Our Trip to Florida...IN PICTURES!

I am pretty sure that no one and nothing was harmed during the shooting of these photos. Not even egos or pride. Pretty impressive, huh?

A look back at 40 years...

How is it to turn 40? GREAT! In doing so I realized my life up to this point has been one hell of a good time! I am blessed. To me, each day of life begins with a choice. I can choose to be in a good mood or a bad mood. I can choose to make the most of every day or choose to do nothing. It won’t surprise you that I wake up every day choosing to make the most of my day and to be in a good mood. Of course that mood can change depending on others. Anyway, here is my life summed up in 40 (make that 66) things that have brought me laughter, joy, tears, heartache, and perspective.

1) I was born into a great family. Think “Leave it to Beaver” upbringing. I am blessed to have the parents I have, and I am blessed to have the brother and sister that I have. Oh, and sister in-laws and brother in-laws.
2) My father put me on skis at 4 years old and I thank him for that.
3) I made very good friends in high school and we have enough memories about “Hoosier Cannonball” and The Jock Block to laugh about for years.
4) I was fortunate to be able to attend college out of state at Colorado State University.
5) I skied. A lot.
6) I am a triple legacy member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
7) I served in student government as a Senator for the College of Business, VP of the Business College Council (thanks Laurie Hammond), and as chairman of the Lory Student Center (plus countless committees).
8) I helped save beer sales at CSU football games! One of my proudest accomplishments! Thanks Meyer!
9) I traveled throughout Europe for a month in college and have everlasting memories. Thanks Dawny! Thanks Meyer! Thanks Newman! Bada Boom! Bada Bing!
10) I graduated with great friends and I miss them every day. I am grateful to have experienced college with them. Thanks Hammond, Murph, Karter, Ressler, Meyer, Newman, Galloway, Maurer, Webb, Johnson, Perkins, Gold, Jamie S.,…I can go on
11) I started in the wine business. Hated it.
12) I ended up in the car business. Love it! Toyota, Porsche, AutoNation, and Subaru.
13) I am blessed to have so many friends from my career. Friends that have stood by me through my toughest moments and my proudest moments. Thank you Travis, Patrick J., Grimey, Sanchez, Zamora, and Johnny M.
14) My heart has been broken and I have broken hearts. I am sorry. You know who you are.
15) I have driven a Porsche 164 MPH on the autobahn.
16) I have ridden in a Carrera GT with Hurley Haywood as we hit 200 mph on a track in Michigan! I have driven that same car. It costs $440,000.
17) I have met Malcolm Forbes.
18) I have met Jimmy Carter on a ski slope (even had Rosalyn take our picture, which is a funny story).
19) I have played craps with John Cusack for 2 straight nights. I am in America’s Sweethearts, which is a terrible movie.
20) I have met John Madden and Barry Switzer.
21) I have met Emmitt Smith twice and dined next to him and Bruce Smith in VA Beach, buying them a bottle of wine.
22) I sat next to Tim Robbins on an airplane.
23) I said hello to Demi Moore in a CVS in Scottsdale, AZ.
24) I sat next to Bill Medley (Righteous Brothers) on an airplane (autograph on a bottle of Cristal)
25) I am a Buckeye!
26) I spent many a football Saturday sitting in Ohio Stadium next to the legendary Bill Willis (autograph)
