-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

Beach Baby

2011-06-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

12 Months and Growing...

2011-06-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Nolan is growing and learning at the speed of light! Everyday we discover that he has learned something new. It could a new word(s) like "turtle" or "good girl" or how to point to his nose, head, eyes, ears and belly button. It may be coming home to and experiencing that he has surpassed simply walking and now perfers running and climbing (particularly up the stairs or on the couch). He is so smart! I can see him working things out in that amazing brain of his discovering new and exciting things each minute of each day. The most amazing of all this is how much his desire to learn has sparked my desire to teacher. Every Mother likely wishes that they could be part of their child learning and developing at the very moment they discover they have these capabilities (examples are crawling, walking, talking, etc.) In an effort to keep up, we engage Nolan every night through conversation and play! Here are some of the moments we experienced in the past couple weeks.

"Bubble"

"Purple" & "Good Girl"

"Picking Up Golf Balls"

"Having fun with Daddy"

Nolan & Daddy's Birthday

2011-05-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a very special day for the Yonemura family! We celebrated Nolan's first birthday! May 28th is such a special day because not only is it Nolan's birthday but also his Daddy's. I always tell my husband that Nolan is the best birthday present that he will ever have (he agrees). We celebrated with a "golf theme" since Daddy LOVES golf and Nolan has become quite fond of playing with his little plastic clubs - it just fit all around. It was a beautiful sunny day despite concerns about rain and our family and close friends came out to help celebrate this momentous day. Each day Nolan grows and I am amazed at how blessed I am to be his Mother. Cheesy as it sounds, I often tell my husband and Nolan (even though he doesn't quite understand yet) how I was destined to be his Mother and that God's plan for me was greater and more full of love than the one I had imagined for myself. Here are some photos - there are more to come including a video!

Stationery Card

2011-05-13T12:14:00.001-07:00

Cute Cupcake Birthday Invitation

Create personalized happy birthday cards at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Nolan's 1st Easter

2011-04-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

2011-04-10T20:55:00.000-07:00

LEVI'S CURE FOR LEUKEMIA - 2011 GOLF TOURNAMENT

TEAM MORGAN KATE - 2011 March of Dimes Walk

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY MISS CAROLINE
Helping to celebrate!

9 Months and Growing!

2011-03-03T12:46:00.000-08:00

Rock-A-Bye Baby!

2011-02-13T14:15:00.000-08:00

We made brief trip to Orangeburg for a fabulous Saturday night dinner this weekend. While we were there my Mom (a.k. Grandma) pulled out a miniature rocker recliner that I remembered fondly from my own childhood. She and Grandaddy had it refinished and recovered to match a larger rocker that my Mom used for the three of us. Nolan LOVED it and for the rest of the night proceeded to rock himself. I see a many future memories being created in this chair. Check it out...

Happy 8 Months!

2011-02-02T04:36:00.000-08:00

Happy 8 Months My Sweet Baby! You are doing so much and growing at an unbelieveable rate! You love to talk, crawl, stand, climb over your train and take baths! At this point your Daddy and I think you might just jump right into walking since you love to be on your feet rather than your knees. You also just started feeding yourself! You LOVE anything banana flavored (and who can blame you). You would prefer to eat fruits and cheese favored stuff and stay away from anything veggie or meat flavored (this has been challenging). *Although yesterday you ate some spagetti O's and seemed to like them. We can't wait to watch you continue to grow over the coming months but here are a few photos and videos to capture you right now! Love, your Mommy.

Like Mother, Like Son

2011-01-18T16:33:00.000-08:00

Everyone has a story that there family tells over and over and over. Before you know that story almost defines a period in your life. For me, the story is all about how I would fall asleep at the dinner table - first in my high chair and later at the actual table. For most of my life the telling of this story was to say the least annoying. HaHa Raven falls asleep with food on her plate or better yet food in her mouth. Well, now I'm the Mommy and seeing this same trait tonight with Nolan I couldn't help but see the story get new life! Rest assured that 20 years from today we will all be telling the same story only this time about Nolan! Like Mother like Son!

7 Months and Growing

2010-12-30T17:04:00.000-08:00

Nolan was offically 7 months old on December 28th! He is growing by leaps and bounds! He has started eating baby food and is very opinionated about the ones he does not care for (another area that he takes after Mommy on). He is also teething - we went from no teeth to 2 bottom teeth and now he is working on 4 top teeth! Needless to say he hasn't been feeling well with those.

