Mother's Day

All moms should have cake for dinner on Mother's Day. Seriously. And they should share said cake with their child. Cake for dinner is delicious. Not necessarily nutritious, per se...but calories don't count on "holidays". Or, something like that.

For Megan

As Megan's husband, I get to be a guest writer on the blog every now and then. So today for Mother's Day I thought I would write a post for my wife.
I am proud of my wife. From the day I met her I could tell she had a sense of adventure, a positive spirit, and the will to never give up. What I didn't realize is that this all would be put to the test early as we discovered that the only path to motherhood for Megan would be trying various types of fertility treatments. Five years worth. Five years of poking, prodding, shots, injections, pills, tests, and me becoming intimate with a cup. Yep, fertility treatments have about as much romance as a Rocky movie. Or that TV show Ice Road Truckers.
Through all of this we had some initial positive tests, that sadly resulted in loss. We even got a couple of heartbeats along the way. Followed soon after by silence. Bone-crushing, heart-shattering silence. And disappointment. And emptiness. Megan? Well, she never gave up. Even when we were asked how long we would keep trying, we responded with an "I don't know" because we didn't know. We only knew we would keep trying, just one more time. Megan never gives up. Even when she should. Like when I am beating her in Monopoly.
And then we had success! Little Finnley arrived (early) last August 1st after Megan endured another test. Yep, Megan spent the 4th of July weekend in the hospital. She was released only to return days later where she spent 4 weeks until Finnley arrived. Talk about a test of strength. But through it all Megan did her best to keep a smile on her face. And that's just one reason I love her. Through continuous challenges she keeps a smile on her face and maintains a positive spirit.
We are blessed to have Finnley and we are thankful for the support of friends and family! I am blessed to have a wife that is willing to be at home to raise our daughter, giving her time and attention unselfishly to Finnley. And our dog Batman. I love my wife for all that she is and all that she does. I love Finnley for simply being. And I love my dog.
It's fun to reflect on our journey during this first Mother's Day for Megan. But we also raise a cheerful glass in honor of our friends who know the struggle of fertility treatments, but have yet to realize the joy. We admire your strength and courage. We think of you daily. And we share Finnley with all of you.

Transitions

Every time you figure out a "routine" of sorts, you are then instructed to change it. You finally get comfortable feeding your Peanut pureed everything, and now you have to make up how to transition to finger foods and table foods. It makes you feel like a new mom all over again...not knowing exactly what you are doing or how you should be doing it.


But, doing it you do.

And, doing it we are.

We are transitioning to finger foods. Experimenting with them, really.


Experimenting appears cute in pictures. In real life it is tedious and MESSY! But, still awfully cute. I mean, just look at Peanut...how could you not love the move to finger foods when you see a face like that looking back???

SICK

Sick. Sick. Sick.

Stinking sore throat. Monster in throat trying to kill me. Swear it to be true. Seriously.

Why is it that every time I take Finnley for a "well-child visit" I come home a sick-adult? Must stop this trend.

MUST!

Finnley Seeks Out More Fun!

This baby knows how to find fun. For cheap. Or for free. Mostly for free. Gotta love her!

Here are her latest high jinks. Enjoy!

READ!!!

To your baby. To your kids. To the little ones who just want to turn the pages. To the fussy ones who just want to eat the boards. It really doesn't matter. All that matters is that you READ!

My pediatrician even reiterated this very point to me yesterday. He said that the children who are simply EXPOSED to books and reading tend to be much earlier and better readers overall!

So, all it takes is a little exposure. A little time. A little reading.

We can all do that much, can't we???

**Click here to leave a comment and have a book donated to a child in need!**

9 Month Update - Pediatrician's Appointment

Today was Finnley's big nine month well-child visit at the pediatrician's office. All went extremely well. Finnley now weighs in at a whopping 16 lbs. and 10 oz. That puts her in the 10th percentile for weight, still. She measured in at 28 inches long. That puts her in the 50th to 75th percentile for length, still. Her Peanut head measures in the 50th to 75th percentile, too. The pediatrician said that she looks great and is tracking well for her development overall.

