baby fever

So if I haven't shared with you already, last month I was sick with baby fever. My co-worker and sister in law are both pregnant and glowing and I'll be damned if I don't go a week without someone asking me,  "so when are you going to have kids?"  You can only go so long before it starts to get under your skin and into your brain.  Baby fever takes years of social conditioning and typically manifests at its worst shortly after marriage.  The symptoms come and go in waves - for right now, my symptoms have subsided.

Here are some of the symptoms if baby fever:

1. You have pregnancy dreams - mine involve going into labor, doctors telling me I'm pregnant, knowing that I'm pregnant, holding my new born child, etc. They're fierce and very real.

2. You start to think about being an "old mom". You do the math to determine how old you will be when your child graduates high school and you don't like it. You compare yourself to friends who already have x number of children and then do the math to figure out how old they will be when their child(ren) will graduate hs.  This number is lower than yours.

3. You start reading mommy blogs and bookmarking articles for future.

4. You begin thinking about baby names and start a google document entitled babies so you can easily update the list when a good name strikes you.

5. You think about your grandparents and want them to meet their great-grandchild.

6. You consider the fact that conceiving could take years and if we don't start now...

Each of these symptoms can haunt your very being if you dwell on them.  But instead I am enjoying the dream, standing on the threshold of our future.  We are so blessed in many ways and I am grateful for the life we are building together.

So if you're reading this list thinking, "what are you waiting for?" The short answer is we're just not ready. What's that you say? We'll never be READY to have kids?  I agree with you there.

The fact remains that we are newlyweds; we are enjoying our new life together and soaking in every moment of being a family of two (or five if you count the cats). Babies will come when we are ready and only God knows when that will be. So for now, I am embracing my baby fever and loving my husband for being supportive of my disease.

Because I am content with "just us" and looking forward to our family years at the same time. :-)

today was a rough day

 

Cat Damage Done:

Carpet torn up

Base board broken

Keeping the cats in quarantine is getting more and more difficult.  As they are feeling better, they don't want to be couped up.  As I mentioned before, we let Peanut come out and hang with us in our room.  His mood and wellness improved after this.  He is less depressed but more ornery.  We let Harley spend some time in the living room tonight - thinking that baby steps of learning her new environment would be good.  She is the healthiest of all the kitties, so we gave her some free time.  Having not heard a peep from her during two weeks of confinement, she is now wailing up a storm and scratching at her door, too.

Basically, in giving Peanut and Harley a taste of freedom, we have, in fact, created monsters.  Luckily, I sleep through it, but I can't say the same for Josh.

I woke up this morning to frayed carpet bits in the hallway and opened the door to reveal a bare straggly area where Peanut had scratched all night.  They still have almost two weeks left, but I can't say that we'll make it that long.

I cannot wait for our family to be back to normal!  Today was a rough day.

she's eating!

I am so thankful and pleased that Harley is finally eating again that I wanted to share some photos (courtesy of Justin's camera and my skills) from her dinner last night.
 

Bon appetit, Harley.

In other news, when it comes to giving them their medicine, adversely to what we would have expected, Poley is still the easier of the two boy cats.  Peanut has now taken to spending his time in his cat carrier that is still in his room, which means I have to drag all 16 pounds of him out morning and night to give him his meds.  He and I both will be glad when this passes.

We have Harley's (hopefully final) vet appointment today.  She is eating and drinking on her own - even chowing down on kibble in between her wet food!  I can't wait to hear from the doc when we will be able to end the cat hospital quarantine.

Harley's Quarantine:  13 days
Days Harley Has Eaten on Her Own: 3 days
Peanut & Poley's Quarantine: 6 days
Days Peanut & Poley Have Eaten on Their Own: 6 days
Number of cat scratches on me:  10 - nothing new to report!  Either I'm getting better at avoiding the sweeping claws of pain or they are going easier on me.

good morning kitties!

Peanut and Poley snuggling together at the vet.  It calmed them down, so even though they are supposed to be quarantined from each other, we let it slide!