The most exciting part is his ability to crawl (although only backwards for right now)! I've posted some video to share with everyone on all the things this baby boy has been up to. We love and miss you all! Our family can't wait to experience all the wonder that 2011 will bring!

Nolan's First Christmas

2010-12-25T18:37:00.000-08:00

Starting the Season Off Right

2010-12-16T01:21:00.000-08:00

We started the Christmas Season off right after Thanksgiving. In fact, the next day we decorated and that weekend everyone headed back to our house to watch as Nolan put his first ornament on the tree. What we did not expect was a tree of Nolan's very own and enough first christmas ornaments to decorate it! This is to start him off with a love of Christmas just like his Mommy and Grandma have. Nolan now has a tree in his nursery and we enjoy looking at it while we rock to sleep each night.

"Grandaddy" started Nolan off with his first present, (although he claims this to be a Thanksgiving day gift) a rocking horse. Our sweet baby boy LOVES his horsey! Check out all the festivities:

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-16T01:14:00.001-08:00

We had so much to be thankful for over the Thanksgving holiday! Our family has (over the past 4 years) come to our house to celebrate the holiday and we love having a house full of family. Everyone brings something and we sit around reminded of how lucky we are to have each other. We enjoyed our family, good food and watching Nolan take his first taste of baby food (carrots).

5 Months and Growing

2010-11-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

Nolan is growing at such an alarming rate - I can hardly believe how fast he is learning. You can see in his eyes when he is watching and thinking deeply about something (the majority of the time he is trying to form sounds and words).

He is sitting up and rolling over with zero difficulty. He loves to hear himself talk and we love to listen - he can get quite loud (like Mommy)! He is eating rice cereal once a day at dinner time when Mom and Dad eat. This was a challenge at first but he is getting to be a pro. Veggie baby food is coming up soon so we are excited about that.

Nolan can turn and somehow rotate himself 180 degrees on the floor? No crawling yet but we are seeing his interest in moving grow more and more each day. Check out the FABULOUS photos Aunt Liz did to capture this time in his life.

2010-10-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

2010-10-30T06:29:00.000-07:00

4 Months and Growing...

2010-10-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

Nolan,

You turned 4 months old on September 28th and each day is such an amazing adventure. Your personality is starting to peak through and show itself which means you have everyone around you completely mesmerized! You have started rolling over! In fact, you like to turn over from your back to your tummy when Mommy changes your diaper (everyone says this is just the beginning of you not wanting to take the time to change your diaper).

We gave you your very first taste of rice cereal - you did not like and proceeded to give me a heart attack with choking sounds even though the rice cereal was more than thinned out.

You love to talk in this special little baby language and I love to listen to you talking! Especially in the car when you are looking out the window.

You started daycare recently and Mommy went back to work full-time! This has been the hardest thing I have ever had to do (to date). I was (as everyone said I would be) an emotional basket case trying to make the right decision on going to work and where to trust that you would be safe and protected and in an environment that encouraged you to learn and grow. Well...with each new day our routine gets a little easier - the women at your nursery adore you (no surprise there). You have a natural talent for charming but the ladies just eat you up when you smile and show those dimples. You can thank your Mom for those!

You are the light of my life and my whole existence has been wrapped up in the single act of being your Mom. My only wish is that one day when you are older and reading this that you know without a doubt how much you are loved!

Beach Baby Summer 2010

2010-09-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

Splish Splash My Baby's Taking A Bath!

2010-08-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been consumed with milestones. Researching and checking tables and charts to make sure we are doing everything we can to ensure Nolan is where he needs to be developmentally, physically, verbally and socially. Let me just say that this is so overwhelming! I know that a lot of this just comes naturally and at different paces for every baby but as a first time Mom I feel like I'm taking the test of my life and I haven't read every chapter in the book! In order to give myself some sense of sanity and to make sure I don't become over obsessed with this I have begun taking it one step at a time starting with a very simple nightly routine. This includes bath time, bottle time, activity mat or book time and then bedtime.

