12 weeks!

Yesterday Baby Pit turned 12 weeks old.

WHAT a rush it has been.

He is mostly sleeping through the night (though last night he was up at 4am because he had wiggled out of his swaddle blanket and scooted himself into the corner of his crib so he wasn't a happy camper) Otherwise he's been sleeping from about 10pm-7am and we couldn't be happier.

He is a REALLY happy baby too. He loves to be held but is also really content in this bassinet or bouncy seat just watching the world (or his big sister who just fascinates him). He just smiles and smiles and only really fusses when he's hungry, has a dirty diaper or right before he wants to take a nap. I have managed to get him on a pretty good schedule and for that I am proud. It makes life a lot easier when everyone knows what to expect and when.

As for Little Pit, she is doing really well as a big sister. She is still her funny, pesky, energetic self and still has the daily "I'm 2" tantrum, but for the most part she is just great.

We had a really nice Christmas here in PA after a week in Lake Placid, NY with Mr. Pit's parents. It was a snowy winter wonderland up there and we had a fabulous time relaxing at the resort and catching up with his family.

We came home the 21st and were thrust into the go-go-go of the season. Part of the madness (and fun) was that Baby Pit was the baby Jesus in our church's Christmas pageant. He was really good too and only fussed for the first couple of minutes and then slept through the rest. We got lots of rave reviews on his 'performance' and I was so pleased with how it all turned out. I was very proud the whole afternoon.

We then went to my parents house for Christmas Eve dinner (filet, yum!) and then came back to our house to set up for the next morning. Little Pit was pretty blown away by all the presents, and thankfully she LOVES all her presents, especially her LeapPad2 which was her big gift. She is playing it as I write this and she's so enthralled it's great. I feel like it's much better than TV, and though is a screen I feel as if she's still learning. (at least that's what I'm telling myself!)

I made out like a bandit on Christmas as my parents spoiled me rotten with tons of clothes from C.Wonder and Lilly as well as a new duvet, shams and a new headboard for our new bed. It looks so great, I'll take pictures eventually.

So, we're all happy and healthy. Lots of apologies for not blogging sooner, life with 2 is crazier than I thought it would be, but also MUCH better.

Here's some recent pictures :)

xoxo Mrs. Pit

He's finally here!!

Hi all!
Baby Pit is here! Paul Tillman came into the world, fast and furious at 12:21 pm on October 4th. He weighed in at a whopping 9 pounds and was 20 1/2 inches long. Looking at him now I have NO idea how I carried him for 41 weeks!

Last Thursday was the most insane, intense and awesome day in a long time.

A rundown of our day...otherwise known as the fastest 5 hours of my life!

6:00am I woke up to call the Labor and Delivery department to make sure they had a bed available for my induction. They did and after a light breakfast and a quick goodbye to Little Pit (she stayed at my parents house for the day and we had all slept over the night before) we were off.

7:30am We checked in to Labor and Delivery and got all hooked up to the contraction monitors and heart rate monitor for the baby. The doctor was performing a C-Section at the time, but we'd been told she'd be in shortly.

8:30am After lots of paperwork and prep the IV with the pitocin finally gets started. I had been having absolutely NO contractions that morning before this, so they were unsure how long the whole process would take (keep that in mind in a few paragraphs)

9:30am The doctor finally comes in to check on me and up until then the contractions were very mild and Mr. Pit and I were happily watching LIVE! With Kelly and Michael and chatting away. The doctor did a quick check and before I knew it she broke my water and then things REALLY got started.

10:30am The past hour went by really quickly with my contractions getting stronger by the minute and they were coming faster and faster. I luckily knew I wanted an epidural and had requested one around 10, knowing that in short time they would be really painful. At this point when the anesthesiologist showed up it was perfect timing as the contractions were impossible to talk through or practically breath through.

10:45am The epidural has kicked in and I can't feel a thing. Bliss doesn't even begin to describe it. I try to take a small nap since I am now overwhelmed with a sleepy feeling.

12:00pm Nurses begin to come in and set up the room saying that I am really close to being ready. I have felt NOTHING in the last hour or so, so this is all news to me! They keep asking if I feel like pushing and I keep saying no, that I can barely feel my legs and feel none of the contractions. They say this is fine, but I will be having the baby soon so get ready!

12:15pm The doctor comes in and tells me to push. I can't feel anything, but apparently I am pushing well and his head is out in 2 tries. Turns out the cord is around his neck, so the next seconds were blurry and scary but then all of a sudden he was out and screaming.

12:22pm The baby is placed on the scale and no one can believe how big he is and how on earth I carried such a big baby without gaining too much weight (total weight gain was 24 lbs, it was closer to 40 with Little Pit). I can't tell you how, it wasn't anything I did on purpose (and if anything I felt like I took a lot of dietary short cuts and didn't eat all that well the last trimester). Anyways, we were overjoyed that he came out healthy and that the doctor was able to get the cord off with no lasting damage.

By 2:00pm I was up in recovery devouring a turkey hoagie and red gatorade (my two biggest cravings after Little Pit too!) and life has been insane ever since!

Today he is 5 days old and he is a very chill little guy. He definitely has his days and nights mixed up and does NOT like his crib or the bassinet and would much rather be held to sleep, but we'll work on it. Mr. Pit is home all week which is awesome, and right now is he at Gymboree with Little Pit and BP and I are just chilling, trying to get some tidying done, but mostly we are just resting. I know that next week real life will really kick in, so I am trying to take the time to let my body heal (let me tell you, when the epidural wore off I could absolutely feel that I delivered a rather large baby, but it gets better every day).

So, here is a picture of our little man. We couldn't be happier. Little Pit is being an AMAZING big sister too, she has been very helpful and only a little whiny which is impressing all of us.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

xoxo Mrs. Pit

Yup, still here...

...and still pregnant.