As another day of illness begins, I can hear sneezes coming from Peanut's hospital room (aka the office).  This morning started off with comedy as I tried to turn off my alarm when both of my hands were asleep - we're talking completely numb.  As the alarm continued to get louder and I continued to get more annoyed that my dexterity was hindered, I pounded the button with my club of a hand and got nowhere.  At the loud thud, my husband woke up and gave me a hand - haha - get it.  :)

I've just administered two rounds of Enisyl, one round of Nutri-Cal, three rounds of Clavamox and three rounds of wet food.  Peanut and Poley are surely enjoying their daily treat of wet food.  We all know they certainly love their food.  Harley is still scarfing down her wet food and even nibbling at her dry food.

Peanut wanted nothing to do with his meds this morning and I have a suicidal looking scratch on my inner wrist.  I think it's time to clip his nails!


Harley's Quarantine:  12 days
Days Harley Has Eaten on Her Own: 2 days
Peanut & Poley's Quarantine: 5 days
Days Peanut & Poley Have Eaten on Their Own: 5 days
Number of cat scratches on me:  10

Harley is eating again!

Dreary eyed, I started the morning routine an hour earlier today since I have to be at work at 7 a.m.  Peanut was especially difficult this morning, but alas did not spit out his Clavamox or his Enisyl.  Poley did great, but wasn't too interested in his food - maybe it was just performance anxiety because I was staring with baited breath to make sure he ate.

The best news of the morning is that overnight Harley ate her food!!  After over a week of not eating and having to be force fed, she finally ate on her own.  I did a little celebration dance, ran to wake Josh up and gave her a little high five.  She is getting better!

Anorexia with the kitties is an issue because if they don't eat, their livers can fail.  For our little tubs of love, Peanut and Poley, it's especially important that they don't become anorexic, because their weight will make their livers fail more quickly.  Luckily, it seems they are enjoying their special treat of wet food while they are sick.  Go figure.

I have been so happy with the care we have received, both cats and humans, at VCA Mountain View Animal Hospital.  Dr. Dalrymple has been so sweet even talking me down off the ledge as I cried in the exam room when I confessed that all three kitties were sick.  I felt so guilty that we brought Harley home to two cats who had not been vaccinated.  Dr. Dalrymple was kind and told me not to worry - that we would get them better together.  I truly recommend visiting him if you ever need to take your animals to a vet.  I also would recommend vaccinating your animals before you bring a new one home - we learned that one the hard way.

Harley's Quarantine:  10 days
Days Harley Has Eaten on Her Own: 1 day
Peanut & Poley's Quarantine: 4 days
Days Peanut & Poley Have Eaten on Their Own: 4 days
Number of cat scratches on me:  8

None too happy...

a

We are on our way to the vet for Peanut and Poley's exams. They really love us right now! We'll get them some antibiotics and on the road to recovery.

Can't wait to hear what doc has to say about our little tubs of love...

This time was so much easier than the last time I had to take Poley to the vet...

The back ground to this saga is that Josh and I adopted cat ten days ago. She got sick tthhe day after we brought her home and although we kept her separate, we let the three kitties say hello to one another briefly-BAD idea! Seven days later (the virus' incubation period) Peanut and Poley started sneezing too. The antibiotics are in case of a secondary infection, like pneumonia, but it could take up to for weeks for our furballs to get better.

You can bet I'll keep you updated with more FUN from our little cat hospital!

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Cat Hospital

I've just administered three rounds of antibiotics, three rounds of wet food and force fed one kitty and am now rotating a humidifier amongst each of their quarantined rooms (except the office, too much electronics in there for steam).

Peanut and Poley are still eating - thank goodness! But Harley has no interest even in her prescription wet food. It's going to be a long few weeks, but we are determined to get our kitties better!

It was a long night and Peanut finally figured out that he was quarantined-scratching at the door and meowing to be let out...

Stay tuned for more updates from the cat hospital!

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Merry happy!

Hello friends!!

Just a quick note to say that I hope you all had a fabulous holiday.

I'll never get tired of this sight.

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis

Adventures with Lexi

Yesterday I had the pleasure of watching my insanely entertaining and immensely adorable niece Lexi for the morning.  I was prepared to captivate the terrific, two-year old this time.  The last time I watched her, it was at night so we just watched a movie and went to bed.

Yesterday, I got to spend some quality time with my favorite Smith toddler.  I had coloring books to color, magnets to paint and brownies to bake.  After 45 minutes, we had already completed the first two tasks and I was on my second cup of coffee.  Wow, did I underestimate how quickly we'd blow through those projects!  So, we watched Beauty and the Beast.
 