Bath time has become my favorite part of the day. It not only washes the day away for Nolan but it is almost therapy at this point for me. The Johnson & Johnson bedtime bath lavender smell, baby power and lotion - it all acts like aroma therapy for me. Nolan smells so good and feels so soft I could just eat him up! Then there is his laughing and splashing - it amazes me to see him figuring out that those little feet and legs belong to him and that he controls the splish splash of the water! I hope that in the future Nolan looks back (as I do now with my Mom) and remembers the love, comfort and security he felt going to bed every night!

10 Weeks and Growing

2010-08-09T18:53:00.000-07:00

So much has happened in just two weeks time! Nolan has gotten his first set of shots and believe me it was just as painful for Mommy to watch as it was for him to endure. We have been witness to Nolan's first social gathering (Neeley's 1st birthday) where he got to put his tiny little tooties in the water. And finally, the most exciting one...his playtime activity mat - he just loves it. He reaches for animals, play rings, bells and anything else we can manage to hang from it's bars. Nolan is growing up more and more each day and I am loving every minute of it!

At the River

Getting ready for bed

Playing with Mommy

Having fun with his activity mat

8 Weeks and Counting...

2010-07-24T15:24:00.000-07:00

Nolan is now 8 weeks old (just shy of his two month mark) and I cannot believe how much he has grown. We are seeing so many new things from him. We have started experiencing different moods from happy, content smiling when I'm talking to him to fussing and crying during his extreme efforts to fight sleep!

Here are just a few moments among the hundreds that we have captured. I LOVE this little baby more than words!

Pictures For Grandma

2010-07-08T20:08:00.001-07:00

Nolan has a very special family in Japan and we cannot wait for the opportunity to take him over there. His Grandma Mayumi and Uncles Ikki and Takeru look forward to blog updates so that they can see this precious little baby growing up. What they look forward to the most is the pictures. So, I am going to try to commit to at least one monthly posting of pictures only and hope to increase the number of pictures in my other posts for them!

This is for our family in Japan - We Love You!

4 Weeks and Counting

2010-06-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

It is hard for me to believe that this time four weeks ago I was preparing to meet my baby boy for the first time! Time really does have a mind of its own when you become a parent. Nolan has grown and changed so much in just 4 weeks time.

We have experienced so much in the past four weeks here are just a few memories that come to mind:

*Our (correction - MY) first night without any sleep

*All the many, many other nights without sleep - I'm amazed how little sleep a mother can get and still semi-function the next day.

*All the worries that come with attempting to breastfeed (Is my baby getting enough food? Am I doing this right?)

*Learning how to determine what Nolan is crying for (Truth is... we really just go through a check system: 1. Does he have a wet or dirty diaper? 2. Has he been feed recently or is he hungry? 3. Is he pushing and squirming due to gas?

*Sponge bathing him for the first time to his first full bath in the bathroom sink

*Finally, the estimated 260 diaper changes that have occured thus far!

On that final note, I wanted to share with everyone the difference between Mommy's diaper changes and Daddy's.

Daddy's Diaper Change -

Mommy's Diaper Change -

But no matter how the diapers get changed or the night shifts divided up one thing is certain BOTH Mommy and Daddy LOVE this little boy!

My Baby Is A Genius!

2010-06-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

Now I realize that everyone believes their child to be gifted, talented, smart, advanced (you get the idea). The thing is... what kind of parents would we be if we didn't think every move our child made was special? Today, Nolan discovered he could hold his paci (now I realize that this could be a reflex at this age but it was miraculous none the less).

Makoto and I had begun to notice that on occasion he would grasp the paci but as we were preparing dinner tonight he began to fuss and the paci seemed like a good momentary solution. The next thing we know Nolan has the paci grasped and just begins to chill out for what seemed like an eternity! He just sat there taking in all the sights of the living room and of Mommy's face all the while enjoying his paci.

Many people have given me advice on the paci some positive, sighting the benefits of developing a strong sucking reflex and self-soothing technique, and some negative, referencing nipple confusion and the start of bad habits that could follow him well past the toddler age. Let me just say... we LOVE the paci! I find that I can't always help to calm him or soothe him and the paci is a means for him to do that. Thus far (with fingers crossed) we have had no trouble bouncing between sucking on the paci, breastfeeding and yes, on occasion bottle feeding. He seems to get the hang of it all and for now we will thank are lucky stars for this!

Chillin' with my paci!

Showing Mommy and Daddy my paci holding skills!