I know I have nothing to complain about, I am only 4 days late, but I tell you, unless you've been late with a child that you are MORE than ready to meet, it seems like an effing eternity. Not to mention running around after a 2 1/2 year old the entirety of this pregnancy. Between LP's terrible two's (which, I thought were over, and BOY was I mistaken) and this seemingly ENDLESS pregnancy, I am just OVER it.

Some of the things driving me crazy today...

Our dishwasher. It's so loud you think it was doing an industrial size load of dishes. Does it have a shiny stainless steel front? yep. Is it the WORST dishwasher on the face of the planet? yep. Is it so loud that I can't even sleep because it's on? You betcha. I am so mad at it and various other things I want to rip it out from under the counter and bash it with a baseball bat.

Our floors. They are the original hardwood that was installed when the house was built in the early 50's. They squeak like NONE other. We have been told the only way to remedy the problem is to rip up all the carpet and floors and start from the studs and re-do the whole floor. Guess who doesn't have money for that kind of project (nor the time or availability to evict all 4 of us from our bedrooms for god knows how long). So, every time I go over a squeaky bit of floor (which is EVERY TIME I walk around up stairs at all) I get madder and madder with every squeak.

Mr. Pit's ability to fall asleep almost instantaneously upon his head hitting the pillow. I used to be like that. In college I could practically sleep standing up. But no, since I had Little Pit, I can't sleep. I have only been sleeping the last few months with the help of Unisom, and once BP arrives in 48 hours or less, I feel like I'm never going to sleep again. Take tonight, I 'went' to bed an hour ago. I took Unisom an hour ago. But the damn dishwasher and Mr. Pit's deep breathing kept me up and now I'm wide awake and none too happy about it.

My doctors. I know I consciously made the decision to leave Friday, but I am still steaming about the miscommunication or noncommunication between my doctors. PLUS, I found out earlier this week that a woman I know who's due date was yesterday got induced by the SAME doctor that told me to go home...ON FRIDAY. So, she sent ME home on my due date and then induced someone else 4 days before hers. I am really hoping there's more to the story than that...but once I heard that I almost went off the deep end. Plus, it doesn't help that I have been hearing stories about everyone else (celebrities included) having their kids in the past 3 days.

Little Pit has a cold. I know, something I can't exactly be MAD about, but of all the weeks in the world,   REALLY? She has to get a cold THIS week? Today she was SO cranky and tired and she can't sleep that well since she can't breathe, and she can't blow her nose because apparently that's just beyond a two year olds grasp.  At this point beyond a humidifier there is nothing we can do for her besides let her rest, encourage her to stay hydrated and hope it goes away. She was a complete nightmare today and I just hope she doesn't have a fever tomorrow (she's yet to have one with this cold) so she can go to school.

Anyways, otherwise I'm doing just dandy besides wanting to take a sledge hammer to my dishwasher and my creaky floors.

Tomorrow LP has school, hopefully she'll come home and nap and then we're all staying at my parents house tomorrow night so we're nice and close to the hospital Thursday morning for round #2. I am not leaving that building without a baby this time.

Sorry to get you all riled up and complain the whole time, I just needed to vent and figured there was no better forum than this.

Hope everyone has a great night, I am just waiting for the effing dishwasher to be done (it's been on for an hour and twenty minutes and isn't even rinsing yet) so I can try to sleep on the couch.

I'll update you with Baby Pit info as soon as he/she arrives!

xoxo Mrs. Pit

Or not...

So, the induction on Friday didn't happen.

We went at 7:30, I got all ready and hooked up to monitors and that's when the doctor on call came in and things went haywire from there.

Some background first. In my OB-Gyn practice there are 6 doctors and one nurse. Throughout your pregnancy they like you to meet with various doctors so you get a feel for everyone and will recognize a face when you go into delivery since they are all on-call in the hospital for labor and delivery on different days.

The last two times I went to the doctor (weeks 38 and 39) I saw Dr. "B". Upon examination both times, Dr. "B" thought that I was days if not hours from going into labor on my own. I then asked to be induced on the due date since that way I could schedule my in-laws to be in town since my parents have been in Scotland on vacation (planned WAY before we even thought about #2). Anyways, Dr. "B" was happy to schedule me for the induction as she felt my body was already well on it's way.

Fast forward to Friday morning when Dr. "S" is on call and asks numerous times why I am there to be induced. After explaining that Dr. "B" thought that it was appropriate given my progress and it being my due date and all..Dr. "S" was still 100% skeptical.

She went on to explain the risks of induction to me and why she didn't feel comfortable putting me on pitocin and starting me down the path. She said my risk of C-Section went way up because though the pitocin does start contractions, it doesn't guarantee that you efface and dilate. She didn't think my progress was far along at all to guarantee it would work. She also said, based on the babies heartbeat and relative size, that there was no need to medically intervene for the health of the baby. She said if anything the forced contractions could lead to complications with my otherwise healthy babe.

After about 10 minutes of her talking (and me forcefully holding back tears) I decided it was best for the health of both the baby and myself to let my body progress farther on it's own.

The weekend was completely normal other than the fact that I was still pregnant, in fact, we got home in time on Friday to take LP to school and pick her up. I have had a few random contractions here and there but otherwise don't feel any closer to labor than I did last week.

At this point the doctor wants me to see how the week goes and if nothing has changed by Thursday (41 weeks) she will induce me then. She explained that at 41 weeks it does become medically necessary due to the healthy of the placenta affecting the health of the baby.

Needless to say it's been a complete roller coaster of emotions and logistics and the whole thing. All I know is that while I am pretty much mentally done with being pregnant, my body isn't and I am really hoping it will tell me BEFORE THURSDAY that this baby is ready to meet the world.

My parents are back from their trip (thank GOODNESS) and now we have more than one option of where LP can go if things happen in the middle of the night or some other unfavorable hour.

