Amazing Daisy.

Dave and I were taking a trip up to Ohio in 2009 to visit his brother for the 4th of July and it was my idea to take pictures of myself in front of all the state signs because I'm a dork (well, yeah!) and I had never been to some of these states, so it was momentous! ;)

As we drove up through Georgia and Tennessee, we reveled in our solitude! No dogs! No cats! Just us on vacation for a few days in a new place!

We pulled into the Welcome Center in Kentucky and the first thing I saw was a white dog running around and I turned to Dave and asked, "what is that dog doing running around without a leash on?" We got out of the car, took the obligatory picture in front of the sign and Dave went into the bathroom. While he was in there, I asked a few people around about the dog. Most had said they had heard it had been here for a few days and the staff had been feeding it. Somebody just LEFT her here. Seriously. I thought to myself, "Ohhhh man. Now what am I going to do? I have to tell Dave..." So I did and we went over to her-- she was being loved on by a little boy with his family (a good sign). I took one look at her and saw she had certainly been neglected-- she had ticks and scratches all over her-- her coat was ratty and her skin looked infected. I called her over and she came to me and rolled over and showed me her belly-- at that point I knew we had to take her with us!

We loaded her into the car (rental, mind you-- had to vacuum that out!) and took off for Ohio. After a few more hours in the car, we stopped at a WalMart so we could buy food, a bowl, and shampoo because we were COMPLETELY unprepared for a dog. We got to our hotel who graciously allowed us to have an animal and Dave had to carry her inside-- she was terrified. She got a bath and we got some of the many ticks off of her. She settled in and had a great night's sleep--probably the first one in a while.

As the days went on, we got to know Daisy a bit. She seemed to really like other dogs but was a little timid of people-- maybe due to her past. She wouldn't even walk through a doorway-- she was so afraid of everyone and everything. We had to pretty much force the food into her face! We took her to the vet on our first day of vacation (AND the 4th of July!) and got her shots, etc. Thank goodness there was a vet open! We also learned that she was part Pit Bull. We had no idea at first and I was excited about that-- Pit Bulls always got such a bad reputation and here was a girl who was as sweet and loveable as any other dog!

We took her back with us to Florida (a 10 hour drive-- what a champ) and she met Sadie and Jackson and took to them immediately. I think the dogs really helped her relax. Her skin healed and her coat improved with proper nutrition. She was still timid but was getting better all the time. Our neighbors also got a dog named Sandy, and Daisy and Sandy became best friends. Seriously, there is no other BFF like Daisy and Sandy.

Now that we had dogs, I had begun to notice how much people seemed to open up around them, take part in conversations, and relax. I had my first encounter with a therapy dog at a hospital while I was working as a case manager. I was in the waiting area while my client was having outpatient surgery and a troop of therapy dogs came in. The friends and family members who were waiting in the waiting area immediately focused on the dogs-- their whole demeanor changed-- they relaxed and started talking-- it totally got their mind off of their loved one who was having surgery. It was magical! I began to do some research to see how therapy dogs could be incorporated into counseling and found a wealth of information. It really seemed to be something that could work AND benefit the client!

I enrolled Daisy in Beginner class at PetSmart and she did wonderfully. We made it through Intermediate with flying colors and Daisy flourished. This was her favorite thing-- she looked forward to going to school! She loved socializing with the other people and dogs and learning seemed to be something that she just took to naturally. It even kept her out of trouble at home-- she had virtually stopped digging out of the yard!

Daisy graduating from Beginner class

Daisy's work during intermediate class

We started Advanced Class and decided she would test for the AKC Canine Good Citizen at the end of the 8 weeks so she could become a therapy dog. How nerve-wracking! That week before the test I drilled her and drilled her. During the test, she nailed her sit/stay (she had to sit at one end of the aisle while I walked all the way down to the end of the aisle, stopped, and came back without her getting up!) and did beautifully. Now she has her certification and can start working as soon as the certificate comes in!

I think Daisy's journey from Kentucky to her time with us is a testament of the resilience and spirit of the soul. From such humble beginnings bloomed such a beautiful flower. I look forward to when she can share her story with others. I hope it inspires people to realize that no matter where you come from-- no matter HOW bad your beginning was-- you can rise above it if you pour your heart and soul into it. She's an amazing Daisy. 

