the strongest dog you will ever meet

this weekend has been one of the toughest i can remember.  im running on one hour of sleep since i woke up saturday morning so this will most definitely be brief.  the husband was on the ms150 (hes headed home now) all weekend so it was me and the kids.  we tackled soccer saturday morning and the bellaire ffa ag show saturday afternoon without a hitch (we even had to bring snacks for the team!).  saturday night was whole different story.

for those of you who know us, you know how important our dogs are to us.  they are our 4-legged family members.  we have been put through the ringer in the last few years with our family..kevin lost his dear sydney the day after we brough dalton home from the hospital in 2008.  i lost avery in a routine teeth-cleaning procedure due to a heart defect that should have been detected prior.  then there is sullivan..baby puppy.  she had been the tiniest gangliest dog for the bulk of her life.  we ran tests, gave her meds, etc with our vet and they were at a loss.  she weighed 7lbs 8oz the bulk of her life and she should have weighed atleast 11.  long story short..when avery died we did an autopsy and found a parasite in her called heterobilharzia..a toxic parasite that is transmitted through water and snails and it virtually undiasgnosed until death.  our amazing new vet read through averys autopsy and immediately went to work.  tests, ultrasounds, consults with texas a&m, research, etc..diagnosed, given horribly strong pills that made her sick as a..well..dog..and bam she was well.  gained over half of her body weight in 6 months.  we were elated..and relieved.  the death of avery allowed us to have sullivan remain in our lives.  vet said avery would have died within a year and puppy would have within 6 months.

saturday night sullivan started acting strangely..pacing, hiding..very uncharacteristic of her.  then she got very sick.  i will not go in to the ghoury details..but my bedroom and the kids playroom looked like a murder scene.  no sleep for me.  stress.  kevins phone was off so his battery wouldnt die.  im so lucky i have my parents who are always there..no matter what time day or night.  i was on the phone off and on with my mom and dad from 1130pm until 630am.  dropped the kids off at my parents at 730am and rushed puppy..who was now in a severe state of shock and couldnt so much as drink water..to the er vet.  grim diagnosis..she bled out all over the waiting room bench.  i had to make a life or death decision without my husband there. 

puppy has fought her entire life..from breaking her leg in half at  months requiring a plate and pins..to the heterobilharzia..she has never given up.  i knew i couldnt give up on her..even though i feared the worst that it was a repeat of the hb.  regardless..she deserved the chance.  she loves the kids..they love her (today has been super tough on them).  i walked in the triage room to tell her i loved her and to keep fighting and she looked at me and wagged her tail.  i knew right then that i had made the right decision.

i got a call fro the vet at around 630 that puppy was stable..temp was up..bp stablized..no more bleeding or vomiting..she was sitting up and wagging her tail.  i almost fell to the floor..the adrenaline that had kept me going was gone. 

we are by no means out of the woods..but i know i made the right decision.  she could have given up last night.  the vet said based on what she saw she thinks puppy had an internal intestinal bleed out (hge) and they see it but the dogs are often too far in shock from the massive blood loss to be saved  puppy could have lied down last night and left..but she refused.  she knows the kids need her..she knows without avery i need her.  she knows how much kevin loves her (he said when i finally talked to him that he would have done the same thing).  she knows wally and tuesday are at home and they need their alpha female.  my fingers are crossed that tomorrow brings more good and she keeps advancing tonight.  i want to get her to her vet so that he can examine, treat, and take care of her.  mostly i want her home.

thank you puppy..i hope you know how much you mean to this family.

i think avery is sitting in heaven watching down on you..and she wont let you go until she knows we are all ok.