I really wish that the baby was already hear, but I can't argue with the health of the baby. What I do know is that this baby will now be a LOT bigger (even Mr. Pit thinks my belly has gotten bigger in 3 days) and therefore a bit more difficult to get out, but I'm hoping that since this is my 2nd it won't be horrible.

Anyways, I'll keep you guys updated on any progress, otherwise we're just waiting for another induction Thursday morning. I'm going to call the office tomorrow morning and try to talk to another doctor to see what her thoughts are (I also find it weird I don't have to go to any other appointments in the mean time) but whatever.

Anyone out there that wants to give any sort of advice on this sort of thing I'd love to hear it!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

xo
Mrs. Pit

Today is the day!

Good Early Morning Campers!

Today is INDUCTION day!!

I am 40 weeks today and for the last two weeks have been 3cm +, so my awesome doctor said that I could be induced this morning! I am normally not one for such intervention, but the fact that my in-laws are here until Monday night taking care of LP makes me feel SO good that I just have to take advantage of the offer and get the new baby here on their due date :)

I called labor and delivery at 6 and they told me to come in at 7:30...so I'm trying desperately to not freak out in the mean time, figure out what the heck a 'light breakfast' entails and waiting for my parents to call from Scotland to say hi. They've been gone since last Thursday and it absolutely kills me that they can't be here today, but they fly back Sunday afternoon, probably around the time we'll be getting released from the hospital anyways, so I'm good with that.

So yeah, in a few hours (or up to 12 I've been told) I'll have a new baby and our family will be 4. HOLY MOLY!

I have a lot of motivation though, one, I can't WAIT to see what this new creature looks like. LP looks a LOT like me when I was little so I can't wait to see if this one looks more like Mr. Pit or is a mix or what. I also am HIGHLY motivated to see if it's a boy or a girl! I've had my money on boy lately, only due to how a lot of people have commented that I'm carrying, but who knows. People said they swore up and down with LP that she was a boy too. Oh well. Whatever it is, as long as the baby is healthy is good for us. After a crazy year of ER visits for us that's really all we want. Plus, we've both learned in 2 1/2 years of parenting LP that ANYTHING can happen any given day, so we just want a safe, healthy delivery of a healthy baby.

Anyways, I'll update to let you know stats as soon as #2 arrives!!

Have a great Friday!!

xoxo
Mrs. Pit

Ha! This was too funny not to post

If any of you out there are mothers, as I am, you will know that strangers and non-strangers LOVE to give unsolicited parenting advice...this article that I found on DOOCE sums it up PERFECTLY!

Oh, and if you don't already read  DOOCE  , you should. She is so truthful and real and I adore her. I only wish I lived in Salt Lake City so we could be friends in real life.

Anyways, here is the parenting snippet...HILARIOUS.

HELLO STRANGER ON THE STREET, COULD YOU PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO TAKE CARE OF MY BABY?

BY WENDY MOLYNEUX

- - - -

Oh, hello, person I have never met before! I am so glad you ran up to me on this street where I am walking with my baby. You did not scare me at all with your very loud voice and the way you grabbed my arm! In fact, I am super relieved because I have a series of questions about my baby that I hope you can answer, and I am going to ask them because I know you would never ever offer me unsolicited advice.
First of all, should he be sleeping, ever? If so, should it be at night? Should I keep him in a bassinet or crib or should I let him just sleep in the yard, or the toaster? And when he sleeps, should I just let him sleep as long as he wants, or should I wake him up every fifteen minutes or so for a “baby party” where I give him hard candies and play loud music? Being a new parent is confusing, and there aren’t any books or internets about it, that’s why I have to rely on kind strangers like you.
Yes, he IS crying, isn’t he? You are right. He’s probably hungry. Should I feed him? And if so, where do I put the food? His eyeball? His butt? What kinds of cuts of meat do babies like? Should I not give him hot peppers? How much salt is too much, and when can I expect him to use a knife? If he spits up, should I have him put to sleep? There are just so many things I need to know, and that is why I rely on total strangers like you who happen to be experts on child care.
Oh, that rash on his face? Well, the doctor told me that it was just baby acne that would go away in a few weeks and that it’s incredibly common. But I really appreciate you pointing it out! I hadn’t looked at his face yet! Probably because I couldn’t tell which part of the baby was the face. Is his elbow his face? Is his onesie his face? Thank you!
Oh nice lady, you are probably right! I should definitely cover his face always so he doesn’t get sun on it. If he is exposed to the sun for even one moment, even as I am simply walking from the mechanic to a coffee shop where I have to unexpectedly stop to feed him because my car broke down, he will probably immediately get sun disease or burst into flames.
I am so glad you stopped me! I can’t wait to hear more about your grandchildren. What cuts of meat do they like? Were they ever babies, or did they start out as cats or dogs? And what did you start out as? A regular human being who was generally respectful to others or a nosy monster who is about to get kicked in the neck by a woman with a Baby Bjorn on her chest? What? No! Don’t walk away! Please! We were just getting started! I have so many more questions! Am I still pregnant after the baby came out? Can they play with tigers? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! When is it okay for him to go upside down in his carseat!?!

RIGHT? Hilarious? LOVE it. 

By the numbers...

Hi all!
So, here's a quick update of what's being going on in the Pit house as of late.

32. The age I turned yesterday I still feel 22 and am amazed that anyone thinks I am old enough to have a mortgage, credit cards, a car and (almost) 2 kids. Turns out I really am even though it surprises the heck out of me and especially my parents who still think of all of us at around age 8.

37. The number of weeks pregnant I am with #2. A few weeks ago I was having tons of contractions every night but they would subside once I was in bed. The past week I have had some Braxton Hicks, but nothing severe. So, every minute I think this baby will be early my body tells me 'not so fast!' and every time I think it will be late or I'll be pregnant forever I'll feel a tiny contraction. Basically, the baby will come when it comes and I have to focus on Little Pit and what she needs for her school and the rest of the fall. I am still very much counting down to the 28th though, I can't wait to meet the little guy or girl!