27) I’ve met Jack Tatum, Chris Carter, Pepper Johnson, Chris Spielman (autographs)
28) I’ve met Jim Tressel and Archie Griffin and had them sign my Buckeye helmet.
29) I’ve met Gordon Gee (autograph)
30) I’ve met Dick Vitale (autograph)
31) I’ve have a pair of Karl Malone’s shoes (autographed)
32) I’ve met Bart Starr (autograph)
33) I’ve met Fran Tarkenton (autograph)
34) I’ve met Eddie George at an airport (picture)
35) I’ve met John Elway (autograph)
36) I’ve met Jerry Rice (picture)
37) I’ve met Howie Long (autograph)
38) I’ve met Michael Schumacher (driver for Ferrari in F1. Picture)
39) I’ve met Tony Dorsett (autographed helmet)
40) I sat 4 rows behind the Bulls bench during the Bulls/Jazz NBA finals during the Jordan era. Saw Scottie Pippen puke on Phil Jackson's shoes.
41) I have a piece of a goal post that we tore down at CSU when we went to the Holiday Bowl. It is autographed by Earle Bruce. Yep, he coached at CSU after OSU.
42) I went to the Ohio State/meechigan game when they were ranked #1 & #2 in 2006.
43) Megan and I met Rupert and Biff from the Letterman show where we sat front row.
44) Meg and I met Tony Danza.
45) I sang Little Pink Houses on stage in CA with a cover band.
46) I have partied with Mormons. News flash: They actually can party with the best of ‘em.
47) I have hiked a 14’er, floated a river, and bungee jumped several times.
48) I met my wife in Chicago in 2002.
49) We married in 2003 & I have terrific in-laws!
50) We got a yellow lab in 2003 and named him Batman. Why not?
51) I have shared the crust of my toast with Batman EVERY morning for the last 6 years.
52) Megs and I have been to Maui, Aruba, the White House, countless concerts and sporting events, and we have skied some of the best slopes in the country in our brief 6 years.
53) We went to the NLCS in 2007, the NLCS in 2008 and 2009.
54) I took her sky diving for our anniversary. I know….very romantic.
55) We went to the World Series in 2008 and 2009! GO PHILLIES!
56) Megan and I met Robert Duvall and posed for several pictures with him. Thanks Katie Snyder! I presented a trophy to a jockey with Robert Duvall.
57) I am OK with the fact that my bride is in love with Dave Mathews.
58) We have experienced infertility and I have given Megan unromantic shots in her ass in gas station parking lots in hopes for a baby.
59) We have experienced deep heartache and loss.
60) We have experienced great joy with success of IVF and the birth of our daugter Finnley Piper Ritter.
61) We are blessed to have a family that adores Finnley. Our families are very generous and we appreciate that so very much!
62) We are blessed to have wonderful friends to share Finnley with. Thanks Karen and Dave.
63) We have made wonderful friends in Chicago, Cleveland, Virginia, Colorado, and now South Jersey/Philly. Thanks for your friendship and great times Kelly, Jason, Canella, Kate & Dave, Bill & Jen, Eric & Serena, Kristal, Kitten & Nancy, the Wingo’s, Angela & Zach, Joe & Lucinda, Ken & Ginger, Steve & Jean, Karen & Dave, Sean & Marie, Jen & Troy, Betsy, Cate, Michael & Rachel.
64) Thanks for new friends I have made at work. Keebs, NDHogan, Angelucci, Cavallucci, TK, Gobin, Joey S., JR, Mayer, and more.
65) I have learned patience, compromise, and unconditional love.
66) We are not perfect but we respect the opinions of others, and we know there is nothing more fun than experiencing this thing called life with great friends and family.

