So this blog is entitled "The Grand Adventures of Abby" and it's funny because I've been too busy having grand adventures to write a blog post for the blog about my grand adventures.
I went to a Korn/Stone Sour concert. It was a religious experience. Absolutely phenomenal. I had chills, tears, I felt like I was floating, and I stared at the hazy sky above the outdoor stage, saying "Thank you," internally over and over again.
Husband and I keep making it a point to find new places to eat. We tried Rebel Donut, the donut shop that invented a donut based on the meth made in Breaking Bad, and it was delightful. I had one with black frosting and my teeth and tongue were dyed an inky tone for several hours. I regretted nothing. We also went to a local pizzeria which has been featured in many magazines and TV shows and it was lovely. The people obviously cared about their food and we dined by a signed autograph by a young Tom Selleck.
We also experienced our city's fair. It was...pretty bad, actually. Really underwhelming and all the rides were overpriced. But we enjoyed the free circus (which was abysmally small but still fun).
I took my husband on a one-night getaway because this month is our wedding anniversary. And also because we really needed it. We had a lovely time at an adorable hotel that had a water park connected to it.
The dogs were boarded together for that one night at our favorite boarding kennel. They've taken care of Jeph since he was a wee pup. I was so scared to board Riley, as she's never spent a night away from me since I got her. But every nervous phone call to the boarders confirmed that the two of them were having the time of their little lives. And when we picked them up, we noticed that they'd worked through some of their issues. Jeph no longer bites Riley under her face and she knows how to tell him to go away when she wants to sleep. Riley's gotten a bit more needy, but we expected that.
Another reason my baby girl is needy is because we added yet another member to our family. Kritopher "Krit" Wignarajah is a baby bearded dragon, just out of the egg. The name "Krit" is from a really terrible romance novel I read when my husband and I were first dating. We agreed it was the stupidest name we'd ever heard, and decided one day we'd have a pet with that name. Krit's been with us for just a few short weeks and already has established dominance over both dogs and eaten over 100 small crickets. He likes to sleep on my shoulder. Bearded dragons have the cutest tiny snores! We got him because we wanted a low maintenance pet that could keep me company while I studied but that I wouldn't have to play with and get distracted by. We thought about fish, but I honestly hate fish in tanks and bowls. It gives me anxiety to think of them trapped in that tiny enclosure and internally screaming their whole lives. But Krit does not internally scream. He internally judges everything we do. He thinks he is the king and everyone else is beneath him. The looks he gives us are hysterical!
Jeph is learning really quickly now. He sleeps at the bottom of our bed now, but sometimes he needs to go back to his kennel because he gets too rambunctious at strange hours. He is almost 90% loose-leash trained, but is afraid of cars, motorcycles, weed-wackers, lawn mowers, small children, and the occasional smell he can't identify. He's slowly becoming a "good boy," and we couldn't be more proud!
I'm so afraid of failing at this school thing. I can't seem to focus the way I could pre-brain surgeries. And I can only take notes for fifteen minutes at a time. It's frustrating, but hopefully I'll figure it out.
I'm a little scared because I had crawled my way out of that awful depressive PTSD trauma episode and today I suddenly felt...like I was in a dark tunnel and it was closing in on me. I actually said, "No, no no!" out loud. I feel like I am teetering on the edge of this nasty cliff after finally making it back up to the top. To try to help with this, my husband suggested I take tonight off from studying. Hopefully some extra rest will help. I am worried. I cannot afford to not be able to do my school work due to another crippling episode.
Love to you all. Stay safe. Stay here. I care about you.
Showing posts with label Puppy training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Puppy training. Show all posts
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Sunday, April 16, 2017
I'M A PUBLISHED AUTHOR (and other news)
You guys! I am a published author! I'm an official contributor to The Mighty! And I'm currently on the front page as a Featured Story. I'm over the moon, dancing on air, etc. etc. Read the story here and give me a like and maybe a comment if you like it. I wouldn't hate it if you share the article with your friends, either.
My parents are coming for a visit this week and I'm very excited to share my home and my city with them. My husband and I have come up with a list of mini adventures to take them on. We'll try to take some pictures for you all, but we'll more likely be too busy enjoying the moment to capture it on camera.
