We are just two weeks away from when our lives will change forever, with the birth of our daughter, so let me see if I can catch you up on what you have missed over the last few months and how I am personally preparing for the baby.

First off I have been preparing by watching plenty of MTV’s Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant. I figured these were pretty close to real life so if I study how these great moms do with their babies then I will do just fine!

Next task was working on a name. This might have been one of the hardest things to decide, for Katie! I came up with a stellar list of names that would have been perfect for my first born, she didn’t seem to think so but I sure did. So here’s the deal, I will reveal them but you have to promise not to use them…. Ok here we go. First off was Pep! Cute huh? I know and if you say her full name it gets even better, Pep See… Yep I put a a call in to Pepsi-Cola for sponsorship but well they must have just not received the message yet.

Next up was Jose Canu. Now this was more of a boy’s name but it was the type of name that Toby Keith would write a song about. Think about it. Ladies and gentlemen it is my pleasure to introduce you to, Jose Canu See! Zing!

Those were definitely the two front runners in my book. Katie wanted some dorky names like Charlotte and Lucy etc. No offense to any Charlotte’s or Lucy’s that are reading this but come on how can you consciously pick one of those over the ones I mentioned above?

Stay tuned In my next blog, probably the Christmas edition, I will reveal some of the other awesome names I came up with.

Something else you may have missed since May is I started the awesomeness of decorating a little girl’s bedroom. Let me tell you this, even though I am color blind I don’t know how I am going to survive all of this pink and purple and girly stuff. But thankfully all of the awesome ladies at Katie’s baby showers gave us plenty of great WVU gear.

Whoops I almost forgot, the name! Ok so after many long talks I gave in and we started to settle on a name, Mollie Elizabeth. I know lame! Katie won’t fully commit to it yet but it is pretty much 99.9% the name. What pretty much sealed the deal was when my 3 year old niece started calling her Ollie. We all pretty much refer to her as Ollie now. So at least I sort of win with a crazy name.

So there you have it! It has been a while and I could say that I will continue to update but we don’t have that type of relationship do we? I will go away for a while more than likely but I promise I will try and update as soon as I can. If you are really interested in following me look me up on Facebook!

Off to watch more Teen Mom to prep!

Katie and I have been staying in a hotel the last few days around the corner from our house. Don’t ask…

Anyway, on Saturday morning she got up around 8:30 to go down for breakfast. I stayed in bed. About 2 min after she left there was a knock at the door.

I got up thinking she forgot the key. When I open the door, a lady is standing there and she starts to walk inside. I stepped in front of her and she said “Aren’t you ready?” I was like, “ready for what?” She said, “Weren’t you the one who called me?” I told her I believed she had the wrong room. She asked if I was sure and then I guess continued knocking until she found the man with the cash.

I never would have thought someone would have ordered a prostitute in Martinsburg at 9 am.

And no, I don’t think Katie sent her!

What would you have done?

“Do you want to know what it is?”

Those are the words the doctor muttered as I stared at the screen on the doctor’s room wall.

If I could break down all of the thoughts that were running through my head at that moment, I know there would be too many to count and I would need to definitely lie down on a couch somewhere to have them all analyzed. In this blog I will try and break down the big ones. Please don’t judge the thoughts of this young father-to-be. No matter the sex, I will be one happy Papa.

• It’s A Boy - Ahhh…baseball games, chicks dig scars, football, the talk, trucks, sandboxes, muddy bike rides, falling out of tree houses, ball caps and camo shorts
• It’s A Girl - Tea parties, pink, pink, pink, purple, purple, purple, bonnets, red Dorothy shoes, dolls, dolls and more dolls, makeovers
• Holy Crap I’m Going To Be A Dad - What does that mean? How does that even work? What do I have to change? How do I change? Wait, I’m going to be a Dad? I’m still learning from my Dad!
• I’ll Be Happy No Matter What It Is! - Boys hit, Girls don’t! Wait, if it is a girl I have to pay for hundreds of dresses and a wedding? Oh, my…I think I need to sit down.
• Where Am I? I’m Starting To Get Dizzy! - So we have been going through this for 20 weeks now and this is just now hitting me? How is this becoming real now?

It was a normal Tuesday before Christmas. We were both running around trying to get everything ready to go home and see my parents for Christmas Eve and then host the In-Law’s for Christmas Day.