Then, we took a walk to the grassy area near our house.  The whole time Lexi was on her play phone with a friend telling them "what was goin' on".  At least when I asked her who she was talking to that's what she said.  :)  Then I got to listen to a narrative of our walk:  "Just goin' on a walk with Aunt Tory..."  "Lookin' at some birds."  "Tryin' to find da nest..."  Then, in the middle of the grassy wash, we found a pine cone.  I told her what a pine cone was and then looked around for a pine tree to point out, but strangely enough, there weren't any!  Who knows where our mysterious pine cone came from.  But we scooped it up and brought it home to apply shiny-ness and make an ornament.

We ended up coloring more and eating lunch and did not make brownies.

Painting magnets.

Oh yeah, I caved and let her have this before 9 a.m.! (sorry Jen!)

We did a lot of "looking" for Peanut.  We weren't chasing him though.  We were good! :)

"Dare he is!!!"

Sophi Turns One

Happy birthday to my youngest, favorite niece, Sophia!

She turned one this past Thursday, November 11th.  What a lucky little girl, having an 11/11 birthday!  We celebrated her first 365 days with our family.  Abbi and Jeff had us all over for hot dogs and cheese burgers.  Abbi (as always) made the cutest cake with matching cupcakes. The Ducky theme for "Soapi's" party was simply adorable.

I will leave you with pictures:

Sophia

Lexi

Izzi

Maddi

Izzi, G-Ma & Maddi

Sophi's new hat! (handmade by G-Ma)

The doll I got her...

Her new car!

Ducky bath tub with it's own Soapi!

YUM!  CAKE!

Pumpkin Patch

These last couple of weekends have been so nice!  After our wedding, honeymoon and Melissa's wedding, it has been nice to go back to "normal" life free from wedding planning (although, it was SO FUN!).

Yesterday, Josh and I went to Tolmachoff Farms with AMIS (Abbi, Maddi, Izzi and Sophi), Jen, Lexi and my mom!  My grandma met us there briefly and it was nice to see her, too!

I had a ball with my new nieces (and new sisters)!  They are such great girls and so dang adorable.  I don't need to tell you that, you can see for yourself:

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. DiGianfilippo!

That's right!  My best friend married the love of her life two weeks after I did...

Melissa & Mark had a gorgeous wedding and reception with a really fun trolley ride in between!  I was so honored to be a part of their day.  Here are some photos from throughout the day:

Melissa & I on the trolley!

Scott and Katie

Photos at Sugar Bowl!

Fun photo op!!

Workin' the dance floor...

Mother of the bride & Ray

Cake cutting... be nice... :-)

Best friends!

 It was such a great evening, complete with fireworks and lots of fun dancing!  Melissa and Mark know how to throw a great party.

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Smith!

That's right, folks!  I'm hitched.

Married life is just bliss.  But it's back to reality and after the triumph of wedding festivities, I'm glad to be back into our routine and enjoying time with our family and friends.

I have a lot of blogging catching up to do.  But first, if you haven't seen them already, you have to take a look at the talents of Hagerty Photography.  Sarah and Nick shared our wedding day with us and did a truly amazing job capturing our day.  We had a blast with them!  They were so organized and did a great job directing the photo shoot.

We honeymooned in Chicago and really enjoyed ourselves!  The food was great and we were the ultimate tourists.  Here are a couple pictures:

Introducing Aaron Jeffrey Moss!

Yesterday, I popped over to Amanda and Travis' with Katy, Melissa & Mark to visit baby AJ!  Not only are both Travis and Amanda wonderful parents, but also AJ is simply the cutest little man.  No really, he looks like we should be discussing the state of the current economy!  I love him already!

I am so excited to hold him all the time and watch him grow up!  Here are some photos:

Mama Moss & AJ

Katy K. & AJ

Katy, AJ & Melissa

Melissa & AJ

His nursery is SO cute!

"Hey guys!  He's doing stuff!!! He opened his eyes!!!"

Such a little man!

"Oh yay!!  He yawned!!"

Sooo sweet....

Amanda looks amazing!!

Papa Moss & Mark