~ Life in Missouri ~

Ryker Turned One in November!

2009-01-18T12:49:00.009-06:00

Get ready to see lots of November pictures! (Yes, I know, it's about time!)

On election night, Ryker finally started walking with his fun walker. This is a picture of him walking with it at Grandma & Grandpa's house. It was so cute, because Mommy taught him to say "Vroom vroom" while he pushed/walked (as spit drooled out of his mouth).

Hangin' out by Rocky

Grandpa & Daddy like to play with Ryker's toys too! Ryker just likes to knock the blocks down. haha!

November 15, 2008--Ryker's 1st birthday!!! His best buddies, Finley & Charlee Sue, get to open party gifts too!

What a treat! Little dude sittin' with both Grandpas!

Great-Grandma D. made Ryker his Christmas stocking! How beautiful!

"Look what I got, Daddy!"

Mommy's big boy!

Grandma made the cutest little clown cupcakes (with soy milk, of course), and as you can see, Ryker LOVED it! He's never had anything like it before (because most treats are made with milk), so it was his 1st yummy dessert!

3 little friends! Hey, Ryker, watch where you put your hands! Our little ladies' man.

A fun birthday activity for the little ones--1st time fingerpainting! All 3 got a typed up poem and made handprints. It was so cute! They all did a great job. HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY, Ryker!!!

November 22nd--Celebrating Great-Grandpa S.'s 81st birthday! Here Ryker is sitting with Great-Aunt BJ!

4 Generations--Great-Great-Uncle Rowan, Daddy, Ryker, Great-Great-Aunt Louise, & Grandma

"I love you, Great-Grandma & Great-Grandpa!"

Time to take a break with Great-Uncle David

Awww...bein' sweet with Great-Aunt Jolene!

Julie's parents & most of the siblings!

Great-Aunt Cheryl!

And Great-Uncle Bill!

"Hi, Great-Aunt Carolyn!"

(As you can see, Ryker wanted a picture with the whole family!)

Cousins Caleb & Christine make good arm rests! :)

November 27th--Thanksgiving day! Spending time with Great-Grandpa & Great-Grandma D.

"Roar!"

Such a handsome boy!

Oh so blessed

Oh so loved

Say cheese!

Back in October

2008-12-03T13:29:00.009-06:00

Here we go again! Time to update this blog. Get ready for lots of pictures! I can never just put a couple on here. There are too many that are fun to share!

In the beginning of the month, Jeff and I wanted to take a day trip to Katy Trail and Les Bourgeois Vineyard where we got engaged in Rocheport, MO. It was a beautiful day with perfect walking weather with Tippy and Ryker.

Enjoying the sunshine!

Checking out the grapevines!

Ryker definitely has to check out every spot in the house!

"Feed me, feed me, Mommy."

That's Daddy's undershirt, silly!

Another favorite hobby: raiding the pantry!

Just chillin' on the deck

Ryker & Tippy love playing outside. Oh Ryker, don't try to eat the slobbery dog ball again!

Always smiling!

This picture is showing our poor boy with a fever while we were at the family gathering of making the best applebutter.

Looks like he's feeling much better! How do you like his little farmer outfit at Great-Uncle David & Great-Aunt BJ's farm?! So cute.

On Oct. 25th, we were in St. Paul for my friend Amy's baby shower. It was so much fun seeing so many of the girls from college! Right before the shower, Liz's sister, Noelle, decided she's going to start a new career in baby hair styling!

Ryker wanted to greet everyone at the door, so Noelle was greeted with a smile!

Time for photos by the pumkins!

Left to Right: Amber's son-Nolan, Tiffany's son-Kade, Ryker, and Kat's daughter, Annie

Beautiful pregnant ladies, Amy & Liz

Their baby boys will be here so soon!

A spot where Ryker loves to be--surrounded by pretty ladies!

I MISS YOU GIRLS!!! When's our next gathering? :)

Ryker missed Tippy, so he enjoyed hanging out with Angel.

After the shower, Ryker was dressed up as a MN Twins player, Joe Mauer, for a Halloween Trick-or-Treat event at the Como Zoo.

On our way to the zoo! Do you like how Liz looks like a pregnant Blossom? Remember that show? hehe.

When I got back from MN, my parents and Malena came for a visit during the last week of Oct. She hadn't seen him since his baptism, so it was fun for her to see how much he's grown!

Reading a book that Auntie Malena bought Ryker for an early birthday present

Pretty leaves on the tree in the backyard!

Our little dinosaur! He wasn't sure what to think of himself as he looked in the mirror.

Happy Halloween! We went to Daddy's office to Trick-or-Treat and saw some other fun costumes.

What's that I see in our backyard? Is it a bird or a really big insect? NO, it's Ryker having fun being dressed up as a dinosaur! :)

The Season of Fall Began in September!

2008-10-22T22:09:00.009-05:00

(For those of you who don't know, you can click the pictures to view them in a larger screen.)

Ryker has quite the natural mohawk!

Our little boy started crawling on his hands and knees in September. He still would army-crawl when he wanted to go really fast!

Yummy! (You can see the top 2 teeth wanting to pop out!)

Ryker's all over! He definitely sweeps the floor with his belly, so he's helping Mommy clean! :)

Ryker pulled himself up to standing starting about the end of August/beginning of September. He sure likes to inspect all pieces of furniture! That's his little walker, but right now it's a stationary toy with wheels.

He LOVES to try to crawl on the dishwasher door!

New/used rocking horse that Mommy got for him at a huge garage sale!

Nona & Papa came in town on Dad's birthday, Sept. 24th!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to both of Ryker's grandpas, who have the same birthday!!!

Papa said that seeing his grandson was the best birthday present he could ever have! (They hadn't seen him since July.)

While they were here, not only did Ryker's top 2 teeth start to pop out, but our little 10-month-old also transfered from the end table to the couch all by himself! When will the walking without assistance begin?

Ryker's new hobby: pulling laundry out of the basket while Mommy is trying to fold the clothes!

August Moments

2008-10-22T12:18:00.005-05:00

Our little boy started army-crawling at 9 months old in August! (We thought he never was going to crawl!) Guess what his motivation was...Tippy's toys!

Ryker loves to walk around the house, of course with assistance.

Caught in the action of dumping out Tippy's toy basket!

My cousin, Rachel, came in town from Memphis on her way out to start living in Denver!

My 2 boys!

Ryker loves to look out the patio door with Tippy! Whenever the door opens, he sure likes to try to sneak out!

Spending some time with Great-Grandpa and his cousin, Kieran

Jeff's cousins who live in CA came in town for a few days and brought their little boy who was adopted in December. CONGRATS to Scott & Rachel!

We all took a walk at a park in downtown KC, and Ryker sure enjoyed seeing ducks swimming in a pond!

Playing "Pat a Cake" with Great-Grandma!

Ryker got his 2nd bottom tooth in August!

Gotta Catch Up!

2008-10-22T11:33:00.008-05:00

Ok, I know I continue to be bad at updating my blog, and I really should just update you on the present month. However, there are too many cute pictures from July-Sept. that I have to go back to the summer! :) So get ready to see the growth of Ryker in the last few months!

We celebrated 4th of July (also Grandma's birthday!) at the cabin. Ryker enjoyed the boat ride with the wind almost blowing his hat off!

Enjoying the sun!"Happy Birthday, Grandma!" He sure loves shredding tissue paper!

Later in the month, Auntie Malena & Uncle Jesse came to town before we all headed up north to MN. We took some time to relax in the pool! During Ryker's 1st trip to his Mommy's hometown of Duluth, Ryker was able to take a little walk in the sand by the lake where Mommy grew up!

We had a family reunion on my mom's side of the family, so that was a fun time to see everyone. We took some time outside to enjoy the cool weather.

"Whatcha doin' trying to attack Mommy's face, little man?"

Hangin' out with one of his older girlfriends, Sierra (Bobbie's little girl)--both acting quite shy

Is he going to be a singer like his Mommy? He was having fun hearing his voice in the microphone!

Lovin' the time with Auntie Malena...

and also with Uncle Jesse!

We spent some fun time at "Auntie" Liz's house!

Ryker has so many awesome "aunties"! He really enjoyed playing with Kade and getting sweet kisses from Addi. We can't wait to see them all again very soon!

I also had my 10 year high school reunion in July but totally forgot to take pictures, so I'm pretty bummed that I don't have any to share. The reunion was a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be! It was a good time seeing everyone and catching up on what's been going on in the last 10 years.

Ryker turned 8 months old in July and still wasn't able to crawl. However, he did start rolling around to get where he wanted to go. He also got his 1st tooth that month!

Month of June

2008-08-22T21:27:00.008-05:00

Let's see, what all happened in June? Well, I taught 7th grade Communication Arts in Summer School throughout the month. I figured, "Heck, I took the whole year off of teaching to spend time with Ryker, so I might as well teach 1 month." :) It went pretty well, especially since I was the one who created the curriculum 2 summers ago for the program. We had an AWESOME friend of the family who watched Ryker while I was at school. We know Ryker was having lots of fun at her house. THANKS, PAM! YOU'RE THE BEST!!

As far as our growing boy, Ryker turned 7 months old on Father's Day. He got his daddy a really cute picture frame for his desk at work with the two of them sitting in the backyard. The week before Father's Day he started saying "Da da da da". I remember playing with him in the living room and hearing it for the 1st time. Just to make sure it was what I heard, I had to wait to hear it again before I got Jeff to come inside from mowing the lawn to hear it too! Of course, when we both sat there and waited to hear it, he didn't say it. Later that evening, we definitely heard "da da"! Of course, he didn't know what he was saying, but we were super excited to hear it!!! What a fun present for his daddy! He wasn't crawling in June, but he could roll over.

Ryker misses spending time with Papa & Nona!