9. The amount of hours Little Pit will be at school during the week starting the 17th.  3 mornings. 3. 9 hours total. It doesn't seem like a lot, but when you have spent almost every minute of with your almost 2 1/2 year old for the past 2 1/2 years, 9 hours is a DREAM. Of course, with #2 coming it won't exactly be snooze central over here, but still, I'm looking forward to it. Also, she'll love it. She LOVED camp this summer and has been asking about school for months now.

1,294,475. Things we still have to get done before #2 comes. The nursery is at best 50% finished and we pick up the glider tomorrow. Once we get that in the house we can put everything in it's final place, I can do all the neutral colored laundry and actually start decorating the room.

0. Number of things in my bag for the hospital. I told you we had a lot to do!

74. The high temperature forecast for Sunday. I could NOT be more excited for cold weather. Being THIS pregnant in this kind of awful, East coast heat and humidity has done a number on me this summer. Poor LP and Mr. Pit have felt a lot of the wrath of that as well. As the temperature goes up my patience level goes WAY down. Needless to say, we all are wishing for cooler temperatures around here.

12. The number of people that are meeting us to go apple picking this Sunday. We threw it out there thinking NO ONE would say yes, but my entire family and some friends are coming to join us. I am so psyched! I think LP will get a huge kick out of it, and hopefully it won't be as crowded as an October weekend (and Honey Crisps are available, my favorite!!)

3. The number of hours I hope LP naps this afternoon so I can tidy up the basement (which is almost finished, the contractor SHOULD be done today!!) and then I can start moving our computers and all that fun stuff over to the new desk and then repurpose the old table for LP.

So, that's that. Mr. Pit is playing in a golf tournament this afternoon and won't be home until late, so LP and I have to think of something fun for dinner...maybe the diner and then ice cream? We'll see!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

xoxo Mrs. Pit

Moving on...

After the less than desirable weekend we just had, I have been making myself feel better by nesting for both LP and BP, but mostly by shopping for LP's big girl room.

Target is having an awesome sale on furniture AND doing free shipping, so I jumped the gun a little and bought her dresser online today.

It was reduced from $149.99 to $119.99 and included free shipping and an extra $10 off since it was a purchase of more than $100. I was looking at one quite similar at Pottery Barn Kids, but for the price I just couldn't pass this up.

Of course the bed I want to get her isn't sold online, but I know for a fact that it is in our local Target because I stalk the aisle it's in every time I am there just to make sure.

The bed is also really reasonably priced (as far as beds go I have found) at $199.99. And, since it's at our local store the only 'shipping' we'll have to do is actually getting it in and out of the car.

We can't buy it yet since Baby Pit's room isn't painted and the carpet isn't laid, and I don't want to have to take apart the crib and put it back together again more than once...so hopefully that will all happen in the next two weeks and we can really get this transition started.

I already have the bedding and sheets for her 'big girl' bed, so the last thing I have to get are bed rails so she doesn't go crashing to the ground when she moves around (which she still does, a LOT!). I am hoping to find those at a consignment store, but so far every time I visit I come up short. They aren't that expensive new, I just would rather get the discount if I can.

We decided on Behr's line of paints since they come Paint & Primer in one (win!) and have zero VOC's (Volitile Organic Compounds- basically what makes it smell like paint). Since it's zero VOC, Little Pit and I don't have to move out of the house while Mr. Pit paints, or I could even paint myself if I had more motivation (which at 31 weeks is just not happening). We picked "Pooh Corner" as the color, and if I could find a good swatch I would post it. It's basically a really light green, almost yellow color that I think will make the room bright but not too bright and should match our existing nursery bedding really well.

Baby Pit will either get a blue monogram above the crib, or pink, depending on the gender, obviously. My order is already pending with the same person who did the monogram for Little Pit's room, and it will match exactly besides color if it's another girl, but we'll do a more masculine font (and in blue) if it turns out to be a boy.

I still don't have any really inkling on what the baby is, I just know that it moves A LOT more than LP ever did and that I am not gaining nearly as much weight as I did with LP. The second is probably more to do with the fact that I am up and running around all day as opposed to sitting at a desk like I was, but still, a different pregnancy feeling overall.

So, that's how we're recovering. It's REALLY hot and humid today and since LP can't swim I have NO idea what we'll do for fun this afternoon...anyone have any ideas? Keeping a toddler out of the pool has been harder than I thought since I can't even set up her baby pool or let her run through the sprinkler :( We have our follow up appointment tomorrow morning with the hand doctor though and I am really hoping he gives us the all-clear to play with other kids, then at least I can send her to camp for the rest of the week!

I'll keep everyone posted. Thanks for your kind comments earlier this week, they mean a lot.

xoxo Mrs. Pit

What a weekend...

Thursday started normally enough, I dropped Little Pit off at her day-care (she goes to an in-home day-care once a week so I can have a 'Mom' day) and went about my business which included 3,569 errands and lunch with a friend.

When I picked LP up in the afternoon the first thing she did is pointed at a scratch on the top of her left hand and told me a cat had bitten her. Seeing as the woman who runs the daycare has 6 cats, I wasn't surprised, but also kind of thought that LP was just telling a story. She was also in a great mood, so I didn't think anything of it. The day-care owner told me she had a rough morning, but had a good nap and was in a much better mood that afternoon. Again, sounded totally normal to me (she sometimes gets some delayed separation anxiety after I leave) so I didn't suspect a thing.

Fast forward through the rest of the afternoon, which didn't go well, but I thought she was just tired. Fast forward to us putting her down at 7:30 which was (and tends to be) a cinch. 2 hours later she was up SCREAMING. We knew something was wrong but we both thought it was a bad dream because she seemed so out of it and never truly awake during the hour it took to get her back down.

