herringbones

Sarah-isms

2011-09-13T20:55:00.003-05:00

1. Sawaah = her name. Best said with a bit of sass!

2. Tew = her age. Generally accompanied by several fingers...rarely two...and it usually looks like some sort of toddler gang sign.

3. Cooler = color. As in, "Mommy! A cooler book!!" The plural "coolers" = crayons.

4. Plato = Mickey Mouse's dog.

5. Nackie = snack. Or "Feed me NOW!"

6. Owwwwww! = the sound a cat makes.

7. Buggie = bug. Sometimes it's scary, other times not. Sometimes it's just a piece of fuzz.

8. Go! = what she yells from the backseat when the car slows down.

9. BooBoo = her knees. She fell MONTHS ago and scraped her knees. They've long since healed, but we're still using multiple bandaids every day.

10. Wock = she wants someone to rock her in her chair. She hasn't let us "wock" her to sleep in a LONG time so we jump as soon as she says it.

Ten on Tuesday

2011-07-26T19:44:00.006-05:00

1. We lost our 12yr old dog CiCi on June 10th...six weeks after she was diagnosed with Lymphoma. We'd begun chemotherapy treatments with the hope of buying her (and mainly US) some time, but it just didn't work as we'd planned. CiCi was my first dog. I adopted her when I bought my house and for several years, it was just the two of us. She was my best girl. And while I'm heartbroken that she's gone, I know that she's healed. And I know that I'll see her again one day. Rest well.

2. Three weeks after we lost CiCi, Lily had surgery to repair a ruptured ACL. We'd been thru this twice before with CiCi so we're no strangers to ACL injuries. Lily's knee has been giving her problems for quite some time, but when we returned from vacation she wasn't using that leg at all. We opted to use our regular vet (rather than an orthopedic specialist) and as a result, opted for the lateral suture repair (rather than TPLO that would usually be recommended for a dog her size). Those were choices that we made based on Lily and her behavioral issues...not choices we might have made otherwise. But she's doing quite well and will hopefully get the green light to start a bit of rehab swimming soon.

3. Speaking of vacation, we spent several days in June at the beach with my family. It's the first time that we've all been together...well...EVER if you consider that our nephew Elliot is only 7mo old! We took this opportunity to have some family photos made and were lucky that Stephanie Fisher was willing and able to follow us to Orange Beach. Here lately, I've felt like I'm bleeding money, but wonderful photographs (in particular, wonderful photographs of Sarah)...that's one thing that I will NEVER regret paying for.

You can see the rest of our photos here.

4. Sarah turned TWO YEARS OLD on July 21. I know that only another preemie mom will understand this, but it's so...odd...to celebrate what was one of the scariest days of my life. For a long time I was scared to think about her future...scared to hope that we might have birthdays to celebrate. And now look at her...wow!

5. Sarah's party was last Saturday - we stuck with the pizza party theme from last year and I think everyone had a great time. Once again, we were overwhelmed with the generosity of our family and friends - we have so many great gifts to deliver to St. Vincent's NICU again this year.

6. We had Sarah's two year well baby appointment with her pediatrician today and though I'd been dreading it, it was actually a great appointment. She's 30.5" tall which puts her...well...a half inch or so BELOW the chart. But, it also puts her half an inch too tall for her infant carseat so that's improvement! 23lbs puts her in the 5th percentile for weight for her actual age - the first time she's been on the chart at all for weight. And then there's her head. 75th percentile for her actual age. I've always been told that preemies catch up in head circumference first, weight second and height last. Here's hoping that's true!

7. Because of my concern over Sarah's height, our pediatrician sent us for a wrist x-ray to check Sarah's "bone age." Those of you following Sarah since the beginning might remember that she was diagnosed with rickets (or 'metabolic bone disease' as her neonatologist so lovingly called it) shortly after birth. To sum it up, she was calcium deficient (no surprise given her early birth) and it was diagnosed with an x-ray of her left wrist. Today's x-ray will be used to gauge her bone density and "age" or maturity. It should help us determine if there is a medical reason behind her short stature. I've never been so happy to be sent for diagnostic testing in my life...I feel like I finally have at least one medical professional on my side regarding Sarah's size. We should know more next week.

8. We were waiting for Sarah's appointment today and she and I had been in the main part of the lobby looking at the aquarium. We walked back into the well baby waiting room and there was a tiny baby in a stroller. Wearing an apnea monitor. And a nasal canula. Talk about a kick in the gut. We stopped so Sarah could see the "beebee" and talked to the mom a bit. Turns out Callie was born at 26wks and is now 4 1/2mos old. I didn't pry (though I wanted to ask 1,000 questions) but seeing Callie made me realize just how far we've come in two years.

9. For all the people out there who get worked up when you compare kids to dogs...clearly they didn't take enough obedience classes. The similarities are FASCINATING.

10. For lack of anything better (and because my last update was FOREVER ago), I leave you with our 2011 March for Babies t-shirt design. The walk was the Saturday following the devastating tornadoes that hit central Alabama. Many members of Team Sarah were volunteering elsewhere that day, but we had a big turnout in spirit. We raised more than $300 for our local March of Dimes chapter!

Ten on Tuesday

2011-03-22T20:22:00.003-05:00

This one is dedicated to all things food! Ten things Sarah has eaten this Tuesday:

1. Milk. She's had a minimum of 16oz of whole milk.

2. An entire naval orange. Well, minus the peel.

3. A large banana. Again, no peel.

4. One egg scrambled with sausage and heavy cream.

5. Cinnamon toast and mixed fruit (this was her SECOND breakfast of the day - she eats breakfast at home and again an hour later at daycare).

6. Macaroni & cheese, green beans and mixed fruit for lunch.

7. A moon pie. Yuck!

8. Animal crackers.

9. Four whole wheat breaded chicken nuggets.

10. Marsala noodles with mushrooms (leftovers from last night).

And even though that's already ten, she also ate quite a bit of the macaroni that I had for dinner. Oh and the better part of a juice box (fruit and vegetable juice). And she had probably 1/3 of MY breakfast burrito this morning.

How this child only weighs 20lbs is beyond me. But boy oh boy am I glad she's a good eater!

It's that time again...

2011-02-25T20:59:00.005-06:00

we're MARCHING FOR BABIES!

I had this wonderful New Year's Resolution to blog regularly. Clearly, that's worked out well...but since my last post was about Prematurity Awareness Day, it's fitting that this one will be about the 2011 March for Babies.

If you're reading this blog, it's likely that you already know the story of Sarah's birth. Born 13wks too soon. "Typical" preemie complications (which are never really typical). 12wks on some form of oxygen. 16wks before she came home. But since I'm such a blog slacker, many of you might not know how she's doing now.

Sarah is 19mos old. She's been in daycare since late August and is doing surprisingly well. We had a rough start as Sarah adjusted to the germs but she's handled the winter like a champ. Quick, someone knock on wood!

Sarah likes the park. She likes to wave at cars (full of strangers) as they drive by. She's a great sleeper. She likes to try new foods. Her newest word is "apple"...though it comes out "bapple". She insists on brushing her (seven) teeth twice a day. And she LOVES her dogs.

Right now, the one glaringly obvious sign of Sarah's prematurity is her size. At 19mos, Sarah is 28in tall and weighs 18.5lbs. She's the size of a 9mo old. But don't tell her that. Developmentally, she's right on track for her actual age (thanks in part to the wonderful team of thearpists that we see thru our county's KidsFirst program) and she certainly has the sass and spunk of a soon-to-be 2yo.

We're proof that prematurity isn't "cured." It doesn't magically go away at a certain age. It lingers. And we'll never really know what lies around the next corner. We've learned to roll with the punches. And we definitely don't sweat the small stuff.

On April 30th, Team Sarah will once again March for Babies in an effort to raise money and awareness for the March of Dimes. Simply put, the research and the therapies that the MoD funds and supports saved Sarah. I'd say that's worth a bit of fundraising on our part!

You can support Team Sarah two ways: 1) sign up to walk with us or 2) donate to our mission. You can do either of these things at my March for Babies page: www.marchforbabies.com/teamsarahfrancis

Brandon and I are also working on a fun raffle of sorts for anyone who donates - more on that soon!

We march in NINE WEEKS and we really need your support to make Team Sarah a success for the second year in a row! And really...who could say no to this face?!

Prematurity Awareness Day

2010-11-17T08:35:00.008-06:00

November 17th isn't a national holiday. It's not even a bank holiday. But it IS Prematurity Awareness Day. I've been thinking all week about my "Blog for Babies" entry - at first I thought I'd take the statistics route. Ya know, "1 in 6 babies born in Alabama is born premature", "40% of premature births are unexplained", or maybe even "a baby born at 23wks has a 17% chance of survival". But then I realized that statistics are...well, just numbers. So in lieu of bombarding you with generic statistics, and since most of you already know my Sarah, I'll give you OUR prematurity numbers.

13 weeks early. Sarah was born at 27w3d.

1000 grams. Sarah's birth weight. That translates approximately to 2lbs, 3oz.

12.5 inches. Sarah's length at birth. She was one inch longer than a Barbie doll.

9 leads, wires, tubes and hoses connected to Sarah in the photo above (she was three days old).

5 blood transfusions. Three from unknown donors. Two from her PaPa (my dad).

2 rounds of medication needed to close the Patent Ductus valve in her heart.

0 brain bleeds. We're amazingly lucky to have dodged that bullet.

19 days before we were able to hold Sarah.

1 NEC scare. Necrotizing Enterocolitis. Feared by preemie parents everywhere.

80 days on oxygen, delivered via ventilator (2 days), CPAP (2 weeks) and nasal canula.

109 days in the NICU.

Please don't think it ends there. Prematurity isn't "cured" at NICU discharge. No, it follows you home. And I'm honestly not sure it ever goes away. Every time Sarah sneezes, I remember how fragile her lungs still are. Every time I put 6mo pants on my almost 16mo old child, I remember how small she is. Every time I walk into St. Vincent's hospital and smell the hand soap, I remember the many days that I thought we'd never make it home.

After 16mos, I've finally been able to make (a TINY bit of) peace with Sarah's early birth. At the very least, I'm doing my best to make sure that (a TINY bit of) something good comes from our experience.

-I'm now volunteering with an amazing group (http://www.nicufootprints.org/) that ministers to NICU families in our area. That "ministry" comes in the form of prayer, but also in the form of emotional and sometimes even financial support.

-We're also involved with the mission of the March of Dimes now. We participate in their annual Blue Jeans for Babies and March for Babies fundraisers.

-Though it's difficult every time, we return regularly to the hospital where we spent those first three and a half months. Sometimes we go with donations for the NICU(swings, bouncy seats, blankets, clothing) and sometimes we go with goodies for the NICU and labor/delivery nurses (donuts, cookies, BBQ). Simply put, they saved Sarah. We want them all to know how grateful we are for that.

So, there you have it. A face to put with the statistics of Prematurity Awareness Day. A face representative of 500,000+ premature babies born each year. Please support your local March of Dimes chaper in their fight for babies like Sarah.

Ten on Tuesday

2010-10-12T20:07:00.007-05:00

There’s a LOT to update since my last post so let’s get started!

1. In early August we took Sarah on her first vacation – the beach! We were still having a few sleep issues at the time but, in spite of my worrying, she adjusted quite well. Sarah loves the water, though she wasn’t a big fan of the sand. Can’t say I blame her!

2. After being unemployed since I was hospitalized in June 2009, I finally went back to work in late August. This of course means that Sarah started daycare. Let’s address the job first – when I first got pregnant, I had no intentions of staying home. In fact, I was even planning a very short 4-6wk maternity leave for a variety of reasons. If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you realize that my pregnancy was FILLED with good intentions that quickly passed once I delivered early. I LOVED being home with Sarah and I’m beyond lucky to have had that opportunity – so many preemie moms have to return to work before their babies are even home, but I was able to spend my days in the NICU with her. But, the fact remains, we require two incomes. And health insurance. All in all, I feel like going back to work was one of the final steps I needed to take to get us back to where we should have been all along.

3. Daycare. Sarah started daycare on August 23rd. After only TWO WEEKS, we’d been to our pediatrician THREE times and spent Labor Day in the Emergency Room at Children’s Hospital. This was the exact reason that we avoided daycare as long as we did. At that point, Sarah was congested, had a week long fever that spiked at 105* and was having O2 desats that left her with blue lips and hands. When the dust finally cleared, she’d missed more than a full week of daycare and we now have our very own albuterol nebulizer. Ya know, because I didn’t feel quite guilty enough about going back to work. She would cry when we dropped her off, cry when we picked her up, she wasn’t napping at all during the day, became completely dependent on her pacifier and she was a miserable troll when she was at home. The only thing she WAS doing was eating well, but even so, she stopped gaining weight (more on that shortly). I was left wondering why in the world ANYONE put their kids in daycare. And then last week (week seven) everything magically changed. We credit the Glow Worm Seahorse that some friends gave Sarah for her birthday. We keep the original seahorse in her bed and she plays the music at night until she goes to sleep. In a last ditch effort to help her nap, we bought a second seahorse to keep in her daycare crib. She’s stopped crying when I drop her off in the mornings, she actually reaches for her teacher now, she’s napping at least an hour each day (usually closer to two hours) and she’s much happier when she’s home. Sarah is also learning things like clapping her hands (that was one thing she simply would NOT do before), she’s making new sounds (not quite words yet so everything is still “dog”), she brings home artwork to hang on the fridge and she’s walking like crazy. We know she’s going to continue to get sick, we can only hope that her immune system is improving and will be able to keep future ER visits to a minimum.

4. Sarah continues to receive services thru our county’s Early Intervention program – we were discharged from PT several months ago, but we still see our OT regularly. Just before Sarah started daycare, our OT sessions were cut back to once a month because the OT was really just watching Sarah play – her motor skills are on (sometimes even ABOVE!) par with her peers now! Her OT will continue to visit Sarah once a month (they’ll evaluate her in daycare now which gives me an extra set of eyes there) mainly to make sure that her speech develops as it should. We don’t anticipate speech delays, but I’d rather address any concerns early on.