Giggling with Nona

Wearing Daddy's Memphis hat like a big boy!

4 Generations: Daddy, Great-Grandpa, Grandpa, & Ryker

We had a visitor in June! Liz's sister, Noelle, had a wedding to go to in KC, so we were able to meet for lunch. THANKS FOR COMING, NOELLE!! YOU LOOK FABULOUS!

"Mommy, I'm really tired..."

"Zzzzzzz..." 1st time falling asleep in the highchair!

1st time in the pool--"Mommy, I don't know about this. It's kinda cold!"

After Papa brought bowl after bowl with hot water to help the cold become warm, Ryker didn't mind hanging out in the pool. Tippy didn't want to join him.

All done! Nice and cozy in the towel.

Ryker always gets excited when Daddy comes home from work!

Mother's Day--May 11

2008-08-09T21:42:00.006-05:00

Still catching you up on May...

This year was my 1st Mother's Day...let me tell you, I'm so proud to be a mother! For those of you who know me and my emotions, I tend to get a bit teary-eyed when I think about how much I'm so in love with my little boy. Now I can understand how mothers feel about their children. He brings so much joy into my life. Words cannot express how much my love for him grows stronger and stronger as the days go on. I thank God for the blessing He brought us--a beautiful and healthy baby boy. I look forward to all the special moments that Jeff and I get to share with Ryker in our future.

A few cards came my way, and one particular card stays in my mind. When I read it, I couldn't hold back the tears. Here is what it said.

Happy first Mother's Day to my sister--

When we were kids,

it was easy to imagine you

as a mother someday.

But I had no idea.

Now when I see you with Ryker

I see the same great sister,

but I also see this amazing mom--

who's more loving and caring

than I ever could have imagined.

~Malena

The Wonderful Bond between Mother & Son

This was taken on July 12th at a family reunion for my mom's side in Ely, MN.

Photoshoot of Ryker

2008-08-08T21:27:00.002-05:00

My sweet cousin, Emily, who went to school for photojournalism, did an awesome photoshoot of our little 6 month old while we were in Memphis. Here are only a few of what she took. Thanks, lil' cuz! They turned out great!

May continued...

2008-08-08T21:03:00.006-05:00

During our Memphis trip, we took Ryker on his 1st trip to a zoo with our friends Bryan, Shannon, and Kas. Even though he slept for a big chunk of the time (some in Bryan's arms), he was still able to see a bunch of animals! It was a very hot day, but what should we expect...it's Memphis! Snow cones helped cool us down a bit.

"Whoa! What are those, Mommy? Nevermind, I'd rather chew on my shirt."

Shaded from the hot sun

"I'm just too cute in my new hat!"

"Those fishies are as big as me!"

Family photo by the panda bear exhibit

Month of May

2008-08-08T20:26:00.003-05:00

During the middle of May, Jeff, Ryker, and I traveled down south to Memphis, TN, for Ryker's 1st trip. We weren't quite sure how he would do for an 8 hr. drive, and thankfully he did very well! Ryker was able to meet several family members and friends for the 1st time, but it was the 2nd time for his Uncle Kyle.

"I love you, Uncle Kyle!"

Having breakfast together--pictured from left to right are Hugh's friend, Stefan (good friend visiting from Austria), Kyle, Hugh, Ryker, me, and Jeff

By the way, our CONGRATS go out to Stefan and Sonya on the birth of their son, Simon, earlier this week in Austria. We look forward to seeing pictures and to come there for another visit!

Spending time with Ryker's Great-Aunt Perrylyn (my dad's sister)

"Hi there, Great-Uncle Mickey!" (my dad's brother)

About to eat good ol' Memphis bbq (which of course is the best!) at Memphis in May BBQ Festival with Great-Aunt LeighAnn (my dad's younger sister)

The trip was a lot of fun, but it always goes by way too fast. There are always so many people to see in such a short amount of time. So if we didn't get to see all of you, hopefully we can during our next visit! We definitely miss the city of Memphis and all the fun attractions, but at least we're only a day trip away.

My Apologies!

2008-08-07T09:11:00.003-05:00

(Pictures from the beginning of May)

"Did you remember to wash my nose, Mommy?"

Hangin' out with Daddy outside

Yes, I know, 3 months is way too long for not updating my blog, and many of you have kept reminding me. My apologies to you! I have a lot to update you on and lots of pictures to share! I'll have to go month by month on what has been going on with our family, so more details will soon arrive on here. Get ready to read and see how Ryker is growing into a little boy instead of a little baby!

Ryker is absolutely wonderful and keeps getting cuter as the days go on! All of his facial expressions are just priceless, and we have quite the squealer! It seems that he loves to hear his own voice...go figure! :) He'll already be 9 months old on on Aug. 15th!!! He's growing so fast! Before we know it, he'll be turning 1 and will be all over our house! He's not quite crawling on his hands and knees yet, but he's definitely getting better at the army crawl and pushing off with his feet. Once again, I'll give more details on what he's been doing as I update about each month.

I hope all is well with everyone and that you are enjoying your summer!

Spending time with Ryker's best buds

2008-04-30T23:05:00.003-05:00

Derek & Andrea's little girl, Charlee Sue, came over to our house one afternoon for about 1 1/2 hrs. when her parents were in a bind. She was so tired after her dr.'s visit that she just slept the whole time! We were happy to have her!

Kacie & Dan's little boy, Finley, came over last Friday for an entire work day since his parents were also in a bind. The 3 of us had lots of fun! Finley is crawling all over and playing with everything. He already loves saying "da da" and "ma ma" (of course, "da da" came first). In the above moment, Ryker was trying to steal Finley's water cup. It was so funny!

See Ryker's plan: "Hold down Finley's right hand so I can grab the cup before him!" haha!

Side note: Check out Ryker's head of hair (or lack of hair) in the above pictures. He's been totally balding, except for the little clumps of hair in the back! It looks pretty funny. No more mohawks for a while now! ;) As of today, we can tell he has some new hairs coming in on the top...looks a bit lighter too.

Priceless smile!

Our boy is sure growing!

2008-04-30T22:48:00.002-05:00

Talkin' to Daddy!

Sitting up all on his own! Yes, this month Ryker has learned how to sit up by himself for several seconds. He still topples over eventually but is impressing Mama & Dada!

Sitting in his highchair for the 1st time! That face cracks me up! haha. :)

More April Moments!

2008-04-30T22:20:00.002-05:00

Showin' some style in our Memphis outfits! Even though our Tigers lost to KU (boo!), they're still #1 to us! What a stressful game that was, and living in KC is the worst place to be when our team lost to KU. Yeah, it was rubbed in our faces a bit. Oh well. MEMPHIS TIGERS still are the best!

1st time eating rice cereal! Ryker's still learning how to eat it without it all ending up outside of his mouth instead of staying in and swallowing it.

1st time wearing shorts! He absolutely LOVES being outside.

Tippy! Ryker always gets such a kick out of her fetching the ball and giving him kisses. They're a good pair.

Always too cute for words!

Ryker misses his Auntie Malena!

2008-04-30T21:55:00.003-05:00

Malena was able to make it from Denver to KC for Ryker's Baptism and visit with her nephew/godson for the 2nd time. (She hadn't seen him since Thanksgiving, 1 week after he was born, so she was definitely ready to come see him.) Ryker sure loves his Auntie, and she sure loves him...the pictures sure show the love! Thankfully she'll be seeing him again soon this summer. :)

Another Visit with Papa & Nona!

2008-04-30T21:30:00.004-05:00

"You're so funny, Nona!"

What a proud Papa!

Saying goodbye after church...we'll be seeing you during your next visit over Memorial Day weekend! Love you both!

Ryker's Baptism

2008-04-30T21:19:00.002-05:00

April 5th--Celebrating Ryker's Baptism with Auntie Malena (godmother), both sets of our parents, and both of Jeff's grandparents

Ryker loves his new "Lift the Flap Bible"

Someone's getting a little tired from the big day!

Thank Heaven for Little Boys!

End of March

2008-04-30T21:11:00.003-05:00

THANK YOU to everyone who left messages about our St. Patrick's Day scare, called us, and kept us in your thoughts and prayers. It's pretty crazy thinking back to all that happened. Ryker is doing very well and gaining his weight back and then some! I'm trying to get caught up on here, so you'll be seeing lots of pictures that we've taken since the end of March.

Easter Sunday

Hangin' out in Grandma & Grandpa's Exersaucer for the 1st time

Happy Birthday Great-Grandpa!
Snugglin' with Grandpa

The Scare of Our Lives

2008-04-10T16:22:00.009-05:00

A lot has been going on lately, so here's what's been happening. (This post will probably be a LONG one, so feel free to read if you have time. This is more for me to let it all out.) On what used to be one of my favorite holidays since I lived in Ireland, St. Patrick's Day turned out to be one of the scariest days of our lives. (Let's see if I can type this up without getting teary eyed.)

Ryker had his 4 month appointment that afternoon. The pediatrician told us that he is 70th percentile for length, but he wasn't gaining enough weight; of course that started me off with my emotions and "mommy guilt". Believe me, mommy guilt is the worst! She said it'll be ok, because we'll supplement formula along with me still nursing and in 2 weeks he'll look like a new chubby baby! Then he got his 4 mo. shots (2 in each leg), so my poor kiddo wasn't too happy at that moment. We got home, gave him 4 oz. of Enfamil formula since it was feeding time, and then Jeff left for his Master's class. That's when it all went downhill.