Still got the hang of holding my paci at bedtime!

Just another cute photo of baby boy sleeping!

My little fuzzy head - this was not too long after a bath - you can always tell because that hair sticks straight up!

Changes...

2010-06-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

We are now in week two of my sweet baby's life and already we have seen some significant changes. We have started to feel out Nolan's cries and determined which are hunger (this is rare), which are dirty diaper cries (these are the most common...my baby does NOT like to be dirty - he cries almost within a minute of soiling his diaper) and finally gas cries (these are the most frustrating for Mommy and Daddy). Sleeping patterns are still being figured out but we have made some great progress at moving his long sleeping spells to the evening hours where they belong.

We have also had some changes this week with his umbilical cord falling off. Now, I'm a first time Mom so of course, I have been diligent/obsessive about cleaning and caring for this attached piece of cord. While I was waiting for it to fall off I was taken back by the small bit of sadness at seeing it go. Now before you write me off as a total weirdo let me explain.... This and the healing of other parts (that almost traumatized me when they were initially done) have healed completely! These "changes" as I call them are showing me that time is beginning to turn again and that my baby is growing by the day. I know all too well from watching my friends and all their angels grow that this happens so fast! I've waited for this time in my life for so long that I want to enjoy and revel in every minute of it before it's gone. Sound dramatic? Maybe. But I do know that Nolan will grow up faster than I am ready for him to so for now I plan on snuggling, cuddling, kissing, holding and marveling at every moment!

Picture Perfect

2010-06-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had a very special visitor, Aunt Liz! She came to Columbia to meet Nolan for the first time and to take some pictures. Now Liz has a real talent for photography - some people think they have it, some people wish they had it but Liz was blessed with the eye and talent for photos.

I have watched as she has taken pictures of her daughter Neeley, her friends and family always amazed at how she captures a moment. Well, it was finally my turn to have her (and her camera) here all to myself. Below is just a preview of what is to come from this awesome photo session! Thank you Liz for being so talented and for being such a great bestie - Love ya lots!

Bath Time!

2010-06-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

Nolan had his first bath yesterday and lets just say he was not a happy camper! I'm pretty sure the chill of being unwrapped from his warm little comfort zone had a lot to do with it. Still... there is nothing in this world more irresistible that a good smelling baby! Check out the experience...

I held on to my little man while Mom assisted in bathing him off (no worries we were sure not to get his umbilical cord wet!)

This is the most I have heard him scream since we have been home.

We had to wash all that hair he has been blessed with from Mommy and Daddy!

Even though he is clearly not happy he is still the cutest!

As soon as he was wrapped in that towel he was all good.

Slick hair!

Wrapped up like a little burritto! He loves it!

This is what happens when both Nolan and his Daddy get cleaned up for bed accompanied by full tummies! Love my men!

Nolan is here!

2010-05-31T09:28:00.001-07:00

Nolan Thomas Yonemura was born Friday, May 28th, 2010 at 4:50 p.m (7 lbs. 3 oz. and 20 in. long). Makoto and I checked into the hospital the day before to begin the laboring process - afterall I was 41 weeks and ready for this little man to get here. As you all can see below he was worth the wait!

Everyone is doing well (including Zoie). We have all fallen head over heels in love with him and can not believe we went this long in a world without him. Enjoy the photos there will be plenty more to come in the future.

Nolan's Nursery

2010-04-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

Now that we have been able to put up so much of what we have been blessed to recieve from friends and family Nolan's nursery has really come to life! With the exception of a few more pieces such as his rocking chair, some additional wall art and a rug we are almost finished!

Now that I have reached what I am told is the nesting phase I've been really focused on getting the house ready for our little bundle of joy. I think the room is perfect and will be a place of peace and relaxation (atleast initally...before he goes mobile).

BIG NOTE: At my last doctors appointment we were told Nolan had dropped! This news has definately contributed to my obession at getting things wrapped up and ready. Check out the progress below.

A Fabulous Weekend!

2010-04-21T08:43:00.001-07:00

The weekend of April 10th was such a special one for me. We started on Saturday with the Orangeburg March of Dimes Walk at Edisto Gardens. So many friends and family came out in support of a very special little miracle - Morgan Kate! It was so much fun getting the opportunity to see all the girls and reflect on how much we have all grown over the past 12 years since high school. Most of us are parents or we are close to becoming parents - it was very special to see that despite time, distance and whatever else is between us the bond is still there! I couldn't help but think about next year when Makoto and I will have Nolan in our lives and he will be the baby of the group. (Note: I have already told Koto that he will be the one pushing Nolan's stroller on the 5 mile walk - LOL).