No matter that I am just months away from hitting 30, I still get excited like I am 5 years old days before Christmas.

I returned home on time that day. Walked in to see Katie standing in the kitchen with a smirk on her face. I knew she was up to something, I just didn’t know what.

After saying hello to each other she told me that she had something to show me. I knew it had to be an early Christmas present. I can’t tell you how excited I was. She then told me to close my eyes and turn around. Now I was getting really excited.

As a preview into the male mind, I can give you a little insight into what was racing through my mind during that time. It’s actually quite easy, three things…either when I turned around she was going have a present, food or she was going to be naked. Little did I know that third one actually had something to do with the surprise.

As I quickly turned around and opened my eyes I saw something that I never thought I would see in my lives, a failed pregnancy test. I thought I had studied. Never did I think that I would turn around and see that! Don’t get me wrong I was excited but honestly that was the last thing on my mind.

Katie and I had the discussion about starting our family a short 7 months before that. I am going to be honest, I am a guy…I didn’t really remember. So, this was a bit of a shock. Most of you know how much of a motor mouth I am and I am telling you that I walked around like a zombie for a few days.

Then came the time to tell the folks. I am never one to just say surprise, you are going to be grandparents. I have to make a scene. So I slipped over to the Dollar Tree during my lunch hour the day before we went home and purchased a pack of mini dinosaurs and tacky princess slippers. That night I packed them in obscure boxes and piled tacky tinsel around them. We then handed them off to both sets of parents on separate occasions as “gag gifts.”

Both parents were extremely surprised. My dad had  to sit down he was so shocked and my mom was kind enough to tell Katie and I that we had, “had a good run!” Comforting!

The In-Laws were quite shocked as well. Check out the video below! My mother-in-law was so worried it was one of my jokes that she kept saying, “please tell me this isn’t a joke, please tell me this isn’t a joke.” That was so much fun!

Check out the video of when we told them and see them opening the box below!

That was just the first step. We are now 3 months along in our journey and boy do I already have tons of stories to tell. Check back in two weeks to hear how I have already managed to enrage my newly pregnant wife enough to throw an entire cup of water on me! This is going to be one wild ride!

This one you may have to re-read a few times before it sinks in.

This is a blog many hoped that I never would write.

This is a blog that my wife has been terrified about since the day she met me.

Let’s start of with a quick anecdote.

Some may tell you that I was a little bit of a wild kid back in the day. My mom would probably fill your head with stories about having to create a harness for my high chair. If she didn’t tell that one she might tell you of the time that we had a push button gas stove and I climbed up and lit all four burners and she came back into the kitchen to find me sitting in the middle. Not that one? Ok, how about the fact that my mom and dad had to duct tape the refrigerator shut because I would pull all of the food out on the floor.

Whatever anyone tells you about me as a child don’t believe it! But there is one thing that I can tell you. When I was about 8 years old terrorizing my mother around the house she grabbed me by the arm and looked me right in the eye and said these fateful words that have haunted Katie since the day she met me, “I hope you have 10 kids just like you.”

Well, I have never been one to not take a challenge and try to prove my parents wrong….

INCOMING!!!!!!
Summer 2011

Mountaineer fans, today is a day that will live in infamy in Mountaineer folk-lore.

Remember this day. The day that diehard Mountaineer fans were finally able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

But before we can even start on where we are now, we have to look at how we got here.

It was almost 3 years to the day that Rich Fraudriguez and his cronies slipped out of Morgantown in the middle of the night. Hundreds of fans gathered at the airport to bid him adieu. He left a program who was just one game away from their first ever National Championship.

While Mountaineer Nation worried about the future and speculated on who his replacement would be, Coach Bill Stewart was grabbing the reins and preparing the boys for what would be one of the biggest games in Mountaineer history, almost folk-lore big.

We all know what happened and many will never forget the words of Tony Caridi and Owen Schmidt from that fateful January night. But it is what happened after the game that shocked everyone. Our program just performed very well on the highest of stages, almost like passing a test or just totally crushing a job interview for all of the country to see. What did we do? We hired the nicest guy who was left after the dust settled, Bill Stewart.

Fire spread through Mountaineer Nation and two camps were formed. One camp that thought it was a great hire and the other that thought WVU had just made the biggest mistake in the program’s history. Which was right? In my mind, both!

