Sunny Orlando?

Well, Hubby just landed in Denver. So in two hours, hopefully, he should be home safe and sound. You never know about that luggage system. One time it extended his arrival in Denver by an hour.

Anyway, he got to spend the week in sunny Orlando, FL. I hear it was warm there. We had some nice days, but we also had some snow off and on for about 2 days. No accumulation though.

My mom was kind enough to come and stay 2 days with us. It’s always so nice to be able to hand off the baby to someone else so I can get some things done. This week was a little tougher being on my own. The daycare we take her to was closed for Spring Break. Since they are a non-profit, teaching daycare, at a community college they close the daycare when the school does not hold classes. The only exception is the break between semesters when the offer break care for 2 weeks.

It’s hard taking her to work with me, especially when I am on my own. I did it once in December, when she was 3 months old, and that was really tough to get anything done. This time I had a pack and play there and her wedge pillow she sleeps on. At least there was only 1 other guy in this week. Greg took his kids on vacation for Spring Break, so that left Ed and I to hold down the fort. And he recently moved his office all the way down the hall, so hopefully the baby didn’t bother him too much. She was pretty good; she would take a nap as soon as we got there for about 45 minutes. Then she would get up and usually sit in her bouncy seat for about 30 minutes until I fed her. Then she would go back down for another nap, for about 45 minutes. Then it got difficult. She would be up and want constant interaction. So, I kept moving her from her bouncy seat, to her stroller, to my lap, and keep the toys rotating as well. That made it a little bit more difficult to get work done. When Hubby is in town, between the two of us, it’s a lot easier to manage her at work.

I just hired a new cleaning lady today. We had a cleaning service for a long time. We ended up getting rid of them while I was in the hospital after a series of issues. I really missed having a clean house, and I never seem to be able to find time to clean it. So, we hired a new girl. I am really looking forward to this. Her price was very reasonable, and she seems very sweet. We shall see!

Mmm, I just finished a bowl of Phish Food. No, it’s not a new fad diet. It’s Ben & Jerry Ice cream. Chocolate ice cream with marshmallow and caramel swirled in and chocolate fishes. Mmmm, it’s my favorite!

Well, Hubby is on his way home, so I must go hide all the evidence!

Lot's of changes, Max. Lot's of changes.....

Well, many changes occurring here! The baby can sit up by herself. Not that she does it well, or a lot, but she can. A few days ago I walked into daycare and there she was, sitting all by herself on the floor. There was a teacher right there with her, but she was not being supported in any way! They said that was the second time that day she did it on her own! WOW!

So, she is going through lots of changes. And I changed my schedule so that I would be able to pick her up before her afternoon nap Monday-Friday. She wasn’t getting enough sleep at daycare and by the time we would pick her up late afternoon, all she would do is come home and sleep. She would wake up for eating and a bath but then it was right back to bed. I felt like I didn’t get to spend any time with her since she was always asleep in the evenings. So, now I can get her home in time for a nice long afternoon nap.

But then on the weekends, it was getting harder and harder to leave. I felt like I was missing so much, and that we weren’t getting enough family time, the 3 of us. So, I gave my two weeks notice at WnW last weekend. I work one day this weekend, 1 day the following weekend, and then I am done. It was a little hard, but the way I look at it, that job will always be there. The baby, however, will never be 6 months old again. I do love that job, and it is so much fun, but that baby is too cute!

She really suffered after her shots last week. We think that is what really effected her eating. Towards the end of the week, she got to the point where she would only eat 1-2 oz of formula per feeding. She was only taking in about 15 oz of formula a day. That is not nearly enough! She would eat solids, though, until it comes out her ears if we let her. But she is still getting a bulk of her calories from her formula. She finally started turning back around this week. She is getting back up to 4-5 oz per feeding. And she is eating 2 solid meals a day. The doctor would like us to increase it to 3 a day, but I am waiting until she is back to drinking more formula regularly.

She is still on the tail end of a cold, or has allergies. Who can tell what is what! She occasionally has clear liquid running out of her nose and she wakes up coughing every morning, even though we run the humidifier all night in her room. But I know that Hubby and I both still feel like we are constantly fighting a cold, or allergies. I have heard that so far this is shaping up to be the worst allergy season we have seen. GREAT! And I will be really surprised if our kid doesn’t have allergies, considering the two of us!