In the next 10 minutes or so, what appeared to look like a bug bite showed up to the right of his eye. Then more appeared around his chin. I called Nurse Line to see what I should do...no one was available, so someone would call me back. I swear, those next 5-10 minutes seemed like forever, because my beautiful baby boy had hives all over! When a nurse called back, she said call your physician immediately. As I was freaking out, dealing with his all by myself, not knowing what was wrong with my baby, I called the on-call dr. number since it was after office hours. The receptionist said to bring him right in. I hopped in the truck and drove about 90 to the dr.'s office. At that point he looked even worse. My level of "freaking out" had rose to the top of the charts. (Keep in mind, this was all only within a 1/2 hr. of giving Ryker the Enfamil.) I called Jeff three times in a row on the drive and when he finally answered as he stepped out of his class, I broke down. He couldn't even understand what I was saying at first, and then I told him what was going on. Of course, he didn't know what to think and left right away. What's crazy about that moment is that Ryker wasn't even acting like anything was wrong. I was even more scared on the drive, because he was so silent in the car seat. I was afraid he was going to stop breathing, so I kept sticking my hand back there to check his mouth. He just kept wanting to suck on my finger like always, so his breathing was fine.

Once I got there, I rushed him to the front desk and started bawling again. I said I didn't know what was wrong with my baby, and they brought us back right away to the nurses. We got him out of the car seat, and he was literally covered in hives from head to toe, face and body all red, and ears completely swollen. One thing that was funny about all of this is that even though Ryker didn't look like himself and his mommy was a wreck, he sure was smiling away at everyone that came in to see him, acting like nothing was wrong! What an absolute sweetheart. They gave him some Benadryl after 2 dr.'s looked at him, which made the hives start going away. I started feeling a lot better. At that time, Jeff arrived. It was so good to have him there, not being alone anymore, and I explained everything that happened. Since Ryker was looking a bit better, Jeff never got to see how horrible he looked. Daddy was sure scared though! After the dr. was talking to us about what it could be (the Enfamil or the shots), Ryker started to vomit profusely, literally like 5 times in a row. That is when the nurses came in again to help. The dr. had to give him an EpiPen, since he was having an anaphylactic allergic reaction. Just think of how hard it is to see your little baby boy getting a hard jab with a needle into his little thigh and the nurses having to hold him down for the dr. as he's crying in pain. I lost it again, just after we thought he was getting better. Literally within 10 min., the hives and swelling seemed to disappear. It sure worked fast. (Later I found out that was only the 2nd time that the dr. ever had to give an EpiPen to a patient, and that she and the nurses had never seen an allergic reaction with a little one this bad before.)

After he seemed to get a lot better again, they dropped a bombshell that they wanted to send Ryker to the Children's hospital to stay overnight for observations. Of course, I lost it again, just thinking how bad this had gotten. I held him so tight with tears randomly strolling down my cheeks as we waited. Jeff stood there too in a daze and in shock of everything that was happening. They called for an ambulance to pick him up, and when an ambulance comes, a firetruck comes with it. About 8 guys came in the room to see what was going on, which definitely overwhelmed us and brought me to more tears. After the dr. gave me comforting words and a hug, we put Ryker in his car seat on the stretcher. The men wheeled him to the ambulance and led me to the back to sit by our son. Jeff had to follow behind and follow in his truck. The whole experience definitely wore Ryker out, so he slept the entire ride. They didn't have the lights and sirens on but were apparently going about 80 on the freeway according to Jeff, so that worried him even more of not knowing if something was wrong. On the drive to the hospital, Jeff called his parents to let them know what was going on. Jeff's not a major emotional guy like his wife, but the moment his dad answered the phone, he lost it. That of course scared his dad not knowing what was wrong. Once Jeff was able to bring himself together, he explained what he could in a short phone call to them and then to my parents to let them know that he thinks everything will be ok.

Once we got there, we noticed a few more hives and his ears started to swell up a little bit again. (The dr. did say earlier that one of the reasons she wanted Ryker to stay overnight is because there could be a 2nd relapse, and sometimes it can be worse that the 1st reaction since it's still in his system. Thankfully, Ryker ended up not having a 2nd relapse. Those hives and swelling went away after some time.) Everyone at the hospital was very nice and sweet to Ryker. He was just so tired and very weak. Our baby, who always had great head control since birth, could barely keep his head up. That night was a very long one. Jeff's parents came right away, so that made us feel better to have them there. (I can't imagine what my parents were going through not being able to be with us.) There was only a twin size mattress for Jeff and I to sleep on. Jeff got about 3 hrs. of sleep; I got about 1 hour. Ryker looked so little in that crib, all hooked up to monitors, and so tired. My mind kept thinking back to all that happened in such a short amount of time. It kept thinking ahead to what could happen overnight. It kept wandering to thinking about the worst. It kept giving me more mommy guilt, even though I knew I shouldn't.

The next day he was getting much better. We all came to the conclusion that he was allergic to milk. He tried a hypoallergenic Enfamil formula, and he had the most disgusted face when he pushed away the bottle more than once. Then we tried a Similac brand (Allimentum), and thankfully he drank that. I also met with a lactation consultant who was a huge help. We set up a strict feeding schedule for Ryker to help him gain his weight back. The time of departure was unsure on our part, but we thought they'd let us go home that afternoon. That time came and went. The dr. wanted us to meet with an allergist, and he wasn't going to be around until the next morning. So another night was spent on that lovely mattress. After meeting with the allergy specialist in the late morning, we got a lot of information on having a milk allergy including the fact that I need to take milk out of my diet since I'm still nursing. We also found out that Ryker has the signs of eczema. (A lot of children who have an allergy get eczema.) Just great! They also trained us on how to use EpiPens. (Please God, don't make us ever have to use one on him.) The nurses took his blood to check to see if he's allergic to anything else like wheat, egg, peanut, soy, etc. (We got the results back the next week and found out that it's only milk.) We left that Wed. finally at about 1:30 pm. So our hospital stay was 2 nights and 3 days. The nurses sent a fuzy blanket home with us that volunteers make for patients, so that was nice.

Long story not short...WHAT AN EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER RIDE!!! I was already emotional from the 1st dr. visit for his 4 mo. checkup about Ryker's weight. Then when everything else happened it was up and down, up and down, up and down. THANKFULLY, he has been doing great since then. We took him in to the pediatrician that Friday for a weight check, and he had gained 1 lb. in 5 days! So the strict feeding schedule was working. :) Also at that visit, we found out that the dr. who gave him the EpiPen that scary day is also the wife of Jeff's professor from his Thurs. night class! What a small world! (At least Jeff feels better that his professor now truly understands why he didn't go to his Thurs. night class!) I'm still supplementing formula, but no longer Allimentum (which ended up being very expensive, twice the amount of the regular kind). He's now using a soy formula and is getting to be quite the CHUB!!! It's been hard taking dairy out of my diet, but it's worth it knowing that Ryker will be ok. He's just so cute and is so happy all the time now that he's always full. :) I'll post some pictures that we took the day we left the hospital. Even though he had been through a lot, he still had smiles to give everyone!

Hospital Smiles

2008-04-09T15:16:00.005-05:00

One of the nurses gave him a stylin' mohawk...I think he likes it!

Taking a break to play

Passed out from all of the play time! Too cute!

For those of you who knew what was going on, thank you for your thoughts and prayers. It was a tough time, but you helped us through it. God Bless You and lots of love sent your way!

Baby Model

2008-03-14T23:41:00.003-05:00

Ryker is always so cute after I give him a bath, so I just HAD to take some pictures while the sunshine was pouring in the room!

Here's my baby model! His arms even look ripped! (This was right before he peed all over the towel. haha)

Learning New Things!

2008-03-14T23:23:00.001-05:00

Playing on Grandma's lap

As of last week, Ryker LOVES playing with chip bags! He seems to be amazed with the noise it makes, the shiny color, and the light weight. In this picture, he actually got his arm in the bag!
Also as of last week, Ryker can now grab his feet! It's so funny how we get excited over little moments like these. Our baby boy is learning new things! (Hmmm...maybe Annie taught it to him. See the post below.)
What can I say? We're in love!

Needed a Change

2008-03-14T23:12:00.002-05:00

My hair was feeling a bit "blah", so I needed a change. Carrie, Liz, and Kat talked me into chopping my hair off. Maybe closer to summer I'll get some highlights.

MN Girls' Weekend!

2008-03-14T22:13:00.002-05:00

It's about time that I update my blog! Sorry I haven't written anything since my birthday. THANK YOU for all of you who granted my birthday wish! For those of you who haven't, it's not too late. :)

Two weekends ago, some close friends of mine flew down from MN to come visit and see Ryker for the 1st time. Carrie and Liz flew down together, and Kat flew later that Friday with her little girl, Annie, who is an adorable little 7 mo. old. We had such a great time! I definitely needed a weekend with my college girls. :) The weather was a heat wave for them while they were here; it got up to 75 degrees! We enjoyed the outdoors, nice chats, baby playtime, yummy dinners, and fun laughter.

THANKS for a fabulous weekend, girls!

Kat, Annie, Liz, Carrie, and me holding my growing boy!

We had a cookout at Kacie & Dan's house and Derek & Andrea joined us too. So here are the babies: Finley, Annie, Ryker, & Charlee. So cute!

Awww...young love. Ryker goes for the older girls. :)

Mommies & Babies...oh my!

(Yes, that is Will Ferrell in his underwear on TV. Good ol' Old School movie! HAHA)

Ryker's New Girlfriend!

2008-03-14T22:07:00.004-05:00

During one of the 1st moments that Ryker & Annie were playing together, the cutest thing happened! I had Ryker in his Bumbo seat since he can't sit up by himself. Kat put Annie right next to him, and she loved to check him out. She seems to love feet (especially her own when she puts them in her mouth). She grabbed Ryker's foot, pulled off his sock, and shoved the sock in her mouth. Liz & I saw it and just cracked up! Ryker didn't seem to mind. haha. It was such a funny baby moment! Wish we caught it on video!

