We have been having some great fun as a family in the last couple of weeks since Rob came home. I know I'm behind in posting and pictures. Soon.
Yesterday we got to go to the zoo for my MOPS Park Day and had a great time enjoying the animals and the company of friends. Sadly, when we got home we discovered that Spot passed away while we were gone. We had still been battling her injuries which included a surgery to repair a hernia not discovered for a week after the attack. While the vet was repairing that she found a hole in her intestine which caused an abscess. She removed about 6 inches of intestine and cleaned her out. Spot seemed to feel better immediately but it only lasted for a couple of days. She kept refusing to eat (she's always been picky) and then drinking, then quit cleaning herself. She mostly just slept and purred when you pet her. The vet and I weren't sure if it was simply nausea from the injuries or something worse. We had just talked that morning and were going to try a new med which I was going to fill after the zoo. Poor Spot. I'm so sad and I am battling feeling like there was something else I could have done (like force feeding her more often). The vet and I were both so bothered that we agreed to have her take a look inside. She discovered that part of the surgery site had failed (not because of the doctor's work but because the tissue tore at the site). Spot also had a damaged liver caused by her not eating for so long. I have had Spot since she was a week old and fit in the palm of my hand and she was 13 this year. Almost twice as long as I've been married.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Oh My Word!
There simply isn't a word that I can think of that describes how excited Gideon gets in his swim class. We started the latest swim session on Tuesday. Gideon and Zion are both in the same parent/child swim class and Gabe has his class at the same time, other end of the pool so all five of us are in the pool at the same time. How fun is that?!
OK, so I thought it would be fun but wasn't certain it would be fun when I planned it. After all, Gideon has never been in a pool like that before. Sure, he has fun in the tub but you know how kids can be. A pool that large can seem very intimidating and scary to a baby. This pool has steps that go down into the water. I had Gideon on one hip and was walking holding Zion's hand until it got too deep for her and I lifted her to the other hip (Rob was taking Gabe to his teacher so he was meeting us in the water later). The moment Gideon's toes hit the water he started laughing. The second his hands could reach the water he started splashing and laughing. It only got better after that. Everything in class made him laugh. He doesn't mind going to the teacher for "motor boat" or coming back. He loves playing with the noodle. Today I think his squeals of delight could have been heard outside the building when we were playing with the ball. He did NOT want to share even though it was a circle time game. He is getting really adept at getting in the pool from sitting on the edge and can almost climb out of the pool on his own. In today's class he took every opportunity available to put his face in the water. It may end up being that this kid learns to swim before he learns to walk.
Before we hit swim class tonight we hit the local county fair. I almost enjoyed it better than the larger fair we kit every where simply because it was so much smaller. Spacious even. Not overcrowded, not crazy busy. We didn't see EVERY single there because we did have to get to the swim class but we saw enough. Zion got to ride on her first carnival rides and LOVED it! Tonight I asked the kids what their favorite part of the day was. Gabe said it was teaching Daddy how to play Paper Mario on the Wii. Zion said her's was riding on the "sycomotos" (motorcycles) - one of the rides she got to do at the fair. We shared corn dogs, a hamburger, garlic fries, licorice, apple kueleg (I have no idea if I spelled that right) and a ton of lemonade. There was a lemonade vendor that had $1.50 refills. Yeah. Can you believe it? I think they lost money on our family. It was also military day and "family day" so we got in for free. Sa-weet!
It was a fabulous day! The only damper on our sunshine, well, except for the fact that there wasn't really any sun (a relief actually!) was that my kitty Spot is still not doing well. She won't eat or drink. She hardly moves off the towel bed that I made for her. She prefers to stay in our bedroom closet. I have litter box for her there and bowls with water and food, which she ignores. Today I picked up the supplies to give her sub-q fluids at home. I also got a tube of NutriCal which is a high calorie vitamin paste. I'm hoping that a few more days of rest, fluids and some calories will get her eating and drinking again. Hoping.
OK, so I thought it would be fun but wasn't certain it would be fun when I planned it. After all, Gideon has never been in a pool like that before. Sure, he has fun in the tub but you know how kids can be. A pool that large can seem very intimidating and scary to a baby. This pool has steps that go down into the water. I had Gideon on one hip and was walking holding Zion's hand until it got too deep for her and I lifted her to the other hip (Rob was taking Gabe to his teacher so he was meeting us in the water later). The moment Gideon's toes hit the water he started laughing. The second his hands could reach the water he started splashing and laughing. It only got better after that. Everything in class made him laugh. He doesn't mind going to the teacher for "motor boat" or coming back. He loves playing with the noodle. Today I think his squeals of delight could have been heard outside the building when we were playing with the ball. He did NOT want to share even though it was a circle time game. He is getting really adept at getting in the pool from sitting on the edge and can almost climb out of the pool on his own. In today's class he took every opportunity available to put his face in the water. It may end up being that this kid learns to swim before he learns to walk.
Before we hit swim class tonight we hit the local county fair. I almost enjoyed it better than the larger fair we kit every where simply because it was so much smaller. Spacious even. Not overcrowded, not crazy busy. We didn't see EVERY single there because we did have to get to the swim class but we saw enough. Zion got to ride on her first carnival rides and LOVED it! Tonight I asked the kids what their favorite part of the day was. Gabe said it was teaching Daddy how to play Paper Mario on the Wii. Zion said her's was riding on the "sycomotos" (motorcycles) - one of the rides she got to do at the fair. We shared corn dogs, a hamburger, garlic fries, licorice, apple kueleg (I have no idea if I spelled that right) and a ton of lemonade. There was a lemonade vendor that had $1.50 refills. Yeah. Can you believe it? I think they lost money on our family. It was also military day and "family day" so we got in for free. Sa-weet!