I currently have a cold, muscle spasms, and viral pink eye in both eyes accompanied by a sore throat. I went to the ER last week for two IV bags of fluid, as my body wasn't processing the water I was putting in it and I was severely dehydrated. I ended up in the ER for the second time in two weeks with a left eye so swollen I couldn't see. We met with an amazing doctor and he gave me eye drops that already have reduced the swelling almost completely. I do enjoy medicine when it works well. My husband has told me that this is my body's way of making me take the rest that it needs. He has been urging me to take days off for weeks, and now I am forced to rest and sleep and not touch anything, as the infection is incredibly contagious and I have two dogs and a husband I could infect if I am not careful. I'm actually grateful for this, in a weird way. I cannot get the manic side of me to let me rest unless I have no choice. And now I have no choice. Take that, manic tendencies!
I wish you all could have the joy of watching baby Jeph discover the wonder of squeaky chew toys. He loves to cuddle with them. He loves to chew them. He loves to lick them. He loves to roll around on top of them on the ground. He loves to fight over them with Riley. As I type this, I am slowly going deaf from an extremely happy pup chewing on his orange plastic squeaky bone on the couch next to me.
Mr. Jeph is learning very quickly. And I'm learning how to work with him more effectively. He needs a very different type of training approach than Riley did. He is full of energy and eager to please. And, bonus points, he is very food motivated! He will do whatever it takes to get that training treat. But since he is a puppy, sometimes he thinks that whatever it takes to get that training treat means attacking the hand with the treat in it, barking at the hand with the treat, rolling around on the floor, and various other adorable antics. It is hard to not get frustrated with him at times. But, just like a human student, if an approach isn't working, the teacher should try a different approach. He has learned "Sit," "Wait," "No Voice (a variation of "Quiet"), "With Me (a variation of "Heel"), "Leave It," and is starting to understand "Lie Down." He also knows to wait quietly for me to take his leash off when we come home from a walk or the dog park. He knows to sit and wait for his food at mealtimes. He understands the humans do not like being chewed on. He is beginning to understand Bedtime, and even voluntarily goes to his kennel when he is tired. He has made great strides with his confidence around other dogs. He no longer pees on me when he sees another canine, but he does take refuge between my feet when overwhelmed. He has been to the mall, an auto parts store, and a grocery store. He is also beginning to get wheelchair trained, as my new ride Priscilla (my manual wheelchair) will be a permanent fixture in our house now. And the accidents have nearly disappeared! After such a long time, I think it is safe to say that our potty training problem might be nearly solved. Jeph does keep having small accidents when he is asleep, as his body completely relaxes and he leaks. But overall, we are making strides and we will get to our goals eventually.
For months, my husband has been talking to me about me finding a hobby I can do. My old hobbies are not available to me with my current health state. He has also drawn out of me my love for Barbies. I used to be an avid collector. I had hundreds of Barbies, Skippers, Stacies, Kellys, and all their houses, zoos, doctors offices, animals, farms, cars, basically anything I could get my hands on. I would spend hours staging the houses with little utensils and plates perfectly placed on the dining table, the rubber ducks sitting on the side of the Barbie tub, and the living room arranged for maximum entertaining potential. I also loved creating outfits out of scraps of fabric, paper, yarn, anything I could find. For Easter, my husband surprised me with four Barbies from the new Fashionistas line! This is the line with four body types! They are: the original Barbie proportions, a "curvy" doll, a "petite" doll, and a "tall" doll. I'm just so excited because these Barbies are really amazing and their proportions are true to life! And just like that, my new hobby became clear. I'm going back to my old hobby with a twist. I'm going to be creating doll clothes for these new real-life-proportions Barbies! I'm just absolutely in love with the idea of creating fashion for these little dolls with my own hands. And I'm marathoning Project Runway for inspiration. And who knows, if I get good enough, I could sell some. But the point of the hobby isn't to make money, it's to have fun. And I'm so ready to have fun!
I think that this is all the updates for tonight. I'm off to take a nap and take some more virus medication. Love to you all!
My parents are coming for a visit this week and I'm very excited to share my home and my city with them. My husband and I have come up with a list of mini adventures to take them on. We'll try to take some pictures for you all, but we'll more likely be too busy enjoying the moment to capture it on camera.
I currently have a cold, muscle spasms, and viral pink eye in both eyes accompanied by a sore throat. I went to the ER last week for two IV bags of fluid, as my body wasn't processing the water I was putting in it and I was severely dehydrated. I ended up in the ER for the second time in two weeks with a left eye so swollen I couldn't see. We met with an amazing doctor and he gave me eye drops that already have reduced the swelling almost completely. I do enjoy medicine when it works well. My husband has told me that this is my body's way of making me take the rest that it needs. He has been urging me to take days off for weeks, and now I am forced to rest and sleep and not touch anything, as the infection is incredibly contagious and I have two dogs and a husband I could infect if I am not careful. I'm actually grateful for this, in a weird way. I cannot get the manic side of me to let me rest unless I have no choice. And now I have no choice. Take that, manic tendencies!