5. I mentioned in #3 that Sarah’s weight gain has slowed. Up until her first birthday, Sarah was still drinking quite a bit of formula each day (we’ve since switched to whole milk) and we could count on her gaining approximately 1lb per month. At her 12mo pedi appointment in July, she weighed approximately 17lbs. That was two and a half months ago. When I weighed her last night, she weighed approximately 17lbs. Uh, huh? I’ve always heard that a baby’s weight gain slows after a year…but Sarah’s seems to have STOPPED. And since I’ve been hypersensitive about her weight since she was born (every OUNCE she gained in the NICU was cause for celebration!) I can’t help but worry a bit about it now. Because let’s face it, Sarah is small. REALLY small. At almost 15mos, she’s the size of an average 6mo old…which REALLY alarms people when they see her walking (okay, that part is kind of funny…). My micropreemie has become a microtoddler – 17lbs, 27”. Now, with all that said, the lack of weight gain certainly is NOT caused by a lack of eating. Sarah may be small, but boy she can EAT. Every morning we start with an entire packet of oatmeal for breakfast – I make hers with whole milk and add cinnamon and a big blob of applesauce to it. The she goes to school and eats a SECOND breakfast there (cereal, a honeybun, a cinnamon roll, etc). She almost always eats all of her lunch (a protein, a veggie and a fruit) and then snacks mid-afternoon. She has another snack when she gets home and then dinner. And don’t forget about the 3-4cups of milk scattered in there too. I guess her constant motion burns the majority of that…the rest she stores in her hollow leg. Sarah’s pediatrician genuinely listens to my concerns and usually manages to make me feel better about things – we see him again on the 25th for a 15mo vaccination (blech) so hopefully that will help.

6. The other issue with Sarah’s size is finding clothes. The upside is that she really gets a lot of use out of her things whereas a lot of kids outgrow their clothes before they even have a chance to wear some of them. The downside is that she’s wearing 6-9mo clothes with a few 3-6mos things thrown in there. The difference in sizes across brands is ridiculous. And it doesn’t help my anxiety level to buy 6mo pants only to have them fall off of my 14mo old. I have a couple of reliable brands that I stick to now (Carter’s, Target’s Circo, and BRU’s Miniwear) and can usually tell how much I’ll have to hem the pants before she even gets them on. I don’t bother buying out of season because who knows what size she’ll be next summer. Having a kid is all about adapting, right?

7. I said before that Sarah’s only “real” word right now is DOG. We occasionally get “duck” or “ball”, but really, they sound just like “dog.” Our dogs are definitely “dogs” to her so she knows the meaning of the word…but some days, everything else is “dog” too. You just have to pay attention to what she’s pointing at/reaching for. Her lovie blanket…”dog”. Her cup of milk…”dog”. ME: Sarah, can you say “mama”?? Sarah: DOG! Oh well, at least she knows what’s important, right? She will sign for “milk” (though she’s modified the sign a bit for her own tastes), sometimes we get something in between the signs for “mama” and “daddy” and she just started signing “more” (like more food!) over the weekend. She knows where her “noggin” is and where MY nose is…though she still seems completely unaware that she has a nose of her very own.

8. Sarah and her dogs…goodness, where do I start? She’s doing SO well learning to “pet nice” and “be gentle” with the dogs. Now, that doesn’t mean there isn’t the occasional eye poke or ear pull. But they exact revenge with a whack of a tail, usually upside her head. All except for Ralphie…not only is his tail super short, but he’ll take affection any way he can get it – even if it’s a poke in the eye. If you’re wondering which dog is Ralphie, he’s our male pit bull. Not exactly the vicious beast the media would portray him to be. Sarah’s a smart girl, she knows who loves her best!

9. Teeth. We now have TWO!

10. This past Saturday was Sarah’s first haircut. I want to let her hair grow, it just needed to be cleaned up some on the ends. She was looking pretty pitiful…especially with her daycare snot nose. I was a bit concerned about how she’d behave (and how the resulting haircut would look) but she did VERY well. She even sat in the (modified) chair all by herself! The gal who cut her hair put all the little clippings in a envelope for me, gave us a little “My First Haircut” certificate and didn’t charge us for it! Plus all the older ladies in the salon were have a FIT over Sarah…especially when she started walking (she really looks too small to be walking on her own) so it was quite entertaining for all of us. Now, if she’d just keep a bow in that hair…

First Official "School" Photo

2010-10-11T21:02:00.002-05:00

I'll explain in tomorrow's Ten on Tuesday...I promise!

Sarah's birthday slideshow

2010-08-09T23:12:00.002-05:00

Ten on Tuesday

2010-08-03T23:19:00.008-05:00

1. I know, I know, it's been over a MONTH...but it was a tough month for me. June 21st started my "one year ago..." and it a lot of ways, reliving it a second time was more difficult than the first. I suspect I'll always have demons to face this time of year.

2. Sarah's first birthday was on the 21st! ONE YEAR - holy cow, how did that happen?! We spent the morning with our favorite photographer and a birthday cake that was demolished by the end of the shoot. These photos...and all of the photos that Stephanie has taken for us are so precious...I'll be the first to admit that we went cheap-o on our wedding photos, but I'm a HUGE fan of GOOD photography now. We'll have these photos forever.

3. Sarah had her 1yr well baby visit on the 22nd. Keep in mind, she started out at 2lbs 3oz, 12.5" with a head circumference of 9.5". She's now 17lbs, 26.5" and her head is 18"! That puts us in the 3rd percentile for weight (for her ACTUAL age!) - we're ON THE CHART! She's still short though, so we're not on that chart. But her head? Um, yeah. 75th percentile. It's genetic. She didn't stand a chance. Here she is waiting for Dr. G.

4. While at the pedi, we delivered lunch to the NICU staff and cupcakes to the Labor/Delivery nurses. We also visited with our favorite L/D nurse, Karen:

5. In other medical related news, Sarah's follow up eye exam was in July as well. This exam was MUCH easier than the countless retina exams she had in the NICU. And the results? We don't have to go back until she starts kindergarten!!! Eye problems are quite common for babies on oxygen for as long as Sarah was, so this is a HUGE relief.

6. Sarah's party was on the 24th and we asked that our guests bring a donation for the NICU rather than a gift for Sarah. I wasn't quite sure what to expect...but I certainly NEVER expected this:

We received SO many things that will make the NICU a bit easier for the families who have to be there. A swing, bouncy seats, photo printer paper and ink, scrapbook supplies, crib mobiles, batteries, clothes, blankets, you name it! We delivered it last weekend and our sweet nurses were so thankful - Sarah's friends and family ROCK!

7. Any guesses what her first "official" word was? Really shouldn't surprise anyone :-)

8. With a bit of encouragement from her Occupational Therapist, Sarah is now WALKING behind her little push toys. And when she's determined, that little doll stroller moves pretty fast! She keeps moving until she hits something and has to stop...sometimes it's a wall, sometimes it's furniture, and sometimes, if they're not paying attention, it's a dog!

9. Speaking of dogs, our Veronica had pretty extensive ear surgery this week. Unfortunately, it's been a long time coming and while it would have been much easier financially if I were working...well, things don't always work out that way. But our dogs are family too so we do what needs to be done. The next week or two will be tough, but after that I think she'll be better than she's been in a LONG while.

10. Finally, another big milestone for Sarah is right around the corner...we leave next week for the BEACH! We were on vacation the week before my water broke last year, but haven't been anywhere since. Sarah has her swim diapers, suncreen and pool float packed - she's ready to go!

Eleven Months!!

2010-06-21T22:16:00.005-05:00

Sarah now weighs 17lbs and is a tiny tornado - between the crawling, standing and cruising, we can barely keep up! We completely expect her to just walk across the room one day soon.

We've been having a few sleep (or lack thereof) issues over the last few weeks - she's been waking MULTIPLE times each night and her naps during the day have gone to hell. It occured to me yesterday that, given some of her "symptoms", we could be dealing with reflux again. She hasn't had the projectile vomitting or the screaming that we were used to, but there is also "silent reflux" to consider. Better safe than sorry, we've restarted her meds this week to see if it makes a difference. She slept last night from 11pm - 6am, waking only once. At 6am, she took a bottle and slept again until 9:30. And she FINALLY had a day with TWO good naps. Here's hoping we're on to something.

In addition to Sarah being 11mos old today, it's also the one year anniversary of my water breaking. None of us are likely to forget Father's Day 2009 any time soon. Thankfully, Father's Day 2010 was much less dramatic. I've managed to stay busy today so I wouldn't end up a puddle in the floor. I'm focusing on her upcoming birthday - party planning is a good way to keep my spirits up :-)

Ten Months!

2010-05-31T21:14:00.005-05:00

Yes, this should have been posted more than a week ago (5/21/09)!

Sarah is up to 16lbs now! Length unknown...she barely lets me dress her these days, much less measure her. But we know her legs are finally growing - they've been pretty short all this time.

She started crawling on May 5th and hasn't slowed down since. Less than two weeks later, she figured out how to go from crawling to sitting up. And the same day she started to pull up on the furniture!

This new mobility has been a big adjustment for EVERYONE, including our dogs. They're used to laying, undisturbed, on the furniture...now, a tiny head will pop up out of nowhere. And that tiny head is usually yelling with excitement! So far the dogs are adjusting well and most them know to get up and move if they're bothered by her.

We've also ditched the baby tub in favor of the big tub - she wasn't sure about it at first, but now splashes around with all her tub toys.

Still no teeth, but I'm sure they'll come along soon enough. Everything goes straight to her mouth...and I do mean EVERYTHING. Shoes (hers or others), fingers (hers or others!), we've even caught her chewing a couple of dog toys. Oops! Not a big deal...I've said it before, I worry more about germs from other kids than I do about germs from our dogs.

So, we're heading full force toward ONE YEAR OLD. Party preparations have begun, including some special "thank you" treats for our favorite nurses. We have a LOT to celebrate this year!

May - a month of firsts!

2010-05-12T23:11:00.012-05:00

May has been a good month for us...and it's only the 12th! So far we've had...

Sarah's first popsicle! Okay, so it's just frozen pears in her little mesh feeder. That still counts.

And yes, I stripped her down to her diaper and put her in her baby pool too eat it. Good call on my part because it was EVERYWHERE by the time she was done!

Popsicles are exciting around here!

We also had our first studio portraits. We were given a gift certificate to a local studio shortly after Sarah was born so we decided to cash it in for Mother's Day gifts. We also got some GREAT photos of Sarah and her cousin, but I don't want to put photos of someone else's kid online without asking first.

Sarah also had her first dip in the pool (with WATER!) without screaming like she was on fire! She really enjoyed herself!

We also had our first trip to Kid's Gym - I went with a small mom's group so Sarah was one of maybe 10 kids there. All the other kids were older and running around but I think Sarah had an okay time. If nothing else it's a chance to get her used to other kids...in preparation for daycare. And eventual reality for us.

Yes, that's MY child...in a ball pit. I was a good sport for about three minutes. Then she started putting the balls in her mouth and the germaphobe in me took over. *shudder*

We also ordered Sarah a grocery cart cover that also doubles as a high chair cover. I was VERY hesitant to pay as much as we did for it, but we LOVE it. And it's simplified my life quite a bit. We christened the cover at Johnny Ray's for BBQ so this was Sarah's first restaurant high chair. She's also showing you the chicken she was eating for dinner!

We also stopped by the grocery store and found that it works just as well in a cart :-)

March for Babies update

2010-05-12T22:51:00.007-05:00

The March of Dimes' March for Babies was April 24th - the bad news is that the walk portion of the event was ultimately rained out. The not so bad news is that Team Sarah raised more than $900 and the March of Dimes received every last penny of that in spite of the rain!

The star of Team Sarah:

The small part of Team Sarah that made it to the park before the rain started:

I was also lucky enough to have two friends (and their dogs!!) travel down from Tennessee to walk with us! We had Sarah's stroller all decorated for the event (notice the rain guard we purchased on a whim the night before!):

The following picture is the part of the day I was most excited about - those are three of Sarah's NICU nurses! From left to right, that's Jessica (she gave us our NICU tour a week or so before Sarah was born), Sara Beth (one of the NICU's nurse practitioners) and on the far right is Sandra. Since we spent the majority of our time in isolation, we generally had the same nurses from week to week. Sandra was one of our regulars and she took such good care of Sarah. And us! I would have walked all four miles in the pouring rain for the chance to see these wonderful ladies again!

Thank you to everyone who has donated to the March of Dimes, whether via Team Sarah or otherwise!

9 months!

2010-04-26T20:57:00.004-05:00

Sarah turned 9mos old (6mos adjusted) on the 21st - today was her 9mo well visit with her pediatrician. Her stats crack me up:

Length - 24.25" (5th percentile for her adjusted age of 6mos)
Weight - 14lbs 14oz (15th percentile for her adjusted age of 6mos)
*she's not even on the length/height growth chart for her actual age of 9mos*
Head - 17" (90th percentile for her adjusted age, 50th percentile for her actual age!)

So, to recap, she's VERY petite...with a big head. But, she's twice the length she was at birth and SEVEN times her birth weight! I'd say those are steps in the right direction!

Developmentally, Sarah is somewhere between her adjusted and actual ages - she's doing all the things on the 6mo list (rolling both ways, grabbing at toys, etc) but she's also mastered a lot of the skills on the 9mo list (sitting unassisted, babbling, moving objects from hand to hand, etc). I think this is the result of a LOT of physical and occupational therapy - the hard work has been well worth it!

Happy 9mo birthday little girl...we've got to get started planning a birthday party!!