On Sunday, April 11th my very best friends hosted a Baby Shower for me in Orangeburg. There are no words to describe how thankful I am to have so many wonderful people in my life sharing in this special time. Friends and family showed up from Orangeburg, Columbia, Beaufort, McCormick and everywhere else to be there for me and I will never forget how special it was. The girls went above and beyond my expectations with there creativity and talent for entertaining. Here are a few photos showing how much fun it all was.

Getting Ready for Nolan!

2010-04-01T04:32:00.001-07:00

Wow, it has been way too long since I updated the blog and so much has happened. One of the most exciting of these updates is the development of Nolan's nursery. We began by picking out paint colors and I wanted to go with something a little different than your traditional baby blue so I chose a blue that was almost navy in color. Special thanks to my brother Josh and my Aunt Carla for coming over to help paint. As the walls started to take shape/color, I began to panic that maybe the color was too dark... so in a last minute effort to lighten things up we painted one wall a lighter shade of blue and the end result - PERFECTION!

We also had so much fun going with my parents to search for nursery furniture and finally found the perfect set from Baby Furinture Plus Kids in Columbia. We went with Young America and I LOVE it! Now my Mom and I had already picked out furniture and decided on what we were going to buy but as with a lot of my earlier decisions that changed on arrival. The color of the furniture was too creamy yellow and I was going for white. My Mom, Dad and Makoto were all about to give up several hours into me going back and forth in the store but as they say the best comes to those who wait!

Finally, we were super excited to get the news that Nolan's crib for my parent's house was ready. Now for those of you who are unaware, my Mom couldn't be more excited about her grandson and to show just how excited... she has begun preparing for him to stay with her as soon as possible. She started by choosing to have our old crib refurnished (with the help of MiMi - thank you!) and it turned out wonderful. I think knowing that he will be sleeping in the same place I slept makes it that much more special. Mom also selected crib bedding that perfectly coordinated with the house and specifically her bedroom. That's right HER BEDROOM! My parents have completed all this and placed the crib in their bedroom next to their bed! :) My parents want nothing more than Koto and I to consider our visits to Orangeburg as time off and allow them to do as much as possible - we shall see....

Now that we have the basic bones of the Nursery now comes the details. We are working on placing a wall decal, art, pillows, baskets, toys, etc. to give the nursery its personality. I'll be sure to post pictures of the finished nursery as soon as I actually complete it.

We have a BOY!!!

2010-02-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

Makoto and I awoke early on Monday, February 1st anxious for our 10:15 appointment and finally finding out what our precious baby was going to be. We jumped up showered, dressed and waited for my parents to arrive at the house (Mom a.k.a. Proud Grandma) was planning on spending the day with us. Text messages from friends and family began to pour in on my cell phone reminding me of how many people were anxiously awaiting the same news.

We entered the dr.s office, signed in and were taken straight back. The 20 minute wait until the ultrasound felt like an eternity! Luckily just as I was about to lose patience they called us all into the ultrasound room. Now as you remember...last time we attempted this we had no success my assumption was that I simply did not provide a big enough audience for this secret to be revealed. Not this time, as soon as the wand touched my belly there was my baby positioned behind upward providing a perfect view for his male anatomy! Out came the words - well you're definately having a boy! All three of us busted out in laughter and smiled at each other. It was like no other feeling finally knowing (in case you have not picked up on it I'm somewhat inpatient). From that instant second I could see little blue jumpers, baseball games, a nursery filled with little boy colors (blues, greens, yellows and maybe even a touch of orange just to make Daddy and Pops happy).

The rest of the appointment continued in complete amazement as the technician took a close look at every part of Nolan. It was a blessing to receive the news that everything looked very good and that we were both growing and doing well.

After some baby furniture browsing and lunch we went shopping for some cute little boy outfits as I was really in the mood to buy sometime for my baby boy! Below are the items we brought back! It was a fabulous day, one I will remember forever!

