ARGH!
* Last night we got the inspection report from our house for sale. They want us to replace some siding, the water heater, and a number of other small things. The small things - fine! But, we priced the house LOW and in our mind it was "as is" - barring any safety issues.
We do not plan to buy them a new water heater (it works fine according to the inspection report but it's "older" and has some rust but IT WORKS FINE just like it's supposed to!) or replace the siding; things we wouldn't do if we were actually living there ourselves. Hope it's not a deal breaker.
* D clicked on a link on MY FB page last night and downloaded some virus from hell that is wreaking havoc on my computer. Now we're going to have to blow some more money on some software to fix it. I swear some of these viruses are created by anti-virus companies just for the money.
The man has never gotten on FB in his life but just had to try it last night and just had to click on the ONE link that would make this disaster. Sheesh.
* Some people that I thought were my friends are... not. That always sucks.
* I'm so exhausted lately and just not feeling well in general. Hip pain, back pain, headaches and some nausea that is like very mild morning sickness. I'm not SICK, I think I'm run down or... something. Stress maybe. D's working overtime too, so that kind of stinks. We need the money but I need my sanity. It's a balancing act...
* Our mini vacation is coming up! YIPPPPEEEE! Problem is, we're going away for a night and D can't decide where he wants to go and nothing "sounds fun" to do. We haven't been away without the kids in 4.5 years and that alone isn't enough!?! *sigh*
Plus, money is an issue. This is NOT the best time for us to spending fun money but it's now or never, pretty much. (Or at least for a couple of years.)
* The dog smells like skunk AGAIN and needs a bath AGAIN and her eye is all funny looking. I think she's going to have to go to the vet Monday if it isn't looking better. And the cat needs his booster shots and he will. not. stop. sneezing so we are obviously going to the vet next week at some point. And pleasepleaseplease do not tell me he is sick. If something happens to that cat I will lose it.
* Good news. My parents will be here next week and I.am.so.excited. I really, really need some help! Just the fact that there will be extra adults in the house is enough to make me absolutely giddy. I can leave the kids with them while I take the pets to the vet! I can go to the store! I can have an adult to talk to for a change. Living this far away sucks big time. As much as I love our friends here, our house, our town, and D's job - if I thought it was do-able we would move. I don't know how people do this alone. I want them to move here, but we've lived here 5 years now and my hopes are waning. *sigh* BUT - let's look at the bright side so I don't ruin all of your Saturday with my whining... I have visitors next week! YAY! I get a date night! YAY!
It's Saturday! YAY!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
What we're up to...
* D & I are going away for a night! Next weekend!! My parents are going to be in town and it's my birthday next Saturday so we're finally going to do it.
We have NEVER left the kids overnight. Ever.
Well, I guess *I* have, when I was in the hospital having another baby. But that's not exactly a vacation!! (Although, with the menu & room service, nurse care, nursery, and a TV no one is hogging - it's not that bad...)
Where are we going? Not sure. Also, not sure I care. We're going somewhere, just the two us, and that's all that matters. I'm insanely excited.
* d is leaving preschool. It's too expensive, it's too inconvenient, and he's not learning things that I can't teach him at home. We plan to re-evaluate after the baby comes, but for now he's going to stay home. I just can't swallow paying $2000 for preschool when I'm home all day and it's a pain in the butt!!
* The baby is crazy active lately. I absolutely adore this part of pregnancy and it's the ONLY part I'm going to miss.
* I've been a cleaning machine this week. I've been posting challenges for our mom's group so we can all do some cleaning together. It's actually kind of nice to have people doing the same thing you are. Yesterday was bathrooms and it was a LOT of work, but my bathrooms are gorgeous now. I threw away, de-cluttered, scrubbed and shined.
Today is kitchen day, and it will be less work since I clean the kitchen more than any other room in the house.
Tomorrow will be a de-cluttering day. I have a feeling I will be focusing on my bedroom most of all. I seem to be neat in most other rooms, but not in my own.
* Peso is getting big! I swear he's gained at least a pound since we brought him home exactly two weeks ago. He's great with the kids and they LOVE him, sometimes a little too much. I swear the poor cat can't get a moment's peace unless he's sleeping under our bed.
* Did I mention my parents are coming next week? They haven't been here since last Christmas!!
So excited!
* The lower back and hip pain are getting bad again. Ouch! I will not miss this part of pregnancy at all!! Also will not miss: gaining too much weight in too short of a time.