2010-04-16T08:09:00.006-05:00

We're sitting up! Well, sort of...we'd been working on sitting unassisted with Sarah's occupational therapist but on Easter morning, I guess she decided it was time! She's still a bit wobbly, but that's improving every day - she's now able to sit and reach out with both hands to grab at toys. She's also learning how to balance herself and how to transition to her belly without just falling over face first.

Once Sarah has improved her balance a bit more, her OT has suggested we introduce a sippy cup and graham crackers or saltines. She's been eating fruit and vegetable purees for almost three months now:

So far, she's eating sweet potato, butternut squash, green beans, zucchini, applesauce, pears and bananas. We have lima beans to start this weekend. She also likes to feed herself...it requires a LOT of clean up on my part afterward, but it's something she has to learn eventually.

Sarah is up to 14lbs, 8oz and will be 9mos old on the 21st!

Two years ago today...

2010-04-06T23:46:00.005-05:00

we found this mess of a dog on the side of the road. His body was mangled, but worse than that, his spirit was broken. If his scars could talk...what a story they would tell.

We named him Ralphie and began the long, hard task of nursing him back to health.

One (medically necessary) tail docking, a severe case of heartworms, and countless training classes later, Ralphie is an AKC Canine Good Citizen and the perfect addition to our already crazy family.

Ralphie is currently training in Rally Obedience and is working toward his Therapy Dog certification. He's also Sarah's best friend.

We love you big Ralph and can't imagine our lives without you!

I know, I know...

2010-04-05T20:13:00.006-05:00

Once I get about a week behind, it just gets worse and worse! I think the easiest way to update is to break up the last few weeks into several posts. We'll call this one "The Trip to Children's Hospital"...or we could also call it "How to give a NICU Mom an Anxiety Attack."

Friday, March 12th: Sarah was sounding a bit congested and her nose was snotty - my concern? RSV. The flu. Hell, a common cold would scare me these days. What I wasn't concerned about was the tiny pimple that had popped up just underneath her right nostril.

Saturday, March 13th: Sarah's nose started to run, but overall her congestion had improved. Whew! Dodged that bullet!

Then the pimple got scratched. Over the course of several hours that afternoon Sarah's face went from perfectly fine to this:

Not good. Not at all. Especially when the on-call pediatrician almost immediately says, "Go to Children's ER. ASAP." Brandon drove, I hyperventilated most of the way. After several long hours in the ER, the diagnosis was cellulitis. Awesome. They sent us home with an antibiotic prescription and instructions to see our pediatrician the following day.

Sunday, March 14th: When we were looking for a pediatrician prior to Sarah's discharge from the NICU, one thing we REALLY liked about the one we chose was that they have sick visit office hours on the weekends. We saw the pedi on call and he...well..."expressed" the entire side of Sarah's face. The result was NOT pretty. He also took a culture as a precaution, explaining that cellulitis is most often staph related.

Um, what? Did you say STAPH? Staph as in potentially MRSA? The same MRSA that has been the bane of my existence since last July?! We were told to continue the antibiotics and to return to the ER if we felt the inflammation worsened. We were particularly concerned because the swelling was around her eye.

Later that night, Sarah woke up from her nap and you guessed it, the swelling was worse. I went ahead and packed a bag for myself, assuming she'd be admitted for IV antibiotics. We got to the ER around 7pm and by the time we'd had a consult with a facial surgeon, it was almost 2am before we were assigned a room. The surgeon didn't think that the abcess needed to be drained (thank goodness!) but they did want to start IV antibiotics. Vancomycin. The same thing she had in the NICU. Twice. The same thing I was on at home for weeks last fall. We know Vancomycin well.

Here's Sarah's room - it was nice...for a hospital room:

We spent Monday on IVs and her face was clearing up nicely.

We were set for discharge Tuesday...when our pediatrician called my cell phone. The culture was back. MRSA + and resistant to the antibiotic they were planning to send us home with. I'm pretty sure a small portion of my head exploded when I heard MRSA. The thought is that she was colonized again (or possibly STILL) in her nose...the runny nose + the open pimple = the perfect opportunity for infection.

The antibiotics cleared the abcess up, though at the same time, they did a number on her stomach. I can't tell you how many diapers we must have gone thru during those 10 days. But that's another post for another time. The follow up appointments with the pediatrician and the facial surgeon both went really well and we're all clear. For now.

One good thing to come out of our hospital stay - we finally moved Sarah from the cradle in our room to her crib in her own room. Since she came home she's been sleeping on her Nap Nanny - it keeps the upper body elevated 30* and works wonders for reflux. But lately, we'd been finding her face down in the Nap Nanny, and because of the incline, she couldn't turn herself back over. Since we made the move to the crib, Sarah has been sleeping GREAT! We've even been putting her in her crib for naps and I'm actually getting things done around the house during the day. So the hospital wasn't fun, but we did get something good out of the deal.

I blame Facebook...

2010-03-08T09:11:00.007-06:00

for my lack of blog updates. It's easier to just pop on, post a quick photo and be done with it. But, part of the reason I prefer to blog is that I can archive everything (and even have it printed) as a way to avoid scrapbooking. As crafty as I am, I hate, hate, HATE scrapbooking! But I digress...

Let's get started with the Pooh costume that we found last week on super clearance - regular $30, on sale for $7.50! There weren't a lot of sizes available so we picked up a 2T thinking that maybe she could wear it Halloween of 2011. I didn't have the patience to wait a year and half so we crammed into it as soon as we made it home! HI-larious! The down side is that the dogs were eyeing her like a big stuffy toy!

We also FINALLY picked out and ordered a vinyl decal for the wall above Sarah's crib. That's the one thing that we lacked in finishing the room. It was a contest held by our favorite photographer that urged us to finish up. Check out Stephanie Fishers's Nursery Contest and vote for your favorite here: http://sfisherphotography.com/blog/?p=520. I confess, I've become that parent...posting all over my facebook page, every message board I'm on...but hey, first prize is a GREAT one!

I think we're slowly making our way out of most of our 3mo clothes - the dogs on the onesie below are looking a bit distorted and the pants seem to be squeezing her around the middle! We still have quite a few 3mo sleepers that fit but the Carter's outfits we have...not so much. Problem is, 6mo clothes are WAY too big. Also, notice the shoes...we finally broke down and bought her a little pair of crib shoes (soft soled) in an attempt to keep her socks on - so far, so good! Sarah currently weighs 13lbs, 8oz and is approximately 25" long (TWICE her length at birth!). I say "approximately" because it's nearly impossible to measure a squirmy 7mo old!

We introduced pears last week, and while it's not butternut squash (still her absolute favorite), she really likes them. We tried pears after ditching the green peas we'd started the week prior. We'd had maybe four days of peas when Sarah's eczema (that was completely cleared up) came back with fury. On top of that, all the progress we'd made on her reflux since she came home four months ago...out the window. In the last two weeks I've used almost two bottles of spray & wash and done more laundry than I thought my washer could hold. Sarah's pedi doesn't think the peas are the culprit, but I'm not so sure. Peas are actually listed as a likely allergen on several lists I've seen, I was just caught off guard because I was watching for hives and other typical symptoms.

We've been off the peas for almost two weeks now and her eczema is back under control. Her reflux is better, but still not where it was before this. She'd been doing so well that we were supposed to try weaning her from her meds this month. That's been put on hold for now and her dosage was increased for her recent weight gain. Food allergies I can work with...the thought that we've undone all the progress we've made with her reflux? That might push me right over the edge!

In developmental news, Sarah is now rolling front to back AND back to front! Here's Frankie giving her some pointers:

We have two OT and two PT appointments this month. So far, both therapists are pleased with Sarah's development. I predict she'll be scooting/crawling soon...and then we're all in trouble!

Sarah went to her first flyball practice over the weekend and used the special ear muffs that we ordered as soon as we found out I was pregnant. Flyball is LOUD - most tournaments have 200+ dogs...that's a lot of barking! I was surprised that Sarah tolerated the ear muffs as well as she did - she wore them for almost two hours and even fell asleep toward the end of the morning. Our next tournament will be early this summer and at that point, we'll probaby use wax plugs in her ears in addition to the muffs.

Sarah's final Synagis (RSV) shot will be next week since, according to the CDC, RSV season ends in March/April in Alabama. We'll apply to be considered for the shots again next year, but given the cost, our insurance is not likely to approve the request.

As it warms us, we'll be able to venture out more, though I doubt I'll ever feel comfortable passing Sarah around from person to person. We're working on plans for her birthday and since I have no idea what I want to do, I'm glad we've started early!

Week in review

2010-02-20T21:42:00.003-06:00

Last Monday was Sarah's first visit from the Early Intervention physical therapist. Miss Jane was Sarah's PT in the NICU as well so it was nice to see a familiar face. She was very pleased with Sarah's overall progress, in particular her high muscle tone. She's starting to loosen up a lot which is making things like sitting up in her high chair much easier. We have two PT appointments next week and two scheduled for March (along with two OT appointments) and then we'll move to once a month appointments.

Thursday, we saw the pedi for the second half of Sarah's seasonal flu shot and her February Synagis shot (for RSV). She weighed in at a whopping 13lbs!!! Her last Synagis shot will be in March as the RSV season in Alabama (supposedly) ends then. Unfortunately, I think it's like the "seasonal" flu that just sort of keeps going.

Thursday night is my Rally obedience class with Ralphie. Brandon had an appointment so Sarah attended her first training class! There was a new Level I class running at the same time and I was getting more than my fair share of odd looks - wearing a baby in a sling while working a pit bull thru a Rally course! Sarah did quite well and even slept part of the hour.

We're taking it easy this weekend in preparation for a busy week ahead. Monday is the kick off meeting for our March of Dimes March for Babies coming up in April! I hope you all will consider joining Team Sarah Francis and walking with us! If you can't join us, please consider donating to our team. All money raised will go to help other families like ours and other babies like Sarah.

Tuesday is PT for Sarah and that evening, our EI office is offering a "how to" class on lobbying state representatives for increased funding.

Wednesday. Oh, Wednesday will be fun. I have a (routine) mammogram that morning and then I'll be going to SIT at the local Social Security office in hopes of getting Sarah's SSI straightened out. I've been trying to do it over the phone since she was discharged in NOVEMBER and I've gotten nowhere. Honestly, I'm more looking forward to the mammogram than I am to visiting Social Security.

Thursday is PT appointment #2 for the week.

I'll be using Friday to relax!

Have a great week!

Solids - Week 3

2010-02-20T21:38:00.002-06:00

Intro to green peas:

I was a little worried about this to be honest. So far we've tried sweet potatoes and butternut squast...both pretty sweet. But she really liked the peas - we're three for three!

Rolling, rolling, rolling....!

2010-02-20T21:20:00.003-06:00

Pardon the screaming...she wasn't upset, she was pissed.

And the look of surprise once she made it over...

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2010-02-14T22:11:00.010-06:00

Yes, it's a tutu. Yes, it's pink. This from someone who had no idea what she would do with a little girl... I went out in Friday's snow to buy the supplies. I blame it on cabin fever ;-)

Speaking of snow, we got about 2" here this past Friday. Certainly NOT what we're used to! We bundled Sarah up and took her out quickly for a few photos. She was totally unimpressed (as were the dogs!). We also used the snow as an excuse to go to dinner - we knew that very few people would be out and about. Sure enough, we walked in to Ruby Tuesday and it was empty!

We had our first visit from Sarah's Occupational Therapist last week - she spent about 45 minutes playing with Sarah and showing me ways to help her loosen her muscles up. Like so many preemies, she has high muscle tone, particularly in her chest/back. It's common in preemies because the portion of the brain that controls the body's muscles had less time to develop. With appropriate therapy, Sarah is likely to outgrow this by 12-18mos. We have her first of three February physical therapy appointments early tomorrow morning.

Sarah ate sweet potatoes over the course of last week with no apparent allergic reaction so this week we've moved on to butternut squash. If she liked the sweet potatoes, oh boy, she LOVES the squash! Though it might also be that she's just getting better with the spoon. Most of the time, she'll open her mouth when she sees it, and the majority of the food stays in her mouth now. Here she is in her new highchair enjoying her dinner...looks pretty excited huh??

2010-02-07T18:55:00.011-06:00

One year ago tonight Brandon and I were freaking out over a + pregnancy test...little did we know that we'd just be starting to calm down a full year later.

For the last two weeks I've been thinking I didn't have much to update, but looking back thru my photos, I was wrong! First, Sarah found her thumb Slimy, spit covered hands patting my face aren't exactly my idea of a good time, but hey, it keeps her happy. If she'd just learn to ball those other four fingers up, she wouldn't poke herself in the eyes so much!

She's slowly starting to notice our dogs. As many as we have, I'm amazed how anyone can NOT notice them! I was holding Sarah one night and Ralphie climbed right up next to her (on TOP of me!). He's quite gentle around her and is happy with anyone who can pet him. I think I need to send this one to the doctor who was concerned about Sarah's safety ;-)

We've been giving Sarah a bit of formula/cereal with a spoon each day for a couple of weeks now - it's slow, and not always fun, but she's getting the hang of it. The problem is that drinking from a bottle and eating from a spoon require two entirely different movements from the tongue. And really, Sarah is not even four months adjusted so she's still pretty young to be trying. She's been doing much better this week so we decided to introduce a sweet potato to the mix. We steamed and pureed a sweet potato and mixed a tiny bit in with her formula/cereal. Here she is before we got started - look at that clean WHITE bib:

She slurps it off the spoon:

Hmm...that bib's not white anymore... Lesson learned: take her clothes off before she eats anything with color!