2010-01-29T04:37:00.000-08:00

Dear Angel Baby,

It is now only three days from our big date where we will get to see you and discover your secret. I am so excited to show Daddy and Grandma the wonder that comes with seeing you on ultrasound. Whether we find out girl or boy I will likely be so overjoyed that I cry with emotion (Daddy says I cry about everything).

Our family has a very special day planned on Monday after the ultrasound. Soon after phone calls will need to be made to family and friends to share the news. From there we head to finalize baby furniture, register and finally buy a gender appropriate outfit. Grandma has planned a very special dinner that evening with Mommy, Daddy, Grandpa and your Uncles Josh and Ryan. (I can't wait!)

While we all continue to dream about the special day when you arrive and we get to hold you for the first time, we will be happy in knowing that you are safe, growing and thriving in my belly!

Already love you more than you will ever know!

Love, Mommy

P.S. Below is a photo of Mommy and Daddy as a baby! Thought this would be fun to share with you so that you can see what a unique and wonderful combination you will one day be!

Is it a Boy or a Girl? We still don't know!

2010-01-12T06:27:00.000-08:00

BOY OR GIRL????

We had our long awaited 20 week appointment on Tuesday, January 5th with Dr. Grumbach. Now I always knew that while most people had their BIG ultrasounds scheduled at this point mine wasn't going to take place until February (at 24 weeks). I have no idea why I but my doctor wanted to wait until then and since he has been with me through everything else I opted to accept his judgement.

Now the BIG ultrasound is really for checking the baby's organs and making sure everything is physically in check. The added bonus for most parents is that this gives us the opportunity to find out if we are having a beautiful baby girl or a handsome baby boy. At my 16 week appointment the Dr. explained what would happen at my next appointment - it didn't include an ultrasound! After a little bit to complaint he said, "ok, at your next appointment if I have time I might take a quick peek at the gender with the portable ultrasound machine." I held on to this for the next four weeks.

I arrived at the Dr.'s office on January 5th at 11:00 a.m. - had the usual lab work done, and headed back to the exam room. Dr. Grumbach came in asked questions, checked everything out and provided a good report. He finally asked how I was doing - my reply, "that depends on whether or not you will take a peek at the baby and tell me boy or girl." He smiled and said I will take a 2 minutes look but can't promise anything.

The jelly went on my belly and there in black and white was my little angel. There is no better feeling of relief than to see your baby and know they are doing just fine. Dr. G described everything he saw - providing me with a basic play by play then came Nurse Linda's comment, "is that baby's legs crossed?" Dr. G, "Yep, I'll try a few angles but it looks like your baby doesn't want to cooperate today.

After many attempts on his part we had to give up. Now we are forced to wait another 4 weeks until Monday, February 1st! Koto was not able to make it to my 20 week appt. so it was no surprise that when I went to check out he had sent several text messages asking if I knew anything yet. The next couple hours were spent spreading the news about my baby's preference to sit Indian style. I have opted to believe that Baby Y preferred to hold out for a much bigger audience in order to reveal his/her secret.

At my next appointment I will have both my husband and my Mom there to support me and share in the wonder of seeing this baby on the ultrasound screen and finding out the answer to the question everyone is waiting to hear!

2010-01-01T10:47:00.000-08:00

A New Year

It is officially a new year and I can not wait to experience all that 2010 will bring especially the arrival of my little Angel in May. This past year was an interesting one...holding some of my worst experiences and ones that will forever be measured as my best. My life has changed so much since this time last year. I went from measuring my success by the length I had climbed on a corporate latter to now measuring it by my experiences with friends and family. Change brings new challenges that can remind us that we are capable of more than we ever thought possible. I have opened my own company and started consulting but not for the original purpose I had many years ago of making lots of money but for finding happiness in what I do and spending more time with my family.

20 weeks

I am officially 20 weeks pregnant! It amazes me how time can fly by without you even knowing it. I'm half way there and everyday I continue to ponder the question I am constantly asked, "Are you having a boy or a girl?" The wait is closing and we hope to know as early as next week!
The most amazing gift I have been given this holiday is feeling the baby for the first time! There are no words that can accurately describe this feeling but... it is amazing, miraculous and life changing! While the baby doesn't "flutter or pop" constantly he/she is pretty active with what I can only imagine is some form of acrobatics.