I wish you all could have the joy of watching baby Jeph discover the wonder of squeaky chew toys. He loves to cuddle with them. He loves to chew them. He loves to lick them. He loves to roll around on top of them on the ground. He loves to fight over them with Riley. As I type this, I am slowly going deaf from an extremely happy pup chewing on his orange plastic squeaky bone on the couch next to me.
Mr. Jeph is learning very quickly. And I'm learning how to work with him more effectively. He needs a very different type of training approach than Riley did. He is full of energy and eager to please. And, bonus points, he is very food motivated! He will do whatever it takes to get that training treat. But since he is a puppy, sometimes he thinks that whatever it takes to get that training treat means attacking the hand with the treat in it, barking at the hand with the treat, rolling around on the floor, and various other adorable antics. It is hard to not get frustrated with him at times. But, just like a human student, if an approach isn't working, the teacher should try a different approach. He has learned "Sit," "Wait," "No Voice (a variation of "Quiet"), "With Me (a variation of "Heel"), "Leave It," and is starting to understand "Lie Down." He also knows to wait quietly for me to take his leash off when we come home from a walk or the dog park. He knows to sit and wait for his food at mealtimes. He understands the humans do not like being chewed on. He is beginning to understand Bedtime, and even voluntarily goes to his kennel when he is tired. He has made great strides with his confidence around other dogs. He no longer pees on me when he sees another canine, but he does take refuge between my feet when overwhelmed. He has been to the mall, an auto parts store, and a grocery store. He is also beginning to get wheelchair trained, as my new ride Priscilla (my manual wheelchair) will be a permanent fixture in our house now. And the accidents have nearly disappeared! After such a long time, I think it is safe to say that our potty training problem might be nearly solved. Jeph does keep having small accidents when he is asleep, as his body completely relaxes and he leaks. But overall, we are making strides and we will get to our goals eventually.
For months, my husband has been talking to me about me finding a hobby I can do. My old hobbies are not available to me with my current health state. He has also drawn out of me my love for Barbies. I used to be an avid collector. I had hundreds of Barbies, Skippers, Stacies, Kellys, and all their houses, zoos, doctors offices, animals, farms, cars, basically anything I could get my hands on. I would spend hours staging the houses with little utensils and plates perfectly placed on the dining table, the rubber ducks sitting on the side of the Barbie tub, and the living room arranged for maximum entertaining potential. I also loved creating outfits out of scraps of fabric, paper, yarn, anything I could find. For Easter, my husband surprised me with four Barbies from the new Fashionistas line! This is the line with four body types! They are: the original Barbie proportions, a "curvy" doll, a "petite" doll, and a "tall" doll. I'm just so excited because these Barbies are really amazing and their proportions are true to life! And just like that, my new hobby became clear. I'm going back to my old hobby with a twist. I'm going to be creating doll clothes for these new real-life-proportions Barbies! I'm just absolutely in love with the idea of creating fashion for these little dolls with my own hands. And I'm marathoning Project Runway for inspiration. And who knows, if I get good enough, I could sell some. But the point of the hobby isn't to make money, it's to have fun. And I'm so ready to have fun!
I think that this is all the updates for tonight. I'm off to take a nap and take some more virus medication. Love to you all!
Monday, April 3, 2017
So Many Updates
So it's been a hot minute since I've written a post. I know you've all been anxiously waiting for an update on my life and, more importantly, the lives of my fluffy children. So here it is.
If you're following me on Instagram, you know that baby Jeph has begun having Service Dog Training outings.
If you're following me on Instagram, you know that baby Jeph has begun having Service Dog Training outings.
As you can see, he is overjoyed to be following in his big sister's footsteps! When I take them places together, he copies her behavior. When he's by himself, he's not quite sure of what to do, but he still tries very hard.
Check out those ridiculously adorable eyes!
Riley is enjoying her new job as the Good Example, as well as her time off for naps. She does not quite like to wake up from said naps...
My favorite thing is the look of utter betrayal on her usually sweet and happy face when she realizes that she's been woken up for a picture. She's like, "Human, why? Human stahp."