We also got the okay to ditch the apnea monitor last week. I had to have our pediatrician call and request the report from the monitor company (which is absolutely ridiculous). I was never told what the report said, only that it was okay to d/c the monitor. Um, what about all those brady alarms we were having? I love our pedi, but his office staff and I are going to have problems before it's over with. I'm pretty sure they either 1) assume I'm willing to take their word for anything and everything without question or 2) assume I'm a complete idiot. I assure you, neither is the case - I quickly learned to advocate for Sarah while in the NICU and I don't plan to change now. With that said, I was more than happy to pack the monitor up and deliver it straight to the UPS Store! Goodbye - you served a great purpose, but we won't miss you!

Finally, we picked up a loaner exersaucer today (thanks Quinn!). Sarah's still a bit short so her little legs just hang there, but she was quite interested in the little toys, especially the ones that make noise.

We have our first appointment with our Early Intervention occupational therapist this Tuesday and we have three appointments with the physical therapist thru the end of the month. We also have another pedi appointment on the 18th for her February Synagis and the second half of her seasonal flu shot. Beyond that, we'll hang out at home and wait for Spring to arrive!

On a non-baby related note, Brandon and I attended a city council meeting last week to speak out against a recently passed "dangerous dog" ordinance that automatically assumes that ALL pit bulls are "dangerous". I prepared a list of speaking points and I printed out photos of our Ralphie, and like everyone else who attended the meeting for the same reason I did, I was totally patronized by the mayor and the other council members. We don't live in the city with the ordinance (nor do we spend our tax dollars there), but it's becoming all too common...and it's getting closer and closer to home. Normally, I would have waited for someone else to speak up, but I want Sarah to learn that it's okay to go against what seems to be the popular opinion. And I want her to know that it's okay to NOT sit back and take it - even where the government is involved. Some people say the word activist like it's a bad thing...I tend to disagree.

**Don't forget about the March of Dimes March for Babies coming up April 24th! See the MoD link on the right side of the page to donate or to join the walk!!**

Six months ago right now...

2010-01-21T20:54:00.008-06:00

I was being prepped for an emergency c-section. And the rollercoaster hasn't stopped since! Sarah was born six months ago tonight, weighing in at a measly 2lbs, 3oz. How far she's come...she had her six month well visit with her pediatrician today and she's a whopping 12lbs, 2oz. Dr. G is very please with her progress overall - her weight gain is steady and her gross motor skills are coming right along. She's not yet rolling over but like everything, it'll come in time. Poor Sarah got three routine vaccinations today along with the first half of her seasonal flu shot (it's only given after six months and is split into two shots given one month apart). She was at least spared the H1N1 (which we absolutely would have given) since she had the actual virus while still in the NICU.

We also discussed the apnea monitor that Sarah is still wearing at night. The first month that she had it after discharge showed only a handful of apnea (alarms if the belt detects no chest movement for 20 seconds) and brady (alarms if her heartbeat drops below 80bpm) episodes, but the information downloaded from the monitor indicated that they were all false alarms. Dr. G wanted us to keep the monitor for one more month and at the time, we felt better having it. In the last week or so, that monitor has become the bane of my existence. We've been getting multiple (ie, CONSTANT) brady alarms at night. They were clearly false alarms based on Sarah's appearance and response and the only way to make them stop was to just turn the monitor off. After a bit of online troubleshooting yesterday, I moved the belt lower on her chest last night and we FINALLY had a night of no alarms. Dr. G wants us to keep the monitor on for one more week with the belt lowered - if we're still alarm free, we can discontinue it!! Woohoo!! I'd love nothing more than to beat the total hell out of that machine, but it's a rental.

We were also given the go ahead to start cereal by spoon (as suggested by Sarah's occupational therapist). Sarah has been getting cereal in her bottle since her reflux diagnosis more than three months ago so it's really just a change in delivery.

We're starting slow for now :-) We'll keep at the cereal for 2-3 weeks and then, as she becomes more comfortable with the spoon, we'll start to add vegetables. My concern was (and will always be) food allergies...most doctors suggest withholding solids until six months because of the development of the digestive system (simply put). I assumed that we would use her corrected age (currently 3mos) here, but according to Dr. G, the key is that her digestive system has been functioning for six months, making it ready to take on more. Now, that's not to say that her mouth is ready...but it'll work itself out. I have an appointment with my allergist next week so I'll be relying on her guidance on which foods to introduce when.

I mentioned Sarah's occupational therapist above - we had her Early Intervention evaluation earlier this week. In a nutshell, she's on par for her adjusted age, but she'll continue to receive services for now. We'll be working with the occupational therapist several times a month to make sure her gross motor skills (and eventually her fine motor skills) continue to progress as she grows.

On a humorous note, Sarah's pedi is at the hospital where she was born so we headed down to the gift shop to buy more parking passes. On the way, we passed by the post-partum area of the women's center and ran into a nurse that I remembered from my second (and THIRD) admissions following Sarah's birth. She remembered me too...and said, "Oh!! You're the persistant staph infection from the end of the hall!!" Um, yeah. Thanks! In labor and delivery I'll always be the "dog lady who spent a month in room 319". In post-partum, I'll always be the "staph infection from the end of the hall"! Oh well, I guess there worse things to be remembered for...!

We're Marching for Babies!

2010-01-18T14:24:00.003-06:00

It's amazing that something I knew nothing about just one year ago - premature birth - has become such a huge part of my life. When my water broke on June 21st I was only 23w1d pregnant...I was horrified that we would lose the baby we'd grown to love. I will NEVER forget one moment of that journey. I clung to the stats and stories I found on the March of Dimes website...praying that Sarah would be one of the lucky ones.

No one should have to experience that. Ever. No one should have to wait 19 days to hold their child because of all the wires and tubes. No one should have to decide whether to tend to their responsibilities at home or to spend the day in the NICU with their baby. No one should have to worry that their baby might not survive.

The March of Dimes supports research and therapies that will one day make prematurity a thing of the past. I can't wait until that day comes! In the meantime, we have to continue the fight. Saturday, April 24th is the March of Dimes annual March for Babies - there will be walk locations all over the country, but Team Sarah Francis will be walking in Birmingham. We would love, love, LOVE to have you all join our team and walk with us - visit http://www.marchforbabies.com/ and search for "Team Sarah Francis" to sign up. If you can't walk with us, please considering donating to our team - you can donate via by using either the link above or the MofD badge on the righthand side of the page. And remember, every penny counts!

Early Intervention

2010-01-12T20:17:00.006-06:00

We had a visit this morning from our county's EI service coordinator. This was just to get our paperwork in order prior to Sarah's formal evaluation next week. Ralphie was the only dog in sight when the coordinator came in and of course he had to make sure he was seen. She said, "Oh! You have dogs! What kind?" And I thought, "Oh crap, here we go." I said, "That's Ralphie, our male pit bull...but before you *gasp* he's very nice and we're actually working on his therapy dog certification..." She said, "I have TWO pit bulls at home!!!!" Yay! I like her already! It's nice to NOT have to give my "Yes, I'm pretty sure my dog won't eat my daughter" speil.

Thankfully, tomorrow and Thursday should be quiet for us before our pediatrician appointment on Friday.

Here's Sarah, ready for CiCi's vet appointment this afternoon:

And how we found Frankie when we got home:

"Tearing up my bed?! Who?! ME??" - Frankie

GI follow up

2010-01-11T16:47:00.004-06:00

Sarah's GI follow up was this afternoon and Dr. M was very pleased with her weight gain (severe reflux often results in weight loss as well as feeding problems) and the general improvement in her reflux overall. I told a friend just yesterday morning that Sarah's reflux seemed to have improved a good bit lately...and I'll be damned if she didn't have a terrible day of reflux problems after that! That was the first bad day in a few weeks though, and the biggest improvement has been in the "projectile vomit" category. It's been a while since we lost an entire bottle (and a shirt or two) to projectile reflux.

So, since Sarah has gained weight consistently since her last visit, and since her reflux has continued to improve (without an increase in her meds to compensate for her weight gain) we're hopeful that this mess will soon be a thing of the past. Per Dr. M, many babies outgrow the reflux by six months - Sarah will be six months old (chronologically) on the 21st but she won't be six months old (adjusted) until April. He wants us to get thru flu/RSV season first (because reflux is sometimes aggrivated by sinus/respiratory problems and vice versa) and toward the end of March we'll wean Sarah off her Zantac. That plan may change in the meantime, and we may find that she still needs the meds, but it's nice to see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel! Two of the four meds she takes multiple times a day are reflux related (the other two being a vitamin and a probiotic) so it will be nice to drop those entirely.

One January doctor's appointment down, three more to go!

Oh and I finished Sarah's new diaper bag last night just in time for our busy month:

Sadly, I started this bag before Sarah was even discharged from the hospital but in honor of UA's 13th National Championship, I decided to get off my tail and finish it up! Roll Tide!!

Update

2010-01-10T08:55:00.004-06:00

I think we've finally recovered from the holidays, and tomorrow starts our month FULL of doctor visits. Sarah has a routine GI follow up tomorrow, followed by her monthly Synagis shot (to ward off RSV) at the pedi on Friday. Next week we see her pedi again for her six month shots (yikes!) and the following week I see my allergist. Let's see, with copays at $30 each, plus parking for the pedi visits, plus gas...well, at least we have insurance to cover the bulk of the charges!

We also have an appointment with our county's Early Intervention program this Tuesday. Most parents don't want to hear that their child needs EI, but I was relieved when Sarah's physical therapist (who also heads up our county's EI program) assured me she would qualify for services based on the length of her hospital stay alone. I'd prefer we have evaluations and access to therpy services all along rather than get a year down the road and find out that we have problems. This week is the paperwork portion and the following week will be the formal evaluation. All services will be provided at home so we don't even have to take Sarah out.

We're gearing up for the March of Dimes' annual fundraising walk - March for Babies - on April 24th. I've said all along that I owe an awful lot to the March of Dimes and this is the perfect opportunity to give back. Get your walking shoes (and your wallets!) ready and stay tuned for more info on TeamSarah!

Finally, I'm excited to finally get back to a couple of training classes this month. Dog training, that is. Ralphie and I worked so hard back in the Spring to pass his Canine Good Citizen certification...unfortunatley, I was hospitalized shortly thereafter and his training went out the window. We picked up a Level III obedience refresher course last week and we start Rally this week in preparation for his Delta Society (therapy dog) evaluation.

And because I know this is the REAL reason you all come here:

Sarah and Frankie...you may remember him better as her official carseat tester. And let me assure you...Sarah IS all that!

Our "niece" Maxine

2010-01-08T09:09:00.002-06:00

Gone one year today. We miss you girl!

Now that's high fashion!

2010-01-06T14:30:00.003-06:00

A green diaper, polka dot leggings, a t-shirt that's usually reserved to go underneath her pj's and a pink bib. The bib pulls it all together I think. Oh and don't forget the apnea monitor leads. I'm so tired of those.

And look! You can see that her hair is starting to come back in up top! Now the back of her head...that's another story...

Today marks three years...

2010-01-06T08:31:00.002-06:00

Even now, not a day goes by that I don't think of you. Rest well Pepper...we'll see you again.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T23:54:00.005-06:00

Five months old!

2009-12-21T22:53:00.002-06:00

Sarah's favorite thing now is chewing on her hand...but it isn't always easy to make contact. If nothing else, she's determined!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-17T00:10:00.001-06:00

Sarah's Santa photo by Stephanie Fisher (www.sfisherphotography.com).

A BEAUTIFUL story board created by Stephanie using two photos from the NICU (Sarah was 11 days old) and one from her homecoming (at four months). What a change!! It's 10"x 20" and will soon hang over Sarah's crib.

Finally, for all my dog loving friends, Sarah with our male pit bull Ralphie. Ralphie LOVES Sarah and I expect that will only get better as she learns to rub his belly!

Wubbanub!

2009-12-13T06:34:00.004-06:00

Sarah is digging the new Wubbanub - it's a pacifier with what amouts to a small beanie baby on the end for little hands to hold on to. She can't quite get it back into her mouth on her own yet, but at least it's not flying across the room like her regular pacifier. I also like that it's an infant sized paci so she's not gagging on it all the time. I'm just afraid it's going to become a $13 dog toy...

I'm taller up on my soapbox...

2009-12-11T23:31:00.007-06:00

I'll admit, until yesterday, we didn't even get The Learning Channel which hosts the reality show "18 Kids & Counting" featuring the Duggar family from Arkansas. Their 19th baby was born earlier this week. 15 weeks early. While I'm pretty sure I'll NEVER be able to relate to having 19 kids, I can absolutely relate to having a micropreemie.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I LOVE a good soapbox. My main soapbox issue has always been (and will likely always BE) animal welfare. But the soapbox of premature birth is running a close second these days. When news broke of the Duggar's new baby, there were headlines like, "Baby Arrives Early - Doing Well" and comments from network representatives like, "mom and baby need as much rest as possible." In my mind, those statements perpetuate the idea that preemies are simply small babies. That with time and rest, they'll be just like a term baby. As someone who knows how incorrect that is...it makes me incredibly angry with the media. But what's new?

Sarah was born at 27wks and believe me, of all the things we did during her 109 days in the NICU, "rest" was at the bottom of the list. And while I would agree that overall she did "well"...that's all relative to the situation. She did (and is doing) well for a baby born 13wks early who had no amniotic fluid for a month prior. Preemie parents live in a world of ventilators, cannulas, PICC lines, O2 sats and countless specialists. We have to learn about things like intraventricular hemorrhages, chronic lung disease, patent ductus arteriosis, retinopathy of prematurity and necrotizing enterocolitis. To put it simply...we worry every minute that our child might die. And sadly, many do. So to see something as serious as a premature birth glossed over...gah!

I wish the Duggars well and pray that Baby Josie is a fighter. They have a long hard road ahead of them.

New photos - you know you want them!

2009-12-08T21:32:00.007-06:00

Here's Sarah at the end of the SEC Championship game...watching Alabama wallop Florida wore her out! Is there anything cuter than a baby in blue jeans?! And her shirt says, "Who needs Santa...I've got grandparents!"