During the girls' stay, Kat & I wanted to get some semi-naked baby pictures while they were here. Here are a couple of them (out of the 50 that we took!). Ryker loves his new girlfriend! :)

Gotta love baby smiles!

Annie seems to have a secret to tell Ryker, or maybe she just wants to explain to him how to grab his feet! She seems to be a pro at it. :)

My Birthday Wish

2008-02-21T22:50:00.005-06:00

So today is my 28th birthday (wow, way too close to 30!), and I have a wish for you. I think you can help me out! I know there are many readers out there, since I see that my blog has been read over 180 times. But I don't know who all is reading. I've had this blog since June of last year after my friends talked me into having one so they can see how big my belly was getting while I was pregnant and to read updates on how Jeff and I are doing. I always wonder who is reading my messages and checking out all the cute pictures of Ryker.

Here's my wish:
For all of you reading this, I would love for you to say hello in a comment so I can see who's reading! It'll only take you a couple of minutes. :) Also leave your city and state, that way not only myself but everyone else can see where all of my readers are from (even if I don't know you)!

If you don't know how to leave a comment, here are directions:
All you have to do is click on the underlined "comments" under the post, type a message that you'd like in the box, copy the letters in the next small box, click on "Name/URL" if you don't have a blog, type in your name (leave URL blank), and click "Publish Your Comment". Once you do that, it'll say on the top of the page "Your comment has been saved and will be visible after blog owner approval," so you won't see it right away. It sends me an email to approve the message (which I try to check at least once a day), and then it'll show up on my blog once I read/approve it! :)

THANKS FOR GRANTING MY BIRTHDAY WISH! I look forward to reading the all the comments and seeing where all of my readers are from! Enjoy your weekend!

Nona & Papa were here!

2008-02-21T16:39:00.004-06:00

My parents came to visit for a long weekend and arrived on Ryker's 3 mo. birthday! It was fun for them to see how Ryker has changed since their last visit. We had a nice time! However, Jeff ended up getting very sick during their entire time here. We think it was the flu. Yuck! He had a major fever (at one point it hit 103.6), body ached all over (felt like he got hit by a bus), nasty congestion, sore throat, horrible cough that hurt deep down, etc. Thankfully, my parents, Ryker, and I have shown no signs of getting it. Just to be safe, we tried to disinfect all the doorknobs, handles, phones, remotes, etc. He took a couple of days off of work, but still isn't feeling back to his normal self. A lot of the guys at his work have been sick too. The flu is hitting the Kansas City area and surrounding towns pretty hard. Not fun!

Ryker is enjoying playing a game with Nona & Papa!

Whatcha starin' at, little man?

This is his 1st time sitting in the Bumbo seat! He can't keep himself upright, so now he has a seat that can help him out!

What a sweet drooling face!

Yes, your Mommy loves you very much!

Happy Valentine's Day, Daddy!

2008-02-14T18:28:00.004-06:00

"HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, DADDY! We miss you while you're at work! Hey, I like that heart!"

"I'm going to give this to you when you get home! I can't wait!"

"Dear Lord...please let my Daddy come home safely. Amen."

"I'm being shy right now. But look, Daddy, I'm sitting in your BIG chair! By the way, sorry about the little bit of drool on your card. Oops!"

"Look at me, I'm a Little Loverboy for Valentine's Day! hehe"

WE LOVE YOU, DADDY!

~Mommy, Me, & Tippy~

Picture Happy As Always!

2008-02-14T18:22:00.004-06:00

"I'm like a deer in headlights!"

"I'm...trying...to...reach...my...shirt...ugh."

"Yeah, I'm pretty strong. Check these out!"

"Daddy, you're so silly!" *giggle giggle*

TOPIC: Giggles

2008-02-11T17:52:00.000-06:00

FOR ALL OF THE MOMMIES OUT THERE, please leave a response... (or even if you aren't a mommy!)

Quick question:
When did your baby 1st giggle?

I thought I'd ask, because I swear I've heard some giggles in the last couple of weeks! Am I just thinking I hear them? Or is Ryker really starting to learn how to giggle? He's going to be 3 months old on the 15th, and I thought babies don't giggle until about 4 months or later. Maybe I have a fast learner! Or again, am I an excited mommy just hearing things? :)

Proud Parents!

2008-02-11T17:43:00.000-06:00

Quite the sleepy boy after a LONG EPISODE of crying! We finally got him to fall asleep during Grandma's birthday celebration yesterday. Thank goodness!

He woke up from his nap!

Looks like he's still tired...big yawn!

Such a happy baby now!

The smiles keep coming!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Great-Grandma D.!

2008-02-11T17:27:00.000-06:00

Ryker loves spending time with his Great-Grandparents!

HAPPY 79th BIRTHDAY, Grandma D.! We hope you enjoyed your birthday celebration yesterday, even though Ryker was a bit overtired and fussy. Good thing we took this picture before all of his crying episodes, and at least he got a nice long nap. We love you both!

Picture update!

2008-02-11T17:12:00.001-06:00

"I like to suck on my fingers!"

Looking so cute in Sarah's hat that she made Ryker! He definitely stays warm & cozy in the carseat cover that Carrie's mom made! Thanks, ladies!

Gotta love baby smiles!!!

Practicing how to stand on two feet...what a strong little boy!

Time for bed, little one! Ryker says, "Will they ever stop taking pictures of me?" Mommy says, "Sorry sweetie, no we can't stop. We love to capture your cuteness!" :)

The Joy of Explosive Diapers!

2008-02-05T16:44:00.000-06:00

Yes, Ryker has had numerous poopy diapers...that's the life of a newborn baby. However, today's diaper pretty much went to the top of the charts for the most explosive! He's taking a nap right now, so I decided to sit down and tell you all about it. Aren't you excited to read about baby poop?! I thought so! ;)

Here's how the day has gone so far: This morning I gave Ryker a bath around 10:30 am. He loved hangin' out in the warm water and getting all clean! I put him in a cute new 3-6 mo. outfit that he hasn't worn yet. This rainy afternoon we headed out to grab a quick bite to eat, go vote, stop by our church for baptism info., and then buy a few groceries. He slept for a while and then woke up to smile at me and the strangers he saw. Once we got home, the obvious smell was coming from his carseat. I quickly let Tippy outside, put the cold groceries in the fridge, and brought Ryker to his changing station. My reaction: OH BOY! Oh yes, there was poop coming through one side of his pants. As I took his pants off, it got on his socks. As I took his socks off, it got all over his bare legs. As I took his onsie off, it got all over his back. As I was trying to clean him up with MANY wet wipes, his moving hands were getting a bit too close to the lower parts of his body. (I'm saying, "Please don't put those fists in your mouth right now even though I know you'd love to!") THE JOY OF EXPLOSIVE DIAPERS! The funny part about all of this is that Ryker kept smiling at me during that whole poopy time! So of course, I had to smile right along with him as I got crap all over my hands.

Off we went to take a SECOND BATH. Once again, he enjoyed getting in the warm water and being clean. After I put his clothes on, I layed him down on his play gym mat, and off I went to wash all the poopy clothes. After that got done, what did I see at my deck door? Oh yes, a super wet and muddy dog. (Remember, it was raining outside!) Just great! Off I went with a dirty puppy held in my outstretched hands away from my clothes and into the tub. Let's see, that's a THIRD BATH for the day! Thankfully, Ryker was still content at that time hangin' out on his play gym while I had to bathe Tippy.

So there you have it. At this moment, Ryker is sitting on the couch with me (awake from his nap), and Tippy is laying on the floor by my feet tired from getting a bath. Both are clean! WAIT A MINUTE...do I smell something coming from Ryker?? Oh yes, off we go to change another poopy diaper! Hopefully there will be no need for a 4th bath! :)

Jeff's new toy!

2008-01-31T14:28:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned in the last post, we had quite the frustration with Jeff's truck earlier this month. We ended up spending over $900 in trying to fix it at 2 different shop visits, and during the last visit they told Jeff that he needed a new engine. The heck with that! Why would we want to spend another $4000 on a truck that we knew wouldn't last much longer. Well, that same week, the truck died and wouldn't start until my dad called AAA towing for us (when they were still in town). Long story short, it was a stressful time. A few days later, after A LOT of going over our budget and trying to figure out what to do, we brought home a 2008 Toyota Tacoma that had a great sale! We got the double-cab, which will help taking Ryker in his carseat. Even though it's Jeff's new "baby", he still lets me drive it every once in a while. :)

Where have the days of January gone?!

2008-01-31T13:56:00.000-06:00

"Grandpa spiked my hair with gel! Now I'm a cool dude!"

Ryker likes to randomly stick out his tongue...too cute!

Sleepy boy taking a nap

Hangin' out in his pjs and swingin' away!

It's already January 31st! Let's see, what all happened this month?

Our baby boy turned 2 months and gets even cuter as the days go by! :)
Ryker LOVES to smile and talk to Mommy & Daddy! (I've taken some videos, so once I learn how to attach them I'll share them with y'all.)
He moved into size 2 diapers!
He's starting to wear some 3-6 mo. clothes, even though a lot of them are still quite big. The onsies fit much better than the 0-3 mo.!
In the last couple of weeks, he has found his fists to suck on! (I'll have to take a pic of the baby slobber to show you.)
One major event at the beginning of the month is the time that Jeff's 1996 Ford Ranger broke down and died. Yeah, it wasn't a fun time. (I'll explain more in the next post.)
Jeff got his Professional Engineer's license in the mail this week, because he passed his PE exam that he took back in November!!!! We're so proud!
This past week I thought I ended up somehow with strep throat with a major sore throat for days, coughing, nasal congestion, sneezing, and then loss of voice. I went to the dr. on Mon., and luckily it wasn't strep. She said I have laryngitis and probably a mixture of a cold. I've been really worried about Ryker getting sick, but THANKFULLY he hasn't shown any signs of being sick. Jeff has said he's had a bit of a sore throat in the last couple of days though. Uh oh!

