Bullet's Backpack

Thursday, February 11, 2010

It has been a long journey (already!) getting used to having a rambunctious puppy in our home.  It has also been good practice for me to prepare that things aren't always going to be perfectly clean or in order like I like it.  So, even though there has been some crying and frustration; it has all been for the best.

I have been doing some puppy research online (especially pitbull puppy) and found that maybe what our little Bullet is lacking is a sense of purpose and a job.  Apparently, Bully dogs (Pitbulls, Staffordshire terriers, etc) are positively effected by having a "job" and I think we found Bullet's career!


We got Bullet a puppy backpack that he has started wearing on walks as part of his job-related duties (hahhaha!).  He didn't like it at first go- but he now walks with pride and with his chest out (I think so anyway!) He carries treats and clean poo bags in one side, and on the way back- the other side is filled with full poo bags (hooray that I don't have to carry them!)  Unfortuntely, PetCo only had them in neon green, so he kind of looks like a tourist gone wrong in his little fanny pack, but it works, so who cares.


We have also been taking him on at least two walks a day (mid-day and evening), and will move it up to three walks once the baby gets here (early morning, mid-day, evening).  He is so much better behaved when he gets some energy out and it has been really good to get him socialized and meeting the neighbors.  He loves making new friends.  Our walks are about 30-40 minutes long and just around our neighborhood.  We have a field/trail that is also nearby that B and I have been itching to walk Bullet (and to see for ourselves what its like) but just haven't gotten around to it.  Once the nicer weather comes though, we are going to have to make some trips to Presque Isle to do some walking- can't wait!


Baby Prep: 10 weeks to go!

We have been doing our best to prepare ourselves, our home, and our pets for the arrival of our little man in only a few weeks!!  (10 to be exact- geez that went fast).  I "passed" my glucose tolerance test (i.e. I don't have gestational diabetes!) and got my RhoGam shot last week, so we are over the 2nd trimester hump.  This baby is certainly getting bigger and bigger in there- as you can tell from my supersized belly...I'm up to 39.25 inches around...yes, I said around.


To get mentally prepared for the babe, we started our baby classes!  We have a labor & delivery prep class, and Newborn Care this month.  In March, we have Breastfeeding and CPR classes.  We had our first labor prep class last night and I was fully expecting total awkward-ness and to be uncomfortable...but it turned out pretty fun and a little funny.  Our instructor was really cool and looked, acted, and talked exactly like Jane Lynch (love her), so that it made it enjoyable and pretty hilarious at times.  Plus, there were 13 other couples there which made it much less awkward since there were so many people.  We watched some videos (yikes), ate cookies & juice (yay!) and practiced some breathing and massages (yes, please).  So, all in all it wasn't too bad.  We have two more of the labor classes to go and in the last one we'll be taking a tour of the hospital and maternity ward!

Our house is slowly getting baby-ready.  B and I started putting together the fifty million baby accessories we got for our shower (thank you everyone!)  Well, B is putting them together and I am reading instructions.  Bullet is helping by ripping the cardboard off of everything to get it opened.  We've already assembled the high chair, playpen, and swing.  They are all so cute and not too bad to put together.  We left the high chair and swing up where they'll be in the house (even though we still have 2.5 months to go) so the animals get used to them being there.


Speaking of animals...We have been working with Bullet each day to get him baby ready as best as we can.  As hilarious as it is, I have resorted to treating a stuffed mouse doll like a baby and carrying it around the house and singing to it (if only it cried like a baby).  I put the mouse doll in the high chair and swing and try to do all kinds of annoying things with them (roll them around near his face, push the swing, etc) and as long as Bullet doesn't bite or bark at them (he can sniff) he gets a treat.*  He's been doing really well so far and hasn't been biting or even really touching either of them even when I'm not playing mouse baby practice.  He likes coming into the baby's room then and helping put the mouse baby to sleep- hahhaha.  It is so funny, he sticks his nose through the slats and stares at the mouse baby and then trots out of the room quietly.  I hope he acts just like that when the real baby comes with all his screaming and poop-stinking.



*As much as I would like to take credit for this ingenious technique for preparing the pup for the babe; I borrowed the idea from a therapy dog video I searched on youtube.  This is how they prepare dogs to go into hospitals to work with patients by getting them accustomed to unusual pieces of equipment (i.e. crutches and walkers).

January 2010 Kindness

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

We ran a little late on our January kindness- but we finished it up today.  I gave a call to the Erie City Mission to double check to see if there was anything in particular that they needed donated.  They actually requested toiletries, so I was happy to comply with their needs.  I searched through our back ups of unused toiletries and found three bottles of unopened body wash and two containers of lotion to throw in the donation bag (I always have so much left over from Christmas!) Then I was off to ALDI to get the most bang for our buck.  For $59, I was able to purchase quite a few toiletries; including baby body wash & lotion, deodarant, razors, hand sanitizer, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and antibacterial soap.  I dropped it off at the Erie City Mission and food pantry and they were very thankful.

Feels great to start the year off right.  One month down, 11 to go:)