Ryker is 3 months!

As many of you know, Ryker turned 3 months old on January 13. He smiles all the time now and he has made one real laugh so far, and I must say..... it was the most precious thing I have ever heard. That is for sure. He hates to lay down or be held like a little baby now. He always wants to sit up or stand up. He is a very active little guy, I am sure he will be a handful once he is mobile. Another huge thing he is doing. No one believes us, but he is teething, even his pediatrician agrees. You can see two little buds on the bottom of his mouth just waiting to pop up. I will just say...the teething process is very LOUD. Haha Well, I took some pictures that day and they turned out pretty good. Here are some to enjoy.

Abu 1992-2009

Today is a very sad day for our family. We lost one of our family members that had been with us for 16 years. Abu was a fantastic companion and loyal animal. He was very old, and very sick. It was his time to go be with his old pal Timmy. We will miss him dearly to say the least. He was a very, VERY loved cat.

Christmas 2008 and New Years eve

Christmas this year was very special. My parents were able to come all the way from ohio, and spend it here at home in Iowa. We had a great time just being together as a family. I have not had a christmas with my family in 4 years, so it was very nice to have them be here. Ryker had a great first christmas ,getting many gifts from people that love him very much. All and all.. a wonderful holiday to say the least.



We went to our friends Jeff and Briannas for New Years eve. They have a son, Greyson that is 4 months older than Ryker. Here a couple pictures of them together in matching p.js. It was pretty cute. They will be the pair when they get older. I warned you now. :)

Ryker at 2 months

On December 13th, Ryker turnend 2 months old. I cant believe 2 months have come and gone already in his life. So much has happened already that it makes me so excited, and nervous for all that is still to come in his future. He can roll from his belly to his back, he smiles sooo big, he coos and ahhs all the time, he holds his head up 90% of the time all on his own, and, hes been attempting to laugh. It really is amazing how much they change day to day.
On tuesday he had to get his 1st round of imunizations. That, was horrible(for me more than him) I of course cried when they gave them to him. His little scream just melted my heart. I know it has to be done, but, I felt so bad for him.
After getting his shots he developed several fevers. One that reached 100.3 I was told if he ever got one that high to take him into the hospital imidiatley. I called the nurse line first and she confirmed my decision to take him in just to be sure. Once we arrived to the ER his temp had already dropped, that was a relief. 2 doctors looked him over to make sure he was ok, and he was just fine. They said it was due to his shots, but, I did the right thing by bringing him in to make sure. That was scary for me, but, I stayed calm. I was very proud of myself. haha I celebrated my 24th birthday on December 11th. One of my friends offered to watch Ryker for us so we could go out for a little bit. We, of course took that offer and went out for a few drinks with a few friends. It was very nice to be out with adults. :)
Mandy has adjusted very well to her new little brother, you can tell she is sad by the lack of attention that she gets compared to what she used to get. She has done better than we could ever ask for. She is a wonderful dog.
The last 2 months and 5 days have been very exciting and new to say the least.

Brians 1st tattoo

Today, Brian got his first tattoo. He has been wanting to get one for a few years...but never knew what to get. He always said...I want to have a good reason to get one. Well.... now he does. He got the number 13 on his left upper arm to represent Ryker. ( 10/13/08) is his birthday if you didnt know. I have to say...it was kind of nice to watch him have some pain, considering the pain I had having Ryker. haha But, He took it like a man, and it turned out great.

Rykers arrival

Well, as many of you know....After a very long 18 hour labor and delivery.....Mr. Ryker Lawrence Spihlmann joined the world on October 13th, 2008 at 11:44 pm. It began at 6:30 am at home. I woke up with contractions. They continued to get more and more intense and closer together through the day. At about 1pm I called the doctor office telling them the imense pain I was in. They had me come to the office at 3pm to see if I was in "active labor" Well duh...when we arrived the doctor confirmed (what I already knew) I was in active labor...I was 5 cm dialated and needed to go to the hospital....I finally decided at about 7pm that I wanted an epidural...well...to make a long story short...after 7 attempts to place the epidural...it did not even work...meaning..I felt every bit of labor and delivery. If it wasnt for my mother and Brian...I dont know if I would have made it through it. But....I did and he is everything we dreamed and much, much more. I cannot begin to describe the love we have for this little man. It indeed was all worth it. He is our pride and joy....baby Ryker

The final countdown ...

As many of you know, I had my baby shower here in Des moines over this past weekend at the botanical center downtown. Thanks to Megan, Dawn and Alyssa...it was PERFECT. They couldnt have done a better job. Everything from the decorations to the food was wonderful. So, a special thanks goes out to them. Thanks guys!

Today makes week #36 of my pregnancy...and if you arnt to quick with math( im not) that means I am 9 months pregnant. And yes...I feel like it every second. I am horribly tired all the time, my feet and ankels are never the same size hour to hour...and the times im not feeling sick..I want to clear out the kitchen refrigerator and cabinents. And also, in case you were curious....i deffinatly waddle now too. So...all the right symptoms are their for that fantastic last month everyone calls the home stretch. Lets just say...I am R.E.A.D.Y


Brian and I went out to a nearby lake and took some pictures of my and my little beachball today. They are pretty cute I must say. He did a very good job of trying to make me look as though I just wanted to colapse every step I took.
Well I will keep everyone updated as we get closer and closer to D day. 28 days to go!!(Please pray for me that it wont be 28 days though. :)