Rich Rod had just left the program with a horrible taste in its mouth and what we later learned on the brink of NCAA violations. What the Mountaineers needed was a coach that would come in and take care of the program and build back some credibility. Stewart did this. He loves WVU football and WV with all of his heart and he cared for each and every one of his players just like they were his own son. This is something that all WVU fans should be very proud of. But a nice guy doesn’t always make a great coach.

As Stew embarked on his first season it was already apparent that even though he loved the game and loved his school and state that his loved outweighed his football knowledge. From the assembly of his offensive staff to the mismanagement of normal game day duties it was clear to see that it was not going to last. Now don’t get me wrong he did very well record wise at 28-11. But what we all have to remember is this was a team that was just a few quarters away from playing in the national title game. Returning some amazing talent along with one of the greatest quarterbacks in NCAA history in Pat White and still the team did not win the Big East Championship.

Whatever you do, do not put me in the anti-Stewart column. I am a huge fan of Granddad Stewart. He was great at the time but the time is now to make a change and compete for BCS bowl bids and National Championships. In college football you are either at the bottom or at the top, there truly is no middle people. If Stewart had come in and won the Big East two of the last three years we would not be having this conversation right now but the point is he did not. And he will gracefully depart at the conclusion of next season.

What will this mean for the future of WVU football? All I can say is get ready ladies and gentleman. Wait until you see the hirgh powered offense of Dana Holgorsen. Who will be taking over as WVU’s new Offensive Coordinator and will assume the Head Coaching position in 2012. The same year that TCU will be joining the Big East!

Just a little background on Holgorsen, his first year as Oklahoma State’s Offensive Coordinator they went from middle of the road in offense to number 1 overall and number 3 in passing and number 2 in rushing in the country. Our offense will finally match our defense.

And with that, all I can say is…Let’s Go!!!

You might see me rolling down the Trough in it this Summer…keep your eyes peeled and watch out for my various lasers and missles!

(Update 4/21/10 – 3:15 pm) 

Ben Roethlisberger was suspended for six games on Wednesday for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, the NFL announced.

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback also was ordered to undergo a comprehensive behavioral evaluation. Commissioner Roger Goodell will evaluate Roethlisberger’s progress before the season and might consider reducing the suspension to four games.

—— Original Post ——–

Seriously?

Who’s next?

As I think back over all of my favorite athletes of the last 10 years, at the top you have Tiger Woods then Big Ben. Which one of my sports idols is next? I just cannot believe what is happening. I mean I understand that athletes are getting paid millions and millions of dollars and they feel entitled but come on! When do these guys realize that they need to start thinking with their brains and not their extra-large libidos!

The biggest problem I have with all of this is that both of these players have been touted as not only great athletes but also great citizens.

First to the party was Tiger. Was there any other athlete in recent history that was considered a more perfect guy than him? Family man, amazing golfer, breaking golf’s color barrier (in a way), bringing golf to the forefront. I mean the list has no end. Then what happens? The rug is pulled out from under me like that one girl 15 years ago who wouldn’t dance with me at the Romney Elementary School Sock Hop! Honestly, how can one man keep up a relationship with that many women. Just forget about the fact that he was keeping it from not only millions of fans but also his wife and family. He was at one time juggling more women than Hugh Hefner. How is that humanly possible? I spend 365 days a year, 7 days a week and 24 hours a day trying to keep my wife happy…let alone 10 other women at the same time. Might be a nice little experiment thought….just kidding!

Now on to Big Ben. Such promise and such a likable guy. It was said that you could bump into Ben at the local Pittsburgh watering holes drinking with all of the other blue-collar steel workers. That was back when he first came to Pittsburgh. Now you can probably find him cruising the local college campuses for chicks. I mean come on! I know Ben is about the same age is me, I am actually older, but still you don’t need to be acting like you are still in college. Ben’s head got big, just like Tigers. He thought that he could walk into any bar, point out a girl, and if she didn’t want to go home with him then that wouldn’t stop him. This incident that happened in Georgia was just a little too much for this die-hard Steeler fan to handle. We now have three incidents involving Ben over the last 5 or 6 years. I really feel that he has one last chance and I am selling my wife’s Rothlisberger jersey on eBay!

When it all comes down to it, I really don’t think I can take this anymore! How do they expect me to continue watching sports if I cannot have a man crush on my favorite player. How do I walk down the street and show my love for my team or my favorite golfer if they act like a complete idiot. I could be like thousands of other guys and say, “Way to go Tiger!” or “You Da Man Ben!” But I have morals and hopes for my athletes. I feel that my hope may be running out….