* Little L's nursery is almost done!! I have to hang a few things, make a cover for our glider and look for a lamp that "goes." It's super cute, pics on FB, if you're my friend over there...
* Do you like iced coffee? I'm trying out a new recipe and it's pretty good. I improvised a lot when I was making it, so the following is approximate:
6 cups fairly strong coffee
3/4 to 1 can sweetened condensed milk
a crapload of ice cubes, 3 cups?
a few squirts of fat free chocolate syrup
1/2 cup or less of milk, any kind will do.
Mix everything.
Drink.
Enjoy.
Try to only have one cup so that baby doesn't come out wired.
We have NEVER left the kids overnight. Ever.
Well, I guess *I* have, when I was in the hospital having another baby. But that's not exactly a vacation!! (Although, with the menu & room service, nurse care, nursery, and a TV no one is hogging - it's not that bad...)
Where are we going? Not sure. Also, not sure I care. We're going somewhere, just the two us, and that's all that matters. I'm insanely excited.
* d is leaving preschool. It's too expensive, it's too inconvenient, and he's not learning things that I can't teach him at home. We plan to re-evaluate after the baby comes, but for now he's going to stay home. I just can't swallow paying $2000 for preschool when I'm home all day and it's a pain in the butt!!
* The baby is crazy active lately. I absolutely adore this part of pregnancy and it's the ONLY part I'm going to miss.
* I've been a cleaning machine this week. I've been posting challenges for our mom's group so we can all do some cleaning together. It's actually kind of nice to have people doing the same thing you are. Yesterday was bathrooms and it was a LOT of work, but my bathrooms are gorgeous now. I threw away, de-cluttered, scrubbed and shined.
Today is kitchen day, and it will be less work since I clean the kitchen more than any other room in the house.
Tomorrow will be a de-cluttering day. I have a feeling I will be focusing on my bedroom most of all. I seem to be neat in most other rooms, but not in my own.
* Peso is getting big! I swear he's gained at least a pound since we brought him home exactly two weeks ago. He's great with the kids and they LOVE him, sometimes a little too much. I swear the poor cat can't get a moment's peace unless he's sleeping under our bed.
* Did I mention my parents are coming next week? They haven't been here since last Christmas!!
So excited!
* The lower back and hip pain are getting bad again. Ouch! I will not miss this part of pregnancy at all!! Also will not miss: gaining too much weight in too short of a time.
* Little L's nursery is almost done!! I have to hang a few things, make a cover for our glider and look for a lamp that "goes." It's super cute, pics on FB, if you're my friend over there...
* Do you like iced coffee? I'm trying out a new recipe and it's pretty good. I improvised a lot when I was making it, so the following is approximate:
6 cups fairly strong coffee
3/4 to 1 can sweetened condensed milk
a crapload of ice cubes, 3 cups?
a few squirts of fat free chocolate syrup
1/2 cup or less of milk, any kind will do.
Mix everything.
Drink.
Enjoy.
Try to only have one cup so that baby doesn't come out wired.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Anxious much?
Main Type | Overall Self |
 |  |
| Enneagram Test Results
Your variant is social |
I wonder if the results would be different if I took it when I was non-pregnant. I often feel my personality changes, but some things definitely remain the same.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Random updates
* Peso is settling into our family quite nicely. He's a super sweet, playful and loving kitty. He is tolerant with the kids, has never had a litter box accident and, best of all, is super happy to be here.
The kids ADORE him, especially d, who told me, "Mama, I'm not sad anymore that Tiger died. I love this new kitty! I think I might love him more than Tiger even." Aww.
Best. Decision. Ever.
* I'm now paranoid about shutting doors super quickly because if Peso ever gets out d will be absolutely crushed.
* D was supposed to pick d up from PreK yesterday. He forgot. Worse, he didn't even realize he forgot until the school called me (at 1:15) and I called him. School is over at 1:00 and it's 15 minutes from D's work on a good, no lunch traffic kind of day. They didn't get home till 2:00, but luckily, d wasn't upset. He said, "Daddy didn't forget, he was just a little late." Good thing the kid can't tell time.
* We have an offer on our house!!! We supposed to sign a contract today, so let's hope everything goes as planned. We're getting our asking price too, so I'm thrilled.
The kids ADORE him, especially d, who told me, "Mama, I'm not sad anymore that Tiger died. I love this new kitty! I think I might love him more than Tiger even." Aww.
Best. Decision. Ever.
* I'm now paranoid about shutting doors super quickly because if Peso ever gets out d will be absolutely crushed.