Trying out her new Nap Nanny. It's sort of like a little recliner for babies with reflux, it keeps her upper body elevated to 30*. Purchased new, these run about $150 with shipping - OUCH! We were lucky to find one gently used for about half the price. It just fits in her cradle and so far it really seems to help at night.

Houston, we have a smile!!

*gasp* It's a pit bull! With a baby! What you don't see is Ralphie licking the lotion off of Sarah's head just prior the photo. He loves baby sister.

Busted! Sleeping on the job!

Lily and the Bumbo

2009-12-03T18:39:00.002-06:00

Sarah tried out her Bumbo seat for the first time today - she can only sit in it a few minutes at a time because she's still learning to hold her head up on her own. She pooped while sitting in it...so I'm guessing that's her seal of approval! That's Lily with her - we were initially concerned about how Lily would react to Sarah, but so far she's been great. When Lily comes into the room, the first thing she does is check Sarah out. That usually means Sarah gets a big wet nose in her ear, but she's okay with it :-)

Sarah's Baptism

2009-11-30T14:26:00.007-06:00

Getting dressed - Sarah wore the same dress that I wore 35 years ago with one small change. I added the ivory buttons from my maternal grandmother's wedding gown to the front.

Saying "Hi!" to cousin Caitlin.

My dad, the "Deacon for a Day" with my sister and brother in law, Sarah's godparents.

Sarah with her godfather and uncle, Darren.

With cousin Caitlin at the after party/Iron Bowl. Check out her pants...I made those from the arms of a wool sweater I bought at the thrift store for $1.50 ;-)

New photos...

2009-11-21T21:44:00.005-06:00

Bath time!

With her buddy Frankie

In her Moby sling - a surefire way to get her to sleep!

For a baby I love...

2009-11-17T09:37:00.002-06:00

The post that follows is a copy from Sarah's CaringBridge site. I'm preparing to transition back to my regular blog and Prematurity Awareness Day seems like a good place to start.

In the 1980's a doctor at UC San Diego received a grant from the March of Dimes. Using that grant, Dr. Allen Merritt developed a method of using artificial surfactant to mature the lungs of babies born prematurily. That grant, and the therapy that resulted from it saved Sarah's life.

Surfactant is a soapy substance secreted by cells in mature lungs that helps the lungs open and stay inflated. Like so many extremely premature babies, when Sarah was born she was not breathing on her own. She didn't cry. In fact, it was the following week before we heard her make any noise at all. Sarah's prematurity was complicated by my lack of amniotic fluid during the month prior to her birth. Her lungs were basically a sticky mess and she wasn't strong or mature enough to inflate them herself. Before Sarah was two minutes old, she was placed on a ventilator and she received her first of two doses of artificial surfactant. She was transitioned from the ventilator to CPAP within 48 hours - nothing short of a miracle given her gestational age and the circumstances of her birth.

While November is Prematurity Awareness Month, the 17th is designated by the March of Dimes as Prematurity Awareness Day. As the mom of a preemie, I, along with so many others, have been asked to blog about how prematurity and the March of Dimes have touched my life. Because of Sarah's premature birth, nothing in my life will ever be the same - I will forever look at things differently. And quite simply, the March of Dimes and the research they sponsor and support saved my daughter's life. That is a debt that I will spend the rest of my life trying to repay.

Below, I'm reposting my entry from November 1st that announces Prematurity Awareness Month. I'm happy to report that the link I provided to Sarah's March of Dimes page has raised $95. I also know of at least two other generous donations made in Sarah's honor. Please consider donating - help the March of Dimes fight...so babies don't have to.

From November 1st:

Today marks the beginning of Prematurity Awareness Month sponsored by the March of Dimes. Four short months ago, I knew next to nothing about prematurity...I never had a reason to know. Boy how that has changed! During the 31 days that I was hospitalized prior to Sarah's birth, I spent much of my time on the March of Dimes website (www.marchofdimes.com) studying statistics. Reading stories of other women in my situation. Looking for hope. Looking for someone to tell me that Sarah would survive.

Did you know that pPROM (pre-term premature ruputre of membranes) happens in only 1% of pregnancies? I believe I was more likely to win the lottery than I was to end up with pPROM. I had exactly NONE of the risk factors and my premature rupture remains unexplained. I'm at increased risk (30%+) if we ever decide to have another child.

I ruptured at 23w1d...my pregnancy wasn't even considered "viable" at that point. Generally speaking, babies born at 23 weeks have less than a 20% survival rate. 80% die.

I carried to 27w3d. 90% of babies born at 27 weeks survive. But that still means that 10% do not. And many of those survivors face life long challenges in the form of physical handicaps, learning disabilities, etc. Believe me, when you're facing delivery at 27 weeks, the fear that you'll fall into that 10%...it's paralyzing.

Too many babies are born too soon. And too many of those babies do not survive. This is where the March of Dimes comes in. The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. They are dedicated to improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality through research, community services, education and advocacy.

By virtue of being this site's "author", I happen to know that 654 people are signed up to view Sarah's updates. Don't worry, I don't have access to any personal info and I'm not selling mailing lists ;-) I'm floored that 654 people have even heard of Sarah! If everyone who is signed up to read these updates donated $5 to the March of Dimes, we could raise more than $3,000 to help other babies like Sarah. We could give hope to other families like mine...to other families who spend each day at local hospitals with their babies. Believe me, there are a LOT of us. And a little hope goes a long way.

So I'm challenging each of you to skip that fancy Starbucks coffee just ONE DAY this month, Prematurity Awareness Month, and donate that spare $5 in Sarah's honor. You can donate online here:

https://www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity/b_new.asp?band_id=51311

Thank you all so much for the encouragement and support that you've provided over the last three months - Sarah is one very lucky little girl!

Where I've been...

2009-07-24T23:32:00.002-05:00

I believe that most of my blog readers already know, but just in case, here's the nutshell:

I was hospitalized on Father's Day after my water broke...I was only 23w1d pregnant. Sarah Francis was born this past Tuesday - I'd been hospitalized for 31 days at that point. She was almost 13 weeks early but so far she's doing much better than anyone could have expected. In an attempt to streamline information, I'll be updating on Sarah's Caring Bridge site only for now.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sarahherring0721

Regarding Frankie...

2009-07-11T08:53:00.001-05:00

Someone posted a comment asking where Frankie was found - he was (and still is) in central Alabama. Sorry I couldn't be of more help :-(

Another Lab...

2009-06-11T11:55:00.005-05:00

This sweet gal is Tanya - we pulled her almost a month ago from the same north Alabama animal control facility that Cena came from. Not quiet a year old, she's VERY calm and laid back...not Lab-like at all! Tanya is leaving this afternoon for her Pennsylvania foster home.

We'll miss you sweet girl - good luck!!

Does this guy look familiar?

2009-06-08T13:11:00.003-05:00

HERE is a hint.

There's a new kid in town.

2009-06-08T09:54:00.008-05:00

And she's kicking ass and taking names!!

This is Marley, our almost 3yo Alabama Brown Dog (that simply means we have no clue what breed(s) she might be). She ran in her very first flyball tournament (much to everyone's surprise) the last weekend in May and earned her first TWO titles (FD, FDX). Granted the first two are easy in terms of points...but still...

Marley is going to be our speed demon and if we can build some sort of box turn, she'll be amazing!! With that said, I refuse to handle her. She's a little too Border Collie-like for me - jumping, barking, lunging, nipping...no thanks. I'll stick with slow but consistent Veronica!

Baby H is a...

2009-06-08T09:47:00.002-05:00

GIRL! At least the tech was 90% sure... We'll have a follow up u/s on the 24th because they weren't able to get all the anatomy measurements they needed given the baby's position (she's basically wrapped lengthwise around my waist).

I'm excited about smocking and sewing (you can't find nice girl clothes with DOGS on them) but in a cruel twist of fate, it seems I've developed a lovely case of pregnancy induced carpal tunnel syndrome. In both hands. And in case you're wondering, this shit HURTS! The little hand/wrist braces only help so much considering that the pain goes straight up to my shoulders.

Ralphie - diagnosed.

2009-06-08T09:37:00.002-05:00

Are you sitting down? Ralphie has HEARTWORMS.

**crickets chirping**

Yep, that's right. A moderate to severe case at that. He spent the day at my vet's clinic the week following our emergency vet adventure. His EKG looked great (whew!) so they moved on to a chest x-ray that showed the right side of his heart enlarged. Doc could see the worms on the film.

Strange part? He tested NEGATIVE (for the THIRD time since we found him a year ago) that same day. Even though it's quite obvious he's infested. We now think that the worms either temporarily affected one of his heart valves or that the entire load shifted, basically causing him to pass out that Sunday.

Heartworms explain all of his cardiac symptoms perfectly, but they weren't even on our radar since he tested negative in April 08, again in October 08 and since he's been on preventative (that I now know could have killed him) religiously since we found him.

Ralphie received his first immiticide injection that same day (May 27th). He was out of commission for about 72 hours before returning to his old self. Which leaves us the difficult task of keeping him calm. Sadly, he's spending a lot of time in his crate these days. But it's only temporary.

I guess if I had to choose between a treatable case of heartworms or getting to know our local veterinary cardiologist on a first name basis...I'd pick heartworms. His treatment will be over in 8-10 more weeks and there should be no long term effects.

Well that was one helluva weekend.

2009-05-26T11:36:00.004-05:00

We have flyball practice each Saturday morning - Veronica and Marley race and this week we decided to take Ralphie and Frankie along just because. By the time we made it home I was rushing to get ready for our weekly adoption day - I was about to jump in the shower when Brandon came in the door with Veronica, Marley and Ralphie. I remember laughing because they were all on leash and were dragging him thru the door.

I showered and decided to lay down for about 30 mintues. Um, yeah. An hour and a half later, Brandon woke me up with, "You are SOOOO late!!" So we scrambled around getting ready to leave and started putting dogs in crates. Wait a sec...where the hell is Frankie??

We looked in all of his favorite hiding places - in the bed, under the bed, under the end table, under the computer table...nothing. So I rush out to check the car (sadly, we've left him in the car before). Nothing. By this time THREE HOURS have passed since we got home from flyball. And it's been pouring down rain the entire time.

Brandon grabbed an umbrella and took off running thru the neighborhood screaming at the top of his lungs. Just as I grabbed my car keys, I saw Frankie sitting at our glass front door. Outside. Soaking wet. And shivering. Apparently he'd gotten out of the car with the other dogs, but never came in the house. So for THREE HOURS, little Frankie was who-knows-where, in the rain. And we had no freaking clue he was even gone. By the time Brandon made it back up our street I was standing in the rain holding Frankie and sobbing.

We're back to frequent and random dog head counts - I can safely say that when I left the house this morning, everyone was present and accounted for!

Then Sunday happened. We woke up at 9am - all the dogs got a few minutes in the yard and then we started feeding. Ralphie eats in his crate which is in our den. He was perfectly fine when he got up and even jumped the baby gate (that he's not supposed to jump) to get to his crate for breakfast once he came in from the yard.

Fast-forward to 11am. Not all of our dogs get along so we crate/separate/rotate them to make sure 1) everyone has equal play time and 2) that playtime is safe. I opened Ralphie's crate to let him out and...nothing. I looked in and he was laying there all but completely unresponsive. He could almost lift his head and could follow me with his eyes, but that was it. He couldn't stand up and seemed to be in a fog. He'd also pooped in his bed which is unheard of for him.

My first thought was "seizure"...which, on its own wouldn't necessarily alarm me. Mazie has one random seizure maybe every 18 mos - not often enough that we would medicate for it, but we know the symptoms that usually follow and we know that the only thing we can do is try to keep her from hurting herself or others until she comes out of it. But Ralphie's other symptoms didn't add up. His gums were white (suggesting either a problem with his circulation or internal bleeding), his normally red nose was almost blue tinted and his skin was cold and clammy. His temp was only 97* (normal for an "average" dog is 100* - 102*) and his breathing was shallow and rapid.

*shit*

So I call Brandon and tell him that Ralphie needs to go to the emergency vet asap. Let me insert here that it takes a LOT for me to go to our REGULAR vet...so when Brandon heard that I was headed for the EMERGENCY vet, he knew it was serious. While I was digging frantically for Ralphie's medical records, he was able to stand up and walk to me on his own, but he was wobbly and still in a fog.

By the time we got to the emergency clinic, Ralphie was walking on his own but still was not himself. His temp was up to 98* (still considered mildly hypothermic) and he still had all the classic symptoms of being in shock. His heart rate was 160 bpm. His red blood cell count was slightly elevated as was one liver value that the vet felt would be corrected with fluids.

True to emergency clinic fashion, the tech came in with a "suggested protocol" along with an estimate. They wanted to keep him overnight on an EKG (in case he had another seizure...although I told them repeatedly that we weren't certain he'd even had ONE) and give him an injection for his vomitting (althought I told them repeatedly that he vomittED...once...he wasn't vomittING). That, along with the exam and the bloodwork would only run us...$700. Um, okay. Let's take a step back and re-evaluate the situation.

I know I'm the parent that most vets hate - I like to think I'm pretty well informed and even level-headed when it comes to vet care. I also INSIST on being actively involved in my dogs' care - I want more than just a cost estimate, tell me WHY you think something needs to be done and please don't assume I'm looking for a status quo "this is what I would do if he were my dog" answer.

I agreed to the anti-vomitting injection (because it was all but being shoved down my throat) and requested sub-cutaneous fluids since they felt he was dehydrated. I told them that, at that point, WE would decide if WE thought he needed to stay overnight. By then, his color had already started to return and he was beginning to perk up. The 350ml of sub-q fluid (which hung in a big lump on his side earning him the the temporary nickname "Quasimodo") helped TREMENDOUSLY and in the end we decided to take Ralphie home for the night. Less the $300 that we were charged.