This pains me but it is too funny not to post!

Keep it in your pants guys!

So, as most of you know I am a little bit of a fanatic when it comes to WVU sports. No worries, I am seeing a psychologist and she assures me that I will not be fine.

As I continue to try to slowly piece my “Man Cave” together, I continue to look for cool things to place in my cave. Today I found the Holy Grail.

The link is below. You can actually purchase the seats from the Final Four! That’s right bench seats that the team sat on with the WVU logo and the Final Four logo on the back! They are only $165 a piece and I have already informed my wife that I will be purchasing at least 7.

I am off to donate plasma after work today. Wish me luck!

Happy Friday!

www.specseat.com

Let me know how many you intend to purchase – Let’s Go Mountaineers!

We are just into spring football practice and it looks as though we may be in for a long fall/winter.

After looking down from what seemed like Heaven with WVU baseketball this year with winning the Big East Tourney and making it to our first Final Four in 51 years, it seems that we were thrown back into reality this week.

First story hot off the press…The return of Rich Fraud. Oh yeah back like a nightmare from 5th grade, we learn that not only did Rod commit NCAA violations at Michigan but shocker – he possibly did the same at WVU. On April 2nd, NCAA officials started their investigation at WVU to see if Rich was in fact doing the same thing at WVU. If this rings true, and some WVU officials turned their head, we too could be looking at a bit of a smack on the wrist. The entire story from the Detroit Free Press will be posted below for you to take a gander at.

The second reason for you to possibly purchase the WVU Men’s Basketball 2009-10 Season Highlight DVD and put it on repeat all fall/winter long is that just 6 days into Spring practice Granpappy Stew is already not happy with their performance.

In the interview, which I will post below, he notes that there is a total lack of leadership and that our team was practicing no better than a .500 football team. That could spell disaster folks. Pat White is long gone. Jarrett Brown is long gone. All of our leadership is gone. There is still talent on that field but our on-field leadership is gone. Some one has to step up. And right now I am not seeing it. I really hope that Granpappy Stew can get these boys motivated. If he doesn’t, this could not only be his last year, but also a very grimm year for the Mountaineer Football team. We will just have to wait until after the spring game on April 30th to see if there is any improvement. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

On one cool note. Stew did announce in the video below that the team will be dedicating the 2010 season to the families of the miners who lost their lives at the Upper Big Branch Mine on April 5. So at least there is one shining light in all of this.

Strap in folks this could be a bumpy ride…

MSNsportsNET.com
April 14, 2010

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said he was not happy with the performance of his team on day six of spring drills Wednesday. According to Stewart, there were too many busted assignments and some of that was because of the large number of players wearing red and green practice jerseys. The team will be off on Thursday and will have a 6 a.m. workout on Friday morning.

And Now the Rich Fraud story!

West Virginia meets with NCAA

BY MICHAEL ROSENBERG, JIM SCHAEFER and MARK SNYDER
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITERS

The NCAA has accused the Michigan athletic
department of a failure “to adequately monitor
its football program” and has accused coach Rich
Rodriguez of failing “to promote an atmosphere
of compliance.”

These are official NCAA terms.
But what do they mean in the context of the U-
M case?
That is in dispute. And that might explain why
the NCAA has extended its inquiries all the way
to Morgantown, W.Va., where Rodriguez used to
coach.
After the NCAA alleged in February that U-M had
committed five potentially major rules violations,
Rodriguez said, in a statement, that “I’ll do all I
can to carefully monitor all the program’s
activities. I look forward to working with
(athletic director David Brandon) and the
compliance office to ensure there is no question
of Michigan football’s compliance with NCAA
rules.”
That is one interpretation of the NCAA’s failure
to monitor charge. However, the NCAA could
determine that U-M and its coach intentionally
violated the rules.
On April 2, the Free Press asked West Virginia

U-M athletic director David Brandon released a
statement Tuesday, saying: “There is no new
NCAA investigation involving the University of
Michigan. Any question regarding an NCAA q
uery should be directed to the NCAA. … There
is nothing new that would cause me to change
my position. Rich will coach our team this fall.”
It is unclear what, if anything, the NCAA
uncovered in its inquiries in West Virginia. It is
plausible that the answers from staffers there