The next morning is when things got really haywire. She woke up in a great mood, but Mr. Pit noticed she wasn't using her left arm...at all. I then woke up enough to take a look myself and saw that her left hand was swollen to twice the size and was all red and awful looking. Of course it was 7am and the doctors office didn't open until 9, but I called the on-call service and spoke to another doctor who told me to definitely go in to the pediatrician, especially if it was as bad as I described it.

It took me no time at all to get an appointment with the pediatrician and thankfully they took us as soon as they opened. It took about 5 seconds for the ped to decide we needed to go to the emergency room as we both saw her hand get more swollen and more red as we were sitting there.

15 minutes later we were in the ER and 15 minutes after that we were admitted to the hospital with a possible animal bite which gets its very own protocol and red-flags. Turns out cat-bites are the worst of all animal bites (besides a rabid animal) due to the bacteria they carry in their mouths regularly. I didn't realize it was a bite until the doctor showed me the bottom of her hand that had a puncture wound in it as well. They did a wound culture and it was a confirmed cat bite in no time. We were eventually moved up to the pediatric wing to get 48 hours of IV antibiotics and to get her hand all cleaned up.

Let me tell you, 48 hours seems quick but holy cow it is an awful 48 hours in the pediatric wing. Don't get me wrong, we are SOOO lucky that we were there for an injury not an illness or something much worse, but it was still a very long time to keep a 2 year old cooped up and hooked up to an IV and not allowed in the play room because of her type of injury (they kept calling it an 'open wound'...ugh!)

But, after exactly 48 hours of antibiotics and a 10 day prescription for an oral dose at home we were finally released this morning. LP took a 4 hour nap when we got home (she hardly slept AT ALL when in the hospital) and I ran all the errands I wanted to run this weekend while Mr. Pit got some rest as well.

In closing, it was NOT at all the weekend we wanted or expected, but we are so grateful that our pediatrician and the entire ER team acted so quickly and kept the infection to a minimum and got us out of there as soon as possible with a healthy hand. It could have very well gotten a lot worse and moved much farther into her body if everyone didn't act so efficiently, so we are so grateful. We are also now positive that we will never own a cat :) (no offense to cat lovers, but seriously, 48 hours of isolation for a tiny bite that didn't even warrant tears...no thank you!!!)

Anyways, we are all very happy to be home and though she can't go to camp this week (major bummer) or go swimming at all (again, MAJOR bummer) we will fill our days with fun stuff including possibly shopping for her big girl bed a bit early :)

Hope everyone had a much less eventful weekend than we did!

xoxo Mrs. Pit

Hi all!
Long time!

Baby Pit is 29 weeks already, and September is coming a lot faster than I ever thought possible!

I have been keeping myself quite busy though, and managed to have a Scout Home Show last night at my friend D's.

Turns out a lot of people couldn't come for one reason or another, but what that means for YOU is that I have a TON of inventory left that I would LOVE to sell for close to wholesale prices so I don't have to send it back.

Email me at Preppypitbull@gmail.com if you are interested in any of it. I will ship wherever, even APO addresses for $5 an item (the bins get kinda heavy, sorry!)

Any questions email me and hopefully I have something you've been dying to get! I will also happily negotiate on price, especially if you want to buy more than one thing.

 Super D Pooper (Diaper tote with enclosed changing pad) $31 each (Pink is SOLD)

 Mighta Bins $18 each

 Crown Jewels (small zip top make up bag) $14

 Packin' Heat bag (larger zip top make up bag) $17 (white is sold)

 Hang-10 Bin (holds hanging files or whatever else you want) $23 each

 Three Way (3 zipper make up bag) $20 each

 Tote-All Package (cell phone and ID carrier with wristlet clip) $20 each

 Game Day Tote  $45 each (blue is sold)

 Day Tripper Tote $38 each (blue stripe no longer available)

 Weekender Tote (large zip top travel tote) $48 each (white is sold)

 Pocket Rocket (3 pockets on each side plus a zip top) $43

 Cool Clutch (Insulated tote with velcro closure at top- great for famers markets) $23

 Mini Deano (original open top tote) $27 each

 Four Boys bag (the largest of all the scout bags, zip top- AWESOME) $50 each

 Deano bag (Medium size open tote bag) $35 each

 Grand Plan Tote (open top with tab closure) $43 each

 Zip it and Rip It Lacrosse Stick Bag $55 each

 Big Draw (Book bag with lacrosse/field hockey stick holder on side) $50 each

 Play Girl Play Totes (indented side perfect for racquets of all kinds) $44 each

 The Stiff One (insulated cooler with hard bottom) $36 each

 Carry Y'all tote (open top, single handle, perfect for the beach) $38

 Junque Trunk (maybe the best seller ever- great for the back of your car, folds flat, great for holding groceries upright or anything else you want to toss in your car) $42 *Top and middle bins have sold, paisley is still available*

 Totes Ma Goat Tote- Open Top tote $32

Pleasure Chest (insulated cooler bags, taller than they are wide so they are great for beer, wine, soda at the beach) $22 each

Again, let me know if anyone is interested in anything, I'd love to get this stuff to people who want it rather than send it back to the warehouse!!

If you want to see the original items on the website, the website is Bungalow Co  so just click the link and browse around!!


Hope all is well with everyone!

Where my mind is lately...

We had our 20 week ultrasound for Baby Pit last week and everything went swimmingly. We got tons of pictures of the Littlest Pit and are still in the dark as to the gender, which is what we wanted. Everything is growing as it should and BP looks 100% healthy and happy.

What I am experiencing at this point though is a frustrating limbo of sorts.

September is going to be insane as Little Pit is starting Nursery School (2 mornings a week, 9-12pm) and Baby Pit will make an arrival (hopefully) at some point that month. I want to prepare LP as much as I can for the arrival of her younger sibling, and we need to prepare the house. With 20 weeks to go though it's insane to start buying furniture now...and even harder still when I don't know what furniture I want.