I'm looking forward to the fabulous month of February! Not only is it my birthday month and that our boy will turn 3 months old, but we're also going to celebrate having MN visiters coming to KC! My parents are coming over President's Day weekend, and then Carrie, Liz, Kat, and Kat's 6 month old baby girl, Annie, are coming the last weekend of February. I CAN'T WAIT!! Mom & dad will be able to see how much Ryker's grown in 1 month and the girls will be able to meet him for the 1st time! His chubby cheeks are waiting for kisses!! :)

Happy 2 Month Birthday, Ryker!

2008-01-15T22:10:00.000-06:00

Happy to be heading to OshKosh College!

Today our baby boy turned 2 months old! He also had his 2 month pediatrician visit this morning. Poor little guy had 4 shots taken (2 in each leg)...he's a tough one! Yes he cried, but only for about 20 seconds after the shots and then in went the pacifier to calm him down...it worked! :) He definitely wanted to be held by his mommy during the rest of the day which made us both feel better.

Weight: 12 lbs. 3 oz. (55 percentile) Now he's going into size 2 diapers!
Height: 23 1/2 in. (75 %)
Head: 39.1 cm. (25 %)
He's doing great overall with all measurements!

Talkin' To Mommy

2008-01-05T11:36:00.000-06:00

"Hello, Mommy!"

"I'm trying to talk like you talk to me!"

Hee hee..."That tickles my tummy!"

"Let's sing the ABC song again!"

The Pictures Keep Coming...

2008-01-05T11:17:00.000-06:00

"I love you, Great-Grandma D.!"

What a happy little boy!

"I love you too, Grandma!"

"It's fun when everyone tries to get me to smile, because I get all of the attention!"

More visiters from Minnesota!

2008-01-04T22:43:00.000-06:00

We love out-of-town visiters! A good friend from high school, Bobbie, came to KC a week ago from Duluth with her husband, Aaron, and 2 kids, Dakota & Sierra. It was a very quick visit but lots of fun! It's sweet, because Ryker & Sierra have the same birthday (Nov. 15) and are exactly 1 year apart. We'll never forget their birthdays! Hopefully someday they can have a little birthday party celebration together! THANKS FOR COMING, BOBBIE!!!

Ryker loves looking in the mirror!

Such a gigglin' cutie and a new best friend to Tippy!

Just hangin' around!

Visiting with Ryker's Nona & Papa

2008-01-04T22:21:00.000-06:00

"Papa's got me!"

Mom and dad have been visiting us for 2 weeks and head back up north to MN tomorrow morning. They're not looking forward to the time away from Ryker. They had lots of fun with their little grandson and were able to see how much he changed since the week he was born and even the changes within the 2 weeks they were here! Changes include how he's more alert, staying awake longer, focusing on objects & people, smiling more often, recognizing his Mommy & Daddy, eye color changing a tad, getting chubbier, being a bit more vocal with baby coos, getting stronger in his movements, more control with his head, etc.

"Nona's trying to get me to go to sleep...it worked!"

"Time for another nap...zzzzzzz."

Papa's little grandson

We Love You Both!

Christmas of '07

2008-01-04T17:24:00.001-06:00

"Finley & I love our Santa hats!" Yawn..."Time for another nap!"

"This is when I was fighting sleep and Daddy had to calm me down while everyone was eating the Christmas dinner."

Tippy's energy always wears Rocky out when she's at his house!

"I love when my Great-Grandparents come to see me!"

"I'm all smiles!"

7 Weeks Old Yesterday!

2008-01-04T16:16:00.000-06:00

"Can I have a hug?" Anytime, Ryker!

Ryker has the cutest kissable cheeks ever! What a growing little man! He's getting to be quite the little chubby boy. :) It's amazing how the time is flying by! Get ready to see a bunch of pictures from the last couple of weeks that many of you were asking to see!

Hangin' out with Tippy & Daddy while cheering for the University of Memphis basketball team. Go Tigers!

Snuggling up with Daddy at home

Peek-a-boo!

Getting Ready For Christmas!

2007-12-19T21:50:00.000-06:00

"Merry Christmas!"

As he points to the camera he says, "How YOU doin'?!" :) (Jeff thinks he looks like a salesman here! haha)

Ryker's excited to see his Nona & Papa on Saturday when they come back to KC for the holidays! I can't believe Christmas is already next week! Where has the time gone?!

Ryker's Best Friends!

2007-12-19T21:46:00.000-06:00

Hangin' out with his best bud, Finley, who is 4 1/2 months old now!

At our girls' Bunco night, we put all the babies that have been born in order of age.

Finley, Shelby (less than an hr. older than Ry), Ryker, and Charlee (10 days younger than Ry)

Finley & Ryker didn't like getting their binkies taken away for the picture.

Here are the mommies with their babies!

Kacie & Finley, Ali & Shelby, Me & Ryker (who loves looking up at his Mommy!), and Andrea & Charlee

Ryker is already 5 weeks old!!!

2007-12-19T21:42:00.000-06:00

Ryker says, "Hey, y'all!"

Our baby boy is growing so fast! We can't believe he's already 5 weeks old! All is going well, and Jeff & I are loving being parents. Ryker definitely keeps me busy during the day! We have our good days where Mommy can get some things done, and we have our rough days where not a whole lot gets done around the house (or even having time to take a shower)! As far as sleep goes, I get up about twice a night with him. However, some of those times I could be up for an hour with him, so the sleep varies for me. Ryker continues to make us smile, especially when he smiles back at us! Of course, he has his major crying moments, and we do whatever we can to stop him from crying whether that be a diaper change, feeding him, or bouncing him in our arms. He's a spoiled little boy, because he always gets Mommy and Daddy to do what he wants us to do. But that's ok...babies can never be spoiled too much! :)

As far as my recovery since delivery, all is going ok. I just had my 1st postpartum dr. appt. on Tuesday. So far I've lost over 20 lbs., so that's good news! However, this "in between" stage of clothes shopping is not so much fun, so I definitely have more to lose. I did get some bad news though at the appt. (even though I kind of knew it was probably true from what I have been feeling)...I most likely cracked my tailbone during the delivery, so the pain when I sit down and stand up doesn't feel so great. My dr. said that I could get it x-rayed to be sure, but it wouldn't do much good since there's nothing we can really do about it. It's not like she can put a cast on a tailbone! She said the pain can last up to 3 months. (Julie asked a dr. that she knows, and he said that the pain could even last up to 6 months!) So I'm not really looking forward to that. At least with the pain, I have an adorable son in my arms while I try to endure it! :)

Enjoy the pictures that we've taken in the last couple of weeks!

"I'm just too cute in my little hoodie!"

"Tippy & I are posing together!"

"Will my feet get as big as Daddy's?"

"I love you, Mommy," says my "Automatic Sprinkler"!

And yes, Ryker has "sprinkled" on us quite a few times! :)

More Hospital Pictures...

2007-12-06T15:06:00.001-06:00

One more thing, check out the following website to see a few of the pictures that were taken by the hospital photographer! Click on November 15th, and you'll find Ryker. :)

http://www.our365.com/webnursery/WebNursery/BabyFinder/BabyFinder.aspx

Our Baby is 3 Weeks Old Today!

2007-12-06T14:28:00.000-06:00

What We Love About Our Son

We Love...

when he has the cutest yawns from being tired.
his little hiccups as he gets burped.
when he lays on Mommy's chest after eating and falls asleep.
his milk "drunk" look while eating.
when he looks at us with one eye open (we call him "One-Eyed Ryker).
his sweet little fingers and toes.
when he stretches out his arms over his head.
his dark brown hair that's so soft.
when he makes his snorting sounds when he's hungry.
his cute little ears that look like Mommy's.
when he makes us laugh as he pees at his 1st 2 dr. appointments or at home on the wall.
his chubby little kissable cheeks.
when his belly gets huge after eating.
his cute little nose.
when he squeezes our fingers with his little hands with a strong grip.
his cute "animal" noises that he randomly makes.
when he took his 1st bath at home and did so well even though he cried just a little bit.
his baby scent.
when he lays in between Mommy and Daddy in bed.
his little chin that quivers when he cries.
when he takes deep breaths and sighs.
his amazing strength when he picks up his head on his own and moves it around.
when he catches himself before he sneezes and makes a cute little sound.
his blue-grey eyes.
when he smacks his lips after eating.
his little toots and grunts.
when he looks at us and smiles!

Adorable Poses Within 1 Minute!

2007-12-05T12:46:00.000-06:00

Grunt grunt..."Mommy, I don't like gas!"

Jeff and I took a bunch of pictures over a week ago right after I fed Ryker, because that's the time that we get the CUTEST facial expressions from him. We took about 20 pictures within only 1 minute. These are some of my favorite pictures of him!

"I like to wave to everyone!"

"I have a question, Mommy!"

"Whoa, my tummy sure is full!"

"Pass me a drink!" No, no, Ryker. You're way too young for that! haha. :)

A Very Thankful Year!

2007-12-05T12:18:00.000-06:00

Auntie Malena is thrilled to spend time with her new nephew!

This was the 1st time for Uncle Kyle to hold a newborn baby! Ryker was in good hands. :)

Wow, I'm updating my blog 2 days in a row! Aren't you impressed?! I'm feeling a lot more rested today compared to yesterday. Ryker let me sleep a little more last night, even though I still got up twice with him.

Thanksgiving Day this year was wonderful since we had both sides of the family together! Ryker was exactly 1 week old that day, so we were all very thankful to have a healthy baby boy with us. We spent the holiday at Rick & Julie's house and ate some very yummy food! (Thanks for all of your cooking, Julie, Grandma, & Dad!)