* D was supposed to pick d up from PreK yesterday. He forgot. Worse, he didn't even realize he forgot until the school called me (at 1:15) and I called him. School is over at 1:00 and it's 15 minutes from D's work on a good, no lunch traffic kind of day. They didn't get home till 2:00, but luckily, d wasn't upset. He said, "Daddy didn't forget, he was just a little late." Good thing the kid can't tell time.
* We have an offer on our house!!! We supposed to sign a contract today, so let's hope everything goes as planned. We're getting our asking price too, so I'm thrilled.
Is this love, or what?
That cat actually loves the stroller. He's not buckled in or anything, just sitting there for a ride.
That cat actually loves the stroller. He's not buckled in or anything, just sitting there for a ride.Sunday, August 16, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
This is the stuff that drives me crazy.
Every morning, D "makes" the bed. This is how he makes it.
His side? Made. My side? Unmade.
WTH?
You know what? I don't even care that much about the bed being made. It's not one of my big things in the grand scheme of life. However, WHY would you only make half the bed?! (Your half, nonetheless.) Every. Morning.
This is how I make the bed*:
Peso likes my way better too.
* Disclaimer: Many days I leave the extra pillows off and just pull the covers up and straighten them on both sides of the bed. The kids think a big pile of pillows is nothing more than an invitation to jump on them.
His side? Made. My side? Unmade.
WTH?
You know what? I don't even care that much about the bed being made. It's not one of my big things in the grand scheme of life. However, WHY would you only make half the bed?! (Your half, nonetheless.) Every. Morning.
This is how I make the bed*:
Peso likes my way better too.
* Disclaimer: Many days I leave the extra pillows off and just pull the covers up and straighten them on both sides of the bed. The kids think a big pile of pillows is nothing more than an invitation to jump on them.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
If you're crabby
you should do what I just did. Pick a tag on your blog, or mine if you'd rather, and read the entries associated with it. I picked the tag husband, because mine is on my mind today. I'm in a much better mood now, and even laughed a little. Go ahead and read mine too, just for fun. ;)
Go ahead, you know you want to!
Go ahead, you know you want to!
letters of annoyance
To Whom it May Concern:
More lines open at the grocery store is a good thing. Teaching your cashiers not to look at people like they've grown 2 heads when they bring their own bags is even better.
Sincerely,
A 2 headed customer
Dear Husband,
Cell phones are for calling people. Especially your wife when you are not coming home until 2 hours after you are expected. Forgetting is a very lame excuse.
Next; having a clean, spotless house is very lovely. However, it's not exactly possible for it to stay that way all the time being that we have little children, pets and a huge whale as a housekeeper. Saying that "other people do it" is not a very good idea. It might make me laugh, but only to keep from screaming and/or throwing aforementioned cell phone at someone's head.
Love,
Me
Dear Children,
Someday you will look back at your childhood and you will be appreciative. I don't expect that day to come for many, MANY years but when it does I would appreciate it if you would tell me - because right now? You don't.
And if you need therapy and your therapist says I screwed you up? You can keep that to yourself. K? Thx.
Love,
Mama
Dear Body,
COOPERATE please.
Love,
Exhausted
Dear Me,
Get it together already. Pregnancy makes you a hot mess up in the rational parts of your brain.
You've got it good, dontcha' know?
Love,
You know who
More lines open at the grocery store is a good thing. Teaching your cashiers not to look at people like they've grown 2 heads when they bring their own bags is even better.
Sincerely,
A 2 headed customer
Dear Husband,
Cell phones are for calling people. Especially your wife when you are not coming home until 2 hours after you are expected. Forgetting is a very lame excuse.
Next; having a clean, spotless house is very lovely. However, it's not exactly possible for it to stay that way all the time being that we have little children, pets and a huge whale as a housekeeper. Saying that "other people do it" is not a very good idea. It might make me laugh, but only to keep from screaming and/or throwing aforementioned cell phone at someone's head.
Love,
Me
Dear Children,
Someday you will look back at your childhood and you will be appreciative. I don't expect that day to come for many, MANY years but when it does I would appreciate it if you would tell me - because right now? You don't.
And if you need therapy and your therapist says I screwed you up? You can keep that to yourself. K? Thx.
Love,
Mama
Dear Body,
COOPERATE please.
Love,
Exhausted
Dear Me,
Get it together already. Pregnancy makes you a hot mess up in the rational parts of your brain.
You've got it good, dontcha' know?