adios 20s..technically

as sunday quickly approaches..i am reminded that technically i will no longer be in my 20s..even though in my own personal opinion im going to be 28 again..again.  my 20s were full of ups and downs..friendships made and lost..2 college degrees..meeting my best friend who became my husband..the best wedding ever..and having the two most amazingly wonderfull unique children anyone could ask for.  its going to be sad to say goodbye to my 20s..but at the same time i am thankful to have them behind me.  people say your 30s are the best time of your life..i guess starting sunday we will see just how true that is.  i learned a lot in my 20s..gained an immense amount..lost a lot as well.  i was burned, betrayed, deceived, disrespected, mocked..all of those memories i am counting down the hours til they are in a former decade of my life.  alas..i learned something from each and every thing that happened to me..from every person i encountered..from every decision i made or didnt make.  i will fondly remember all of the goods that my 20s brought.  i cherish the lessons i learned and will always hold them tightly in my mind and my heart.  so bring it on 30s..bring new memories..new experiences..new challenges..new adventures..and of course new hardships..new challenges..new sad times..because lets face it..life is made up of goods and bads..without one we cant possibly have the other.  one thing i know for sure..every step of the way i have the most amazing support system steps behind me..cheering me on..giving me advice (not always asked for mind you), picking me up when i fall down.  family..i love you and i hope each day you know how much you mean to me.

kevin:  you are my best friend, the person who annoys me more than anyone i have ever met before.  i love you for all that you are and all that you become each day.  thanks for deciding to marry me (wink).  and thank you infinity for the two wonderful kids that we have.

mom:  thank you for being you.  what more can i say?  you taught me how to be the mom that i am today.  youve taught me strength and confidence.  humility and success.  love and respect.  i dont think i can thank you enough.

dad:  you are the rock in our family.  always making sure we are all ok.  fixing things when they are wrong (thanks by the way for all those times).  you dont often say it..but i know how much you love me and i hope you know that. 

tj:  oh my bubba.  you keep me on my toes..and in a tailspin..thats for sure.  its been a crazy few years..things were rarely calm..but thats part of what makes you the enigma that you are.  you are a wonderful uncle and my kids are lucky to have you.  enjoy these next few years..for then i can tease you about being old like me.
dalton:  my favorite boy in the whole world.  i hope you never change.  you are a wild hair..an enigma like your uncle bubba..smart..caring..inquisitive..passionate..sharp..witty..hilarious.  you are going to be what keeps me young..and causes your daddy to go gray very early. 

chloe:  oh chlo.  you are so beautiful..so caring..so funny..and such a girl!  i wish i could see the world like you..in pink.  i hope you continue to grow with the confidence that you already so strongly possess.  always remember how wonderful you are..and never compromise those things in which you feel strongly.

wow..reading over this it looks like im leaving last notes to my family before i die.  honestly that wasnt the point.  but i guess this is how i say goodbye to my 20s and hello to my 30s.

but hey..i still have tomorrow.

april 2011 with the baby

april 2011 with the boy

just what i needed today

http://powerofmoms.com/2012/04/your-children-want-you/

a wonderful article a friend of mine posted on facebook today.  after the morning that occurred at my house today..this was just what i needed.  i highly suggest this to all moms..i even became a member of the power of moms community.  let the emails begin!



trying to visualize today how good the kids were yesterday morning..because today i honestly felt as though the husband and i had a mommy dearest moment.



my mom and husband keep telling me i need to start a blog..

..so here goes.  its pretty simple right now since i have no real idea how to "fancy up" a blog.  i managed to get a template done and now im posting..so eventually perhaps i can spruce it up.  i would like to add pics..personalize the layout a bit..well a lot..more..but this took me long enough to manage to accomplish.
not sure the direction this blog will take..ideally it will focus on my kids, my pets, my kids, my family, my kids, and just the randomness that comes from my mind from time-to-time.  i need an outlet honestly..something to force the creative juices to start running again in my mind..i have a ba in pre-professional english studies and then one in psychology for crying out loud. 

point to note:  in casual writing i punctuate poorly and i never capitalize..its a thing..its not going to go away.  i think it has to do with writing so many college papers and assignments its my way of rebelling.

so here goes:  im 28 again again..coming up on my fifth wedding anniversary on july 7..have 2 kids:  dalton thomas will be 4 on june 26 and chloe seven rene just turned 2 on november 11.  my husband and i got married 7-7-07..on purpose..it was the plan since craig biggio started playing baseball for the astros..well really when he went from #4 to #7. 

our anniversary is 2 days before my parents wedding anniversary, my sons birthday is 2 days before my brothers, and my daughters birthday is 2 days before my moms.  yes i picked the birthdates..but my brother pinpointed on the date extraordinariness! 