He spent most of Sunday afternoon sleeping in his crate and he's been perfectly fine ever since. He'll spend tomorrow at our regular vet's clinic where he's scheduled for a chest/abdomen x-ray and an EKG to determine if his heartbeat is at all irregular. I honestly don't expect any more answers tomorrow than I already have today. I think it would be like trying to diagnose my asthma while I'm NOT having an attack. If that's the case, we'll just hold our breath for the next few weeks, hoping this was an isolated incident.

Dog attack!!!

2009-05-18T09:27:00.002-05:00

Original Video - More videos at TinyPic

Those bubbles didn't stand a chance...

1 in 9,900

2009-05-05T16:43:00.002-05:00

Those are the odds that Baby H will be born with Down Syndrome. There is also little to no chance of Baby H being born with Trisomy 18 or any neural tube defect. We did the first trimester genetic screenings for a variety of reasons 1) they're available, non-invasive and covered by my insurance, 2) I'm officially of "advanced maternal age" (what a crock) and 3) we know little to nothing about the medical history of B's biological father.

So, while we had no real reason to expect a problem, it's still a relief to know that everything is (likely) good. My next appointment (and BIG ultrasound) is scheduled for 5/27! We can't agree on a boy name so my bet is that the kid is boy. I'm equally confused by either so I truly have no preference.

He did it!!!

2009-05-05T09:48:00.002-05:00

Ralphie, the 3yo pit bull that we found half dead in the road just over a year ago, is the AKC's newest CANINE GOOD CITIZEN!! He aced his evaluation last night, and while he is probably hoping for an obedience break, I've just ordered his Delta Society evaluation training kit. We're one step closer to his therapy dog certification!!

Another lucky dog.

2009-04-24T13:08:00.007-05:00

My dad and I drove to Athens, AL on Good Friday to pull this sweet gal - Cena. A 2yo Lab and I'd agreed to hold her for two weeks until she was eligible for transport. Cena was an owner surrender at a high-kill (understatement) shelter - her family moved and, for whatever reason, Cena was left behind. She could NOT be a sweeter girl! 71lbs of kisses and wiggles - even Brandon fell for her!

Cena was adopted thru Labs4Rescue out of CT and boarded her transport last night to meet her new family! They'll be picking her up Saturday morning and I can't wait to hear what they think of her.

We'll miss you Cena - you're one lucky dog!!

Ten on Tuesday

2009-03-31T09:05:00.006-05:00

1. Ralphie scored 9 out of 10 on the CGC last night. You need a perfect score to pass but 9/10 on his first time testing is FANTASTIC in my opinion, especially considering where he was just one year ago (on April 6th to be exact):

2. Ralphie's score is also impressive when you consider that he was beat up at daycare just one week ago and spent three nights at our vet's clinic. He and one of his best buddies got into a scuffle that was instigated (I believe) by the kids who live in the "apartments" next to our training facility. Brandon had already run the kids off once that morning for throwing rocks at the dogs. He has much more self control than I do...I've already had, "If you f------ LOOK at my dog again I'm going to stuff you and hang you over my mantle" translated to Spanish in case there's ever another problem.

3. I'm 11wks 3days pg. It's been pretty textbook so far - no true morning sickness (though I'm thisclose to nauseated all the time). It's the super sensitive nose (when I couldn't smell at all before getting pg) and the bionic gag reflex (hello toothbrush) that I could do without. But hey, if those are my biggest complaints, I'll count myself lucky. We're having some elective genetic screening this afternoon and we see my OB again tomorrow.

4. I also have a job interview tomorrow. I've been surprised at the number of GOOD accounting positions open...but I also realize that there are also a LOT of qualified applicants applying for those positions. My fear is that all else being equal, most companies are likely to choose the person that WON'T be on maternity leave in six months. Oh well. Worrying won't help that I suppose.

5. In the event that I don't find a job prior to October, I will be taking full advantage of my portion of the federal government's bailout. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law in February and provides a federal subsidy for 65% of the cost of COBRA health insurance coverage. That's a difference of $650 a MONTH in our expected cost of insurance. I'd still vote Republican and I still have HUGE hesitations about the direction our country is headed, but I won't turn Democratic assistance away.

6. Miss Molly, the wire haired Jack Russell is still with us. She's being adopted by my sister and brother-in-law and the original plan was to send her out to CA last week when my parents went to visit. Only she's WAY to tall to fly in cabin now. So she'll be in AL until June.

7. Veronica earned her SIXTH flyball title at our March tournament - FM (Flyball Master). It simply means that she's earned 5,000 points over the course of her career. Points are earned based on the speed of the team she's running on - the maximum points you can earn per race is 25 but that is for teams with very fast times. Veronica's total is made up of a LOT of 1 and 5 point races over the last four years. No shame in that! I'm proud of you big V!

8. To update on our other dogs, CiCi, Mazie and Frankie go to daycare (usually) twice a week and have a blast running and playing. CiCi likes to chase the big Jolly Ball egg and barks like a mad woman when she gets it stuck in the corner. Frankie will play with just about anyone. And Mazie...my sweet Mazie...she's content to run in circles, all alone, smiling like it's the greatest thing in the world. Marley is just about ready to compete in flyball - she'll be Brandon's to hanlde as she's a bit nuts. And Lily...well, Lily has her strict routine at home that keeps her sane and everyone else safe. So that's a good thing.

9. Yes, I'm still planning to keep all seven dogs when the kid comes. And we're really not that worried about it.

10. HUGE news regarding Shelby Humane Society here. This program, sponsored by the ASPCA, has the potential to make great improvements in the welfare of animals in Shelby County, AL. HUGE!

Holding out for April.

2009-03-17T10:38:00.003-05:00

If you've been following me for at least a year, you might rememberTHIS post about last March. Well, I'm starting to think March just has it in for me.

I found out last week that my job is "being eliminated no later than August 28th." Wow...that's an awesome kick to the uterus! So now, on top of being pg, I get to look for a new job. And we all know how eager companies are to hire pg gals. Good times!

Oh well. Things ARE looking up...there are a LOT of job openings out there, and Ralphie ROCKED a sit/stay AND a down/stay at 25' in class last night. Better things are on the horizon...I hope.

Ten on Tuesday

2009-03-10T10:37:00.004-05:00

Yeah, I know I haven't been around in a while...read on and you'll understand why.

1. I'm pregnant. Yep, you heard it here first. Brandon S...you didn't just pass out, did you?? I've decided to call this Ten on Tuesday my Pregnancy Pet Peeves.

2. Please don't ask me what I plan to do with my dogs. I plan to have a kid. And dogs. Will it be a lot of work? Sure. Is it rocket science? I highly doubt it. And please don't tell me that you would, "...never have a baby around a pit bull." I don't care what you would or wouldn't do. Really. I don't.

3. The one thing that is only slightly less offensive than, "What do you plan to do with your dogs?" is, "Oh congratulations! How old are you again?" I'm 34yo people. Hardly menopausal. I'm pretty sure my aging body can handle childbirth.

4. No, I'm not hoping for twins. I agreed to ONE and the dr confirmed that I'm only having ONE. See?

5. I'm due October 17th. Yes, that IS Alabama's homecoming. Sorry, not much I can do about that one.

6. Are we buying a bigger house? Well, no. But we won't be buying every baby contraption on the market either. See, here's where the dogs come in...hours of (free!) entertainment!

7. Will I be staying home? Bwahahahahaha! No.

8. What if the kid is allergic to the dogs? First, allergies are very commonly misdiagnosed. Thankfully I have a lot of experience on the subject. And the support of an amazing allergist who is quite fine with my having seven dogs living IN my house. We'll cross that bridge if we come to it, not before.

9. Please don't give me your horrible nausea stories, your painful birth stories or your awful kid stories. If these things are going to happen to me, I'd just as soon they be a surprise.

10. And finally, if you're genuinely happy for us, thank you. We're very excited and are ready for the challenges of parenting a two-legged child :-)

I'm fairly certain...

2009-01-21T10:14:00.005-06:00

that this will never be mistaken for a cooking blog, but this one was too good not to share.

It's taken me almost 35yrs but I've figured out that I really like cook. Baking (bread, in particular) is like therapy for me. And trying to keep the dog hair out of everything...well, that's sometimes a challenge. I figure it's like the baby in a King Cake...having the hair in your slice is a sign of good things to come. Or projectile vomitting...depending on how you feel about dog hair in your food. But I digress...

Chocolate Cheesecake (recipe adapted from AllRecipes Chocolate Cheesecake II, changes noted in red):

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs **Oreos with the filling removed**
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

**I omitted the ingredients that made the topping (bad reviews) and used the chocolate ganache recipe that follows.**

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch springform pan. **I used a mini muffin pan and cooking spray.**

In a small bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 1/2 inch up the sides of the prepared 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). **I pressed a spoonfull of crumbs into each mini muffin cup and cut the baking time to 5min**

To Make Filling: In a small saucepan, heat 1/4 cup whipping cream and 1/4 cup chocolate chips, stirring constantly, until chips are melted. Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar until smooth. Add cocoa and beat well. Add eggs and beat on low until just blended. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and reserved chocolate mixture until blended. Pour over crust. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes or until center is almost set. **I filled each mini muffin cup to the top with filling and baked for 20 minutes.**

This recipe made 48 mini cheesecakes.

Chocolate Ganache (recipe adapted from AllRecipes Chocolate Ganache, changes noted in red):

INGREDIENTS
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped **I used semi-sweet chips**
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon dark rum (optional) **I substituted my homemade vanilla extract**

DIRECTIONS
Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the rum if desired.

Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward. For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy. **I spooned the ganache onto each mini cheesecake and refridgerated overnight.**

**NOTE: I used less than HALF the ganache for the cheesecakes - next time I'll just half the recipe**

He's Mr. April!!!

2009-01-14T12:51:00.004-06:00

I got an email a few weeks back from one of my adopters regarding the 2009 Purina Celebrity Charity Pet Calendar that comes out each year in the winter issue of Animal Fair magazine. After WEEKS of hunting, I found three copies at a local Books-a-Million last night:

Mr. April (along with Piper Perabo) is our former foster puppy Wally!! He's the BIG little guy that was abandoned by his family and was living underneath their empty trailer. He was adopted in April 2006 and calls a penthouse apartment (with Perabo's manager) in Manhattan home now...quite an improvement I'd say.

The tiny text underneath Piper Perabo's name gives the mailing address, contact information and website for our rescue group - that's HUGE!!!

You've come a LONG way baby!

sigh Oh Ralphie.

2009-01-09T15:53:00.002-06:00

We're really trying to break this habit...but it was too funny not to tape it at least once!

And just like that...

2009-01-08T15:22:00.003-06:00

she's gone. One month after diagnosis. Rest well Maxine - you'll be dearly missed.

8/1/1992 - 1/6/2007

2009-01-06T11:38:00.002-06:00

We'll see you again Pepper. In the blink of an eye.

Instead of getting upset this year...

2009-01-01T23:00:00.004-06:00

about not being able to get a family photo for my Christmas cards...I used a Snapfish layout that allowed me to use individual pictures of each dog. Paid a little too much for them, but I love the way they turned out! And most of them even went out on time!

Clockwise from top left, that's CiCi, Mazie, Frankie, Veronica, Lily, Marley and Ralphie.

2008's adoptions

2009-01-01T19:21:00.012-06:00

1. Valentine - adult female pit bull mix. Poor Val had a litter of puppies, had them taken from her at 4-6wks and was dumped at my vet's office.

She needed a quiet place to recover from her ordeal...and I think it's been established that my house is anything but quiet. A friend in Chicago offered to foster Val...she's still in Chicago :-) She has a great mom and dad and a brother named Gizi - I still get updates and she's doing really well.

2. Dudley -young male pit bull mix. Dudley was one of Val's pups.

Strangely enough, Dudley is in Chicago as well. His new family drove all the way to Birmingham just to meet him and he made the big move the same weekend. Dudley has two sisters, Izzy and Mabel - both bully-mixes as well. He's a lucky boy!

3. Ruby - young female Dachshund-mix. We pulled Miss Ruby from our local animal control thinking, "Oh she's small and young...she'll be adopted fast!" FIVE MONTHS LATER Ruby found her family! Ruby now lives in New Orleans :-)

4. Ralphie - adult male pit bull. Okay, okay, WE adopted Ralphie...but it's not like we turned a lot of other people down. Their loss = my gain. By far.

He's a fantastic breed ambassador - he starts Level III obedience next week and we're working toward his therapy dog certification.

5. Meatball - adult male domestic medium hair. Meatball was our "neighborhood cat" who moved into our front bathroom last winter when the temps dropped below freezing.

Meatball's new family includes his mom, and four sisters (one human, one feline, two canine). He's a sweet boy and he deserves this happy ending.

6. Shirley - young female Lab-mix. I got Shirley and her sister Laverne for free at Walmart. It's amazing what you can find there, really! I can only hope the other seven puppies in the litter are being cared for properly.

Shirley stayed in the Birmingham area and has two (human) sisters who love to dress her up in their dolls' clothes.

7. Laverne - young female Lab-mix. Shirley's sister. Laverne was adopted by an incredible family in Connecticut - she made the big move just before Christmas and has been adjusting to the snow ever since!

And last but certainly not least...

8. Riley - adult male Lab. Riley is the pup that was abandoned by his family and turned out to be hw+. He's still living in my sewing room, but just until he completes his heartworm treatment. An adopter has been approved for him so as soon as he gets the all clear from the vet, Riley will be headed to Rhode Island!

Ten on...eh, whatever.

2008-12-18T13:40:00.017-06:00

1. Christmas is one week away and I have...let's see...NONE of my shopping done. Wait, that's not entirely true, Brandon has his gifts...but he bought those himself. I tell myself that I work best under pressure, when in reality, I'm not sure I know how else to work. Guess we know what I'll be doing this weekend.