Love,
You know who
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Peso
d holding Peso
New best buddies
A little "fluffy" while meeting Penny
Stretched out on Penny's bed like he owns the place.
Wary, but no claws were drawn.
Owen holding Peso
First introduction
Monday, August 10, 2009
Why do they have to grow up?
d has Pre-K open house tomorrow and on Wednesday he starts school. He'll be going MWF this year, from 9AM - 1PM. I know he's going to love it. It's good for him. That's why I do it.
Mama, on the other hand, has nervous tummy. Starting school brings back a lot of the anxiety I used to feel on the first day of school. Will he like his teacher? What if he doesn't know anyone? What if he can't find the bathroom and is too embarrassed to ask? What if he feels homesick and cries? What if no one plays with him on the playground? Luckily, he doesn't seem to share my anxiety tendencies, for which I can only say a big THANK YOU!
Plus, Pre-K is kind of a pain in the butt.
For one thing, it's not much of a break for me. He's the most self-sufficient child I have, so having him out of the house doesn't help me much. In fact, I often find myself entertaining the younger boys more than normal without him around to play with.
For another, I hate driving him to Pre-K. It's 20 minutes there, 20 minutes back and there's no car line. I have to take all the kids in and drag them down to his room and sign him in, then take the others back to the car. Repeat at pick up.
Also? I have trust issues. This extends to babysitters, teachers, even some family members. It's very, very hard for me to trust that other people aren't going to tell them something or do something that will p*ss me off. And they probably will, and I know the kids will likely be OK but I still have trust issues. The one and only person (besides me) I trust 100% with the kids is my husband. There are other people I trust about 90%, but they are not many... a handful at most.
Yes, I have issues. Didn't I just say that?
Lastly, Pre-K means that in one short year he will be going to full day Kindergarten. Don't get me wrong, I want my kids to learn, and grow up and be independent, but why does it have to happen so fast?! He'll be 5 in March and 5 just seems so... not-a-baby-anymore.
This is one of those times when I want them to stay little forever. And then I hear them fighting in the other room and think... maybe they could grow up now. Simultaneously I wish it away and wish for it back, to enjoy it just a little more.
Mama, on the other hand, has nervous tummy. Starting school brings back a lot of the anxiety I used to feel on the first day of school. Will he like his teacher? What if he doesn't know anyone? What if he can't find the bathroom and is too embarrassed to ask? What if he feels homesick and cries? What if no one plays with him on the playground? Luckily, he doesn't seem to share my anxiety tendencies, for which I can only say a big THANK YOU!
Plus, Pre-K is kind of a pain in the butt.
For one thing, it's not much of a break for me. He's the most self-sufficient child I have, so having him out of the house doesn't help me much. In fact, I often find myself entertaining the younger boys more than normal without him around to play with.
For another, I hate driving him to Pre-K. It's 20 minutes there, 20 minutes back and there's no car line. I have to take all the kids in and drag them down to his room and sign him in, then take the others back to the car. Repeat at pick up.
Also? I have trust issues. This extends to babysitters, teachers, even some family members. It's very, very hard for me to trust that other people aren't going to tell them something or do something that will p*ss me off. And they probably will, and I know the kids will likely be OK but I still have trust issues. The one and only person (besides me) I trust 100% with the kids is my husband. There are other people I trust about 90%, but they are not many... a handful at most.
Yes, I have issues. Didn't I just say that?
Lastly, Pre-K means that in one short year he will be going to full day Kindergarten. Don't get me wrong, I want my kids to learn, and grow up and be independent, but why does it have to happen so fast?! He'll be 5 in March and 5 just seems so... not-a-baby-anymore.
This is one of those times when I want them to stay little forever. And then I hear them fighting in the other room and think... maybe they could grow up now. Simultaneously I wish it away and wish for it back, to enjoy it just a little more.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Pets
Forgive this long winded post, I feel like there are some things I have to get off my chest.
We have one pet; Penny. I suppose we could count the fish, but I don't. Up until a few weeks ago, we had just 2 pets; Penny & Tiger.
Last year, we also had Lucy. I am pretty sure I never explained what happened with that whole situation because it was such a huge disaster. I've always considered myself an animal person and I hate having failed pet relationships. We've had Penny for 5 years, we adopted her about halfway through my first pregnancy, and we had Tiger much longer, he was pre-marriage.
Anyway, Lucy was a sweet little puppy but there were a few problems.
1 - D did not like her. He did not like anything about her and was angry that I'd gotten a puppy. (Even though he was there when we adopted her... don't ask me about that train of thought...)