I was on the news twice this week. On Tuesday our local channel 5 news came out and interviewed the owner, Jef, to talk about this recall and how none of our food was recalled, etc. Then they wanted to do a live spot, so I got volunteered for that. That meant that I was at the store at 5am the next day. We did 3 live spots from the store, covering how important it is to read the label of your dog and cat food to know what is in it. Then, I was at work yesterday and Fox 21 news called Jef and wanted an interview. He and Dan are getting ready to move, so they were busy packing, so he volunteered me again. I was all ready working at the store, so it was okay by me. So the lady came up and interviewed me about the same thing. It’s a HOT topic right now, understandably.

I thankfully have today off from both jobs, it was time for us to get some stuff done as a family. One of the big things we did today was get the baby’s 6 month’s pictures taken. They turned out SOOO cute. Hubby is trying to upload them right now. So, we should soon have them on her picture page.

Well, I need to go and work on laundry before we head off to friend’s house for dinner tonight.

PS: Anyone know what movie the title of this post is from?

One quick comment

So I realize now, after being on my soap box, that some people just think pets are PETS. Okay, that’s fine. I think of my pets as extended family members. But if you don’t, well, then, I guess you just don’t agree with what I said! And that’s okay.

Get Smart

I am assuming everyone has heard about the massive pet food recall. This is a fine example of why I always ask people to be smart pet owners. People may think they are buying the best food, but ask yourself why do they think that? Do people think they are buying the best pet food because the commercials tell you it is the best? Is the word natural on the bag? Has the company been around for a long time? Did the vet recommend it? Is it a bit more expensive in the pet food isle? What choice would your pet make? Let me address these questions.

So, pet food commercials. Boy, some of them sure tug at your heart strings! Pedigree ones are the worst. I love the commercials. But that doesn’t mean I am going to buy my food from them! And they show, in the commercial, real meat transforming into the food. Please, do you really think they put t-bone steaks into your dog’s food, or a whole salmon or tuna into cat food? Umm, NO! Don’t let the commercials influence your decision please! Marketing people are great at selling their food!

Natural Choice was one of the foods that were recalled. So, just how natural could it be? Wheat gluten is not something that is good for animals. That is the product that is causing all the issues. Just because the word natural is in the name of the food or on the package, doesn’t mean it is! The ingredients list is where you will find the truth!

Iams, Eukanuba, and Science Diet have all been around for a long time. That’s true! But does that mean we should buy their food? Let me put it this way: McDonalds has been around a long time as well. Does that make it a healthy choice? And please know that IAMS does horrible animal testing! I won’t go into details, if you want more info, you can Google it yourself, but that alone is one LARGE reason I really ask people to not buy IAMS. They do some awful, awful things to dogs and cats.

Did your vet recommend Iams, Science Diet or Hills? Most vets get scholarships while at vet school. Guess from whom?! And while they are vet school, most of these lower quality companies provide students with FREE food, so guess where their loyalties start to lie? These less quality dog food companies are no fools. You give a student free dog food for years and guess who the vet will recommend when they have their own practice? And of course pet owners tend to rely on what their vet recommends. That is why I ask YOU to become the smart pet owner.

A lot of vets will also tell you your pet needs a prescription diet food that they happen to carry. It costs A LOT of money and is made by Science Diet or Hills. Guess what; those foods have fillers and chemical preservatives! There are other foods out there that will work for your animal. You don’t need to pay an arm and a leg and put your pet’s health at risk! My vet tried to get me to put Maggie on a prescription diet because she has a sensitive tummy. I switched her to a simpler food that is still filler and chemical free and she does just fine! She and Bristol both eat it!

Is it a bit more expensive in the pet food isle than other choices? Come on, does THAT make it a better food? Um, no.

What choice would your pet make? I say this because you have the freedom to get in your car and drive to the store and either buy fruits, veggies, cereals, etc, or Twinkies, candy, cheetoes, etc. You know what is healthy and what is not. Our precious pets don’t get that freedom to make the choice for themselves. They rely on us. It’s like the baby; I try to feed her organic baby food, less chemicals. I want her to have the best and longest life possible! Same with my pets. Their time on earth is too short as is, so while they are here, I want them to have the best, healthiest, and longest life possible! So, I need to make the right choices for them.

