More GodDog

Check this out…thanks to my friend, Anita, for sharing. GodandDog

friends

In my almost empty nest state, there are two beings who still demand an enormous amount of my time…Jeff and Maddie!  Well of course those two, but seriously, I hardly ever see Maddie.  This week was Cross Country, Key Club, Spanish Club, Piano Lessons, Voice Lessons, FCA (fellowship of Christian Athletes), and something else I am sure I am forgetting.  She basically is here for breakfast, dinner and a quick Facebook check before bed.  Busy, busy, girl.  Jeff is around….hope it stays that way!:)

No, I am talking about…  Corby and Rosie!

Rosie is the sweet Golden Retriever.  She is almost 12 years old and proven to be  resistant to the odds of nature.  She was diagnosed with liver cancer last March.  Poor baby.  She went through tons of testing, and it was decided that she needed to undergo surgery to remove the tumor (which was believed to be the size of a walnut or so).  So, one morning in March we packed her up and headed to the most wonderful veterinary clinic in the universe and she went in for surgery.  2 hours later we received a phone call and were told that the tumor was much larger and more invasive than previously thought and had we said goodbye to Rosie because she may not make it through the surgery.  Also no guarantees that they could get all of the cancer…It was a tough decision to make but we asked that the docs close her up (with about a thousand staples) and we brought her home to recover and spend her final days/weeks in peace.

That was almost 7 months ago!  Miracle Dog!  She is still high maintenance but not because of the disease, but because she is a little nervous nelly. She licks.  A lot.  Her back leg mostly, but only when she is bored, which is usually anytime she is not eating or sleeping.  We have pills, sprays, ointments, bandages and the dreaded “hood” (you know that plastic thing around their neck that makes them freeze in one place or run into every door opening)  to keep her from eating her back leg off.  None of it works besides sleeping and eating!  Rosie! Rosie! Rosie!  I have a feeling she will be going strong in 7 more months.

She may be 3 legged by then, but still going strong!

Corby is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and just slightly spoiled.  He is basically my dog and everyone knows it.  He sleeps curled up under the covers with me (I know, it’s sick!), he is under my feet presently, and if I am in the store working, he is usually under the counter chewing his supply of nylabones.  ”Shop Dog” that’s all I have to say to make him go totally ballistic.  He loves to go to the store!

As cute as he is he has his quirks. He likes to eat non-edible items.  In one piece.  Long items.  In one piece.  Think underwear.  UGH  sorry, I know it is so gross.  It makes me want to gag.  But Corby?  Nope. No gag reflex for him.  He can just chew, swallow, chew, swallow.  Blech.

One month before Rosie’s diagnosis last winter, Corby went in to the vet’s office on a Saturday afternoon, near death, after having ingested some intimate apparel.  He was in surgery for about 3 hours, spent two nights at the hospital and came home ready to roll.  We have to keep everything edible and non-edible out of his reach, hence the enormous supply of nylabones.  Since his ordeal we have found remnants of leashes chewed, digested, and expelled in the backyard.  He just hasn’t learned.

He, too, is high maintenance but such a great friend.  He is actually my replacement dog.  I had another Cav, almost just like Corby.  His name was Cooper.  I could cry just writing his name.  He was the best dog.  Well, second best.  REX was THE dog!  We lost both of them within 6 months of each other.  Rex was 13 Cooper was 3.  Rex had cancer also.  After 7 months of Chemo, he quietly passed on in our candlelit garage with the whole family around him.  It was actually a beautiful end to a great life.  I know he runs free now and I often imagine him at the foot of the Throne of God.  That is where he belongs.

Cooper was tragically taken from us in a hit and run 1/4 mile from our house.  He had gotten out of our backyard after our lawn guys left the gate open and he went to the park with Rosie. They were out of my sight for no more than 10 minutes.  I found them together just as some kind soul was taking Cooper out of the street to lay him in the lawn.  I actually had to console all of the drivers who had witnessed it happen, during drop off at a preschool….yes a 25 mph speed zone.  It was inexcusable. Fortunately, he was killed fairly instantly.  I was a mess. For a long time.  I still cry over him.  Sniff.

I really do love dogs and I think they are fairly holy animals.  Anyone who’s name spelled backwards is God must be pretty special.

Don’t you think?

The things we get used to

You know how “mothering” never ends?  I have heard some parents remark about the blessings of the empty nest era and of the untroubled freedom associated with that lifestyle.  Well, they are lying!