2 - She was a hunting dog who needed a job and we had no job to give.
We tried training and we spoke to our vet and she told us that sometimes hunting dogs don't make the best pets because they get very bored if they don't have something to do and bored = getting into trouble. We thought that we could overcome that, or that she would eventually outgrow it.
After patching the last of several large holes in the wall though, D had had enough. It was him or the dog.
I liked the dog, but not enough to continuously fight over it for the next 15 years. I know he would NOT have actually left us over a dog - he's not that unreasonable or dramatic - but it did drive home the point how unhappy he really was. It wasn't fair to him, to us, or - most especially - to the dog. We interviewed some people, and came across a nice young man who was looking for a dog exactly like Lucy to train to be a companion to him and to hunt with him. She loved him immediately and since he was single and had lots of time to spend with her, he was sure he could work through whatever training issues we had had. Last I heard, they're still in love and Lucy is in a great home.
It might seem like a strange story, but I feel like we saved Lucy's life even if it didn't turn out like we thought it would when we adopted her. She was a shelter dog in a high kill shelter and we adopted her, had her fixed, gave her all her required shots and vet care and toys, food, and love until we found her a forever home. I felt like I just a foster mom in her journey.
That was when we decided to stay a two pet home.
Things were going great this year, we were happy with our 2 pets. Then Tiger got sick, but it was nothing serious. It was a UTI with some kidney stones and the vet gave him a shot and some pills with the instructions to use them for 10 days. About 5 days later he was back to his old self and we thought he was fine! We finished the 10 days of pills and about a week and a half later he started showing signs that the UTI was back. (he exhibited the same symptoms as the first time) It was a Monday morning. We had some of the antibiotics left over and started dosing him again, but it was clear by Tuesday afternoon that he wasn't getting better. We called the vet and they said he probably needed a stronger dose and we made an appointment for the following morning at 8AM. I wanted to take him in that afternoon, but D had my car in the shop and his car will only hold 2 children and not all 3. In hindsight I'm glad I didn't take the children.
The vet didn't seem to think it was a dire situation, although I was worried because Tiger seemed to be getting worse.
Tiger was very, very sick when we woke up Wednesday morning and for the first time I wondered if it was something other than a UTI. I wish I had said good bye before he left.
D took him to the vet. We were going out of town Thursday morning and planned to board him at the vet while we were gone, so they could administer the medication he would need while we were gone for a week.
D called me from the vet's office. The problem was a lot more serious than we thought and Tiger was essentially at death's door. It turns out that it's common for kidney stones to block the bladder of male cats. They can get stuck in the urethra. Apparently, it's even more common in male cats who spend a significant amount of time outside.
The vet had not told us that this might happen, so we didn't know to look for it. Tiger had never had kidney stones or a UTI before.
She said that there was a treatment we could try, but it might not work since the toxicity in his body was already very high. He had been in and out of the litter box all day the day before and it had never occurred to me that he was only trying to go and not succeeding. If his appointment had been a few hours later, he would likely have died before we got there.
The treatment would cost about $1000, plus the boarding, and that was if he only had one kidney stone. She said that he most likely had several and they would have to do the treatment several times. Faced with the prospect of spending $2-5,000 on vet care on our poor kitty who was likely not to survive, we talked about our only other option. It seems cruel to base a life or death decision on money, but we simply don't have the means to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on a pet who is most likely not going to make it. As much as we love him, it just wasn't feasible. (As a side note, why is vet care so expensive?) On top of that, Tiger would not be allowed to go outside anymore. We would have to keep a close eye on him because this is a situation that is likely to recur. Tiger was a cat who lived for being outside.
It seemed like our only option was the one that we most feared.
According to D, the vet was very nice and understanding. She seemed to feel like it was the most humane option, given the circumstances.
I, however, have been feeling guilty since we put Tiger to sleep. I feel like the outcome would have been the same no matter what, but if we had taken him in earlier he would not have had to be in pain so long. If only we had known! What we thought was a simple UTI turned out to be so much more.
Was there anything we could have done? I guess not, but that doesn't really make it any easier.
So. That's how we came to have only one pet; Penny. I guess we haven't had the best of luck this past year with our pets. I hope that trend doesn't continue.
We decided that we don't want to have a one pet household. Yesterday, we visited the animal shelter and fell in love with a little orange kitty. d & D both fell in love with his sweet, playful personality. It's hard not to love a kitten, so I gave them all a fair bit of time trying to decide which one would be right for us. d, however, fell in love with this little guy and insisted that he was the right one. D agreed. He said his personality reminded him of when Tiger was a baby.