2. Brandon and I drove one of our shelter transports to New Hampshire last weekend. We made it all the way to Knoxville on Friday before finding out that NH had its worst ice storm in 30 years the night before. That added a bit of excitement to the trip...along with that nervous tic I developed back in "Winter Storm '93". We ran into a bit of heavy snow overnight Friday night in Pennsylvania, but by the time we arrived in NH Saturday morning, the roads were perfectly fine. That's certainly NOT to say it had warmed up.

In case you can't make out the temperature gauge on the dash display...it was 19*. At almost 11am. When we were unloading 33 dogs. Oh and pay no attention to the fact that Brandon was driving 80mph...the roads really were clear...I promise!

The scenery was beautiful, but dear GOD it was cold!

3. In addition to the 33 shelter dogs we transported, we also placed our last foster puppy Laverne with a great family out of Connecticut. Laverne is currently learning all about snow...and with another storm predicted for her area tomorrow, she should be getting her fill!

4. We also had the bright idea to add an extra night on to the transport, to make a little vacation out of it. Neither of us had ever been to Washington, DC so Saturday we drove south to Maryland and stayed just outside of the city. We spent Sunday BOOKING it around the National Mall! Of course that was after almost an hour of trying to figure out where to park the gigantic van we were driving. Finally, a police officer pointed out (after several others blew us off) that meter parking on weekends is unrestricted. How's THIS for a parking spot??

5. We had decided beforehand a few things we wanted to see: the Washington Monument, the WWII Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum and the Smithsonian's Museum of American History. That would have been a LOT to do in an average day, much less one in which 36 of the prior 48 hours had been spent driving.

The Washington Monument as seen from the Lincoln Memorial:

A small part of the WWII Memorial:

The Korean War Memorial:

The Vietnam Memorial. God there were a LOT of names on that wall:

6. I mentioned a post or two ago about a HUGE Wally announcement...and I'm getting pretty damn impatient. The "announcement" was supposed to be available this week, but I've yet to find it. I'm thisclose to losing it on the next Books-a-Million employee who tells me I don't know what I'm talking about!!

7. We had two great weekends of Santa Paws photos and raised just over $700! I took Ralphie since this is his first "real" Christmas. He was NOT impressed with Santa. At all.

Sorry Santa, I'm outta here!

8. We also had an amazing flyball tournament the first weekend of December - all the proceeds were dontated to animal rescue groups/shelters and we raised $4,950!!

9. We found out last week that my brother's 11yo dog Maxine has bladder cancer. I'm not even close to ready to discuss it...I'm heartbroken. She's the sweetest gal ever.

10. Daisy is a 1yo Lab-mix who really, really, really needs your help - check out her FirstGiving page at: http://www.firstgiving.com/help4daisy

Ten on Tuesday

2008-12-02T09:39:00.005-06:00

1. It's beyond me why anyone likes puppies. Laverne is wearing my ass out. And she has a fetish for toilet paper. We've lost at least three rolls now - they were turned into confetti by her little needle teeth.

2. It's beyond me why anyone like Labs younger than 5yo. Riley (the Lab formerly known as Motley - long story) is wearing my ass out. Are you noticing a theme here? He's 2yo and while he does crate well (thank GOD!) he never. sits. still. And the amount of poop put out by an 85lb dog...yikes!

3. Speaking of Riley, I've had to add yet another vet clinic to my "You'll never see another red cent of mine" list. Really...what is it about me and heartworm treatments that makes clinics want to hassel me? There was a mix-up on THEIR end and they were quite ugly to ME about it. In the end they apologized to my rescue director (never bothered to call and apologize to ME) and I'm the one who gets to pick Riley up tomorrow. Yeah, that'll be fun. I'm sure they're looking forward to my coming back in. And rightfully so. I'm not as docile as I used to be.

4. We're getting cable AND high-speed internet at home tomorrow. Yes, I realize it's almost 2009, but we gave up our cable more than five years ago. Honestly, I couldn't care less about having either, but Brandon is tired of living in the dark ages of local channels and dial-up internet.

5. We have an incredible flyball tournament coming up this weekend in Talladega - 43 teams!! That's twice as many as usual and all the profits from the weekend will go to two animal rescue charities!

6. One of our usual "awards" is a big MilkBone decorated with almond bark and sprinkles. Since I can do those at home on my own time, I'm usually the one making up all the bones. 43 teams x 6 dogs per team x 2 days = 516 freaking bones to make!! I started Saturday afternoon during THE ballgame and was able to knock out 100...so only 416 to go. Oy.

7. THE ballgame. What can I really say about THE ballgame. THE team. THE coach. THE #1 ranking in THE nation. That's all I'll say for now...because THE thought of the second game coming up this Saturday is sort of making my stomach hurt.

8. Christmas cards...do I even attempt photo cards or just suck it up and buy the boxed version again?

9. A new picture of Lula, the little gal we found on the interstate in Gadsden a few weeks ago. She's hoping for a home for the holidays!

10. Great...Brandon just called to tell me that he found a dead mouse in our attic when he was pulling the Christmas decorations down. Not only do I not LIKE mice, I can only imagine what my dogs would do if they saw one in the house! Remember the scene in Christmas Vacation (fabulous movie by the way!) with the squirrel and the Rottweiler named Snot? Yeah...that's what I envision.

Herring...party of 11...

2008-11-26T10:57:00.002-06:00

Me, Brandon, CiCi, Mazie, Frankie, Veronica, Lily, Marley, Ralphie, Laverne (foster) and Motley (foster) will be enjoying the holiday together. I'm thankful 1) that we're able to properly care for our dogs 2) that we're able to care for for a few of the many dogs that have no one else and 3) that WE DON'T HAVE MORE IN OUR HOUSE RIGHT NOW!!!

Laverne will be heading to Connecticut to be with her new family in early December and Motley...well, he'll be around until late January at least.

I never thought I'd look forward to the day that I'd only have to take care of seven dogs!

To whom it may concern:

2008-11-24T16:33:00.005-06:00

I just want to say thank you. Thank you for moving away and leaving your dog behind. In case you were wondering, he's been living in the crawl space of your vacant house. Alone. Your neighbors have been kind enough to feed him, but there were a few nights last week when the temperature dropped well below freezing.

We have him now. He's confused. And he's sick. All those hot summer months with no heartworm preventative. Now he faces a long, dangerous treatment. He has only you to thank.

I'll take care of your dog. And I'll pay his vet bills. And I'll find him a new family that is better than you could ever hope to be. And I'll tell myself every night before I go to sleep that somewhere, somehow, you'll get what you deserve.

Tallulah update

2008-11-24T16:26:00.003-06:00

Remember the little blue gal we took to Nashville? TEN PUPPIES!! Good Lord, I have no idea how she had that many...but she deserves some sort of medal!

And her foster home loves her so much they're considering keeping her. Who would have guessed a stray, pregnant, heartworm positive pit bull could find such a happy ending?!

Then. And now. Again.

2008-11-18T14:13:00.005-06:00

Then: March 2008. 10wks old.

Now: November 2008. Just shy of 1yr old.

Handsome Dudley :-) This will be his first winter in Chicago - stay warm!

Then. And now.

2008-11-17T13:13:00.003-06:00

Then: March 2006. 10wks old, 25lbs.

And now: November 2008. Not quite 3yrs old, 100+lbs!

His name with us was Wally :-) And I'll have a HUGE Wally-related annoucement soon!

A good samaritan...

2008-11-13T16:07:00.004-06:00

found this sweet gal Monday night all alone in the middle of the street. I'll omit the exact location because we didn't make a huge production of looking for her previous owners. In my book, you snooze, you lose. She tested positive for heartworms and is so pregnant that she's about to pop. If she'd had her babies where she was found they easily would have frozen to death.

She's safe now, 200 miles away. She has a warm bed (possibly her first), a fancy purple collar and matching leash (provided by good samaritan) and a safe place to have her babies. They could come any day now. She will never live on the streets again.

We're calling her Tallulah. But Cinderella would have worked just as well :-)

I have to admit...

2008-11-05T10:10:00.002-06:00

I'm getting a HUGE kick out of all the people threatening to "move to Canada" after Obama's win last night. Uhh....huh? If it's socialism you long for, stick around. I predict that in 12-18 months, we'll all feel like we've moved to Canada. And you won't even have to leave the comfort of your own home.

If the libs want to run this circus I say toss 'em the keys. The Republican party has four years to make some serious adjustments, four years to figure out how exactly they lost touch with the people they were supposed to represent. It's a long road, but that's MY hope for America.

Somebody shoot me. Please.

2008-11-04T14:04:00.002-06:00

Dogs. Sick. Vomit. Snot. Diarrhea. Everywhere. ALL of them. We've learned that our Bissell Pro Heat 2X is the VERY best money we've ever spent. My patio on the other hand...it may have to be sandblasted once the epidemic is over.

It started on Sunday the 26th and hasn't stopped yet. I guess sending dogs to daycare is just like sending kids to daycare - germs abound. And buddy, we're covered in them.

CiCi - recovering from the flu
Mazie - recovering from the flu, suffering from kennel cough
Frankie - suffering from the flu
Veronica - suffering from the flu AND kennel cough
Lily - recovering from the flu
Marley - recovering from kennel cough
Ralphie - recovering from kennel cough

I've made my vet's car payment this month in exchange for antibiotics and cough suppressants.

Dear God, PLEASE let this end soon!

Ralphie says, "Don't forget to vote!"

2008-10-27T09:46:00.003-05:00

In Alabama, you can confirm your polling place and print provisional ballots at http://www.alabamavotes.gov/. I was hoping our polling place had been changed to our local civic center, but nope. I'm in one of the county's largest cities and we're still voting at a small church. Seriously, they have maybe 10 tables set up for you to complete your ballot. And the parking lot...don't even get me started on the size of the parking lot. We're planning to be at our poll by 6am and I suspect there will already be a line.

All polls are open from 7am - 7pm and as long as you are in line by 7pm, you should be allowed to vote.

No matter which party you're affiliated with, REMEMBER TO VOTE! I won't be voting FOR either major candidate...but I'm certainly voting AGAINST one of them. Hey, maybe I should just write Ralphie in...

Happy Howl-o-ween!

2008-10-27T09:41:00.003-05:00

It was obviously a slow adoption day for us on Saturday...but come on...animals in costumes...does it get any better than that?! Man...was that cat PISSED...!

10 on Tuesday...

2008-10-14T14:48:00.006-05:00

1 & 2. Laverne:

And Shirley:

I got them free at WalMart last Wednesday night. I've lived in the same city for the last 10 years and I've always been thankful that our WalMart parking lot isn't full of "Free Puppy" trucks every weekend...and this is why. Because when I see one, I end up pissed off. And I end up taking puppies. This family started with NINE. God only knows where the other seven are now. And of that seven, how many will reproduce? How many will be hit by cars? How many will be lost without identification? All because they were given away in a WalMart parking lot to anyone who wanted one.

3. Ralphie graduated from Level II Obedience last week in spite of his inability to "stay."

It was his awesome on lead heeling (which goes out the window in public) and his hilarious recall that saved him. We'll start Level III (in preparation for the Canine Good Citizen test) in a few weeks. In the meantime we'll be sitting in on the new Level II class in hopes of polishing up that "stay."

4. Ralphie also had a great weekend at Shelby Humane's Bark in the Park. Only one lady jumped away from him like he was a rattlesnake (freak) and we had MULTIPLE people comment on how well behaved he was.

Veronica, on the other hand...not so much. We were performing hourly flyball demonstrations in an attempt to attract new club members. Veronica made the first jump...and the second...and the third...then made a sharp left directly over the lane markers to mingle with the crowd. I didn't tell people that she'd been competing for almost four years now...or that she has five titles. Didn't think that would be good publicity for our club. What a clown.

Then there was Clarence...he at least got the ball off the box...before making a beeline for the lake...

5. We've been taking advantage of Brandon's "benefits package" at his new job - four of our dogs went to daycare last week, some went more than once. All in all, it would have been about $200 that we could never afford otherwise. And the saying "a tired dog is a good dog"? Yeah, that's 100% TRUE.

6. Speaking of Brandon's new job...he was offered his old job back. An internal investigation turned up no evidence that he should have lost it in the first place (well no shit!). Needless to say, he will NOT be going back. And it really pays to have a fabulous friend who is also an attorney practicing employment law. Stick it to 'em T!!

7. We're placing the next to last puppy from a litter of seven later this month. We get the very BEST applications via our courtesy listings on Double Dog's Petfinder site out of Connecticut. Sister will be headed to Bristol, CT and will be living in the same neighborhood as one of our other placements!

8. Took pictures of this guy last week for a vet who is trying to place him. He has a head the size of a watermelon!

9. Finally got my flu shot (see last week's 10 on Tuesday). Made me sick. Blah.

10. In case you've been living under a rock, Alabama is ranked #2 in the Associated Press poll this week! I think I love Nick Saban!

Pit Row

2008-10-06T09:15:00.002-05:00

Here's a #10...

2008-10-01T10:56:00.003-05:00

that I could have used yesterday.

10. Every year there seems to be a frantic shortage of flu shots. I fall into one of the groups that is recommend to have an annual flu shot. So I called my allergy/asthma doc yesterday and was told that they haven't received any vaccinations yet but that they'll add me to their call back list in case they get some in. Then on the way home, I passed the Walgreens by my house and saw, "FLU SHOTS - OCTOBER 2ND 1-7PM" flashing on their sign! WTF?

Me thinks the problem is with the distribution rather than the production.

More of Jack - for Carol

2008-09-30T18:13:00.005-05:00

10 on Tuesday

2008-09-30T13:29:00.004-05:00

And look, it's actually Tuesday this time!!

1. I spent the weekend in Chattanooga, TN with Veronica for the Chattanooga Chomp's Crazy Train flyball tournament. V had a GREAT weekend in spite of the yeast infection she's battling in one ear. Maybe not her fastest times but she was consistent and I'll take that any day!