Food wise we are to continue with the solid baby food and with mushed up big people food. However, we are now to give food before drink. No more bottle first thing in the morning...the food comes first now. We will see how that goes! I am also to keep trying to introduce the sippy cup, which she should be fully transitioned to by 15 months...no more bottles after that! We also get to introduce milk between 10 and 12 months. My little baby is becoming a big girl. Oh no! Hopefully all of that goes well...wish us luck!

To end the appointment Finnley had to get a shot and then have her finger pricked. She was crying before she even got her shot! Poor Peanut! She hated all of that, but luckily she survived with a big hug from mommy. Now she is napping because the well-child visit wore her out completely.

Next up...12 month appointment in August!

Nine Months Old!

Well, she turned nine months old yesterday, but I never got around to posting it! At nine months Peanut is crawling everywhere!!! She also pulls herself into a stand on everything. She has had her first bump and bruise from her experiences in this department. She still doesn't leave the dog alone. And the dog is still the only thing that will make her spontaneously break out into fits of giggles. Lasting, huge fits of giggles.


She says "ba, la, da, and thhhh". She also squeals and screams in delight simply to hear herself make noise. She has five teeth, and number 6 is working on making its appearance in the not so distant future. She is eating her solids still, including some "real people food" like mushed up cauliflower. She also still hates eating anything green that comes squished up out of a jar. Can't say that I blame her! Finn is still long and lean and has pudgy feet...the only pudgy thing on her body! She is a joy and every day brings something new to delight us or her. Love that girl!

Just Sayin'

Ok, so I understand that my baby is still little. And she also doesn't have a full head of silky flowing butt-length hair yet. Or really that much hair at all. Or earrings. Or bubble gum pink nail polish adorning her short cut nails. And, given those things, I also understand that it can sometimes be hard for strangers to recognize that my Peanut is indeed a little Princess...truly a blossoming little girl.

But, other times, it really shouldn't be that hard to tell. It should be blatantly obvious, in fact.

Such as the other day when I took Finnley out shopping with me. And, she was dressed in a hot pink sweatshirt. And had on light pink shoes. And had on a white stretchy hat that included a huge cream colored flower protruding right from the front. And she had on pink socks. And donned a white onesie with hot pink flowers all over it.

And, the lady who walked us to the dressing room asked how old "HE" was. And then said, "Oh, "it" is a "he", isn't "it"?" IT? HE??? Seriously??? In that outfit??? That outfit that couldn't have gotten more pink if an all pink-puking fairy princess came up and vomited right on Finnley's head.

And, I, in all of my 36 years on this planet, have never encountered a mother or father who has dressed their son head to toe in pink and flowers. NEVER. NOT. EVEN. ONCE! Not even for Halloween! Because that is just wrong. All sorts of crazy wrong. The kind of wrong that leads a boy to years of unhappiness followed by years of therapy.

So, in conclusion...some people are either blind or simply stupid. Or perhaps even both. But, this woman led me a very clear path to the dressing room while looking at and pointing things out along the way. So...she wasn't blind. And that folks leaves, well, simply stupid.

Just sayin'...

Finnley Crawling

Finnley has been mobile for well over a month now. However, she has always been fond of the belly drag or a variation on the army crawl. Just in the past week, she really has "mastered" the "big girl crawl". She picks that belly up and uses one arm and one leg at a time to move forward. Perfection!!! She is also still pulling herself up into a stand on EVERYTHING...so I am very busy being a vigilant mommy and safeguarding against too big of a fall. Crazy times at the NJ Ritter household!

Fun on a Budget!

Well, we aren't even really on a harsh budget...but why buy toys when we know that Finnley prefers the "little things in life" to play with? Keeping with that theme, I gave Ms. Finn a sheet of bubble wrap to investigate this afternoon. To say she loved it would be an understatement for sure. It was fascinating for at least ten minutes, and in the world of a wee one...that is practically a lifetime! I am so thrilled that my babe is overly enthralled with all the things that seem to pop up in the small space around her. Life is sure to be more fun that way!

