Here's to Joe

With Joey's seventh birthday approaching, I thought that we should take a moment and appreciate our furry, ball chasing four legged friend. He is pretty much unforgettable for those who know him. Looking back I realize that was always the case.

When I first met him, he was chasing his tail endlessly much like he chases his ball today. I thought that it was the cutest thing I had ever seen...little did I know this was the beginning of an endless obsession to chase something. "Throw my ball, please?"..."Throw it"...."Throw it just once"....The ball flies over his head. "Sucker". You can see this thought process all over his face. But tonight as he sleeps at the foot of the bed, I realize that he is far more than a ball obsessed shit tuz.

The two of us have been through so much together. College...Joey discovered the fun of creating a snow storm with a roll of toilet paper and that Miller Lite was by far his favorite adult beverage. Meanwhile, I had the time of my life and learned that I was really clueless about life. The first few years after graduation...well...neither one of us want to talk about those....let's just say that we both had a bad relationship :). But we learned a lot. Joey says that he will only live in a one dog household and I learned to always trust my heart even if it is telling me to do something extraordinarily scary.

And then we met Scott. "Daddy" was the first thing Joey said when he met Scott and from that moment on, he stopped being my dog and became our dog. And now, I watch him chase Will as giggles radiate through the house. I know just as I have found my happiness, Joey has found his. I was always sure that Joey and I were the perfect match, and now that I see how wonderful he is with my children, I am so grateful that we found each other.

He is more than a dog, but is an essential part of this family, and to be honest, it is difficult to imagine this home without him. So, here's to our 'ball chasing', 'housekeeping', 'bed hogging', 'down-right perfect' dog.......

Welcome Gideon!!!

Will and Emma would like to announce the birth of their new cousin Gideon Dima Pitman. He joined us at 1:47 am in Dakar, Africa on May 19th. If he had been born in the states, he would have shared his father's birthday arriving at 10:47 pm on May 18th. He weighed in at 8lbs 14oz and from what we understand his arrival was eventful with Sihin delivering only thirty minutes after arriving at the hospital.

He is truly a beautiful addition to our family and his resemblance to Will is notable. What is in those Pitman genes??? See the photo of Will at the same age.....

Congratulations Uncle Todd and Aunt Sihin!!!! We love you and can't wait to meet him........

The Witching Hour

For some reason the hours between 4pm and 6pm have become the most challenging time around the Pitstop. I can have a perfectly quiet day and within 15 minutes it can go completely down the drain. With that being said, I have been working hard to find ways to make the two hours bearable. We have captured a few shots of my efforts.

Here is Emma in the baby bjourn. I have found that she likes to cook dinner with me and this keeps her happy for at least 45 minutes. This only leaves me an hour and 15 minutes left.

Will has also started helping with dinner. You can never have too many cooks in the kitchen. Hey...I take what help I can get!!!

And when the clock strikes 5:30 with no Daddy in sight.....

GRAB AND COLD ONE AND HOLD ON!!!!

The clock strikes 6:30. Everyone is fed and we are.....

EXHAUSTED!!!!!

We have affectionately named this time the "witching hours". So, when the clock strikes 4...let the fun begin!!!!!

Mother's Day Fun

I wanted to post a couple of pictures from Mother's Day. We had a very special day, and I am sure that I have the sweetest husband in the world. He suprised me with a dinner with all the wonderful mothers in my life. It was great to have my mom, my grandmother, and my mother-in-law together. We just enjoyed being together and the time was priceless....not to mention Scott had both of the kids in the bed by the time we got home. That is a feat worth much respect.

Emma was quite tired by the time we remembered to take the annual photo. She couldn't be bothered to get out of her carseat....(important mothering rule: let a sleeping baby sleep)

And of course, here is me and my cute little boyfriend :)......

I hope everyone enjoyed their special day!!!

They are....

The same breed....lol!!!! Which one is Will and which is Emma????

I'm Gonna Miss This...

While rocking Emma and listening to the lullaby sang by my Bissell vacuum cleaner, I began thinking about how quickly time is passing. I cannot believe that she is already three months old, and I watch Will in amazement everyday. He is changing so quickly.

I thought to myself how ridiculous it was that I was sitting in this beautiful tranquil nursery, but that the only thing that seems to soothe my daughter to sleep these days is the sound of the vacuum. It makes me laugh and sad too in someways, because I know these days are going to be over long before I want them to be. I know that I am going to miss the sound of that loud vacuum cleaner.

Will is turning into the most incredible little boy. He learns new words everyday and gives the best hugs. These past few months have been full of so much discovery and it is amazing to watch. "Pease" and "this" with finger pointing...I know that I am going to miss that....

The past few weeks have been trying for me. I am exhausted in a way that I cannot describe. The hours between 4pm and 6pm at the Pitstop are unpredictable, but can promise a lot of noise, some food on the floor, and that the vacuum will be running. Through the exhaustion and chaos, I know that I'm gonna miss this....

So my advice to all the new and expected mothers out there, slow down and enjoy. You will even miss the soothing sound of the Bissell Vacuum cleaner.