It's not that I don't know what color or style crib I want for BP, it's wether or not we move LP out of the crib and into a toddler bed, or into a twin bed, or leave her in her crib and buy a new crib for BP.

I know that these are all incredibly little/minor/ridiculously first world problems...but it's what I've been thinking about right, wrong or otherwise.

Here are my trains of though.

A) Buy BP a new crib because LP LOVES hers and it's not broken, so why change? She has enough changes coming in September, why disturb her sleep?
B) Buy LP a toddler bed and give BP the crib.
C) Buy LP a twin bed and give BP the crib.

BUT...
I don't want to own two cribs. Two cribs that will eventually end up in our garage or basement or somewhere and we won't be able to sell them because who buys a used crib these days? Per the ads on Craigslist....NO ONE. There are tons of listings that have been there forever...

BUT...
LP's crib converts to a toddler bed and then into a full...so is that another reason to buy another convertible crib and let them get a TON of use out of it? Does anyone actually do this?

BUT...
If I buy LP a toddler bed I have to buy ANOTHER bed down the line when she's too big for it...if I buy her a twin now I'm done buying her furniture until college! (I realize this is a stretch, I got a full size bed when I was in high school, but it's not out of the question, right?)

Toddler beds are not inexpensive, but they tend to be less than cribs. Twin beds go the same way...there is one I am dying over in Pottery Barn Kids, and they have a very similar toddler bed version. But, I'll spend whatever I need to make the right choice for LP, I just have no idea what that is!

I think LP would transition well into a bed as she's a great sleeper and seems to understand her nighttime routine and all that...but do I want to lose out on sleep two separate times with two separate kids? Is 2 years and 3 months too early to transition her anyway?

Of all the people I have asked...I have gotten as many answers as there have been questions...so I am no further towards my decision. Everyone makes GREAT points. EVERYONE's kids are still alive and happy no matter what they chose to do.

Any of you Mom's of toddlers have any advice?

It's not as much the cost issue as it is...will she sleep? Will we sleep? Is it worth it to move her and 'rock her world' even more than it already will be? (If we do transition her and give her crib to BP, she would get her new bed in early August so we'd hopefully have two full months to get her sleeping again)

Otherwise everything else is fine...I am the only one driving myself crazy on this one. Mr. Pit thinks I am absolutely nuts for thinking of all this stuff, especially 4 months early.

Am I crazy? I think I am just trying to nest and since we cant do anything to the nursery yet, this is how I am manifesting that desire (oh yeah, and I thought cleaning out the garage on Sunday was a good idea as well, OY).

Any advice would be great!

xo Mrs. Pit

She's 2!

Friday came and went and it's official that I know am the mother of a 2 year old. I can't tell you where the heck the last two years have gone, it seems like yesterday that I was home with her that first day from the hospital with NO idea what on earth I was doing. And now she's her own little person with DEFINITE ideas of how she wants to spend her days. Mr. Pit keeps saying she gets that from me...ha!

The brunch on Saturday was a huge success, Mr. Pit and his Mom made fabulous stratas and the cupcakes were a hit.

 Just laughing the morning away...

 Whoa, this cupcake is for me? 

 YUM!

 And earlier in the day, at ballet class. She was great and listened to about 75% of the directions from the teacher...which is more than I thought she would!

Running to jump in and out of the hula hoops. I think Saturday mornings are going to be her new favorite time of the week!

Here are some pictures from the fete. LP absolutely refused to take off her ballet clothes, so she spent the entire morning in her dress, tights and shoes. Oh well.

We had a really nice weekend and everyone was SO generous with their gifts. The God-Parents outdid themselves yet again and LP will have of lots to play with for the next long while!

I hope everyone had a great weekend, it's finally supposed to warm up here this week, I am just so tired of 50's and cloudy!

Have a great Sunday!

XOXO Mrs. Pit

Getting ready for 2...

I realize the title has a double entendre, and I rather like it. Little Pit will be 2, then we will have 2 'little' Pits come September...

Little Pit turns 2 in 2 days. That's right...2 years ago this week I was still working and since everyone told me 'your first is NEVER early' I thought I had at least another week to go. Much to my surprise that was not the case. I worked from 7am to 6pm on Monday the 26th and called Mr. Pit on the way home and requested pizza for dinner. (This is all after being SENT home from work after I was up on the roof on scaffolding trying to explain where the sign was supposed to go and my boss freaked out and made me get down and go home) To this day I maintain I felt perfectly fine and had no trouble getting up or down said scaffolding, and if I didn't get up there, who would? No one else knew where the sign was supposed to be installed (even though the stupid sign contractor should have!) But, I digress.
So, we had pizza, watched Gossip Girl and as I was getting up off the couch my water broke and the rest is history. 10 hours later Little Pit was here and things have never been the same.

Most of my fear and anxiety over baby #2 come to light when I think about how easy it was to go into labor with Little Pit. All we had to do was let the dog out for a last pee, put him in his crate and go to the hospital. We can't exactly do that with Little Pit if I go into labor (especially if my water breaks again) in the middle of the night. My parents will be in Scotland the week that Baby Pit is due and my in-laws are 3+ hours away. I also realize that we have 22 weeks to figure this out...but this is what keeps me up at night.

I also have NO idea how I will entertain Little Pit while I am nursing Baby Pit. People have just told me that I will and I'll figure it out...but again, this is what gives me agida.

So, in lieu of worrying about things I can't control (babysitter for LP yes, when I go into labor, no) I have begun doing all I can to get the house ready for BP's big arrival.

LP is going to stay in her room and we will move the crib, the dresser/changing table and glider into what is now our walk in closet. It was a bedroom when we first moved in, but being young and just married we thought a walk in closet was much more fun than an extra extra guest room...and 5 years later I am losing my favorite room in the house. Oh well.