2. B starts a new job on Monday. It's a long, ridiculous story but it's worked out in the end. He'll be working at our training facility and the best part...his "benefits package" is being able to take our dogs to daycare and free enrollment in classes! Sweet!! That's especially good news since...

3. It looks like Ralphie might be repeating Level II Obedience. Not because he's bad, but because I sorely underestimated the amount of time and effort that I would have to invest. Given that we really only practice one day a week, he's doing FANTASTIC! I'm just not sure it's enough to convince me that Level III is a good idea at this point. The "stay" command just isn't in his vocabulary...and "down stay".... ::snort:: The down stay usually ends in my standing on his leash which basically pins him to the ground. When he gives up, he rolls over on his back and grins up at me. My hysterical laughter doesn't exactly help matters.

4. Roll Tide!! Alabama 41 Georgia 30 - I was sure I was going to have a heart attack in my hotel room Saturday night!

5. Meatball has been adopted! Yay for him - he deserves a home where he can wander freely and now he has just that. And I have my second bathroom back - no more sitting on the toilet waiting for an 18lb cat to jump in your lap!

6. Click HERE to see my lovely sister, brother-in-law and nephew. Hey, just because he's furry doesn't mean he's not my nephew! My friend and fellow rescuer took these wonderful photos in San Clemente, CA.

7. I'm sick of political emails. I don't want to see pictures of Sarah Palin in an American flag bikini (though I realize that many of you do!) any more than I want to read about Barak Obama being an Islamic terrorist in disguise. I simply don't care. In my world, politics is one of those subjects that isn't up for discussion. I've educated myself on the issues that I feel are important. I know who I'm voting for. Email propoganda is wasted on me.

8. If I ever complain about not having enough work to keep me busy (we're talking about my paying job here...my regular life is plenty busy!) please punch me square in the face. I've been complaining for oh, about 18 months. And I'm now eating those words. Every. Single. One of them!

9. Who? Me? LOVE that red nose!

10. If I leave 10 blank...it would really only be "9 on Tuesday" and that just doesn't sound as fun...

Brody aka Jack - for Carol

2008-09-22T15:55:00.003-05:00

Who is the animal?

2008-09-18T08:43:00.001-05:00

If you made it thru the dog fighting episode of BONES on Fox last night you probably saw this commercial. If you didn't see BONES last night you should really try to find a download of the program. It seemed to be loosely based around the Michael Vick story, though those involved in the fighting weren't celebrities.

The story line was sad, but I think it's all too common. Dogs exploited for entertainment and profit. It's clear to me who the animal is...I wish it were clear to everyone.

Coincidence?

2008-09-08T13:21:00.006-05:00

Remember Ruby? The little Doxie-mix foster we pulled from the shelter back in November:

The same shelter now has this little dog named Sophie:

Sophie was picked up by animal control in the same area where Ruby was found. Sophie is approximately 3yo and based on a few...um...physical features, I'd guess it's been about a year since her last litter. Ruby was 1yo in May.

Coincidence?? My guess is NO!

The good news is that Sophie is headed to New Hampshire on my transport this coming weekend - otherwise, I'm afraid Brandon would have had a fight on his hands!

Ten on Tuesday...

2008-09-03T10:49:00.014-05:00

Yeah, I get that it's actually Wednesday...but it's also been more than month since I updated so this is by far the easiest way to do this!

1. We recently had a very successful fundraiser at Art Buzz - if you're not familiar it's great for a girl's night out (though men are welcome too). You BYOB and they provide the canvas, paint and inspiration. You leave with a painting...and a slight buzz depending on your drink of choice :-) We chose the painting, filled the class and Art Buzz graciously donated more than $300 to our rescue group! Check them out at http://www.artbuzzbirmingham.com/. My blue dog original below:

2. We spent six days in the San Diego area with my sister and brother-in-law during August. The weather was amazing (no wildfires or earthquakes = amazing to me!) and we had a great time.

3. It was nice to have a break from the dogs, although we owe our dogsitter an astronomical amount of money. Our dogs are pets, but managing a small herd is also a part time job. It was nice not to think about feeding times, pooper-scooping or medicine. We did get to have fun with my sister's dog though - Ozzy is a hoot:

4. We spent the better part of one day at San Diego's Wild Animal Park. I was super excited but I had no idea it would be as incredible as it was. Learning about their captive breeding programs and their endangered animals...I could have spent the entire week there!

5. I also go to visit with a few friends while on the west coast - two I'd met, and two I'd not met before. Pizza with Sam and Brandon and the Hollywood Walk of Fame with Melissa and Chris. Boy there were some total freaks out there...!

6. Hollywood was followed by a night at Knott's Berry Farm. I could have done without one of the two rollercoasters I rode, but it was quite entertaining to hear my husband and brother-in-law screaming like little girls!

7. We got a call from our dogsitter near the end of our trip and I cringed when I saw her number come up on my caller ID. She generally only calls when there is a problem. And when there's a problem, it's generally bad. But this time (thank GOD!) she was calling because she had exciting news about Lily - Lily willingly went for a walk with her husband! Now, most of you are probably thinking, "Okay....that's a big deal because...?" Lily is, among other things a fruitcake. Even on her behavior meds, she loves me, Brandon and our dogsitter. She tolerates our vet. That's where it ends with her. So her going on a walk with a man she's only met once before (and she didn't particularly care for him then!) is HUGE in LilyWorld.

8. We returned just in time to start scrambling for Hurricane Gustav. Thankfully, we're far enough north that our biggest concern is usually evacuee traffic, but I spent last Saturday in Mobile. Several of us drove the shelter vans down to help evacuate their adoption floor. 41 dogs and 11 hours later, we made it back home. We weren't able to clear the entire shelter, but we did our best and made the load a bit lighter for the employees who braved the storm at the shelter.

9. Birmingham did receive it's fair share of evacuee traffic. The hotels are full and the Red Cross has at least three large shelters set up. I spent a few hours yesterday in the Civic Center parking deck helping care for dogs that came in with the shelter evacuees. For the approximate 200 families staying at the Civic Center, we had dogs from three families. THREE. How many people left their pets behind? How many felt they didn't have a choice? Didn't we learn anything from Katrina?

10. And finally a hilarious picture of Ralphie sporting his business casual look (the tie and collar say business while the lack of pants says casual):

Answer: Levi

2008-07-22T10:20:00.002-05:00

Question: What do you get when you cross a pit bull with a rooster?

Seriously?!

2008-07-16T10:03:00.002-05:00

Have you seen the new Verizon commercial for the LG Dare phone? The one with the fight cropped pit bulls chained up in the junk yard? Here's a clip in case you've missed it:

http://splendad.com/ads/show/2467-Verizon-Wireless-LG-Dare-Guard-Dogs

As a pit bull lover, hell as a DOG lover, I'm BEYOND pissed about this marketing tactic. I also have a hard time believing that, in light of the relatively recent Michael Vick scandal, ANYONE with one ounce of marketing sense thought this approach would be a good one.

If you're half as appalled as I am, please consider emailing Verizon to let them know that their commercial is offensive. The link below will take you to a list of executive managers' profiles. Each profile will have a link at the bottom that will take you to an email form. I suggest, at the very least, contacting Lowell McAdam (CEO), Jim Gerace (VP of Corporate Communications) and Mike Lanman (Director of Marketing).

http://aboutus.vzw.com/leadership/executive/index.html

Emotionally attached...

2008-07-14T10:49:00.003-05:00

to a dog's tail.

Notice anything different about Ralphie? Here's a hint...

http://herringbones.blogspot.com/2008/04/we-call-this-happy-tail.html

his tail used to be about 7" longer than it is now. Yep, it was docked on Friday after MUCH discussion, research and many tears on my part. The end just wouldn't heal and it was starting to get infected. Ralphie hasn't missed a beat since the surgery...I, on the other hand, my need long term therapy.

I'm so anti docking and cropping that it's hard for me to truly be okay with our decision...even though it was for a medical reason and even though I KNOW it was the best decision for Ralphie. Pit bull docks and crops are generally done to make the dog look more bad ass...and that is generally the result. Ralphie still has half a tail...so I guess that makes him only half a bad ass, right?

More of my own...

2008-07-07T14:49:00.002-05:00

Then and Now

2008-07-03T11:13:00.005-05:00

Then (April 2008):

Now (July 2008):

I just can't get over the difference. I can't. And every time I pass the spot on the road where I first saw him, I get a huge lump in my throat.

Everyone who's ever said, "Oh God, I'd NEVER have a pit bull!" or my personal favorite, "Oh God, I'd NEVER let my children around a pit bull!" should meet Ralphie. He didn't get the media's memo that pit bulls are supposed to be viscous and eat children. He's the sweetest, most gentle, laid back dog I've EVER been around - and we all know I've been around a LOT of dogs!

Mazie

2008-07-03T09:22:00.002-05:00

New fundraiser!!

2008-07-01T13:38:00.012-05:00

Step 1: Choose your blanket color. All blankets are 50" x 60" fleece with matching blanket stitching around the edges. Available colors are ivory, royal blue, gold, orange, red, purple, light gray, dark gray, black, hunter green, maroon and navy.

Step 2: Choose your embroidery color(s). Black and white are standard and are included in the price of the blanket. If you choose colored embroidery, please add $3. Embroidery is available in white, black, red, orange, yellow, green, aqua, purple, and pink.

Step 3: Choose your embroidery design (fish or bone) and your font (script or block).

Step 4: Email your order and your shipping information to me at crazydoglady6 at yahoo.com.

Blankets are $27 (including first class shipping), and $22 for each additional blanket. Please remember to add $3 if you choose colored embroidery. I accept PayPal (crazydoglady6 at yahoo.com) or checks.

Approximately $10 from each blanket will be donated to help homeless, abused, and neglected animals.

**PLEASE NOTE: I have to order these blankets!!! I will be taking orders until Tuesday, July 15th.**

Meet Mercedes

2008-07-01T09:34:00.002-05:00

Her family moved away and left her in their yard to fend for herself. It takes a special kind of asshole to do that. Thankfully, the neighbors were kind enough to feed her and contacted several rescue groups about helping her. She's now been vetted (probably the first time in her life) is being spayed today and will return to her foster home tomorrow. She's a SUPER sweet girl!

MiMi and V

2008-06-30T15:32:00.004-05:00

So...he was not only dealing Cocaine...

2008-06-26T13:51:00.002-05:00

Jimmy Johns, FORMER University of Alabama linebacker was also involved in breeding and selling pit bulls. I would be genuinely surprised if evidence linking Johns to dog fighting DIDN'T surface.

I sincerely hope that during Johns' stint in prison, he gets to be some HUGE white man's bitch.

That is all.

Reunited...

2008-06-24T09:07:00.002-05:00

and it feels so goooood! Who would have guessed that 1) I would adopt out a momma dog foster (and a pit bull, no less!) to a family more than 700 miles away 2) I would then come across one of her pups in need of a foster home and 3) adopt him to a different family in the same city, still 700 miles away?? And then to get pictures of the two of them together again...I'm DYING!!!

Dudley on the left, Valentine on the right.

Dudley, Val's new brother Gizi on the right and Val supervising from the couch. You can just barely see Dudley's new sister Izzy on the far right. If you look closely, you can also see Dude smiling :-)

Izzy and The Dude

2008-06-11T14:17:00.001-05:00

Hey good lookin'!

2008-06-10T15:24:00.000-05:00

Dudley: Adopted!

2008-06-10T15:19:00.004-05:00

Dude made his big move to Chicago this weekend - ironic given that his mom Valetine was also adopted to a Chicago family. He now has a pit bull-mix sister named Izzy and I'm certain that, together, they can conquer the world!

Lesson learned:

2008-06-04T14:53:00.001-05:00

The "red-eye" correction in most photo programs doesn't work very well on dogs. In fact, it's pretty damn scary!

My foster boys.

2008-05-31T22:20:00.005-05:00

herringbones

Sarah-isms

Ten on Tuesday

Ten on Tuesday

It's that time again...

Prematurity Awareness Day

Ten on Tuesday

First Official "School" Photo

Sarah's birthday slideshow

Ten on Tuesday

Eleven Months!!

Ten Months!

May - a month of firsts!

March for Babies update

9 months!

Two years ago today...

I know, I know...

I blame Facebook...

Week in review

Solids - Week 3

Rolling, rolling, rolling....!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Six months ago right now...

We're Marching for Babies!

Early Intervention

GI follow up

Update

Our "niece" Maxine

Now that's high fashion!

Today marks three years...

Merry Christmas!

Five months old!

Merry Christmas!!

Wubbanub!

I'm taller up on my soapbox...

New photos - you know you want them!

Lily and the Bumbo

Sarah's Baptism

New photos...

For a baby I love...

Where I've been...

Regarding Frankie...

Another Lab...

Does this guy look familiar?

There's a new kid in town.

Baby H is a...

Ralphie - diagnosed.

Well that was one helluva weekend.

Dog attack!!!

1 in 9,900

He did it!!!

Another lucky dog.

Ten on Tuesday

Holding out for April.

Ten on Tuesday

I'm fairly certain...

He's Mr. April!!!

*sigh* Oh Ralphie.

And just like that...

8/1/1992 - 1/6/2007

Instead of getting upset this year...

2008's adoptions

Ten on...eh, whatever.

Ten on Tuesday

Herring...party of 11...

To whom it may concern:

Tallulah update

Then. And now. Again.

Then. And now.

A good samaritan...

I have to admit...

Somebody shoot me. Please.

Ralphie says, "Don't forget to vote!"

Happy Howl-o-ween!

10 on Tuesday...

Pit Row

Here's a #10...

More of Jack - for Carol

10 on Tuesday

Brody aka Jack - for Carol

sigh Oh Ralphie.