Fur-Baby

My fur-baby, Karli, has been sick for several months now. We've suspected diabetes but don't have the funding to run tests and/or treat. So, we have had to watch her get thinner and thinner over the past six months or so. She was quite a healthy-looking obese cat for years. Rolly-polly and roughly about 20 pounds. Upon taking her to see a vet yesterday, she weighed just over 9 pounds.

We got Karli about 8 years ago as a gift. Her kitty family had been abandoned and a nice human family rescued her mom and all the babies. The human family wasn't able to look after so many baby kitties, so were looking for some help in adopting. We gladly took the little bundle of fur.

Karli means "covered with snow" in some language or other. I think I may have taken liberties with the spelling when I named her. She looked to me like a tabby cat that had just popped out of the snow, covered almost completely in the white stuff.

Karli was always the lap cat and she only wanted me. She'd claw her way up my pant legs just so that I would hold her. I was always amazed that she never actually got her claws into my flesh but climbed up my pants quite easily. (Until she got too chubby, that is.)

Back when we got Karli, we were still struggling to have our own babies, so our cats sortof satisfied our need for children in the house. Once Audrey came along, we didn't have as much time to lavish on our cats, which I still regret a bit. They got rather spoiled on our attention and I'm not sure they've gotten used to our switch in focus. In fact, after Audrey was born, we took almost no pictures of the cats at all. The last picture that we took of Karli was on Christmas Day this year. All she wanted was to be with me.

I've known several cats who have become ill or injured. Their human families have done what they could for the cats, sometimes very expensively. It has always struck me when an animal has become so ill that it can barely take care of itself and seems miserable. Some of those human families have continued to try to take care of that cat and some have decided that it was time to let that cat go. I have no wisdom as to which is better for families and their pets. All I knew was that I never wanted to be responsible for any of my own pets' suffering.

So, as Karli continued to get worse and worse, I had to contemplate our options for her. I put it off for a while because it was so unpleasant to think about. We finally decided that there was nothing we could do for her and that we were allowing her to get to the point where she would start to really suffer. I wasn't quite sure that putting her to sleep was the best option because it seemed like such a cop-out. I didn't want to give up!

When we took Karli to the vet yesterday, it was with brave faces on, firmly fixed in our decision to put her to sleep. While we waited in the examining room for the vet, we wondered what we would do if the vet refused to put her down on the grounds that she wasn't "sick enough". When the vet came in, he asked a few questions and examined Karli for about 10 seconds. That was all it took to satisfy him that she really was that bad off. I think that shocked me the most. I was expecting to have to tell him all the terrible things that were happening with her and that we really felt it was best, but in the end, he convinced me. She really was that sick.

Ben buried her in the Sandia foothills. He picked a spot that he felt was beautiful and peaceful.

We've agreed that the most difficult part was not deciding to let her go. It was that we HAD to let her go at all that was hard. After so many years, she really was part of our family and I know that there will be an empty place where she was, maybe forever. I won't be sad forever, but I won't forget her.
I also know that our other fur-babies will miss her too. Johnny has already come to me with that questioning meow and his routine is quite thrown off. It's as if he doesn't know what to do without her, and I can't say I feel much different. I performed a classic double-take on Patches when she poked her little white nose around the couch this morning.

What makes me feel okay about it all is that she isn't suffering anymore. That was the greatest thing I could do for her at that point in her life.

The romantic in me believes that she's Home, waiting for us; perhaps with our other fur-babies that we've had to give up for one reason or another. Why not? It couldn't possibly be heaven without the souls we love, human or not.

PCF

*Yawn* I sit here typing to you while struggling with PCF: Post-Christmas Fatigue. After spending a lovely evening at Nanny and Grandfathers house, visiting with Uncles Davvid, Joe, Sam, Aunt Sasha and Nanny and Grandfather, we went home, put Audrey in her Christmas Pajamas, and considered going to bed. It was not to be. With a toddler in the house, the Christmas gifts had not been wrapped and put under the tree. So, Ben went to work with some gifts to wrap during his downtime and I settled down for a long-winters-wrap.

I finally got to bed at about 11pm. Not too bad, I suppose, but I only have one child. Nanny regailed us with tales of staying up til 6am wrapping gifts for seven children and two adults. Can you say: Yuck!?

Anyway. Ben got home around 6:15, laid his presents out under the tree and settled in bed for the next two hours with me. At 8:30, we got up and fetched Audrey, carefully avoiding the Living Room and sat down to breakfast. By 9am, we were in the Living Room wondering where to begin. Audrey was completely enamoured with the large, plush horse that was sturdy enough for her to "ride" on. (It really is something that her favorite gift turned out to be the free one.) It actually took several minutes to convince her to look at anything else.
By the time we were half-way through the presents, she was starting to "get it" and helped Mama open her gifts.

All in all, it took us about an hour to take turns opening gifts, oohing and aahing in between. Thus, the PCF.
I hardly know how I'll make it through the rest of the day. Christmas comes but once a year and, right now, I'm thinking that's not such a terrible thing.

Nighties vs. Pajamas

We have decided today that graduating Audrey to wearing nighties is a BAAAAD idea. Ben spent the better part of a half hour scrubbing her crib, mattress, WALLS!..... and throwing everything that was in her bed into the wash (except for her Tad which, because it can't go in the wash, went in the trash. :(
While Ben was doing that, I was hosing Audrey off in the bathtub. I just thank heaven that Audrey loves her baths because this would have been a real mess otherwise... literally.