LP will then get a new dresser and a big girl twin bed. My Mom has very graciously offered to buy the bedding for us, and we together chose the Victoria Quilt in Green from Pottery Barn Kids. LP's room is yellow, so we thought the green floral would look great and since it's not TOO formal and not TOO kid-like, she can have it for years to come.

We are going to go to the Pottery Barn Outlet in June to look for a bed, though if that doesn't pan out (though we are 5 for 5 in our last trips for what we needed) I will get her the Madeline Bed since it's really reasonably priced and exactly the look I want for her room.

She will not get any bedside tables just yet (she has to figure out how to sleep in a bed without moving all around the world during the night as she does in her crib) so for the mean time she will get bedrails and a few blankets on the floor if she does happen to fall out of bed.

Baby Pit's room is what needs all the work and since most of his/her furniture is already here I get to focus on paint colors and window treatments. I am thinking of making something like this since the window already has a shade on it, I thought this would be a nice accent. If I can find a cute not-too gender specific stripe (much like this one) I think I can hem it and sew a rod pocket by myself. I'd get this one in a heartbeat if it didn't cost almost $100. Then I can get cute grosgrain ribbon and tie it up when it's daytime. These curtains are from Country Curtains   and while adorable, I just can't justify that cost for 1 window.

Mr. Pit was feeling quite generous the other night and allowed me to get the closets in all the bedrooms redone by a closet company...so I now have a snowballs chance in hell of fitting all my clothes from the walk-in into something 1/4 of the size. Mr. Pit is getting an armoire and he'll have to figure out himself where on earth his shirts and pants are going to go...at this point I can't even imagine what it will look like, but as long as the doors on it shut I guess I can't complain.

So, if this isn't my reaction to my own serenity prayer...I am accepting the things I cannot change (when  darling #2 will show up) and I am working on the things I can...like the closets and the rooms our little cherubs get to call their own.

BP will get all of the crib bedding and decorations that were in LP's room, so it'll be another Peter Rabbit themed room, but why reinvent the wheel, right? I love the colors and it really does work with a girl or a boy (Mr. Pit would argue that he doesn't know any guy that would say he loved Peter Rabbit) but we'll go the truck/train/monster/dinosaur route if we have to down the road.

Anyways, that's what's going on here. I have 2 fabulous strata recipes ready to be made on Friday night for the birthday brunch on Saturday and the cupcake mix is waiting patiently in the box for me to break out the mixing bowls Friday night as well. LP is getting a very small party this year mostly because she has NO idea it's her birthday and she'll just be excited to have both sets of Grandparents in the same room again like Easter. Next year I'll worry about a party with friends, but for now, Family and God-parents are perfect.

And just for fun, here's a picture of the almost 2 year old we took at Easter.

Hope everyone's having a great day!

xo
Mrs. Pit

A few things

*Little Pit turns 2 a week from today. How on earth do I have a 2 year old? When did this happen?

*One of my best friends and bridesmaids got engaged last weekend. I am so incredibly happy for her and I adore her fiance. They are planning a September wedding and I am excited for what's going to be an incredible celebration. I also love that it's not a super long engagement, and I love weddings so I get 2 in one year! (That's of course if the new baby doesn't come early!)

*I have heard some doozies of incorrect words this past week (I used to hear a lot when I worked in an office, but holy cow...these are good). Summarization- It's a SUMMARY people. There is no such thing as a summarization. It's not entirely WRONG, but why add more syllables when you don't have to? Irregardless. This is just wrong. It even shows up as incorrect in my spellcheck. You give regards. Or you don't, so it's regardLESS. IRregardLESS is a double negative. Plus, you sound like an idiot when you say it. Last but certainly not least...Orientate. Again, NOT a word. You ORIENT yourself to your surroundings. Another example of adding a pointless and incorrect syllables.

*I know tennis season has officially started since I lost part of my big toe nail yesterday. I wasn't even on the roster (and we won!) and I still managed to do some serious toe damage while running errands. It happens every season, just usually not so early. OY.

*Oxy Clean Max Gel Stick is my new best friend. In the past week it has gotten out dirt, grass, blood, ketchup, ranch dressing and anything else you can imagine an almost 2 year old has gotten into. Go out and buy yourself a stick. It's amazing on stains.

*I read somewhere that it was 'against the law' for a blogger to write about a product and not state if they were compensated. How one earth is that a law? And if it is, who on earth is going to prosecute you? Your readers? Your state? Who is working for the state or anyone else that would verify if you were compensated or not? I personally couldn't care less if you were compensated for a post or not. If you say you like a product and want to devote a whole post to it, more power to you. If I buy said product and don't like it, I can't blame you can I? I mean, I'm a smart person, college educated and everything...I don't just go out and blindly buy things because I read that other people are using them...how did this get to be a law? Who is being negatively effected by bloggers not revealing they are compensated? Sounds to me like people have WAY too much time on their hands.

*Speaking of time, Little Pit and I are off to Gymboree and then the park this afternoon.

Have a great day!

xoxo Mrs. Pit

A lot's been going on 'round here!

Hi all!

So, I'll get the big news out of the way and I'll let Little Pit tell you herself...

That's right! Baby #2 is due September 28th...but we all know how finicky due dates are, so I normally just say the end of September.

How do I think Little Pit will react? Well, not well would be my guess, but maybe the next 6 months she'll start to get a handle on the fact that perhaps the world does not solely revolve around her (I admit it took me a good 20 years to get that for myself)

She's really been into pushing my buttons lately, and she's made a scene at all of her classes the past few weeks as well, so I'm not sure exactly what's going on. Her favorite thing is to just get spaghetti legs and lie down on the floor. Normally I ignore her until she gets up and starts getting with the program, but this morning I removed her from class because I was so at the end of my rope I couldn't stand another 15 minutes of her tantrums over nothing. The other moms probably thought I was nuts, but it's my time too, and frankly if she's lying down and not enjoying herself at class or at least learning something, I find it a waste of both my time and hers to be there. Plus, she disrupts class for everyone else who is having a good time. I admittedly had very little patience this morning as the day started where she refused to let me change her diaper. Once that happens I know it's going to be a LONG day.