Promise and Commitment

I promise to blog more and share this special time in my life so that I never forget! ;)

The Big Reveal

2009-10-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

We have quickly hit the double digits and are now 10 weeks! Baby Yonemura is growing and sometimes making Mommy really sick in the process...(although, I have been told by many that this is a good sign and perfectly normal). I hope to lose the nausea in the coming weeks.

We have officially announced we are pregnant to our family and friends - everyone is so excited. I must make mention however that no one could be more happy than my Mom! She has waited patiently for this moment and I couldn't have been happier to tell her the good news. My Mom has often told me growing up that the greatest accomplishment in her life is her kids. As she puts it, "I was put on this earth to be your Mom and it is the best job in the world" (mind you my brothers and I did test this devotion on many occasion growing up).

My Mom naturally had to know first and from there made the painstaking wait for another week and a half to tell everyone else. My Dad's birthday was coming up and what better way to tell everyone than to have him open something special revealing our secret?

The men in my family are golfers (my Mother and I have come to accept this weekly, sometimes bi-weekly, ritual as a permanent fixture in our lives). With this golf theme/obsession in mind, I had the perfect gift! The day arrived and we went through all the birthday cards, presents and cake until finally I slid one last surprise gift to my Dad (with Mom grinning ear to ear). He reached in the bag and pulled out two small items: a white bid with the phrase "The Littlest Golfer" and a tiny pair of baby golf shoes! Everyone went wild and it was how I had always imagined that moment.

I look forward to the weeks ahead and know that through every step God has blessed me with a support team. Koto has already become obsessive with the way I sit or lay (insisting that laying on my stomach might not be comfortable for the baby). My brothers are already putting in their two cents when it comes to names and my Mom... well, let's just say we have already been crib shopping. I look forward to bringing this baby into such a loving and close family!

Here are the shoes that we bought for Daddykins (soon to be "Paw Paw") to open on his birthday! What better present is there than to get a grandchild!

A Single Day Can Change Your Life

2009-10-09T14:08:00.001-07:00

Never has the statement, "a single day can change your life" been so true! It was the morning of Thursday, September 17th when my world changed. My husband Makoto and I had been ready to expand our family for sometime but nothing up until then had worked out. In fact, we had just tried for a baby in August and following all the instruction labels on the test boxes, numerous blogs and friendly advice given to me from all the wonderful friends and family that we have been blessed with, I waited 15 days then tested and was given a negative.

Side note: I never realized when I was growing up that it was possible to do all the things that you were taught to do (get good grades, go to college, get married, work on a successful career, have a baby) and then still have things not work out as you have always been told they would. Order and prosperity are what is granted to good girls who do what is expected of them - YEAH RIGHT. Well, reality had different plans - let's just say that I began to hear my biological clock a couple years ago. Having a relationship that totaled nine years dating prior to marriage meant that I was sure of who I was spending the rest of my life with and ready for the future. Makoto (a.k.a Koto) and I were married on March 17, 2007 and our relationship (despite what I thought prior to marriage) has grown so much deeper than I even thought possible. So no surprise we wanted to expand that love beyond ourselves. We did do this at first with the addition of our sweet baby girl Zoie (who I guess I should note is our dog). Zoie is so much more than our dog - she has been our child and is completely spoiled to prove it! But with Zoie now four years old I hoped God would bless us with a Baby!

Flash forward: I woke up just before 8:00 a.m with no real plans for the day. Despite testing a week earlier and getting a negative, I had a desire to use the last test in the box. Each time I had done this I followed a ritual - pee on the stick, cover it up, walk out of the room and wait for the big reveal. This morning I was just covering my bases - more like confirming that I was not pregnant. So I did what I needed to do but this time watched as the first line appeared, as it had so many times before, and then surprise, surprise, the second line appears! SUCCESS - WE ARE HAVING A BABY!

In that moment, so much happiness and fear hit me all at once. I immediately called Koto to find out when he would be home - after what is now eleven years he can pick up on when I have been crying. He demanded to know what was wrong and to have it categorized as good or bad. At the sound of the word good he instantly concluded that we were pregnant! After all, what else could possibly have me so emotional.

Now begins our journey! It is my hope that this blog will serve as a document of this special time in our lives to be shared with friends, family and later to be passed on to my sweet angel baby (be it a boy or girl) so that they know how much they were anticipated and loved before they ever took there first breath in this world. I love you, Baby - this is for you!