Jesse, Malena, Mom, Jeff, Ryker, Janell, & Dad

Jeff, Janell, Ryker, Kyle, Julie, & Rick

More pictures!

2007-12-04T21:21:00.000-06:00

Ryker's name above his crib and rocking chair

4 days old on his way to his 1st Pediatrician visit

Such cute little hands! Just got his nails cut by Daddy.

Finally...another update!!

2007-12-04T20:28:00.001-06:00

Being weighed right after delivery...brrrrr, it's cold in his new surroundings!

Here are more pictures to share with you! (Yes, I know, finally! I've been trying to get used to Ryker's schedule, so I'm still pretty tired.) Ok, I'll go back to day 1 for you and briefly describe the hospital events since many friends were asking.

Showed up to the hospital for the labor induction on Wed., 11-14, at 8 pm. They didn't have us on the schedule to be there that night! Long story short, there apparently was lack of communication with my dr.'s office and the hospital. We had to wait in the waiting room for 40 min. while they called my dr. and called an on-call nurse. Not a fun start for the night! We were almost tempted to just go back home but stuck to it when they finally came out to get us.
Got the IV stuck in my arm and then the Cervadil at 10:30 pm. Contractions basically started like 10 min. later.
Had quite a miserable night with contractions. Neither of us got a wink of sleep all night long (so we basically were awake for 2 straight days). Contractions got pretty strong after midnight.
Was dilated to 4 cm at 2 am.
After a while, I ended up having to be put on oxygen because Ryker's heart rate was dropping a bit since the contractions were so close together.
Got epidural at 6:50 am. LOVE the epidural! Felt no contractions and no pain!! Still on oxygen.
Dilated to 5 cm at 8:45 am.
At 10 am, almost to 10 cm.
Started pushing at 10:30 am (still on oxygen), and Ryker arrived at 10:59 am!

Ok, so that wasn't really that brief. Overall, the pain and long night was definitely worth it! We have the cutest little baby boy now!! Here are some more pictures from the hospital.

A Thankful family! Mommy's still a bit swollen in the face from the delivery.

For y'all in Memphis...here's Ryker's Elvis impression with his happy Daddy!

Papa & Nona (Italian for Grandpa & Grandma)

Grandma & Grandpa

Both sets of grandparents are very proud to have their 1st grandchild!

OUR LITTLE GUY HAS ARRIVED!!!

2007-11-18T22:07:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the world, RYKER!!!

7 lbs. 5 oz. and 20 in.--born 11/15 at 10:59 am

(Mommy is very tired at the hospital.)

Getting ready to go home! He has to cry a little bit of course! :)

What a beautiful baby boy! Look at that hair!!

Mommy & Daddy are SO IN LOVE with him!!

Feels good to be home!

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers that you've sent our way. Don't worry, we'll be updating more and sharing our hospital experience this week when we're more rested. :) Ryker is such a sweet blessing! Can't wait for you to see more of him!!

40 Weeks on our way to the hospital!

2007-11-14T18:45:00.000-06:00

Family of 3 ready to be family of 4!

Last appointment was today!

2007-11-06T12:52:00.001-06:00

This morning Jeff & I went to our 8:15 am, 39 week appt. Here's an update: I'm only still 50 % effaced (which I have been for several weeks) and still haven't dilated yet. Bummer, no change. If the little guy doesn't show up by my due date, next Tues. the 13th, I will be going into the hospital Wed. night at 8 pm to get prepped for labor induction. Pretty crazy! No matter what happens, we'll have a baby next week!!! Without going into too much detail, we basically stay the night after getting "prepped" (which also includes me getting a sleeping pill). When I wake up and take a shower, they start the rest of the process. Honestly, I would rather not be induced, but last week we discussed that she would induce me that Thurs. or the following Thurs. if he doesn't show up. Well, the following Thurs. is Thanksgiving Day. So if I have to choose a day to have it done, then I would much rather take the 1st choice so I can hold our sweet little baby boy on his 1st holiday, enjoy the company in town, and eat the yummy food instead of being stuck in a hospital! :) Mom & dad are driving down from MN this Sat. and will stay until the Monday after Thanksgiving, so it'll be fun to have them here for the whole experience. I know the new grandparents are EXTREMELY excited! My sister, her husband, and Jeff's brother are also coming in town the week of Thanksgiving, so it'll be one big happy family all together! I'm really looking forward to it. My nerves are starting to set in for the whole labor part, but I know all will go well. Keep us in your thoughts & prayers. THANKS! :)

FINAL WEEK!

2007-11-06T12:34:00.001-06:00

Today marks the beginning of my final week of pregnancy! We had a pretty busy weekend. On Sat. we helped our friends Derek & Andrea move into their new house for most of the day. Then we shopped a bit together at Babies-R-Us, ate at Panera Bread, and rented "Transformers" for the night of relaxing (ended up being a pretty good movie). It hit us that Sunday was going to be our LAST full day of just the two of us without company and/or a baby in the house! So we wanted to spend the day together. Guess what we did?! We went to the sold-out CHIEFS vs. PACKERS game at the Arrowhead Stadium! A friend of mine had 2 extra tickets so she called late Sat. night and asked if we wanted to go. Thinking to myself, I only have a week left of pregnancy...would that be smart to go? Then I said, "Why the hell not!" :) We had lots of fun and had AWESOME seats right behind the Chiefs, 30 yard line, 21 rows from the field, lower deck! Even though the Chiefs lost, what a fun day to spend together, right! After the game we picked up Tippy, ran to Best Buy to get the video camera that Jeff wanted, and headed over to Rick & Julie's house for a yummy dinner.

So Many Baby Showers!

2007-11-02T13:34:00.000-05:00

On Sunday after Carrie & Liz left, we had a baby shower for Andrea (above in middle). Hope you had fun, Andrea!! :) She's due 2 weeks after me, so her little girl is coming soon too! Kacie (on left) can't wait for other babies to be around to hang out with Finley!

Julie & Dana are happy and excited to be Grandmothers!

Do I Really Only Have 1 1/2 Weeks Left?!

2007-11-02T12:09:00.000-05:00

This was taken this past Friday at 37.5 Weeks

Drumroll please...........I only have 1.5 weeks left until my due date!!! Last weekend was another eventful weekend full of girl time! 2 of my close friends from MN, Carrie & Liz, drove down to KC on Thursday night while Jeff was out of town getting ready for his Professional Engineer Exam. It was nice to not be alone, just in case anything would happen. (No baby yet!) On Friday, as I was wondering how Jeff's 8 hr. exam was going during the day, the girls and I had fun eating a yummy breakfast, relaxing by just hanging out and chatting, baby shopping at Target using gift cards, and having fun at Bunko with the KC girls that night. (If you're wondering, Jeff thought the test was of course very difficult but that it was a little better than he thought it would be. He won't get the results until around February, which is quite the long wait! Let's hope for the best! THANK GOODNESS he's done spending every night studying!) On Sat., while Jeff had to spend most of the day at a work meeting (poor guy), the girls and I had another fun day shopping for the little guy at Babies-R-Us spending more gift cards, organizing the baby room, and doing baby laundry. After Jeff got home and before we went out for dinner, Carrie & Liz decided to do a pregnancy photo shoot! Our friend, Kim, is an excellent photographer (as you can see on her blog if you click "Beejo" on the right side of my page), so the girls wanted to give it a shot like Kim did while she was pregnant! It was lots of fun; we enjoyed having the giggles as they tried to "pose" me and have me change outfits--Carrie was the photographer and Liz was her lovely assistant. They definitely made me feel like a beautiful pregnant woman! :) Thanks, girls!

Here's my 1st belly shot that has been posted on this blog!

Next pose: Hands of Mommy & Daddy on the baby belly

Carrie & Liz were being creative in being photographers!

THANKS FOR THE FUN WEEKEND, GIRLS!!!

Eventful Weekend

2007-10-21T12:28:00.000-05:00

Finley is getting so big!

On Friday night, a bunch of us had a surprise party for Derek's 30th birthday...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Derek! We were all enjoying taking turns holding Finley and giving Kacie & Dan a break. :)

Baby Shower with Co-Workers

Yesterday my co-workers threw me a fun baby shower at a yummy local mexican restaurant...THANKS JAN & MARY for all of your creative planning! And many thanks to all of you who were able to make it. Our little guy will look so adorable in all his new outfits & will love his baby goodies!

36 Weeks--Oh Boy!

2007-10-16T22:45:00.001-05:00

Oh My Goodness...I only have 4 WEEKS LEFT until my due date!!! However, it could be sooner than that or later. As long as he doesn't show up before Jeff's PE Exam, which is on the 26th in less than 2 weeks! Poor guy...he's a bit stressed with all of his studying and so much to do at work. Keep him in your prayers!

I have my last shower this Saturday with my co-workers, so that'll be fun! I sure miss teaching with them. At least I've been subbing almost every day at my school in the last couple of months. My last day subbing is next Monday, and then I'm cutting it off. I have lots that I want to get done at home and errands to run before the baby shows up! I know I won't regret my decision of taking the year off of teaching once the baby shows up. He'll definitely keep me busy! :)

Kansas City Baby Shower

2007-10-16T22:25:00.001-05:00

Julie made me a collage!

I had my 2nd baby shower on October 7th at my mother-in-law's house. It was lots of fun with family and friends! (THANK YOU!!!) The ladies who put it on did a fabulous job! In the above picture, you can see that Julie made me a sweet collage of when Jeff and I were babies and 1 picture of our wedding day. I wonder who our little guy will look like the most!

Father & Mother-to-Be at 35 Weeks

Many thanks to all who could be there and join the fun!