He will come home later this week and we've decided to name him Peso. Hopefully, Penny & Peso will get along as well as Penny & Tiger did. I think D might be more excited than the rest of us. He's a cat person through and through.
Peso will only be an inside cat. There are too many dangers to an outside cat here, and we would have kept Tiger inside all his years if we could. He was very determined. And very, very loud. Peso is not going to have the option though. I wish I had taken a picture of our new baby while we were there, but I didn't. On Wednesday I'll show you.
It's hard to understand other people's decisions sometimes and I know that there are some animal lovers out there who might not understand the decisions we've made. In any case, we did what we had to do for our family, both the 2 and 4 legged members.
We have one pet; Penny. I suppose we could count the fish, but I don't. Up until a few weeks ago, we had just 2 pets; Penny & Tiger.
Last year, we also had Lucy. I am pretty sure I never explained what happened with that whole situation because it was such a huge disaster. I've always considered myself an animal person and I hate having failed pet relationships. We've had Penny for 5 years, we adopted her about halfway through my first pregnancy, and we had Tiger much longer, he was pre-marriage.
Anyway, Lucy was a sweet little puppy but there were a few problems.
1 - D did not like her. He did not like anything about her and was angry that I'd gotten a puppy. (Even though he was there when we adopted her... don't ask me about that train of thought...)
2 - She was a hunting dog who needed a job and we had no job to give.
We tried training and we spoke to our vet and she told us that sometimes hunting dogs don't make the best pets because they get very bored if they don't have something to do and bored = getting into trouble. We thought that we could overcome that, or that she would eventually outgrow it.
After patching the last of several large holes in the wall though, D had had enough. It was him or the dog.
I liked the dog, but not enough to continuously fight over it for the next 15 years. I know he would NOT have actually left us over a dog - he's not that unreasonable or dramatic - but it did drive home the point how unhappy he really was. It wasn't fair to him, to us, or - most especially - to the dog. We interviewed some people, and came across a nice young man who was looking for a dog exactly like Lucy to train to be a companion to him and to hunt with him. She loved him immediately and since he was single and had lots of time to spend with her, he was sure he could work through whatever training issues we had had. Last I heard, they're still in love and Lucy is in a great home.
It might seem like a strange story, but I feel like we saved Lucy's life even if it didn't turn out like we thought it would when we adopted her. She was a shelter dog in a high kill shelter and we adopted her, had her fixed, gave her all her required shots and vet care and toys, food, and love until we found her a forever home. I felt like I just a foster mom in her journey.
That was when we decided to stay a two pet home.
Things were going great this year, we were happy with our 2 pets. Then Tiger got sick, but it was nothing serious. It was a UTI with some kidney stones and the vet gave him a shot and some pills with the instructions to use them for 10 days. About 5 days later he was back to his old self and we thought he was fine! We finished the 10 days of pills and about a week and a half later he started showing signs that the UTI was back. (he exhibited the same symptoms as the first time) It was a Monday morning. We had some of the antibiotics left over and started dosing him again, but it was clear by Tuesday afternoon that he wasn't getting better. We called the vet and they said he probably needed a stronger dose and we made an appointment for the following morning at 8AM. I wanted to take him in that afternoon, but D had my car in the shop and his car will only hold 2 children and not all 3. In hindsight I'm glad I didn't take the children.
The vet didn't seem to think it was a dire situation, although I was worried because Tiger seemed to be getting worse.
Tiger was very, very sick when we woke up Wednesday morning and for the first time I wondered if it was something other than a UTI. I wish I had said good bye before he left.
D took him to the vet. We were going out of town Thursday morning and planned to board him at the vet while we were gone, so they could administer the medication he would need while we were gone for a week.
D called me from the vet's office. The problem was a lot more serious than we thought and Tiger was essentially at death's door. It turns out that it's common for kidney stones to block the bladder of male cats. They can get stuck in the urethra. Apparently, it's even more common in male cats who spend a significant amount of time outside.
The vet had not told us that this might happen, so we didn't know to look for it. Tiger had never had kidney stones or a UTI before.
She said that there was a treatment we could try, but it might not work since the toxicity in his body was already very high. He had been in and out of the litter box all day the day before and it had never occurred to me that he was only trying to go and not succeeding. If his appointment had been a few hours later, he would likely have died before we got there.