I know she's almost 2 and this behavior is just her way of showing independence, but I want my obedient fun kid back! Where did she go? Why is everything such a struggle these days?

This is the look I get from her 99% of the time these days. I bring her out to a fun place to do fun things and she still gives me a look like she hates me. URGH!!!

Most days I am so excited to have a 2nd child, but some days, like today, I am kind of dreading it, thinking to myself...what the heck am I getting myself into?! They will be 2 years and 5 months apart when it's all said and done and holy cow I hope this terrible beginning 2's thing is over!!

I am very happy and thrilled to have another baby, really I am. It was planned and talked about and this baby is being brought into a home with lots of love and a tyrant for a big sister. Anyone with a toddler has to agree with me that some days are harder than others, and unfortunately for me, this is one of those days. She's napping now (thank goodness) and hopefully she wakes up on the right side of the crib and we can have a nice afternoon.

Wish us luck!

YAHOO!

So, not sure I have mentioned this, but I am my BFF B's Maid of Honor for her wedding in June.

Two things...ME- MAID OF HONOR, what WHAT?! Seriously, this girl has 1,000,000 friends. ALL way cooler than me, but I get the #1 spot. ME! (imagine me saying that like Reese Witherspoon does in Legally Blonde). Anywho, I'm pretty excited about it. (read, I must tell people 100 times a day, I feel like I'M the one getting married!)

I am supposed to plan the bridal shower (as the entire world screeches to a halt). In New York City.

You guys, I don't know a THING about New York City except how to get on a train, get there and then hail a cab where I have to go. I have been known to navigate the subway successfully a few times, but honestly, the whole city scares the daylights out of me. I am NOT a city girl. Nope, suburbs THROUGH and THROUGH.

Anyways, for WEEKS I have been calling places, reaching out to friends old and new for suggestions and everything was just SO expensive. Now, I live outside Philly, NOT in some small town in some weird state where they don't have things like afternoon tea. I feel like I know about what it should cost. What it should NOT cost is $40 a person. PLUS rental fees for the space PER HOUR. Come on now, seriously?

So, I reached out to the woman who knows everything about everything and has New York City wrapped around her finger. Why I didn't reach out to her earlier still escapes me. I figure if anyone knew anything about anything, it would be her. If she lived in Philly (which she did when her husband went to law school with my Dad) Philly Magazine would just make one phone call for the Best of Philly issue and it would be to her.

This amazing woman is my Godmother T (do you all have Godmothers? I have two lucky me! Seriously, best thing that ever happened to me...sorry Mr. Pit, other than you and Little Pit of course!)

T (she used to be Aunt T but won't let me call her that any more on account that I am now 31) called around and then offered her fabulous apartment up for the afternoon. (She has the most amazing views of Lower Manhattan). So, we now have a caterer all lined up, I'm renting linens down here, my awesome Mom S is doing all the flower arrangements and the whole freaking thing is set in 4 little emails.

What's awesome about her too is that I never in my mind even thought of asking her for her apartment as it's a HUGE undertaking to host 40 people wether you know them or not, but she offered it right up as if it were a restaurant down the street. Because that's who she is. THE kindest, most generous person I've ever met. You have no idea how much easier this makes my life. PLUS, it cuts down on the costs tremendously. Just 2 days ago this shower was costing me and the bridesmaids an absurd amount for a 2 hour tea, and now we can get by with a small donation from each bridesmaid and we're set.

I was so overwhelmed at the thought of navigating New York City by myself on a Saturday in June trying to find the spot that I had booked from 100 miles away, all while trying to keep costs down for everyone while providing B the amazing afternoon she deserves.

Just wanted to give some major generosity kudos to my amazing Godmother T, and to my Mom who has already come up with some fabulous floral designs for the afternoon. Bonus props if anyone can give me a discount code for Minted so I can get the invitations on the cheap...anyone? Anyone?

I also have NO idea how I even have the energy to write this post at 11pm on a Friday night, I think it is just knowing that things are set and that I can move forward on planning the fun stuff...like Bridal Shower Mad Libs?! Oh yes, it's happening!

I hope everyone has great weekends and catch up on sleep tonight as we lose an hour tomorrow night with daylight savings.

xoxo Mrs. Pit

SCOUT SALE!!!

Hi all,

So this weekend I worked a big lacrosse event and I have a lot of left over inventory from the day.

I wanted to offer it to you all before I sent it back to the warehouse.

I am selling everything for $5 less than what the website offers it for, and all shipping is $5 (it's $8.95 on the site)

Here is a little bit of what I have.

If you want to check out the website and then email me to see if I have something in a specific pattern, click HERE to get to the Scout Sport section of the Scout Website.

Email me at Preppypitbull@gmail.com if you are interested in anything!

Little Draw in Flamingo $30

Little Draw in Barbara Stripesand Blue $30

Little Draw in Barbara Stripesand Coral $30

Little Draw in Flashback Paisley $30

Little Draw in Green Eyed Lady Paisley $30

Little Draw in Ombre Charles $30

Little Draw in Rad Paisley $30

Zip It and Rip It in Ombre Charles $50

Zip it and Rip It in IndigoGo $50

Zip It and Rip It in Indigo Girl $50

Big Draw in Ombre Charles $45

Big Draw in Brittany Stripe $45

Big Draw in Green Eyed Lady Paisley $45

Big Draw in Indigo Girl $45

Game Day Tote in Green Eyed Lady Paisley $40

Play Girl Play Tote in Racey Lacey $40

I have a few more bags, but like I said, email me at Preppypitbull@gmail.com if you are interested in anything here or anything on the website. I am happy to make special orders for people with the same pricing.

Hope everyone is having a great day!!

xoxo Mrs. Pit