So that’s it. Well, not really. I could have gone on. I left out a bunch of things, but those are stories best told over a beer. Looking back, the first 40 years have been nothing short of amazing. Thank you to my family and friends. Of course, special thanks to my wife Megan, my daughter Finnley, and my dog Batman, for bringing me more laughter, love, and joy than I probably deserve. Is luck real? Because I feel like the luckiest man on earth.
If the next 40 are anything like the first 40, they will be a blast and I will need a new liver. The moral of this story is simple if not cliché. In life you should take advantage of every opportunity knowing that every day on this planet is a gift….and as far as I’m concerned, it’s a BLAST!

Maybe One Day

But not right now.

Finnley REFUSES to hold her own bottle. Now, she is completely capable of holding it. She has done it on several occasions. But, if she does hold the bottle, she cannot put her hands together / manipulate them / and stare at them during that endearing process. She also wouldn't be able to massage her head and face.


These things are a ritual. Almost a sensual calming ritual of sorts, or so it seems.

So, maybe one day she will hold her bottle. But, like I said...not right now.




(just as a side note...we leave for Florida tomorrow so we will not be posting until after we return!)

SWEET...

...slumbering bliss


...silly happiness

The Cult of Personality...

has found its newest member. Perhaps its President, even.

B-L-A-C-K-O-U-T

This blog has a new look. I thought I would point it out in case you hadn't noticed. And, if you hadn't noticed, then this is probably your first visit to this blog...and, well, SHAME on YOU!

Why the new look?

Because I miss over-alcoholified margaritas with salt dripping down the rim, good Mexican food, and splendiforous mountain views out my window.

Ok, so that isn't really the reason for the change. The above explanation sure sounded a hell of a lot better than "just because". Sadly, though, "just because" really is the true reason behind the new visual digs.

Don't get me wrong. I do miss those things. The East coast is not good for any of the aforementioned items. I guess it can't be good for everything, though! That is what vacations are for, right?

Did I digress? Hmmm...oh well. Enjoy the new look. And if you don't like it or aren't enjoying it, feel free to tell me. I won't do anything about it, but I do both appreciate and love honesty!

Thanks for visiting.

Out to Lunch!

This has been a busy week. Finnley and I like to try to have an activity to do outside of the house almost every day, as it helps to break up the monotony of the day in general. It is my hope that during the week neither Finnley nor I get bored, that Finnley gets socialized, and that Finnley gets mentally stimulated on a daily basis. For that matter, I also hope to get somewhat socialized and to get mentally stimulated on a daily basis. Heck, who doesn't?

The weeks fly by this way, I can tell you that much.

So, what was on the agenda this week?

Monday
Music I class at Gymboree

Tuesday
story time at Barnes and Noble followed by lunch at the Corner Bistro in Haddonfield

Wednesday
TLC mom's group at Virtua

Thursday
Out to Lunch! Dr Seuss week at The Pop Shop in Collingswood

Friday
Play and Learn class at Gymboree


BZZZ. Bzzzz. bzzzzz. Busy bees we are!

Once the weather gets nicer, I cannot wait to incorporate walks around the neighborhood or park with Peanut and the dog on a fairly regular basis, too. Physical stimulation added to the mental. ahhhhhhh...perfection!

Come on Spring, so we can be more than just "out to lunch"!!!


(Finnley is thinking...who in the heck are you, Mister???)

Put it Out There!

I really wanted to put it out there. I wanted to fly my little freak flag and advertise to the world that "I kicked infertility's stupid ASS!". Apparently that phrasing isn't available in a car magnet version just yet, though, so I settled for "Baby on Board" instead.

We all do what we have to do, right? I know what my magnet really says. That is all that matters.

What would your freak flag or magnet say???


And, included is a view of the magnet along with my car's badging...which is a shameless plug for the Subaru brand and my lovely. Aren't I a good little wifey?

Gussied Up

This is a busy time a year for Subaru people in this part of the country...lots of events going on in Philly sponsored by the company. Or at least events in which the company is involved. And, that means we have lots of places to be for which we also need to be gussied up. I have quite the collection of formal dresses thanks to the auto industry over the past several years.

Last time we got dressed up for the black tie preview for the Philly Auto Show. This time it was for the Philly International Flower Show. It really is a great show, especially in the dead of a brutal winter. It almost felt like spring for just a bit.




The best part of the evening? Well, besides the great food. And the free liquor. And the pleasant company....well...it was the fact that we got to stay out for the whole evening this time!!! Finnley was by no means a perfect angel for the babysitter, but she was good enough that we didn't get called home this time around.

PRICELESS! PRICELESS! PRICELESS!




Next weekend we have the American Red Cross Red Ball at the Please Touch Museum. Such a great venue. Only problem? We don't have a babysitter. Who knows if my lovely will be attending by himself. Or if by any luck, we find a last minute babysitter. Or, maybe it really isn't so bad to take an infant to a formal affair? Maybe. We will see!!

Scooter McScooty Pants

Finnley can sniff out a remote control from 100 feet away. She can also sniff out a telephone. And a plastic bottle. And a catalogue. Or anything else, for that matter. She is just that talented. I really do give her that.

And, although she doesn't "crawl" just yet, she does scoot. Or shimmy. Or self-propel.

She can move 20 feet across the room to find that coveted remote control or other treasure. Not quickly, but she moves.