It was a fabulous day! The only damper on our sunshine, well, except for the fact that there wasn't really any sun (a relief actually!) was that my kitty Spot is still not doing well. She won't eat or drink. She hardly moves off the towel bed that I made for her. She prefers to stay in our bedroom closet. I have litter box for her there and bowls with water and food, which she ignores. Today I picked up the supplies to give her sub-q fluids at home. I also got a tube of NutriCal which is a high calorie vitamin paste. I'm hoping that a few more days of rest, fluids and some calories will get her eating and drinking again. Hoping.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
The Adventure
So are y'all just dying to hear how things are going with Rob home? Yeah, I thought so. We were grateful with the airport and airline that Rob flew in on for allowing us to go through security as smooth as silk so that we could meet Rob at the gate. We had our kid-made "welcome home, Daddy" sign and got many smiles while we waited for the plane to come in. I noticed that the crew for the next flight was particularly interested in our reunion. I'm glad that we provided some heart warming entertainment for the folks waiting at the gate. The kids were thrilled when they saw him and Gideon quickly wiped out any worries that I had that he would not know his Daddy. Rob took him in his arms, Gideon was all grins. A little while later he passed him back to me in order to take Gabe to the restroom and Gideon was NOT happy. He pointed to the bathroom and grunted over and over until Rob came back and immediately leaned to go back to him.
And nothing welcomes home a deployed soldier like immediately taking them to a one-year old's birthday party. We were a little late due to the time of the flight but we went straight from the airport to my friend Nora's house so we could celebrate little Sarah's first birthday. I'm so glad Rob is a people person and was happy to go.
Sunday we got to go back to church as a complete family for the first time in a really long time. Even when Rob was home on leave last we didn't get to do this because of sick kids so it was really, really nice. We had a nice lunch afterward and a leisurely remainder of the day.
On Monday morning we awoke to a commotion outside. Neither one of us could identify what made the noise but then came a frantic knock on the door a few minutes later and I knew without opening it what had happened. As soon as I opened it my neighbor confirmed, her dogs had attacked one of my cats who in her backyard. I walked right over, in my pjs, my glasses, no shoes, hair a mess to find my poor kitty laying in a heap in the gravel. She was head to toe froth and slobber, she was panting, not moving, clearly injured. I wrapped her in a towel borrowed from my neighbor and took her home just long enough to ditch the pjs and don clothes and shoes. I drove the entire way to the emergency clinic with her cradled like a baby in my right arm, driving with my left and realizing how glad I was that Rob was home and I didn't have to try to take care of her and try to organize all three kids. They would have been frightened by seeing poor Spot kitty in that state not to mention me in mine.
Spot's injuries were not as bad as I thought but she's still in a sorry state. She came home yesterday with a broken sternum and damage to her liver and possibly her pancreas. She is a walking, when she can manage, bruise and has swelling all over. She refuses to eat or drink. This morning I had to force water into her with a syringe. But she purrs like mad when you pet her and tries to arch into your hand as it travels down her back. She has a towel bed in our master closet which is a small walk-in type, with a litter box on one side and food and water on the other. She doesn't have to move more than a couple of steps for anything that she needs and doesn't have any tempting places to jump up to or down from.
So, as I said the other day a new adventure is beginning. I wish it hadn't been quite like this but I'm so grateful that Rob is home. Things mostly feel like he was never gone. We are going to have a lot of fun this month before Rob goes back to his civilian job. Lots of down time and lots and lots of fun.
And nothing welcomes home a deployed soldier like immediately taking them to a one-year old's birthday party. We were a little late due to the time of the flight but we went straight from the airport to my friend Nora's house so we could celebrate little Sarah's first birthday. I'm so glad Rob is a people person and was happy to go.
Sunday we got to go back to church as a complete family for the first time in a really long time. Even when Rob was home on leave last we didn't get to do this because of sick kids so it was really, really nice. We had a nice lunch afterward and a leisurely remainder of the day.
On Monday morning we awoke to a commotion outside. Neither one of us could identify what made the noise but then came a frantic knock on the door a few minutes later and I knew without opening it what had happened. As soon as I opened it my neighbor confirmed, her dogs had attacked one of my cats who in her backyard. I walked right over, in my pjs, my glasses, no shoes, hair a mess to find my poor kitty laying in a heap in the gravel. She was head to toe froth and slobber, she was panting, not moving, clearly injured. I wrapped her in a towel borrowed from my neighbor and took her home just long enough to ditch the pjs and don clothes and shoes. I drove the entire way to the emergency clinic with her cradled like a baby in my right arm, driving with my left and realizing how glad I was that Rob was home and I didn't have to try to take care of her and try to organize all three kids. They would have been frightened by seeing poor Spot kitty in that state not to mention me in mine.
Spot's injuries were not as bad as I thought but she's still in a sorry state. She came home yesterday with a broken sternum and damage to her liver and possibly her pancreas. She is a walking, when she can manage, bruise and has swelling all over. She refuses to eat or drink. This morning I had to force water into her with a syringe. But she purrs like mad when you pet her and tries to arch into your hand as it travels down her back. She has a towel bed in our master closet which is a small walk-in type, with a litter box on one side and food and water on the other. She doesn't have to move more than a couple of steps for anything that she needs and doesn't have any tempting places to jump up to or down from.
So, as I said the other day a new adventure is beginning. I wish it hadn't been quite like this but I'm so grateful that Rob is home. Things mostly feel like he was never gone. We are going to have a lot of fun this month before Rob goes back to his civilian job. Lots of down time and lots and lots of fun.
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