From the Wag N Wash website:

Today, most commercial grade pet foods are formulated to keep your pet alive and reasonably healthy at the lowest cost possible. Unfortunately, these products often lack a variety of fresh, natural and wholesome ingredients that will optimize your pets’ health and make mealtime a true pleasure. Instead, poor quality meats, non- nutritional fillers and byproducts are used.

Please, read labels when buying pet’s foods. Stay away from chemical preservatives (BHQ, BHA,), and things like wheat gluten, beet pulp, corn, ‘meat’ ‘poultry’ (what is meat, or poultry? That doesn’t mean cow or chicken…), BY-PRODUCTS, yuck! The first ingredient should be a protein, beef, lamb, chicken, etc. The meat sources that go in natural food are always human grade meat. Meaning, it’s was not dead, diseased, dying or decaying. (The dreaded 4 D’s).

Yes, most of the food that is the best choices is not available at the grocery store or Petsmart, but I think my furry one’s are worth it to go a little out of the way for their food. And usually it’s not THAT far out of the way!

Yes, this is my passion, dog food. Okay, not dog food, but helping more and more pets to lead healthier lives. It’s amazing what happens to their coats when they get put on a natural food. The shedding becomes less and the coat becomes softer! I am so opposed to feeding yucky foods to pets that really aren’t good for them! If anyone has any questions about the best way to choose a food for their pet, please feel free to contact me! Here are some links to some very popular natural foods. On here, you can find store locators to find stores near you that carry the food!

Thank you for listening and hopefully making the choice to switch to a natural food! I will get on my soap box about this issue again. I can’t help it; someone has to be a voice for the furry critters!

www.naturapet.com

www.naturesvariety.com

www.canidae.com

You will find both canine and feline links on these pages…

6 months, all ready?

We have still been busy here! The baby turned 6 months old on Saturday! I can’t even believe it has been 6 months! Some times, I felt like we would never make it! But here we are and she is growing so fast!

Our friends’ daughter turned 3 this past week and they had her birthday party on Saturday. I can not believe it has been 3 years! I still remember the day she was born, going and meeting her for the first time in the hospital!!! It sure doesn’t seem like 3 years ago. Her new phrase is “what did you say?” She must have said it 20 times that day. She was so cute. She was so excited to eat, open gifts and eat cake I think she was just about to come out of her skin.

Saturday evening we were invited to attend the Red Ribbon Ball. It supports the fight against AIDS. So, my mom came up to stay with the baby while Hubby and I got dressed up and headed out for the evening. We went 2 years ago also and really enjoyed it. They had a silent auction, we bid on a dinner made by a chef in our home for 8 people. We won it, and we are looking forward to setting it up. The guest speaker this year was the executive producer for Law & Order: SVU. He is also a big advocate for healthcare (or something like that) as he used to be a pediatrician! His talk was very good, and we enjoyed it very much. After dinner, they kicked on the music and the dancing started. The music was very loud so Hubby didn’t last very long before he wanted to go.

I worked at WnW on Sunday. And Monday we were expecting the arrival of some friends of ours from California. Scott is a good friend, who is like a brother to me, who is a Marine. He and his wife Eva and baby are moving to Kentucky as he just became a recruiter. Their baby was born on October 7, which was my original due date! So, our babies are pretty close in age.

They ended up rolling in sometime around 2:00am on Tuesday morning. We got them in the house, their essentials and they went right to bed. I took Tuesday off from work, which also worked out well, because our baby had her 6 month check-up that day (including shots). They had finally gotten up and moving by the time we got back from the doctor, so Hubby headed off to work and the rest of us went to Garden of the Gods. Eva is originally from Lithuania, and has only been to California and Kentucky, so this cross country trip for her has to be exciting! She gets a great chance to see a good part of the country. So, since they were only here for 1 day, I figured Garden of the Gods was a great place to take them. The weather was beautiful! The kids rode in strollers and we strolled around the park!

After the park, we stopped by WnW so I could show her that. Then we headed for home, as my parents were on their way up for dinner. My mom loves Scott like a son, so she was so excited to meet their baby, and to see Eva again. We had a great steak dinner, with great thick yummy steaks. It felt like some missing family members were here visiting, it was wonderful!