And, sometimes when she finally reaches that treasure, well, she likes to eat it. Ok, I should clarify. EVERY time that she finds the treasure, she likes to eat it. Now, sometimes when she eats the treasure, she drools. And, sometimes when she finds the treasure and eats it and drools...she also spits up. On the treasure. Like you can see in the pictures here.


Poor remote control. It didn't know what it was in for.

Still...

Finnley still has her favorite games. And one of them is still "pull the blanket over my head while doing anything". It is a great game. Lots of fun to be had by all, I assure you! I managed to pull the blanket back just enough so that you can actually see Finnley under it...while eating her afternoon bottle. Silly girl. Still.

And....

they called it PUPPY LOVE!!!!

A Week in the Life...

ate, slept, pooped. ate, slept, pooped. ate, slept, and pooped some more.

had major diaper blowout. I mean major. MAJOR!

spit up on the bead drum during music class at Gymboree.

refused to nap. several times.

napped a few times only in the afternoon. only for about an hour. whatever.

spit up on the mat at the end of play and learn class at Gymboree.

screamed while trying to crawl but not being able to crawl. several times.

let the dog lick her hand and face after eating. several times.

cried for the babysitter. pretty much non-stop. babysitter and baby ended up having to join us out for dinner. good thing the babysitter was our niece. stranger anxiety = fun!

played, read, danced, bounced. played, read, danced, bounced. played, read, danced, and bounced some more.

spit up on the floor. several times.

ate full jar of food during single sitting. several times.


The good. The bad. The ugly. They all pretty much make up every week in the life of Finnley. When you are as cute as she is, though...the bad and the ugly really aren't that bad or that ugly. It is all pretty much GOOD!

Mac Daddy!

I am so excited. I have been "missing" for a few days because my computer sucks. Well, it did suck. Past tense. The reason it sucked? Because it had Vista as an OS. Then it sucked even more because it got sick with a nasty Trojan virus. Damn virus. So, the virus was the final straw that broke the camel's (computer's) back. Result? New computer. MacBook Pro!!!

Can I just say..I LOVE IT???

The internet is up and ready to go as soon as I turn on the computer. No more fighting. No more wars. No more silly virus. No more ...well...no more lots of stupid stuff.

Just to put it out there...I will not miss you Vista. You were never my friend. As a matter of fact, I think I always hated you. Jerk.

I am still learning about my Mac. But, we are already fast friends. I think we might even be in love. A little bit. Ok...a lot bit.

Oh, and the old computer was not the only thing that was struck by a nasty virus. A horrible stomach virus hit our house. I mean HORRIBLE. I am not sad to see that go, either. There is seriously nothing worse than being the mom of an infant AND being sick all at the same time. I am glad to report we survived, though. Until the next time, at least.

That is all I have for you. For now I will leave you with just a couple of videos to pass the time. And for you to get your "Finnley fix"...if you were looking for one, that is.

The one video shows Finnley playing in her exersaucer (a bit violently, I might add) and playing one of her new favorite games...blowing spit and spit bubbles all over the place. Fun!



The other video simply shows Finnley still trying to crawl. She has the rocking bit down...only a matter of time, I guess! I look forward to her being mobile simply for the fact that being non-mobile makes her SOOO MAD!! Patience, Peanut...patience...



Well, so long for now. Mac and I will be back soon. We promise.

My Funny Valentine

Pics of my little Valentine from today. Awwwwwwwww!


And...finally a pic that shows off those beautiful teeth! Such a big girl! Totally heart my babe!



Slideshow:All the pictures from the day...including Finn in her V-day PJs and fancy hair clips that were a gift for the big day from the Anderson family! I also just updated the slideshow to showcase our little trip into LOVE Park in Philly the day after Valentine's Day. It is a "tradition"...all two years strong!

MY HEART

On this Valentine's Day, I just want to say....

To my husband: thank you for being the man that you are. thank you for loving me. thank you for choosing me. thank you for accepting me for all that I am, including my imperfections.

To my dog: thank you for sharing and teaching unconditional love on a daily basis. every minute of every day.

