Monday, February 27
Nothing Like a Good Poop!
There are 2 new videos and more pictures online from the weekend. She has begun to stick her tongue out and is beginning to be able to do it as a response to us sticking ours out first. We will try to get some videos of that. Today we are taking her for her first walk around the neighborhood.
Friday, February 24
Does Dad belong on ESPN?
Our Little Greaseball
Dad is doing his first funeral today and has been out of the house every nigth this week with small group training events, so he is looking forward to the weekend. Cubs tickets go on sale today at 11 AM so the Ritners are beginning to plan Addy's first outing to the big ballpark. Late May early June, then Dad might come back to see the Cardinals in town in July/August.
Tuesday, February 21
PAY ATTENTION TO ME!
Addy had her first check up today, and urinated all over the scale in front of the nurses. Way to go girl. Mark your territory. She is in the 25th percentile in weight, and 75th in height, leading Mom to remark, "Nice, tall and skinny, like Mom."
Best Friends to the Rescue
Friday, February 17
Father Daughter Valentine's Banquet
Don't you like Mom and Dad's matching stripes? Yeah, Mom dresses the family pretty well!
Thursday, February 16
The First Big Outing
Finishing Addison's Hope Chest
This is why Dad can't leave the house.
Tuesday, February 14
Tiny little thing
We had a great dinner tonight celebrating Grandpa McKendrick and Uncle Davids last night with us. Kristyn has been pumping more often and feeling much better. Thanks for the emails of encouragement and ideas.
Monday, February 13
No fair! He has a tripod.
Ritner Eyes
Uncle David
Sunday, February 12
Another restful night-can you believe it?
Friday, February 10
Winter Road Trip
Nothing like a good sponge bath
What a difference a day makes
Technical glitch fixed
Thursday, February 9
Keeping up with the emails
No sleep for the weary
Wednesday, February 8
Fun in the Sun
Addy slept from 1AM-6AM downstairs on Grandma's lap on her first night home after fussing in the crib after her 11 PM feeding. That allowed Mom and Dad to get a good 6 -7 hours of sleep. Doctor checkup today to draw blood from Addy, but in a move of team solidarity Mom and Dad gave blood as well for new life insurance policies on each other. Dad worked half day at the office and half day at home. Now that we are home, we will try to post 2 new updates and pictures a day, and keep the rest of the pictures on her online album.
Just laying around...
Tuesday, February 7
Can't get enough of the Pretty Princess?
Home Sweet Home
Headed Home Today
Addy passed her hearing tests and had her inoculations this morning before returning to us. Mom and Dad slept another 8 straight hours from 1Am-9AM. Addy has been getting one syringe feeding at night allowing us to sleep. She is a little jaundiced, but the doctors all say that is to be expected. The nurses were all bragging about finding Addison's dimple in her right cheek. We didn't have the heart to tell them that Grandma discovered it last night during one of her "gas smiles."
Already seeing some Daddy in Addy
Monday, February 6
Hold on to the Memories
5 PM
Well, most of day was spent just doing this. Holding Addy and telling her how cool she is. Kristyn had a great session with the lactation consultant, Kris, who is a wealth of knowledge. Addy has met the parents of some of her future best friends, Braden Lee, Cara Ellis, Aly Warner, and Hudson Sylvester. It won't be long before they will be hanging out at WCC on Sunday mornings, having sleep overs and dating each other. Well, not our Addy, but other girls will begin dating.
Grandma to the rescue
Sleep at last
Sunday, February 5
Addy, wake up! Your missing the Big Game.
Addy Girl was unable to make it past the first quarter before crashing for the night. Mom bailed right behind her. That leaves Dad to watch the 2H alone. Kristyn is not feeling very well. It is still pretty sore for her to sit for any period of time but she had a great post delivery dinner of pizza and salad from Sal's. Signing off for the first day of JK&A Ritner as an official family. Wow, life will never be the same again. We love you all!
Look at those locks!
Well one thing is for sure, she has momma's hair. Addy's hair is longer than most of Daddy's hair. It is even a little curly on the top. Addy hasn't eaten again since 5, but that is to be expected, so they say, on day one, since all she really wants to do is sleep. Dad got to change the first diaper and Mom is basically bedridden with all her swelling. We may have spoken too soon in saying that Kristyn was doing fine. Lets revise Mom's status to ok. She has been able to hold the baby and goto the bathroom, but it all leaves her shaky and exhausted. We hope the drugs get completely out of her system soon and that her body makes the blood back that she lost, which was quite a lot. We are all trying to sleep some before Grandma French (Jon's mom) gets here and the big game begins at 6PM.
Introducing Addison Clark Ritner
Addy was born at 4:09 AM weighing 7 lbs. 9 oz and measuring a healthy 19 inches long. The nurses woke Kristyn up at 3:45 to give her a catheter and do a routine check and instead decided that, "this girl is going to climb out on her own." Fifteen minutes of pain free pushing later, Addy came tumbling out. Mom is doing great, sleeping again. She cant stop saying, "This is so much fun, I just can't believe how much I love her already!" Dad almost passed out when the head starting showing and had to sit down saying, "I feel like I did at my father's wedding." Addy nursed within the important two-hour window and is now taking a bath with our wonderful nurse Laura who has been fantastic. Thanks for all the prayers. More pictures and some video to come soon.