we have 3 dogs..2 brussels griffons, sullivan and tuesday, and 1 westhighland white terrier, wallace.  they cause terror on a daily basis!  we love them.  my beloved avery passed away in feb 2010..ill save that for a day when i can sit and cry posting all about her.  my husband is deathly allergic to cats..we have 2..they came with the package..hes counting down the days until they die.  joking..he loves cats..just cant coexist with them.  weekly allergy shots are slowly helping.

my son, dalton thomas..he was named after his 2 grandfathers..thomas came from my side of the family..my brother, my dad, my dads dad..and im sure further down the line than i can even comprehend.  dalton is the most inquisitive, curious, hard-headed, intelligent, charismatic, enigma of a boy you will ever meet.  seriously..we have documentation from 2 professionals that he is an enigma.  he goes at 100% all day..his mouth rarely stops running..his mind never stops working..and we all love him for it..but he wears us down..daily.  i wouldnt ask for another boy..i love dalton way too much.  he has taught me in his not-quite-yet 4 years to be confident in myself..my decisions..my opinions.  he has long hair..is quite pretty..often gets called a girl but it doesnt bother him.  he now tells people himself that he is a boy (imagine those looks!).  he has a fan club in his old class at school..the girls love him (both young and old).  his life revolves around his bike, wallace, hot wheels, cars 1&2, the toy story trilogy, puzzles, phineas and ferb, running, moving, being outside, and asking questions.  i am amazed with him more and more every day.  he loves to learn..yearns to know more..but is the most outdoorsy, athletic, tough boy you could ever imagine.  no seriously.  case in point:  he was at a birthday party last march, dancing around with a friend of his, slipped, went face first in to a concrete bench..broke off 1/3 of his front tooth..he cried because he wanted to see the elephants before we left the zoo.  there is so much to him..i hope to capture the amazing things he says here on a daily basis.

chloe seven rene..the baby..sister..mister sister..chlo.  her namesake is chloe sullivan from smallville (yes my dogs name is sullivan..chloe sullivan was/is my hero..smallville was/is an obsession).  rene is my moms middle name.  seven..well thats obvious.  im lucky i managed to find a guy who not only loved me..was willing to get married on a very specific day..and then let me give my daughter a # for a middle name.  she is the laziest girl you can imagine..was born that way.  she caught pneumonia when she was 2 weeks old and spent 2 weeks in nicu.  the doctors didnt think she was going to live..she was so tiny..and so sick.  she fought through and came out unscathed.  its tough to go back to that time in my life..so i prefer to leave it at that.  chloe sees life in pink.  thats how her dad puts it.  she loves barbies, singing, pink, hello kitty, candice from phineas and ferb, pink, jelly bellys, goldfish, sally from cars, and giraffes.  she has loved giraffes from the moment she was born im convinced.  on a shopping outing with her and my mom to nordstrom when chloe was maybe 6 months old my mom picked up an eric carle hungry caterpillar doll (very colorful and inviting for a baby) and a blah giraffe.  chloe ripped the giraffe out of her hands!  from that moment on our lives have been engorged with all things giraffe..from the actual animal to the print.  if its giraffe..we probably have it or are planning on getting it.  chloe loves to sing..katy perry specifically.  she can sing a song after hearing it a couple of times.  you cant understand half of what she says..but that girl can sing..keep tune and pitch.  its one of the things i love about her.  she loves to sleep..seriously..its probably her favorite thing to do..right under shopping.  shes a hot mess..in every sense of the phrase.  she is demanding, lazy, loud, mean..sweet, loving, honest, hilarious, clumsy..she is wonderful!  she will one day wear a pink dress and dress shoes..the next day her brothers old camo pants a cars tshirt and a tutu.  she has a sense of style that is unbridled.  she has taught me to dance when i want to..sing when i want to..live in the moment. 

so thats my little family in a sortof nutshell.  theres so much to say..so much background..im going to try to bring back amazingness from the last 4 years because lets be honest..life before kids wasnt life.  well see how that goes.  right now i gotta jet..puppy wont get off of daltons little giraffe blanket.