...I'm back!

Haven't written in forever! My computer unfortunately passed away a few weeks ago and it's taken me this long to get back into writing. It's amazing how much we've come to depend on computers and what happens when we don't have them!

All of the baby-making has sort of taken a back seat to wedding planning.... what an all-encompassing, mind-blowing, stressful situation this has turned out to be. Getting married in a different state is difficult enough-- esp when your fiance can't always come up to check out venues because of work-- and trying to take in and address the needs of your immediate (and very divorced!) family. Yikes.

 He and I are pretty non-traditional in many ways and tend to be a little off-beat when it comes to most things-- including the wedding-- so we're investigating some non-traditional options.

I'm the kind of person who believes things happen for reasons. We're not going crazy trying to have a baby-- we're just taking it day by day-- and if it happens, it happens, and we'll be thrilled. We have a lot on our plate at this time anyway, so if the timing isn't right, that's okay. We surely have enough to keep us occupied!

the things you learn...

Turns out, our kitten is in heat. We figured it out on Wednesday when she started acting a little... well... odd... She has always been affectionate, but this was over the top-- she was meowing like crazy-- and rolling all over the floor. We looked it up online and sure enough, she had started her heat cycle.

What a nightmare!

Listen, we're responsible pet owners-- we diligently spay and neuter our animals, they are all on heart worm medication, flea and tick preventative, we buy them really good food and always, ALWAYS exercise them.... then THIS happened! What a complete shocker. We had totally missed it! Then I started to count backwards from when we found our kitten and it had been 6 months. How had 6 months gone by and we hadn't had her spayed?!

So now she's on the rampage (as I type this she's patrolling the house meowing like mad). I walked into the house after work today and the smell of cat urine hit me like a brick wall. Apparently when your cat is in heat she'll pee on things. Awesome. I let the dogs out and started to do "pee patrol" and found it on the dog bed and the love seat. Thankfully our couch cushions come off and are washable-- easy fix-- just doused them with white vinegar (the only thing that works, in my opinion) and threw them in the washer. They're done and back on the couch-- good as new-- but still, where will she go next?!

I hate to quarantine her, but I think it has to happen until this madness is over. You can technically spay a cat while she's in heat, but it's kind of... well... much more messy for the vet and they usually charge you extra, so I'm thinking we might wait it out. It should only last a week... I say that now, but we'll see in a day or two.

And I feel so bad for her because she's obviously not comfortable and having a tough time. This goes to show that sometimes I have to slow down and pay closer attention to things.

Lesson learned.

the week of doctors

In my last job, I provided case management services which included providing support and transportation to doctor's appointments. In 2 years, I had been to countless types of doctors-- orthopedic, pain management, oncology/hematology, ophthalmology, dentist, medical imaging, gynecologist, veterinarian (it still counts!) the hospital for two surgeries and one delivery of a child, and the local clinic countless numbers of times. I was so tired of going to doctors all of the time that I neglected going to the doctor for myself!

Now that I'm in a different job, I thought I had procrastinated enough about going to the doctor. This week I scheduled three appointments-- my yearly GYN exam, the eye doctor and the *dreaded* dentist.

I spoke with my OBGYN about our plan to start trying to have a child and the recent medical tests that I've had. He assured me that none of the tests would impact any chance of having a baby-- man, was I glad to hear that. He did, however, say that the issue with my liver enzymes needed to be sorted out before we started to try to conceive-- which makes total sense-- and I have a follow-up blood work appt for April. Hopefully (keep your fingers, toes, and eyes crossed) all will go well and the results will be normal. The hydescan on my gall bladder revealed that my gall bladder is apparently functioning normally. I don't know what the next step is if the blood work doesn't come back normal... but hopefully we won't need to find out.

It was kind of neat to be in the GYN office with the idea that- if all goes well- I may be in there much more in the future. In the waiting area there is a huge bulletin board full of pictures of the many babies that were delivered by the doctors. I just stared at those pictures. It's amazing to me that a doctor can deliver one baby, let alone hundreds. Ah well, who knows? Maybe one day one of our pictures will be up there... :)

around here.