The treatment would cost about $1000, plus the boarding, and that was if he only had one kidney stone. She said that he most likely had several and they would have to do the treatment several times. Faced with the prospect of spending $2-5,000 on vet care on our poor kitty who was likely not to survive, we talked about our only other option. It seems cruel to base a life or death decision on money, but we simply don't have the means to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on a pet who is most likely not going to make it. As much as we love him, it just wasn't feasible. (As a side note, why is vet care so expensive?) On top of that, Tiger would not be allowed to go outside anymore. We would have to keep a close eye on him because this is a situation that is likely to recur. Tiger was a cat who lived for being outside.
It seemed like our only option was the one that we most feared.
According to D, the vet was very nice and understanding. She seemed to feel like it was the most humane option, given the circumstances.
I, however, have been feeling guilty since we put Tiger to sleep. I feel like the outcome would have been the same no matter what, but if we had taken him in earlier he would not have had to be in pain so long. If only we had known! What we thought was a simple UTI turned out to be so much more.
Was there anything we could have done? I guess not, but that doesn't really make it any easier.
So. That's how we came to have only one pet; Penny. I guess we haven't had the best of luck this past year with our pets. I hope that trend doesn't continue.
We decided that we don't want to have a one pet household. Yesterday, we visited the animal shelter and fell in love with a little orange kitty. d & D both fell in love with his sweet, playful personality. It's hard not to love a kitten, so I gave them all a fair bit of time trying to decide which one would be right for us. d, however, fell in love with this little guy and insisted that he was the right one. D agreed. He said his personality reminded him of when Tiger was a baby.
He will come home later this week and we've decided to name him Peso. Hopefully, Penny & Peso will get along as well as Penny & Tiger did. I think D might be more excited than the rest of us. He's a cat person through and through.
Peso will only be an inside cat. There are too many dangers to an outside cat here, and we would have kept Tiger inside all his years if we could. He was very determined. And very, very loud. Peso is not going to have the option though. I wish I had taken a picture of our new baby while we were there, but I didn't. On Wednesday I'll show you.
It's hard to understand other people's decisions sometimes and I know that there are some animal lovers out there who might not understand the decisions we've made. In any case, we did what we had to do for our family, both the 2 and 4 legged members.
Friday, August 07, 2009
Fun Fact Friday, random edition (like there's any other way.)
* Last night, D and I went on a date!! First one in... a long time. We went to The Melting Pot and ordered their "big night out." It was soooo good. It was way too much food though. If you know my husband, you know that didn't stop him.
* Next time I go there, I will order only cheese fondue and chocolate fondue. I will skip the salad and meat. They were good, don't get me wrong! But, I would rather have my fill of chocolate and cheese!
* o.m.g. the cheese fondue. I want more right now.
* That is probably enough facts about fondue.
* I finally took Tiger's bed down off of the dryer and washed it and now it's just sitting there looking at me, all clean and unused. I still haven't put away his food and water dishes, and the food dish still has cat food in it. I have paid the vet bill, but haven't felt like picking up his cat carrier from them.
* d looked at me with big, sad eyes when I made tuna fish for lunch a few days ago. He solemnly informed me that Tiger will not ever get to eat our tuna juice again. I assured him that Tiger was getting his fill of tuna juice in Heaven and he perked right up. I, however, felt sad that we have no more cat to eat our tuna juice.
* We will probably end up getting another cat in the not too distant future, per request of 2 little boys and one big one.
* Chocolate ice cream + a splash of milk + a scoop of cappuccino powder = YUM
* I want my parents to live near me. Any ideas how to make that happen? Currently, they are about 600 miles away.
* I need a haircut.
* Next time I go there, I will order only cheese fondue and chocolate fondue. I will skip the salad and meat. They were good, don't get me wrong! But, I would rather have my fill of chocolate and cheese!
* o.m.g. the cheese fondue. I want more right now.
* That is probably enough facts about fondue.
* I finally took Tiger's bed down off of the dryer and washed it and now it's just sitting there looking at me, all clean and unused. I still haven't put away his food and water dishes, and the food dish still has cat food in it. I have paid the vet bill, but haven't felt like picking up his cat carrier from them.
* d looked at me with big, sad eyes when I made tuna fish for lunch a few days ago. He solemnly informed me that Tiger will not ever get to eat our tuna juice again. I assured him that Tiger was getting his fill of tuna juice in Heaven and he perked right up. I, however, felt sad that we have no more cat to eat our tuna juice.
