Nothing Like a Good Poop!

Well the highlight of the Ritner's day is a good poop from Addy. She has been having some bad gas and is pretty miserable when she cant get things out of her system, but when she does...wow let me tell you, what a mess. Addy's "blow outs" are quite a sight to behold. We have become believers that the Pampers Swadlers are the only diapers that can hold Addy's thunder. The Huggies and Target brands simply can't take what our little girl can dish out! She ruined another onesie and sleeper last night with her first good one of the day. Here she is in her favorite outfit, nothing, after her bath. She slept great over the weekend and was wonderful at church on Sunday morning, at the grocery store on Saturday, and she slept all Saturday night while Mom went out with friends and Dad worked from home.

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.

Does Dad belong on ESPN?

Well after several comments over the past year that Jon looks like Kirk Herbstreit from ESPN's College Gameday, I have decided to let the readers at home decide. Submit your post and vote as to whether or not I could be confused for the handsome young television personality. Here are some pictures side by side for you to inspect. Maybe when God called me from Sports to Ministry, he replaced me with Kirk. Of course, he was a legit college quarterback at Ohio State and I was an intramural floor hockey hack at WM, but other than that, we were equally qualified I think.

Our Little Greaseball

Addy's hair continues to grow! We now have to give her a bath each night just to keep it looking respectable for company. She has had some bad gas recently and is more fussy than normal. Mom is trying to cut some foods out of her diet to see if that helps. Plus we are looking for a home solution to get baby poop out of clothing. Addy is ruining her night gowns with stains that we cant seem to get out.

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.

PAY ATTENTION TO ME!

Gone are the days of our Ritner family routine: Work, working out, PTI/Seinfeld, Netflix and The Daily Show. Life at home with Addy is even starting to cramp the Blogging, so in the interest of our readers, from now on, we will update Life at the Intersection on Mondays and Fridays only. That way you know when to check for updates. We will try to get them up each of those days by noon. So until Friday, have a great week. Thanks again for all the calls and emails that let us know you are out there praying for Addy and us and supporting us as a family.

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."

Closest thing we get to a real smile

Best Friends to the Rescue

Here is Kristyn and Anita with Addy over the weekend at the house. Anita wasn't just visiting our child, she was escaping her own three kids. We can write a book, pamphlet maybe, called, All I Learned about Parenting I learned from Anita. She is one of the first calls when life gets hectic and Kristyn needs advice and perspective. Mostly we like to hear the stories about how she locks herself in the bathroom to talk to Kristyn on the phone when the kids get loud. Way to go, friends over family! Hope to see you again soon Anita!

Father Daughter Valentine's Banquet

Addy made her first official Chapel outing at the Annual Father Daughter Banquet that Jon runs every year for the Men's Ministry. Kristyn gave Jon the idea 4 years ago after having gone to one with her dad as a little girl. We maxed out the room on the Yorktown waterfront at 100. Here is the new family before the dinner began. Kristyn and Addy went home before the meal and were greeted with a big surprise. One of Kristyn's closest friends, Anita, who recently moved to Indiana when her husband took over a church there, flew in for the weekend to be with her.

Don't you like Mom and Dad's matching stripes? Yeah, Mom dresses the family pretty well!

The First Big Outing

The three girls went out Wednesday to the Breast Feeding Support Group at the Hospital with two other new moms. It was a nice outing for Kristyn, and it made her feel much more confident about the whole feeding process. On the way home, they stopped off at the Chapel and we showed Addy off to the staff. Here she is wearing her new Valentine's Day outfit. The lactation consultant told Kristyn her body is adjusting so well to the whole feeding process, that she could sell her milk if she wanted to...leading Dad to begin to research such options on the internet. Does anyone need some high octane natural baby food?

Finishing Addison's Hope Chest

Over Christmas break, Dad and a carpenter friend from the Chapel spent two days making an Oak Chest for Addy's toys downstairs. When Addy gets married, it will become her's to pass on to her children. The corners of the chest are made from Oak trees recently felled from in front of the US Capitol that have stood there for a hundred years. Dad is staining it this week in the garage and it will go in the living room for now with a cushion on top for extra seating when we have small group meetings.

This is why Dad can't leave the house.

I leave for one day to go to work, and Uncle David and Grandma McKendrick talk Kristyn into putting Addy into a Sox outfit! What is this family coming to? Well, Uncle Dan, this is your bragging rights picture for winnig the World Series last year. When Addy grows up, she will never be allowed to look on this picture.