6 Weeks to Go (or more or less)!!!

2007-10-04T22:23:00.000-05:00

Week 34

Where has the time gone? I really wonder at this point when our little guy will want to show up. Will he be early? On time? Late? As long as it's not too early, since Jeff's big PE (Professional Engineer) exam is on Oct. 26th. He's a bit stressed, but I'll know he'll do fine.

On Tues., I had my last 2 wk. appointment. Now I'll be going in once a week, which means the time is near! The appt. went well. Baby boy's head is still down and most likely will stay that way. Let's pray! The books say that he's probably almost 5 pounds by this week, and the dr. said the same. We had our hospital tour Tues. night, and the private rooms are really nice! Heck, they have 2 flat screen tvs (a bigger one in front of the bed and a smaller one in front of the fold out love seat couch) that you can order free movies & games, a jacuzzi tub, wireless internet, little desk area, glider chair, curtain if needed by the bed, etc. There are a total of 11 rooms at this newer hospital, so hopefully they won't be full by the time I go into labor! (Yes, that can happen but hopefully not with us! They would have to send me to another hospital that my dr. goes to.) All the registration paperwork was filled out also. Tonight from 7-9:15 pm we had the breastfeeding class, which went well. It was pretty good, especially since we both learned info. that we didn't know before. (And yes, there were several other dads-to-be there with their wives.) Jeff was glad he went. What a good guy! :)

This weekend is going to be a busy one! On Sat. from 9-4:30, we have our childbirth prep. class (lunch/snacks included). Then we'll have to head home to relax a bit and allow Jeff time to study...yes, on a Sat. night. On Sunday, I have my 2nd baby shower which is being held at "Grandma" Julie's house. It'll be lots of fun!! I'll try to have someone take good pictures for me to show all of you!

There you have it...I finally updated my page! Sorry I've been slacking for those of you who have reminded me. :)~ I'll have lots to write about after this weekend! Hope all is well with all of you, and write me a little message if you have the time!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to My 2 Dads!

2007-09-24T21:49:00.000-05:00

HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY, DAD!!!

HAPPY 55th BIRTHDAY to my father-in-law, Rick!

(Yes, they share the same birthday!)

Don't worry, you guys don't even look that old! :)

Love you both!

Belly is Moving! Is that a butt?

2007-09-13T21:34:00.001-05:00

Week 31

Hmmm...How much bigger will I get?

Do I really only have 9 weeks left until my due date? CRAZY! Who knows, he may show up earlier or later. Who wants to vote? :) So the past few weeks, I've definitely been feeling the baby move a lot more! Not only do I feel his random kicks and hiccups, but the coolest part is when I can actually feel a hard body part. Right now, as I sit at my desk, I can feel a body part at the middle top of my belly. I wonder what it is! Is it a butt, head, shoulder, knee? At times I can even see my belly move as he moves. It's pretty darn sweet! I wonder if I'll ever see a foot print sticking out. For those mothers out there, did you ever see that? I even have noticed the Braxton Hicks Contractions, which make my belly tighten up like crazy. My son (wow, I haven't said that a lot...has a nice ring to it) likes to keep me up at night too. I think he's trying to prepare me for what is to come.

Seeing friends with their babies and mothers giving their little ones hugs & kisses make me get even more excited to have our little guy here with us! People are continuously asking us what name we've picked out and the answer is...we're still working on it. It's a pretty hard decision if you ask me! I had lots of girl names in my head before we found out we were having a boy. Then I had to change the direction of my thoughts. Don't worry, we'll have one before he comes. I'll let y'all know once we decide!

Tippy is hanging out with Finley (who is 5 weeks old in the picture). We can't believe he'll be 6 weeks old tomorrow! Jeff & I love the "practice" as we babysit him!

What a cute pair! The question is...will Tippy get jealous when our boy shows up? So far, she's great with Finley!

Week 30

2007-09-09T21:24:00.000-05:00

1st Baby Shower in my hometown at 30 Weeks!

Over Labor Day weekend, Jeff and I traveled up north to Duluth for a few days. I wish we could've stayed longer! Visits always go by way too fast, especially when there's so much we'd like to do and so many people to see. My girls organized my 1st baby shower which was so much fun!! MANY THANKS to my lovely ladies!!! You did a fabulous job! We got some really sweet baby clothes, blankets, toys, etc. Our little boy is going to be so darn cute! :) I only got a few pictures taken at the shower, so for those of you that were there please send me what you were able to take. Thanks! (The above pictures are of my girlfriends that were able to make it. We didn't get a chance to take a group picture of everyone else before they left.) It was also fun having 3 little ones with their mommies--Bobbie brought Sierra (10 months), Erin had Daylan (almost 5 months), and Kat had her new little girl, Anastasia (only 4 weeks old). One of the cutest moments was when Sierra keep hugging and "petting" Daylan. So sweet!

While in Duluth, we wanted to do a little "sight-seeing" since Jeff still hasn't seen all the fun attractions. Off we went to take a stroll on the beach at Park Point. It was a bit chilly, but not too bad. There were even people swimming in the super cold Lake Superior! Those are die-hard Duluthians. haha. We also wanted to go to the Rose Garden to see the beautiful flowers and take a nice long walk on the lakewalk. It was nice taking a break from the heat in KC to enjoying a cool breeze in the 70s.

The Spence family walking on the beach at Park Point

I love my husband!

Beautiful Rose Garden in Duluth on the Lakewalk

Standing in front of the well-known Aerial Lift Bridge

Week 29

2007-08-30T20:16:00.001-05:00

Week 29 Picture

Jeff and I have been slacking on taking the weekly pictures, so we apologize for that. My belly is sticking out a bit more and still is growing. Who knows how big I'll get when it gets really close to the due date...hopefully not HUGE. :) I'm super excited for heading up to Duluth this weekend. Jeff and I are driving to the cities tomorrow after he gets off of work and staying the night with Liz and Bryan. Malena is flying there too, and we're picking her up Sat. morning after she hangs out with her friend, Becky. We'll make sure to stop more than the 1 stop that we usually take, so no worries on the long drive. I can't wait for my 1st baby shower on Sunday!! It'll be fun to see all of the family and friends from back home in MN. (MANY THANKS to the girls who are putting it together!) Jeff and I haven't been to Duluth since last Christmas, so it's definitely time to be home with mom and dad. There's no place like home. :)

Having dinner with Kacie, Finley (now 4 weeks old), and Laurie

Julie is ready for a grandchild of her own!

This is me then...

2007-08-28T17:27:00.000-05:00

I saw this on a few of my friends’ blogs and enjoyed reading their info. Thought I should join the crowd in filling it out too!

20 years ago I...
1. was 7 years old
2. took the school bus to Pike Lake Elementary School
3. would play “school” with my sister with our big chalkboard

10 years ago I...
1. was about to start my senior year of high school
2. worked at Wilsons-The Leather Experts in the mall
3. had to think about where I wanted to go to college

5 years ago I...
1. graduated from The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth
2. moved to Memphis to teach 8th grade Communication Arts and coach volleyball
3. met my husband-to-be through a good friend

3 years ago I...
1. lost Papa 1 week before my wedding (lost Nona later on Easter Sunday)
2. got married in my hometown and went to Mexico for our honeymoon
3. moved to Kansas City after Jeff got a job transfer--had only 1 weekend to find a place to live

1 year ago I...
1. got back from taking an awesome 2 week vacation in Ireland, Austria, and Norway
2. enjoyed standing by Carrie’s side as she got married to the love of her life
3. had just started my 2nd yr. teaching 8th grade C. A. at Raymore-Peculiar Middle School

So far this year I...
1. was diagnosed with PCOS, which freaked me out a bit
2. got pregnant even though I thought it was going to take longer!!!
3. have been enjoying getting ready for our baby boy to come!

Yesterday I...
1. spent time running errands with Kacie, Summer, and their sweet little ones
2. got a hair cut at Summer's house
3. went to Petco with Jeff to get Tippy some dog food and treats

Today I...
1. went for a early morning walk with Tippy for 1 hr. 10 minutes before it got too hot
2. got my fingerprints taken in order to sub in the Lee’s Summit School District
3. ran a couple errands at the bank and Target

Tomorrow I...
1. will go for a walk in the morning and maybe go to the pool afterwards
2. will get my oil changed in my car
3. will start making a list for what I need to pack for our DULUTH trip this weekend--so excited to be back home for a long weekend and to have my 1st baby shower!

In the next year I...
1. will have a baby boy in our lives!!!
2. will enjoy all the company that will come to see our little one
3. will work off the weight that I’ve gained from the pregnancy, and then some!

Hope all is well with everyone! I know more people are looking at my blog, so feel free to leave me comments. I'd love to see who's checking in and would love to hear from you! :)

Third Trimester Already!

2007-08-22T18:46:00.000-05:00

Regular ultrasound picture of our little boy's feet!

As of this week, I'm 28 weeks pregnant and already in my 3rd trimester. That's pretty crazy! As you can see, Jeff and I had our 4D ultrasound which was pretty sweet. We actually had to go in to get it done twice because our little boy was "stubborn" and wouldn't show his face the 1st time. He had his feet next to his face, so we got great shots of his feet. He even kept hitting himself with his knee. (Doesn't that remind you of the "stop hitting yourself" game that many of us used to play with our parents as kids?!) haha.

4D picture of his crossed ankles

So we went in the 2nd time and had good profile shots of his face as you see below. We couldn't get a full view of the whole front of his face, but what can you do? It was funny, because he was holding onto the umbilical cord with his hand right by his face the whole time. The nurse even said, "Look, he already has a toy to play with!" :)

Picture of face and arm/hand right next to him--looks like he's even smiling a bit as he smooshes his nose!

At least we could see part of the other eyelid!

