KristiCole's Xanga

Monday, July 20, 2009

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 01:05:29 GMT

It has been so long since I have updated again. I am mostly updating for those of you who don't use facebook. I am on facebook now and update there more frequently. If you use facebook too then look up my name! Kristina Higdon Yoder

Today just happens to be my sixth wedding anniversary! What a great six years! Here are some picture updates...

Reid growing up too fast!

Enjoying the applesauce!!!

At the zoo in Indianapolis.

In the pool...Reid loves the water!

Just chilling!

Ryan and I today! Hope you enjoyed the picture update!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 01:11:37 GMT

It is so sad that is has been so long since I have updated! I have been busier than I could have ever imagined with my residency program. Life is crazy but God is good! There have been some hard times and continue to be this year but I'm trying to persevere.

I actually am on facebook now too and update there a lot more frequently so if you are a member then check out my site and add me as a friend! Kristina Higdon Yoder Here are some recent pics! Take care friends!

CHRISTMAS 2008

STAYING WARM BY THE FIRE IN BRRR COLD MICHIGAN!

What a sweetie!!!

VALENTINE'S DAY WITH MY LOVE!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 21:50:27 GMT

It Has Been So Long . . .

It has been so long since I have updated and so much has happened since my last update. Time is exceptionally precious to me now so that is why udates are few and far between. I will try to be better about updating though. However, we lost our camera in the move along with many pictures (I'm very upset about this) so I only have recent pics and not any from our last days in Ohio or our moving process. So, we lost pictures of our vacation, my graduation, Reid for those several months, as well as our friends in Ohio. Anyway...I am trying to get over this!

So, lots has happened as I said. I will just insert pics as I tell the recent happenings. First of all, I graduated and am officially a doctor as of June 7, 2008.

I started my OB/GYN residency in the middle of June and it's been a marathon since then. Residency is intense. It's hard and it's often not fun. It has good moments too but it is a lot of adjusting and sacrifice on multiple levels. I see Ryan and Reid when I get home in the evening but I have lots of reading to do as well which makes my time with them slim. I get up at 4:45am, I am at the hospital by 5:45 then I work all day and get home somewhere between 6 and 7pm. On nights that I am on call (which is six nights/month) I don't come home until around 10am the next morning so I go a day without seeing my boys. It's hard and there have already been lots of tears. I am praying things get better as I get more adjusted and that I can make it through these next four years. I pray my relationship with Ryan will stay strong and that Reid will not be scarred from his mom not being home with him except a few hours a day. Ryan is still looking for a job. It has been a difficult process and we are praying the right thing comes along soon. On the other hand, it has been so nice for Reid to be home with his Daddy for the past year. I have been so thankful that he has not had to be in daycare yet.

On another note, Ryan and I celebrated our 5th anniversary on July 19, 2008. It has been a great five years and I pray for many more. I was actually working at the hospital for 24 hours the whole day of our anniversary so we really did not do anything exciting.

We have moved into our new house and are settling in well. We miss the green-ness of the Athens area and our old familiar life and friends there but we are trying to get used to a faster paced metro area. We are still looking for a church which has not been really successful yet but we know God will lead us where we belong.

The big news....Reid turned 1 on August 14, 2008. As all important days...I was on call at the hospital on his birthday and did not see him at all that day. I did have a few tears about this, especially since it was a really hard night, but I was allowed the entire weekend off so that was nice. We had a little party with family memebers who came up so it was a good weekend. Here are some pics:

My Baby When He was a Baby: Reid Jackson Yoder 9#2.5oz. 22in. long 8/14/2007

Before and after . . .

Our Bundle of Joy

Reid is growing up so fast. He is so precious to us. He learns new things daily and his expressions make us smile. He has been walking around things since 9 months but now he is walking on his own (for the past month). Here are some pics of his ever incresing personality:

Reid with Lilly. He loves to play with her and she is so good with him. His new thing is he loves to give her hugs!

Reid and Daddy at bathtime!

Playing outside in the little pool.

PARTY PICS:

The party room and the cake. We had a jungle/safari theme. I think Reid liked all of the visual stimulation!

Playing outside. It was a beautiful day!