Audrey has recently decided that if we wait even 5 minutes to get her up that she will take revenge on us and remove her diaper. It was cute (motherly eyeroll) when she was just peeing in her bed... but today it was something else. She thought it was funny, of course, and was jumping up and down on her bed, giggling.

It seems to be that nighties leave too much access to the diaper. Since Audrey has been suffering from a persistent case of diaper rash, getting those diapers off seems to be first priority for her. So, I think, for the foreseeable future, Audrey will have to stick to pajamas. If she decides that taking off both the bottoms and her diaper is too great a temptation, we may have to invest in several pairs of zippered pajamas and a pound of safety pins.

Officially Surreal

It's official. We're having a boy! We found out at our last doctor appointment almost a week ago. I'm still having trouble wrapping my mind around the idea of having a boy. First of all, I know nothing about baby boys except the rumors that they have the knack of peeing all over when you take off their diaper. (Yay.)
For those of you who don't know, having a boy in the Thompson family is a bit of an anomaly. If my count is correct, by the time our baby is born, he will be the 15th grandchild, including stepchildren. Of those 15 grandchildren, he will only be the second boy to be born. The eldest grandson is now 15 years old! So, as you can tell, it has been a loooooong time since a boy has been born in this family.
Aside from me knowing virtually nothing about boys, the other potential problem we are facing is the fact that all the clothes, blankets and majority of toys have all been geared toward girls. We will also need to get another bed and probably a hundred other things I haven't thought about yet. (Yay.)
We were unintentionally smart about getting a non-gender specific carseat/stroller. Quite a lot of the baby toys (bouncer, activity pad, etc) have also been for boys and girls. I don't suppose our little boy will go lacking.. but it is a strain to think of what we will need.

In the meantime, I've been trying to fathom the prospect of "boy".... I used the words "your son" when talking with Ben a few days ago and he had to stop and think about that for a minute. So, just when I think I'm getting the hang of this mom thing... here comes another adventure that I feel utterly unprepared for.
Oh, and just a last minute thought... It's fairly easy to find a cute blessing dress for a baby girl.. but what about a handsome little suit for a baby boy??? Is there any way to make a white suit NOT look like a blast from the past, a la Saturday Night Fever?? I suppose we could just find a sweet little traditional suit, because, I'm sorry... we're never going to put a little boy in those blessing/Christening outfits that look like a dress. No flippin way!

Run - Gotta Love This Tag!! Thanks Jessie!

1. Put your iTunes (or whatever you play your music on) on shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag 10 friends who might enjoy doing the same as well as the person you got the note from.

1) IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY...
The Way I Am - Ingrid Michaelson

2) WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Shine - Collective Soul

3) WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Discombobulated Cheese Balls - Brak

4) HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Alive & Kicking - Simple Minds

5) WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
The Rainbow Connection - Kirmit the Frog

6) WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister

7) WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Porcelain - Moby

8) WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Cuts you Up - Peter Murphy

9) WHAT IS 2+2?
The Magic Flute - Mozart

10) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
I Can't Get Behind That - William Shatner & Henry Rollins

11) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Nitro - Dick Dale

12) WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
O Holy Night - Mormon Tabernacle Choir

13) WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Lowrider - Korn

14) WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Shoots & Ladders - Korn

15) WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Under Pressure - Queen

16) WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Unvisible Zedd - Gogol Bordello

17) WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Hit That - Offspring

18) WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Always - Erasure

19) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Blasphemous Rumors - Depeche Mode

20) WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
I Can't Get to You - J.P. LeGrande

21) HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Midnight - Trans Siberian Orchestra

22) WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Our House - Madness

23) WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Praise You - Fat Boy Slim

24) WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Song to the Siren - Chemical Brothers

25) WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
The Lion Sleeps Tonight - The Tokens

26) WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
The Game of Love - Santana

27) DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Stairway to Heaven - Led Zepplin

29) WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Oh Yeah - Yello

30) WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Run - Collective Soul

Toddler Melt-Down(s)

Audrey normally wakes up in a decent mood, being somewhat like her father: The Morning Person. Today was no different and the first 2 hours of play were pretty good. We only had to take Christmas Tree decorations from her twice and she only got upset about that once. "MINE!!!"
After I finished my morning computer tasks (I.E. blogs, Facebook, Yahoo news), I relaxed on the recliner while Audrey continued to be busy. After a while, she wanted to sit on my computer chair. I obliged her and she proceeded to play with the mouse and keyboard. I, being the uptight sort about my computer, watched her for a while but reasoned with myself that she couldn't really hurt anything too much. When she pulled the keyboard off it's tray, however, I drew the line and locked the computer. Audrey took serious exception to that and proceeded to throw a huge screaming fit in which she cried, stamped her feet, cried, pulled the computer chair over onto it's side, cried, woke up her Dad from his nap (with said crying), cried, pointed at Mom (the offender) and cried some more.
Well, we decided lunch would be a good idea since it was close to nap time. Audrey was happy with her chicken nuggets until she saw Mom and Dad with some sort of wonderful purple sludge in their cups (berry smoothie). Again, we obliged her and gave her a small cup, a bib and let her feed herself some smoothie. She downed one cup relatively quickly and asked for more. The second cup didn't take much longer and she asked for more. The third cup, we figured, would need to be the last since she was now ignoring her chicken. After she finished said 3rd helping, we told her she was done with that and I rinsed the cup. THAT made her mad and she reasoned, in her toddler way, that throwing the rest of her chicken nuggets all over the table would be a helpful venting option. I was mildly tempted to video the tantrum and post it on this blog but I figured that would be mean and portray me as a non-sympathetic, cruel mother. It was funny though.

Really funny.