There's one of his little ears!

As far as I know, that was the last ultrasound that I'll be having. I'm now going to the dr. every 2 weeks for check-ups. We pray that it'll be a smooth ride from now until when he shows up!

Congrats to Mommy Kacie & Mommy Kat!!!

2007-08-14T20:55:00.000-05:00

The following news is what I was going to write about last week but didn't get to it. 2 of my girlfriends had their babies while I was in Chicago...one in Kansas City and one in the MN!! Kacie and her husband, Dan, had Finley Cooper the morning of Friday, August 3rd (due date was Aug. 10th). I got a call from Jeff (after he tried calling 5 times when my phone was on "silent") about an hour after Finley arrived. For those of you who know my emotions, tears of joy were strolling down my cheeks while we were waiting for the tour bus in downtown Chicago. The tears were also coming out because I couldn't be there with Kacie to share in the amazing moment. Below are some pictures of their beautiful baby boy. He and my little one will be the best of buds!

Finley Cooper and Auntie Janell--4 Days old

Uncle Jeff's 1st time holding a newborn baby! (What great practice for him!)

Little Finley and his beautiful Mommy

12 Days Old---Hangin' out with his Daddy!

On the morning of Sunday, August 5th, Kat and her husband, Adam, had a beautiful baby girl named Anastasia Marian (due date was Aug. 20th). I sure wish I could be there to see her! (To see pictures, check out Carrie & Liz's blogs.) Carrie, Liz, and I got a call from our friend, Erin, to tell us the fun news while we were on a train heading to the airport. Once we actually got to talk to Kat on the phone, more tears strolled down my cheeks. You know me! Now, this is hitting me harder, that I'm NEXT!!! Even though November 13th seems far away, time is sure going by fast!

CONGRATS to the proud parents!!!

Leaving Comments...

2007-08-09T23:05:00.000-05:00

By the way, I believe I have fixed the ability for all of you lovely friends and family to leave comments on my blog even if you don't have an account. Some people told me they tried to leave a comment but couldn't since they don't have a blog. Hopefully it's no longer a problem. I'd love to hear from all of you, so leave me a message! :)

More writing will come to you tomorrow or this weekend, since I have more news to share! It's late and time for bed now.

Busy last few weeks!

2007-08-09T22:20:00.000-05:00

Week 24--the excited parents-to-be

I'm finally updating my blog! A lot has been going on in the last few weeks. The family came to visit as you see in the picture below. It was fun spending time together at our house, the museum, a coffee brewhouse, restaurants, etc. Obi & Tippy were best buds once again! They wore each other out from so much doggy play time! :) Then last weekend I headed out to Chicago for Amber's wedding. Carrie, Liz, and I got there on Thursday to spend time in the city. We saw the broadway show, "Wicked", which was awesome! On Friday, after going out for a yummy breakfast with Liz's sweet parents (who also were in town for the play), we took a double-decker bus tour (2 hrs.) around the city. Even though it was super hot sitting up top in the sun, it was still a good time with a funny tour guide. Amber's wedding was in Joliet on Sat., so we took the Amtrak train to get there Fri. night. Amber sure was beautiful on her wedding day! (CONGRATS, Amber & Mike!!!) Like always, it was a fun time to get together with the college girlfriends! Not everyone could make it, but we were sure thinking of them! Thanks for a fun weekend, girls! Can't wait to see you again hopefully soon!!

Jesse, Malena, Mom, Dad, Me, and Jeff standing on our deck

Reunion of girlfriends--Carrie, Erin, Liz, Jess, Kelly, Me, and Sarah after Amber's Wedding

Carrie, Liz, Amber, and I are dancing the night away!
Week 25 "hot mama" pose at Amber's reception (haha) :)

6 out of 12 girls are pregnant!

2007-07-24T15:29:00.000-05:00

Last Friday, 12 of our friends got together to play a dice game called Bunco. (No, it's not just for older ladies. haha.) We play once a month and have a great girl time, which is always needed! It's pretty crazy, because 6 of us are pregnant as you see in the above picture. We are in order of due dates. From left to right, Kacie was at 38 weeks, me at 23, Ali at 22, Andrea at 21, Summer at 16, and Alison at 13 weeks. Kacie is almost there!!!

After a beautiful wedding this past Sat. (CONGRATS, Mary!), we did look at cribs but couldn't make a final decision. I want to still look around at other places for deals. It's all expensive, of course. What gets us is that some of the dressers that match the cribs are poor quality. We want pieces of furniture that will actually last a long time. So the search is ongoing. We still have plenty of time. :)

Today marks the beginning of my 24th week. It sure is going by fast! I have yet to take a picture this week. I'll take some pictures when my family gets in town. Malena, Jesse, and their big dog, Obi, are coming in late tomorrow night. (Tippy will sure be excited to see Obi! They were best pals when we went to Denver over Memorial Day weekend.) Mom and dad arrive Thurs. afternoon. It'll be a nice weekend of company visiting Kansas City!

23 Weeks

2007-07-18T15:34:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I started week 23. My belly is definitely growing now! I am feeling my little guy kicking more often now when I'm sitting down and relaxing, even can see my belly move a little every once in a while when he kicks! Poor Jeff...when he wants to feel it, nothing happens. It's always random. :) I sure can tell a difference from today's picture compared to week 21's picture. We decided to take the picture outside this time in front of our garden that's still growing and our house in the background. We plan on looking around again this weekend for a crib and matching dresser, so that'll be fun. Hopefully we'll find something that we like and not too pricy.

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

2007-07-17T17:00:00.000-05:00

Mom, it's your birthday, so celebrate! Know that we wish we could be with you! Looking forward to seeing you, dad, Malena, & Jesse next week!! I LOVE YOU!

This past weekend I was in southern MN celebrating Amber's bridal shower. It was definitely a fun weekend seeing Amber, Mike, her family, and all the girls that could make it! There were 5 babies there, so we all got our baby fix! 3 of us were pregnant, all at different stages (Tiffany, Kat, and I are in the picture), so that was fun sharing our pregnancy moments with each other. We all chatted about Amber's wedding in 3 weeks, college memories, marriages, children, and just good ol' girl talk. (Sorry we didn't take the picture before you left, Jess!)

After all the girls left, I had a great time being an "adopted daughter" in Amber's family. Her dad is a HUGE fan of karaoke, so we went out to a couple bars over the weekend and sang with him. :) Thanks for everything and letting me stay with you, Becker family!

22 Weeks

2007-07-13T09:18:00.000-05:00

Here I am at 22 weeks, which was taken on Sunday right before going to my friend Kacie's baby shower. Jeff wanted to take the picture at the same spot. :) (Jeff also took the cute picture that you see on the right side of the page of my sweet little girl, Tippy.) My parents were in town last weekend, and we had a really nice visit. They spent a little under 2 weeks in Memphis and stopped by to KC on their way there and back. Mom brought 2 bags full of baby clothes already! (Thanks, Mom!) For all of us that know my mom, she's the queen of clearance racks! She definitely found some good deals and cute clothes! On Sat., I went out to Babies R US with my mom and mother-in-law to add/change things on our baby registry and then headed out for lunch. It was a fun day out with the moms! Julie also bought the cutest little outfit for her 1st grandchild while we were shopping. On Sun. while mom and I were at Kacie's shower, Jeff and dad painted the baby room a pretty blue color. It'll look great with our new crib bedding set, which we just got in the mail this week. Now we need to figure out which crib we want! Don't worry, I'll definitely take pictures of the baby room once it's all done. So far, it's just getting started!

In a little over a week, I've been starting to feel the little boy inside of me! At first, I couldn't tell if it was actually him or not. Now I know it is! On Sun., we were all sitting down around the kitchen table talking when I told Jeff that I was feeling something twice in the same spot. He put his hand there, and a minute later felt it!! We were both pretty excited! People are still asking us if we've made a decision on a name, and I know whoever is reading this right now is wondering too...so to answer your question, we still haven't decided. We have plenty of time until this "little dude", as Jeff likes to call him, comes out into the world! :)

Well, I should end this post now. I have to finish packing for my trip this weekend! I'm heading out to southern MN for my friend Amber's bridal shower. I'm so excited to see my girls!!! I leave this afternoon and come back on Monday. You'll have to wait until I come back for my next update. Until then, adios!

Pregnant at 21 Weeks!

2007-07-01T22:55:00.000-05:00

So here I am...just took this picture today. I technically start week 21 on Tuesday. I'm definitely starting to show a bit now! Pretty crazy. :) Jeff and I tried to start registering at Babies R Us today, and all I can say is WOW--that's pretty overwhelming! We both felt pretty "dumb" in several areas of what to buy, but that's ok. I know we're not the only 1st time parents that get overwhelmed when it comes to what to buy for our 1st child. We're going to do more research & add/delete items online, get more ideas of necessities from other mommy "experts", and we'll go back another day to finish it up. We're going to register at Target someday too, so that'll be fun.

We also bought our 1st baby outfit together today. It's so cute! Jeff actually saw it first and just had to show me. We both decided that it would be a really cute outfit for our little boy to wear coming home from the hospital. So sweet to think about!

Well, it's 10:55 pm and past my bedtime. Gotta get up for summer school in the morning! But get this...I only have 4 more days of summer school, and then I'm DONE teaching (who knows for how long)! :)

Good night everyone. I'll try to write more this week!

First Post

2007-06-28T17:07:00.000-05:00

FINALLY, I got a blog started (thanks to Carrie & Liz encouraging me to do one)! We'll see how good I get at this, since I've never done this before. When I get time, I'll add some good pics to put on here. I look forward to sharing updates to all of you on how Jeff and I are doing and how my 1st pregnancy is going! It's still hard to believe that I'm pregnant with a little boy!! Make sure y'all keep in touch! :)