Cake and presents. Reid was a particularly clean little one year old with his cake. We were all very surprised. He would only take one little piece of icing and then make sure his fingers were clean before grabbing more. I had to shove his hand in in order for his hands to get this messy and he didn't like it! He got lots of great toys and clothes. His favorite still were the books that he got. He loves books!

Well, I think that is a long enough update for now. Who knows when the next one will be! I hope everyone is doing well. WE miss all of you that we have not been able to see recently!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Wed, 21 May 2008 02:38:45 GMT

New Happenings . . .

So much has been going on during the past couple of months. I turned 27 April 23. I do not know where the time goes but I cannot believe I am in my late 20's. I try not to think about it too long. I recently went home (to Indiana) for a week to help my Dad go through a few things in the house as well as to clean out my room and...wow...what memories! I felt so sentimental as I looked through photos of my younger years. Memories flooded my mind and I could not believe how quickly time passes. It scares me sometimes.

On a similar note, we celebrated Mother's Day while I was home. It is my first Mother's Day and what a special day is was. I loved spending time with my extended family and celebrating the day as well as birthdays. Mother's Day is still difficult for me as I think about my own mother and miss her so very much. This year her birthday fell on Mother's Day and I always thought this was so appropriate as my mother was a near perfect example of what a mother should be. I strive to be a mother like her but fear I fall short often. I miss her so much and miss her influence on my life daily.

On a new Reid note...he has just started pulling up on things and standing and scooting around furniture. He gets so excited to do it but it seems to wear him out by the end of the day. He is so precious and I cannot believe how quickly he is growing. He just turned nine months last week and seems to be having a growth spurt even as we speak. I held him tonight as I rocked him to sleep and I could not believe how long his cute little arms and legs are getting. I remember when he was just a small little bundle that fit nicely in my arms and now he sprawls out long across my arms. I love him so much!

Ryan is doing well and continues to wait patiently for someone to contact him with a job. He has applied to many many jobs and has heard very little but has had a few positive calls. We are praying for patience but also that God would bring along the job he wishes for Ryan to have.

I finished my last week of rotations a week ago. It's hard to believe. I have nothing left to do before graduation so technically I am a doctor now. I graduate June 7, and while I am excited, I am also terrified of the new changes and responsibilites I am going to have. I feel pretty inadequate. I am trying to enjoy my several weeks off until I start my rigorous 80 hour work weeks.

My last rotation was a hospice rotation and it really made me think about life and priorities and what really matters. I really felt the urgency of how short life is or can be and it really impressed upon me the importance of enjoying each day and putting stock in the things that are most important.

Transition is never easy. We have become comfortable in our life here in Athens and the move to Michigan is not without some trepidation. We feel it is meant to be and that it is our time to leave but it is still with some sadness that we leave this area that we have come to love and our friends and church family. We know God has great things planned ahead but we hold tight to the familiar. We pray for God to give us courage to venture into the unknown and know He will provide and comfort and protect and bless if we will only put our faith and trust in Him.

Happy Memorial Day this weekend! We are heading up to Michigan to close on our house and to do some cleaning and painting. Take care and enjoy the time off with friends and family. Below are some pics of the last few weeks.

The crabapple trees on our campus. They are so beautiful in the spring and they line the bike path on campus. I have run this path more times than I can count and it holds many memories of runs, and walks with friends and family. I will miss it much.

Reid and I on my birthday. He is such a sweet boy and has such a good personality.

Mother's Day 2008

My little boy is growing up! He has so many cute faces and expressions. He is loving his new-found mobility and is getting more ambitious each day.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 01:11:32 GMT

We Got the House!!!

We found out today that we got the house. We are excited but the reality of the responsibility...especially financial responsibility...is setting in. Kind of scary! Ryan is still looking for a job and we are praying something looks positive soon. Nothing else that's new right now. I have two weeks left until I am finished with my medical school responsibilities and I will graduate and be a doctor June 7! Hard to believe.

Our new residence. We will be moving to Michigan in about a month!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:47:30 GMT

Spring Is Here . . .

It's hard to believe spring is here again. We were on vacation last week and when we came back everything was green and in bloom...so beautiful here!

It has been so long since I updated and so much is happening. I only have one month left until I am finished with rotations and then I graduate in June. From there I start residency in Wyandotte, Michigan. We are currently in the process of buying a house there as you will see pictures below.