Not everyone you meet in cyberspace at 1 AM is evil
No more progress to report. Babies are popping out everywhere on the hall now. 5 labors are down to 2. Kristyn continues to sleep in between check ups. My father, the original Pastor/Webmaster Ritner has been staying up online with me keeping me company as I work. Got to love a dad who has to preach in the morning and still writes this, "I may doze off and come back .. but I can hear the email beep ... so send a few emails to get my attention if you like ... I can run on little sleep and nap in spurts ... I want you to know that I am in the virtual room with you ... if you need me"
Feeling the love dad, feeling the love!
Saturday, February 4
Sleeping Beauty
3 Hours into the epidural and Kristyn has progressed 3 more cm to 7 total, plus she is 90% effaced. Nurse woke her and Addy up to check them and then let them go back to bed. At this rate it should be about 2-3 more hours until she is 10 cm. then comes the fun part, the final PUSH. And of course in the midst of all of this, all my wife can seem to say is, "I feel so bad for you, are you ok staying up by yourself." I couldn't sleep if I wanted to, the rush is too much.
Site back up, Jon has something to do!
Kristyn is asleep, or trying to at least. Her body feels a little weird to her with the numb legs and all. Contractions are still 3 min apart, look great on the charts, and Addy is sleeping as well. I am the only one awake sitting here with the only sound in the room the monitor playing the heartbeat of our baby girl to come. It is so cool!
Working on small group questions for the Chapel sermon tomorrow and waiting for the drugs to keep loosening Kristyn up for the big push. So much for a 02/04/06 baby, looks like Addy will be a Super Bowl baby instead. I am so proud of her flair for the dramatic.
Bring on the Drugs
Sorry about the website. I will try to send more emails to immediate family
Real deal
Kristyn is more scared than in pain right now, keep praying for her.
Coach Ritner
My wife is a stud!
6 PM
So the nurse comes in again just to check on things, and the nosey husband asks, "How far apart are her contractions according to the machine?" THREE MINUTES APART. When did we go from 10 to 3? So much for my ability to time them as the coach. Of course it is hard when tough girl over here never lets on that she is even having contractions. In fact, during this picture she is having a contraction, while on the phone with her father, cant you see the look of pain on her face?!
Kristyn is dreading the next cervical check, but everything else is doing great. The pitosen drip will get increased every half hour until they get to better dilation. We are on the second level now.
Drip, Drip, Drip
There they are
Contractions are becoming increasingly evident to Kristyn. She is feeling them now every 9-10 minutes or so with some discomfort, but nowhere near unbearable. The plan is still to hit the drugs soon to speed her up as soon as the nurses can handle it. Kristyn is getting a little scared about the pain, so pray for her mind as well as her body that she stays relaxed. We will keep checking in every hour until something new happens.
One baby down, four more to go
Well, the rest of the story with our waiting is that there are four other women in active labor on the hall, so that is why they have not begun the pitosen which would speed the process up. However, one baby was just born, so we will see if that changes our status here in next hour or so.
Still watching movies on the laptop and going for walks on the hall in between check ups each half hour.
We have contractions, now if she could just feel them.
Well, the computer says Kristyn is having contractions 10 minutes apart, but she still is not feeling anything. The water has stopped flowing at least. Right now, we are sitting here rooting for Florida State to upset Duke at home.
Mmm, liquid lunch
1PM
Lunch is served. Salt less Chicken broth (made from powder) unsweet tea, apple juice, and ginger ale. And can you believe it, Kristyn didn’t finish her whole meal! But thankfully the nurse agreed to turn her back the other way so Kristyn could have some Orange Sherbet, technically not a clear liquid. Still feeling fine, but no contractions.
No Pain, No Gain
Ok, anytime now Addy
No sign of Addy wanting to come out. No contractions yet. Kristyn is sitting on her birthing ball and we are watching movies. 3 cm. and holding.
Let the fun begin
Fingers Crossed
Well, no phone calls today, so we are headed in on this dark rainy morning . We will keep you updated throughout the day, thanks for all the prayers.
Friday, February 3
Back to the routine
Thursday, February 2
Its a Girl! (She's just not ours)
Our good friends and small group-mates Chad and Karin Warner gave birth to a healthy baby girl this afternoon at 2:20 PM. Aly Robinson Warner came out 6 lbs 8 oz after about 10 hours of labor. Kristyn and Karin have enjoyed going through their pregnancies together, but no one imagined Karin would go first, since she was due two weeks after Kristyn. Congratulations to the new Mom and Dad! Hope we will be hallmates with them come Saturday morning.
Deja' vu all over again.
And you thought Addison Clark was over the top...
A Steelers fan asked to have her baby early to avoid giving birth on Super Bowl Sunday.
Will today be the day?
http://groundhog.visitpa.com/
(Fast Forward to about 55 minutes in to see the big announcement)
(I am running out ways to bide my time this morning, can you tell...)