Sadly they left this morning, headed off to drive through the lovely state of Kansas. (Boring!) It was so good to see them again, and meet the baby! I look forward to the next time we get together and hope it can be for a longer visit.

The baby’s doctor appointment went good. She weighed in at 13 lbs, 9oz. So she is still pretty small, still in the 15^th percentile for her weight, but the doctor is still happy with the fact that she is gaining weight. I felt bad for her and her shots and other things (she got stung by something at the park), so I caved and gave her bananas with her rice cereal on Tuesday night. Guess what, she ate every last bite of her food that night, amazing. Next are peas. I might have just made things more difficult for myself by giving her a taste of fruit, but we shall see. I have had a hard time finding green beans! I will have to look a little harder!

Well, it’s late and I feel like I am fighting another cold, so I am off to bed.

We've been busy!

So, we have been busy here! Hubby’s mom came out for a short weekend visit. She arrived mid-day Thursday from Virginia and stayed through Tuesday morning. I took off from work on Thursday afternoon and Friday as well as Monday.

It was great having her here, as she would entertain the little one while I could get stuff done that I wanted to get done. Like clean out the pantry. I got it almost all cleaned out and organized. I have 1 shelf yet to tackle and I am not looking forward to that shelf.

Saturday I went and got CPR and First Aid certified for infants/children/and Adults! I felt like since the baby has issues still, that it would be a wise decision. I sure did learn a lot and I am going to have Hubby take it next! I was not so happy about taking the First Aid part, but I didn’t get a choice. So, I am CPR certified for 1 year and First Aid certified for 3 years. I have to say it was a very interesting and informative class. The first time I breathed into the Dummy I thought to myself ‘I hope I never have to do this in real life’!

Let me start this paragraph by saying I DON’T DO BLOOD. I know I was just First Aid certified, but there were a few times, looking at pictures in our handbook that made me woozy! YUCK. I can handle stomach contents that revisit us (usually) and brown stuff that comes out the other end (usually). Therefore I get to clean most poopy diapers, and clean up most major spit up’s while Hubby handles blood and not the other stuff. In that way we are good team. But I was again put to the test Saturday night.

Maggie was out in the back yard going crazy at a dog walking by, as normal. Our fence has suddenly gone into disrepair. There was a broken slat that she caught herself on and sliced herself good (again). But this time it was a DEEP, YUCKY cut. So, Hubby headed off with her to the emergency vet. Meanwhile my parents were on their way up to have dinner with all of us. Anyway, about 2 hours later, Hubby and Maggie came home, Maggie was sewn shut, and she even had a drain in her. Not only did she slice herself really good, but she managed to pull her skin away from the muscle creating a pocket. And they didn’t want an infection to start up there once she was sewn shut, so they put the drain in to let it drain. YUCK. We put a dog shirt on her (of course we had a choice of shirts here) and let her sleep off the morphine.

Sunday I worked at WnW. It was pretty busy, but that always makes time go by fast, which is nice.

Monday Hubby’s mom and I went shopping! We headed up to the outlet mall up in Castle Rock. The baby came with us and apparently she is a natural born shopper. She was so good all day. She rode in the stroller and watched everything and slept when she felt like she needed to sleep.

Tuesday Hubby got up early to take his mom back to the airport. We were sad to see her go. The baby sure enjoyed her Grammy time!

Wednesday we had a busy day. I started off working, then we went and got our taxes completed and signed, then back to work, then I took Buddy and Maggie to the vet. Buddy had to get his 6 week x-rays done (post leg surgery). Maggie had to get her drain removed. Buddy is still hobbling on 3 legs. But that is because he still has a pretty bad fracture still, and it’s still healing. Maggie will get the rest of her stitches out on next Wednesday.

Let’s see, now we are to Thursday, and I worked all day. Hubby moved offices today. He was in a large room, that wasn’t really any sort of private office. He has his own private office now that is not a catch all room. And we can see each other now, from where he is sitting now. We will find out if that is good or bad. So far I have been hit with a nerf ball twice. But don’t worry, I got him back and it bounced right off his head!

Well, the baby just went down for the night, and I have laundry to do!