Ryan is doing well and working on his dissertation. He will be proposing next week and we are praying that he passes the proposal and can move forward to data collection. God has blessed his efforts and things have moved along more quickly for him recently than he had anticipated. He is still looking for a job in Michigan and running into some road blocks but we know God will provide.

Reid is doing great and growing. He does new things every day and his newest adventure has been rolling from front to back all over the bed (as we supervise of course). He also laughs at everything and is so pleasant to be around. We love him so much. He has two teeth on the bottom and is starting on his top two. His personality is so cute and we love seeing all of his many expressions. He is getting more separation anxiety and gets more nervous around other people.

Well, we just got back from vacation as I said. We went on a week long cruise to the Carribean with my Dad, two brothers, and sister-in-law. It was beautiful. We visited St. Thomas, Dominica, St. Lucia, Barbados, Antigua, and St. Kitts. It was a good time but tiring as well. Reid was a trooper for his first plane ride and visit out of the country. Everyone raved about what a great baby he was on the plane and also on the ship. People we didn't know would come up to us and tell us how good he was and how cute he is. While he was good it was still a different experience having a baby on vacation. Needless to say I did not have the carefree sunbathing experience I have had in the past. Motherhood changes the focus that is for sure. It was great to have this first family vacation with Reid though and we will enjoy the memories forever. Below are some pictures so you can enjoy our experience too.

PICTURES OF OUR NEW HOUSE (HOPEFULLY)

PICTURES OF OUR VACATION

Beautiful St. Thomas

Mommy and Reid in the sand

Beautiful Dominica

Pictures of Reid and other islands

PICTURES OF US

What a SWEETHEART! I love this picture of his sweet smile.

What a cutie!

Ryan and I dressed up for dinner

I love this boy!

AND NOW>>>SOMETHING YOU THOUGHT YOU WOULD NEVER SEE

A girl with two monkies on her head! haha This is Janna, my sister-in-law.

Nick, my brother with the monkies. He loves monkies and these two guys on St. Kitts were standing around with monkies so naturally he goes up to see them. The guys hand the monkies to them and start putting them in different spots. Janna takes a picture and then they commence to put the monkies on Janna's head! Nick takes a picture. They go to leave and the guy says...$10. Nick is caught totally off guard and is appalled. He ends up paying it but needless to say he goes back to the ship soon thereafter not a happy camper. So funny!

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 02:37:34 GMT

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It sure has been a long time since I have updated here! The bad thing about that is it takes forever for me to update and my update is going to be very long! So much has happened since I updated last. Not only have we had multiple holidays which I have meant to update during, but also my younger brother got married and Reid has been growing like a weed! What a great time of year.

There are many new things coming up in this new year for my family and I. First of all, I will be taking another board exam Jan. 19 in Philadelphia. I also rank my residency sites and find out where I go February 11. (Please pray for me at this time! I'm a little anxious about this but praying for faith that God will lead me where I should be and for comfort that He will provide as He always does!) Also, Reid will be 6 months old this month. How time flies! He's such a sweetie and learning lots of new things. Ryan continues to work on his dissertation. We are going on a cruise with my dad and older brother and possibly younger brother and his wife in April. Possibly buying a house and moving to my new residency site. Graduating and becoming a doctor June 7. Going to Hawaii for vacation in June...one last fling! Starting residency July1...and that will become my new life. July 19 Ryan and I will celebrate our 5th year of marriage. Reid will be one year old August 14. And many other adventures that we are not even aware of yet! Also, my good friend Katie will have her long awaited baby in May which we are so excited about! Whew...so much to look forward to. Thank you Lord for blessing us in so many ways. :) Ok...now for the pictures. Take care all and may your new year 2008 be blessed!

Our little Christmas sweetie!

Our sweet growing little boy...all dressed up for Church.

Family picutre

In his jammies. I love cuddling him in his pjs!

Eating his first solids. We tried a few days of baby cereal but decided to breast feed exclusively until he is 6 months old. It was cute though!

NICK & JANNA's WEDDING: December 15, 2007

Reid and Mommy

Janna, the beautiful bride

Nick my younger brother, the handsome groom.

My cousins, Michelle and Amy, Reid and I

Learning to roll! He's working on it.

