Midwifery and tiny human update

I had my first appointment with the midwife at U of L today. I'm really happy I decided to switch. She's very nice and spent a lot of time to get to know me and let me ask questions and ask me questions. I felt like it was the first thorough baby appointment I've had since I found out I was pregnant. She also used the Doppler to listen to the heart beat.

12 week baby bump

And we scheduled the anatomy ultrasound! Only 5 weeks!!!!! I seriously want to know yesterday if I'm having a boy or girl. I'm really not good with waiting. Or surprises. My mom said I've never been the girl that reads the last chapter of a book for wanting to find out what will happen. But with a book I can stay up all night reading until I've reached the end. I can't speed up my pregnancy.

Baby is still low on my pelvis and on the left. If baby is still so tiny and still so low than why is my belly growing so much?? Not that I mind. I like the way I look pregnant. And it's not fat either. I've gained some weight but I'm pretty much right on target with the 1 pound per week schedule for weight gain. And that's with eating like a horse all day every day.

My cravings are all for salty things. Potato chips. Slim Jims. Beef jerky. Quesidillas. Chicken wings. Pizza. Oh the cravings for pizza are strong. 9 days until I get the best pizza in the world again. I live for that on a normal day. But now that I'm craving it....... yikes!!!!

I was dead sure I was having a girl but now I'm not so sure. But I'll know in 5 weeks!

13 week baby bump

Because We're Suckers

Suckers for an animal in need. For a puppy with a cute little face.

Friday I stopped at the shelter on my way home from work. I heard they were over full and it's a kill shelter. I figured it couldn't hurt to see if there was a dog there that fit our family. There were 3 or 4 actually and I called my person and told him to meet me there on his way home from work. I'd go home and get Roader.

Mona

We saw 3 dogs that were okay. The one I really liked. She was a shepherd/doby mix and super cute. But Roader didn't like her. Deal breaker. The one I wasn't so sure I wanted was the one my person really liked and the only one Roader didn't try to snarl or bite. Clinch the deal.

9-ish month old lab-border collie mix

Took us 2 days to name her. Mona. And she has kennel cough and a secondary infection, respiratory. But we went to the vet today and got meds for all that. Training classes started this week but I won't be able to take her until next week when the meds have kicked in. Not that I need training class to train her. But it's really good socialization for her.

seriously? a new furball?

She is a bit nervous, a velcro dog with some separation anxiety and she needs to learn to be alone without freaking out. But she's already getting there. She really likes Roader. And she's SUPER smart. Never have a I taught a dog so many thing in 3 days. She's going to be one of those dogs that do all the cool tricks and agility and catches frisbies all over the place. I'm really attached already.

that was a NICE bed too.....

I've had a couple people suggest maybe it was too soon for us to get another dog. But there are totally legit reasons. We have a spot in our home and there are many dogs needing a home. Roader needs a friend. This gives me 6 whole months to put training on her before the baby comes. And this is just my way of working through the grief from Ranger. I was talking to my old boss about it (she's a dog trainer) and she said she totally understands. That's how she deals too after losing a dog.

I won't lie though. When I pulled into the vet's today, exactly 1 week from when we lost Ranger, I lost it. Broke down in the parking lot. But Mona and Roader are helping me through this.

I hate October!

Last October something happened..... several people/dogs/horses that I knew died including my Lola Moose. I still haven't quite gotten over Lola. I hated that October. And as October approached this year all I could think of was boot weather. A break from the heat.

Then yesterday I had to put down my puppy. Ranger broke both his right legs and because he has no hip joints from the FHOs and severe arthritis in both front legs (elbows and knees) he was just a messed up little puppy and there was really nothing we could do. Our vet said he'd do surgery if we wanted but he couldn't even say if Ranger would walk again. If he did walk, he'd be on heavy pain meds for whatever short life he had left. It just wasn't fair to such a sweet boy to put him through all that because I couldn't even bare the thought of losing him.

I buried him next to Lola on the fence line with his favorite Kong squeaker toy.

Poor Roader is so upset. He slept with my person and I last night and he never stays in bed with us a whole night. He is 12 years old but keeps outliving all his friends. I let him sniff Ranger when we brought him home from the vet. I didn't want him wondering if he was ever coming home.

I'm so worried about Roader now. Last year after Lola he got depressed and lost a ton of weight. So even though I'm definitely not ready for another dog I have to make a decision to get another dog right away (so I can have it trained up a bit before April) or wait until this time next year to get another dog. And it's not something I even want to think about. But I have to. For Roader. He doesn't like being alone all the time.

I took this hours before he got hurt.... the last pic of him :'(

Rest in peace, baby boy. We will always love you.