Ok, I am not officially “empty” since Maddie is just a Junior in HS, but she is always so busy (Key club, Spanish club, and Cross Country, all just yesterday) that she is rarely around.  She is a great kid and I love it when she is around. (I am thinking of locking her up for the next 5 years and bringing her out only for my own selfish pleasure).  She is THAT kind of daughter.

So back to the mothering point…Kaley is having some adjustment issues with Avalon.  Nothing out of the ordinary, and really, quite ordinary issues for a 2 week old mom and baby.  Ava cries. And sometimes, cries more.  Wahh wahhh, wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!  You can hear it can’t you?  This is not the part that Kaley anticipated for 9 months.  But who does?

I told Kaley in casual conversation last week (before Ava started her crying period of growth) that I remembered marking major milestones in baby books*.  One of the unmarked, but vividly significant milestone, was when our household experienced a “cry-free” day.  That’s right, a day when not one of the darlings opened their little mouths to the size of a 6 quart tupperware bowl and let out a glass shattering cry for an entire 24 hour period.  I think Maddie was about 3 years old when we reached that blessed occasion for the first time….Kaley was 12ish and Court was 8-9ish.  So that basically means that I heard wailing everyday for 12 years, not the newborn scream, but the skinned knees, mean girls, hurt feelings, basic boo-boo type cries.  They still count. And they still occur…yesterday was Courtney’s turn.

So my point in all of this is, at 49 with 50 rapidly approaching, I am still mothering crying babies.  Mothering never ends.

Thank God.

*another story in itself

Hard drive heart ache!

If you are reading this please, please, please repeat after me…..”Oh god, please don’t let Courtney’s hard drive be a total crash victim…Please let some files be recovered, and please, help us to learn to be better with BACKUPS!!! thank you Jesus! Amen”

Guess you know what happened to Courtney tonight.

Guest Visitors

This weekend I had two of my favorite people visit our home….Avalon Noelle!!! and UPMichigan, pseudo daughter/real friend Jolee!  We had so much fun catching up and shopping and hanging around.  Everyone wanted to hold Ava, but Jolee actually won the contest and as I write is still cradling the sleeping angel.  She has the knack.

Thanks for visiting Jolee!  We love you~

Wooo Haaa! One week later.

Now I know why  women are created to have babies when we are young…. can you say NAIVE YOUTH!!!  As we age, believe it or not, we gain wisdom, and with wisdom comes enough common sense to know that our bodies and our minds require SLEEP!!!  Sleep deprivation is a wicked issue…just ask Kaley.  Poor baby!

Yesterday I went to visit said MOM (click mom, please) and precious, perfect baby Avalon after work.  Unfortunately, time got away from me and I was detained in getting to the house as early as I had told her.  So I walked up to the front door, opened it, and knew something was terribly wrong.  I didn’t see Ava anywhere and Kaley looked like, well, she didn’t look herself:)  Great Grandma was there and when I asked what was wrong, Kaley had a major meltdown.  Cried.  ”Where is the baby, I thought?”  ”Who took her away?” NO kidding!  I had a split second total panic attack!  Then I glanced in the office and there was the little angel sound asleep, cute as could be.  Then I realized Kaley was experiencing a major seizure of baby blues.  Yep, it really does happen. And just about a week after delivery. Combined with the hormone surges and the lack of sleep, I was witnessing a glacial meltdown. That is why at 49 years of age women should not have babies.  Our husbands would be castrated by this point.

Thank God that the “Mamie” instinct kicked in and we gained some sense of calm in the midst of this horrendous storm.  Kaley took a little nap before Rob got home.  I prepared dinner and everyone ate to the entertainment of Avalon’s mini fits, then we just let her stay up and fuss a bit to tire her out.  Found a cute “pacifier” for her while preparing her bath.  Kaley was running the shower to steam up the bathroom (you should have seen my hair after coming out of this steam bath!) and I was cradling Ava in the doorway as she fussed.  The minute she heard the shower water she quieted down.  Turn off the water, she cries.  Turn on the water, she stops.  Off, cry.  On, quiet.  Again and again.  I have a feeling that Kaley and Rob will burn up their water pump within a couple of months, but it will be worth it.

So here is the funny thing….Kaley blogged today and here is what she had to say (click here)…. not to be redundant or anything, but might I say, great minds (or Moms) think alike.  Watch the video…it will make you laugh out loud.

Here’s to Baby blues and Mamie’s to the rescue or at least, to empathize. I am with you Kaley baby!