Mommy and Reid going for a walk.

BABY'S FIRST CHRISTMAS!

Under the tree and opening gifts with Mommy

We spiked his hair. It was so adorable!

Reid sleeping with Grandpa

Reid with Uncle Nick and Aunt Janna and with Uncle Josh

Me at Christmas with the cousins again

Reid in his snuggly warm carrier with the cover Great Aunt Sharon made for him

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 20:13:37 GMT

BUSY FALL~~~~~~~

This has been a busy fall for Ryan and I. Not only have we had a new baby to learn to take care of but also we have been busy as ever with school. Ryan is currently working on his dissertation and I have been interviewing at various places for an OB/GYN residency. Just last weekend we went up to Chicago for an interview there. After my interview we drove back to Indiana and I threw a shower (with lots of help) for my brother and his fiancee who will be getting married in December. After the shower I tried on my dress for their wedding which actually fit (yay!...you don't know how much I was worried as my prepregnancy shape is not even close to back) and then next weekend I have two more interviews in Ohio. Whew...it's a busy time of year! Not to mention Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up as well as another round of board exams. It can all be pretty overwhelming! Through it all though...the stress, the tears, the joy, and the laughs...we are thankful for such a blessed and fulfilling life! Here are some pictures of our little guy enjoying fall and some of the shower from my cousin's site.

Fall on our campus is so beautiful! We took lots of pics since this will be our last fall here. It's kind of bittersweet!

Reid with Mommy and Daddy...we love being outdoors!

The many faces of Reid. He is smiling all the time now! We love it.

Toes in the leaves. He liked the feeling!

Another pic of his cute smile!

JANNA's SHOWER ~*~

My brother Nick and Janna

Me with my cousin Amy

Me with Janna (my future sister in law)

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 12:29:16 GMT

Growing Up . . .

Well, our little guy just keeps growing! It's hard to believe he will be two months old in less than a week. He is doing great and Ryan and I enjoy new things about him every day. He is now looking at us and following us with his eyes. He's also started smiling and cooing and having little laugh-like noises. He's a joy!

Unfortunately, I had to go back to work last week. It was definitely not easy...not only being away from Reid but all of the planning and preparation for bottles and pumping etc. during the work day. It has been hard. Ryan has been staying home with Reid and has been doing a great job with him. He cuddles with him, reads him stories, plays in his swing, and plays with his baby einstein. It's so nice to know our little guy at least can stay at home with his Daddy.

Well, here are some pictures from the last month:

Studying for my board exams with the baby. Thank goodness they are over! I hope they went well.

Hanging out with Daddy!

In his Church clothes on Sunday

Playing in his clothes..what a sweetie!

"Hanging" out with Dad while he vaccumes

Big boy bath time!

Looking cute as a button!

More later!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 22:10:29 GMT

It's Been One Month . . .

Well it is hard to believe that Reid is already one month old. It has been a pretty crazy month to say the least. We are learning, or trying to learn, our little guy's habits and get to know him a little better. It has been a very tiring but enjoyable experience so far.

We have tried to manage the crying fits, late night feedings, problems with bowel movements, etc that have been our life these past few weeks. Our little guy has had good doctor's visits and seems to be growing very well. His weight today was 10 1/2 lbs! He had a heart murmur when he was born and still does but we visited the cardiologist today and it seems the murmur is benign and common so we are so thankful.

Ryan and I are trying to figure out scheduling and how we are going to adjust to me going back to school in less than two weeks. I also take my board exams in about a week and a half but have had very little study time so please pray that I pass them and do well despite my lack of preparation. Ryan is needing to work on his dissertation while I am gone during the day but will be taking care of Reid so pray that Reid would allow him to do so and that Ryan will be able to have good writing sessions.

Well, other than that things are uneventful. Just learning more about our little boy day by day and watching him grow! Here are some pics from the last month.

Our little guy coming home from the hospital 1 month ago.

First bath.

Lots of visitors: friends and family (below)

Ryan's parents

My dad and older brother.

My grandparents

My aunt and cousins

My friend Hillary.

Wiped out!

Sleeping in his meditation position

Ready for a walk!

Sporting his hat

Daddy and mommy loving on baby!

Our precious little boy . . . Reid Jackson Yoder....We love you!