To my daughter: thank you for blessing us with your presence. thank you for completing our family. thank you for mending our somewhat fractured hearts.

To my parents: thank you for loving one another and for bringing me into this world. without you, none of what I have would have been possible.

Again...AGAIN!!!!

So, here it is. Yes. We did get hit with another Nor'easter. A blizzard, to be precise. And, yes...we did get pummeled. And, yes...we are buried up to our eyeballs in snow, snow, and more snow. And, yes...we might see the grass again come summer. Maybe.

Here are the photos from the latest storm. They were taken this morning, or as I like to call it...THE MORNING AFTER.

Enjoy!

Just Photos...Just Because...Just Clownin' Around

Again...AGAIN?!?!?

yes...again. update and photos to come tomorrow. if we can unbury ourselves. at all.

6 Month Checkup...Still a Genius!

Or so we say! And we matter. So what we say is really important. Just trust me! Or at least humor me.

Finnley finally had her six month well-child visit at the pediatrician's office this morning. The doctor was very impressed with her. Nothing makes a mommy and daddy more proud! OK, so we don't really need the doctor to be impressed for us to be proud...since we are impressed all on our own...but it IS nice. Having someone with "authority" back up your overly biased opinion is sweet!

According to the doc's "standards" Finnley is now an "unsupported sitter". She can hold herself up for long periods of time all on her own. Doc said that most babies do that around 7 months or later. Finnley is doing it at six months. Go, Finnley! The other "impressive" things that Finnley does / can do: getting into a full-on crawl position and rocking back and forth, standing and bouncing with assistance, rolling in both directions with ease, eating 2nd stage solid foods and feeding them to herself (sort of...it is a messy process...very messy), tracking everything, grabbing her feet and eating them (this is a skill, really), babbling, blowing rasberries, and so much more. The doc said that the earliest she has seen a baby crawl is seven months, and she thinks that Finnley is going to be right in that group...crawling early. Did I say how proud we are??? I did??? Oh...moving on then...


In addition, Finnley is still striving to be a supermodel...and she is doing a damn fine job of it! Long and lean. She is up two pounds since her last visit, putting her at 13 lbs and 10 oz. That is the 10th percentile. Lean. She is also now 26.5 inches from her fuzzy head down to her sweet little piggies. That is the 75th percentile. Long. She definitely doesn't take after her mommy who has always veen self-described as "squatty". Maybe daddy used to be a supermodel?!? Maybe! We all have our secrets, afterall!

What else? Shots. Three shots. Three stupid shots. Three stupid shots taken like a champ. Because not only is my baby a genius and a supermodel...she is also a rockstar!

As of now, we are to have Peanut eating three solid meals a day! Wow! In addition to her bottles of "the good stuff", of course. Meals are certainly more complicated now. We can also start offering Finn little pieces of over-ripe bananas to finger feed to herself. Tried it today! I actually had to feed them to her, but she did eat them. We can also let her taste things off of our plates if she is interested (things that do not pose a choking hazard, that is). My little babe is becoming such a big girl!

We don't go back to the pediatrician's office for our next well-child visit for another THREE months! Crazy! By that point Finnley should be well on her way to becoming the extrememly independent little princess that she obviously wants to be. Wish us luck as we get closer to having a mobile babe in house! Lord help us these next few months as that happens!

Finnley's First Sled Ride!!!

Again?!?!

Yep. Again. Another Nor'easter. Another two feet of snow. Another day filled with plowing, snowblowing, sitting in awe, cooking chili, reading Playboy while drinking a beer on the patio (for some), romping through huge snow drifts (for some others), having an all day fire, snapping picture after picture...and partaking in another day of firsts. Another day of firsts for Finn, that is.


Finnley got to go for her first ever sled ride! Riding all bundled up in her first ever snow suit. G-ma and G-pa bought her this fancy sled for Christmas after we had already had our first major storm. Winter storms aren't all that common here, so we weren't sure we would have the opportunity to use the sled this winter...but alas, I think we got the chance. A two foot chance. A two foot chance that was 20 hours in the making.



But that is ok, because I do love firsts. Getting a peek at Finn in her snow suit, I am sure you will love firsts, too.