Awe and Wonder

Every day is an adventure. At least that is true for Finnley right now. She can hardly stand to sleep given that if she did rest her eyes, she might miss a minute of practicing her new found skills. Or she might miss an opportunity to learn or try something new. She is not going to allow that to happen. Not if she can help it!



I embrace every moment spent experiencing the newness that Finnley finds each and every day in her slowly expanding world. It is a special gift that a parent is given, the gift that allows them to live an altered version of life again through their growing child.


We are beyond blessed for that gift and for everything else that Finnley will continue to give to us over a lifetime of awe and wonder.

Window to the world...

...of a baby.

...of a dog.

Life sure looks sweet through these eyes.

My Little Stinker...

I put Finnley down for her first nap of the day. Or, so I thought I did! I couldn't see her on the video monitor, and then I started hearing creaking noises coming from upstairs. I quietly snuck up the stairs and opened the door to Finnley's room. When I peeked inside, I found her standing up, holding the railing, and bouncing. Apparently she was not ready for a nap, or if she was...she was going to fight it. Playing is so much more fun when you learn how to pull yourself into a standing position...little stinker!

Dog Drama

When we first brought Finnley home, Batman really didn't know what to think of her. He didn't know what a "her" even was. He certainly didn't know that Finnley was a person like his mommy and daddy. But, he was mindful of her. He was careful around her. He licked her face when we told him to give her "kisses", and then he got treats. All was well and fine and good.

And then Finnley got bigger. And then she began to move. And then she started to grab Batman's tail and his ears. She would pull on his fir to try to pull herself into a stand. She would touch his paws every chance she could get. She would stalk him and play in his bed. Batman started to realize that she WAS a person. And an annoying one at that. And, he didn't love her. Not at all. But, he did tolerate her.

And then Finnley started eating people food. Mushy, wet, slippery, flingy, wonderful people food. And, drops of this food would fall on the floor. And smears of it would be all over Finnley's hands and face. And bits of it would cling to the random parts of Finnley's high chair and tray. Batman found out that if he was patient, he could lick clean Finnley's hands and face. He could lick the high chair and clean up the messes on the floor. And, he was even more amazed when Finnley started eating Gerber puffs and yogurt melts...and she would hold her hand out for him to take them.

And she would smile.

And tolerance became less of a chore.

And Batman was in love. At least during mealtime, anyway!

Phillies Game

Finnley got to venture out to her second ever Phillies game this past week. She picked out (yes, she is that talented) her own outfit for the occasion, and got all gussied up. She loved all of the noises, sights, and smells...but it did get to be too much eventually. How can anyone take a nap at a ballpark with lots of blaring sounds surrounding them? Well, apparently we need to ask Peanut, because she knows the secret! A great day at the park, and so much fun for our little one!

Sequences - climbing adventure!

Sequences - crawling adventure!

In This Spot

I spent countless hours cradling you, rocking you, feeding you. During the mornings. During the afternoons. During the middles of the night. A newborn who needed so much.

I spent time reading to you. Board books. Classics. Anything we had in our reaches. You only wanted to eat the pretty pages or to tear them determinedly from their bindings.

I sat you up like a big girl and let you take in your room from a new perspective. You soaked it all in and propped yourself up so tall. Then you wanted to roll over and leap from the chair. Not big enough for that move yet.

I established a bedtime routine for a Peanut who really didn't need it. This time is for me, as you are one who doesn't have the need to cuddle in general. A time that allows for you to purposely get sleepy in my arms and actually be wholly content resting there as I give you your last bottle of the day.

I came to know you. To understand you a bit more. To cry from sleep deprivation. To bond with you. To stare at you with wonder and awe. To love you with every piece of my heart.

Right in this very spot.

The Best

One of the absolute best parts of my day is when Finnley wakes up in the morning. You have never seen a bigger smile than the one she flashes as soon as she realizes you have stepped into her room to get her. Ear to ear. Continuous pearly whites showing (well, what she has of them, anyway). Sweet beautiful smiling baby girl.

Thank you for such a great start to every day, Peanut!