When I first moved down to Central Florida, I was thrown into a complete tailspin. Not only did I leave my family and friends, but I moved to a place where there were more cows than people per square mile. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but I can hear them from my backyard. To a Jersey girl, that's pretty freaking nuts. It's not to say that I have to travel 15 miles to get to the nearest store-- the nearest  WalMart is a mere 5 minutes away-- it was just the fact that I felt totally disconnected with life as I've grown up to know it.

The pace is different-- people don't drive 40 in a 25 (I found that out rather quick- got a speeding ticket in the first 3 weeks). People drive the speed limit? Yeah, people actually do. And if you don't, you'll be sorry because cops around here have noooothing else better to do than sit and wait. That was annoying at first but after a while, I came to appreciate it. Now I'm one of those people who get honked at when I sit at a green light too long rather than the other way around.

I also began to love the scenery. And the smells. There's nothing like the smell from the orange juice plant in the next town to wake you up. And the jasmine and orange blossoms. I'm telling you, Florida in late March to early April is a smorgasbord for the senses-- the warmth, the colorful Crape Myrtle trees in bloom, and the smells of life.

We also live in an awesome neighborhood with amazing neighbors. It's one of those places you remember from when you were young- when people who lived next to eachother TALKED to eachother. Actually, here the hospitality is so great that we're invited to just go into some neighbor's homes without even asking (which we don't, but the thought is nice).  

It's the perfect place to raise kids. I can picture our backyard with a swingset in the corner of the yard that gets good morning sun and afternoon shade. I picture our kids calling our neighbors "aunt" and "uncle". I picture them learning to ride their bike out front. I picture them running with the dogs outside and playing with the cats. 

Good things to come.

radioactivity

A few months ago I had routine blood work done and found out that my liver enzymes were high. Of course, my mind was flooded with scary possibilities-- is there a growth on my liver? Do I have cancer? An ultrasound revealed that my liver looked normal despite the high enzyme count, but apparently they found "gall bladder sludge." It is apparently as gross as it sounds. I love how the medical profession can get away with some of these terms when it sounds like some stoner off a 3 day bender came up with it. ;)
So I was scheduled for a "hydescan". My doctor told me that it was a more definitive test to look at my gall bladder function, so I'm thinking it's like an ultrasound but better. No problem... until the woman from "nuclear medicine" called me to schedule the appointment. I'm sorry, did you say nuclear? Count me out.

My mom convinced me to go ahead with it though. "Why wait to see if there's something wrong? If you're pregnant, you can't just go and have it removed." That's why mom's are so good-- they just think of things we don't.

So this morning I spent 90 minutes laying on my back staring at a screen that showed all of the fireworks and light-bright dots that were going on in my liver, gall bladder and intestines. Luckily it was all padded and was quite comfortable- I'm sure I drifted off here and there- 90 minutes is a long time to stare at the ceiling.

The radioactive material apparently takes a full 24 hours to leave your system though. The nurse encouraged me not to be around little kids or anything (or anyone) that is "growing". HA! I'm so glad she told me though-- and glad that today was a holiday so that I wasn't seeing any kids! I'm a walking microwave!

Counting down the hours until my insides won't glow anymore...

let's bring you up to speed...

3 years ago I moved to Florida to pursue a new job, a new geographical location, and a relationship. Breaking away from my life in New Jersey-- where I was born and raised for 27 years-- took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. At first I was very homesick and depressed and surrounded by farms-- um, I'm from New Jersey-- what in the world could Central Florida have to keep me interested? One day I sort of work up and embraced the change that ultimately helped me find myself.

Life has been pretty good to me thus far. Dave and I have adopted (or rather, they *found* us) 3 dogs and 4 cats. The furry kids keep us very busy and I love my life with them. They are beautiful souls (sometimes neurotic as hell, but yes, beautiful all the same). We've moved into a home that we love. We're planning on getting married in 2012. AND, here's the kicker, we're on the road to having a child.

What road?

The road that doesn't include birth control.

*gasp*

I know!

It's throwing me for a loop. Hence the blog. I'm hoping it'll help me process all of the feelings involved as well as document this time in our lives... because it's sorta big... and a part of me is ready for it... but another part of me still feels 12...

So you see where I'm at. ;) See you soon.