* We will probably end up getting another cat in the not too distant future, per request of 2 little boys and one big one.
* Chocolate ice cream + a splash of milk + a scoop of cappuccino powder = YUM
* I want my parents to live near me. Any ideas how to make that happen? Currently, they are about 600 miles away.
* I need a haircut.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Remember how I was totally in love with this bedding? I still DO love it. However, I also love this one.
What do you guys think? I know that they're not exactly the same "theme" but I do love both. However, the top one is $145 for 4 pieces (blanket, sheet, bumper, skirt) and the bottom one is $130 for 10 pieces. (blanket, sheet, bumper, skirt, curtain, wall hangings, diaper stacker and mobile) You basically get everything in the picture minus the furniture, lamp and rug.
I know the second one is the better deal. Dh likes the second one better too. BUT he had to ask about price first. hehe
I really love both but am leaning towards one. What do you think?
Details:
Crib is white.
Walls are just a light cream.
It's a smaller room with one window.
There's a mix of furniture, both white and natural wood colored.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Introducing...
Baby Lila Katherine
__________
The ultrasound went well. The baby seems to be perfectly healthy. She gave the tech quite a time trying to find out what she was! She had her legs crossed for most of the u/s and was also sleeping through much of it. Let's hope that keeps up when she's born!
D was so excited too. We both thought that it might be a girl while the tech was looking around, since it definitely looked different than the other ultrasounds we've had! I think I might still be in shock! Mostly, I am so happy that the baby was healthy and normal. Now, excuse me, I have to go shopping.
PS - I'm sorry if the pictures aren't very clear! Blogger messed with the size and now they're not very clear.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Sucky Saturday
Ways Saturday has sucked so far:
* Our renters stole things from our house (a fancy shower head, a hose, some curtains, a garage door opener and dug up some plants) and left it messy and with way too many holes in the walls.
They moved permanent fixtures (crookedly) and painted TWO rooms a horrible purple, all without permission. They also didn't take care of the yard at all, killed a small tree, and the flower beds? Don't even ask.
* I have been trying to help D clean and repair the house all day, but with the boys underfoot it's a lost cause. So now he has to do it by himself and I have to sit home alone with the boys by myself.
* He sent me to the store for light bulbs and a ton of various other things for the house. I bought 10 light bulbs and only ONE of them was the right size.
* I ordered 2 photo books and only received one.
*There's nothing like getting a bill in the mail from your vet with the horrible word euthanasia right on it, along with a sympathy card that makes you cry.
* I have asked D at least five times if he brought home the cat carrier from the vet when he brought home Tiger. He finally got mad at me and insisted it was here. I dropped it, but still couldn't find it today, so asked one more time where it was. He suddenly realized he left it at the vet's office. *sigh*
* My family is all together at my parent's house and I'm here.
* There are a couple of people getting on my last nerve.
* I'm having a pity party.
In good news, we're putting the house on the market on Monday and it's priced very competitively so maybe we can get away with godawful purple rooms and less then pristine landscaping. Tuesday is my ultrasound!!! Next week is bound to be better.
I feel better already.
* Our renters stole things from our house (a fancy shower head, a hose, some curtains, a garage door opener and dug up some plants) and left it messy and with way too many holes in the walls.
They moved permanent fixtures (crookedly) and painted TWO rooms a horrible purple, all without permission. They also didn't take care of the yard at all, killed a small tree, and the flower beds? Don't even ask.
* I have been trying to help D clean and repair the house all day, but with the boys underfoot it's a lost cause. So now he has to do it by himself and I have to sit home alone with the boys by myself.
* He sent me to the store for light bulbs and a ton of various other things for the house. I bought 10 light bulbs and only ONE of them was the right size.
* I ordered 2 photo books and only received one.
*There's nothing like getting a bill in the mail from your vet with the horrible word euthanasia right on it, along with a sympathy card that makes you cry.
* I have asked D at least five times if he brought home the cat carrier from the vet when he brought home Tiger. He finally got mad at me and insisted it was here. I dropped it, but still couldn't find it today, so asked one more time where it was. He suddenly realized he left it at the vet's office. *sigh*
* My family is all together at my parent's house and I'm here.
* There are a couple of people getting on my last nerve.
* I'm having a pity party.
In good news, we're putting the house on the market on Monday and it's priced very competitively so maybe we can get away with godawful purple rooms and less then pristine landscaping. Tuesday is my ultrasound!!! Next week is bound to be better.
I feel better already.
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