I've been not writing posts because I got some news that I actually need a wheelchair permanently. I need a mechanical one. We're getting a manual wheelchair for travelling, but the doctor wants me to have an electric one to get around the house. It is a hard thing to wrap one's mind around, and I've written and discarded many a blog post about this news and my feelings on said news. I've come to the conclusion that it honestly really sucks to have mobility taken away, but a wheelchair is so that this declining mobility doesn't stop me from getting around. A wheelchair is a helper and a friend, even though the stigma of having one still exists. And what would I rather do: continue falling and crawling on the floor and having my husband have to walk me around the house or zip around on wheels and take the dogs on walks and get to see the world while sitting? I think I'm slowly making my peace with it. So watch for me yelling, "On your left!" while I zip by you Steve-Rogers-Style.
I've been put on Seroquel for my mental health. It's main side effect is drowsiness. And boy, have I been drowsy! I take it at night, as I get super loopy about twenty minutes after taking it and then it puts me right out. I sleep all the way through the night and then into the morning. And I feel like I'm slightly drunk the entire day until about a couple hours before it's time to take it again. I'm hoping that my body will adjust to this medication, as it's the best one I've tried. I'm taking it in conjunction with my very high dose of Effexor. There are some symptoms that are getting worse, but others are definitely stabilizing or even getting better. And so it goes with treating any kind of illness.
We bought a 2001 Red Corvette. I'm in love with it! It is so comfortable to ride in, and I'm loving working on it with my husband. I know nothing about cars, but I can follow directions well and I adore learning. It's been a long time since I've been able to work with my hands, and I get such a thrill from building and cleaning and unscrewing and all the things one can do with a tool chest. I've only ever built furniture and set pieces, but my husband has spent his life working on cars and is a very competent teacher.
Look at how proud he looks to be in our garage. This was the first day we brought him home, before we began to work on him to make him the best he can be.
Baby got back.
Currently, there is a really low-budget dubbed horror movie on TV. The "monster," if you can even call it that, is so ridiculous that I can't stop laughing every time it appears on the screen. What even was the Creature Designer thinking? Or Makeup Designer? I don't even know who or what is to blame for this atrocious attempt at scaring an audience. You'd think an Italian horror movie would be better than this, but nope. Oh, now we're visiting some creepy producer who has cameras everywhere and they're making it out to be like a cyber horror flick? I'm so confused. Oh, the creepy producer is in a wheelchair. Can't wait for him to get possessed and stand up or some other cliche. I've been loving these campy horror movies that have been on TV as well as some old favorites like Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot with David Suchet as the main character and The Great British Baking Show. All are excellent distractions from pain and loneliness. Oh, wait guys, there is a creepy repairman in the house of the main character. I'll bet he's possessed or something. Main character (woman, actress) is going upstairs to check on her baby. There is a stranger watching the baby, but the stranger claims to be related to the regular babysitter. And the main character doesn't seem disturbed by ALL THESE STRANGE PEOPLE IN HER HOUSE. Also, the director keeps blaring heavy metal music at weird moments to show that something out of the ordinary is happening. But enough about this terrible excuse for a movie. Did y'all know that old episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 are on Hulu and Netflix? My husband and I really enjoy making fun of these silly movies, and MST3K adds in an excellent level of humor and entertainment to the wooden acting, bad camera angles, etc.
But now it's time to make some lunch. Hopefully I'll be able to write more consistent posts in the future. Love to you all!
Friday, March 17, 2017
10 Happy Things
While I am still over the moon about the new EDS research, there's too much other stuff going on in my medical world right now and I can't try to make sense of it enough to write a meaningful post. I'm so tired and so terrified of new physical and mental symptoms that are doing whatever the heck they are doing and I don't think I can handle talking about these things publicly yet.
So. Here's 10 Happy Things:
1. Guess what my baby Jeph learned to do? He can open doors all by himself! He opens the door to go outside to pee all on his own. This is huge, people! Huge! And today, he opened the fridge for me for the first time! Simply amazing. I love him.
2. Tonight, my husband's friends are coming to see us. We're going to dress fun and go out and hopefully have an excellent evening.
3. I put an automatically-spraying air freshener thing in our living room and also cleaned the floors and now our house does not smell like pee. And will continue to smell nice, unless Jeph leaves me a present or two.
4. I'm excited to take a really relaxing bath this afternoon. I'm going to put so many excellent oils in it and stretch out my angry muscles.
5. There is ice cream in my freezer and I'm going to eat so much of it.
6. I'm excited to get my hair touched up so that it continues to look amazing.
7. There's a huge conspiracy thing going on that Justin Bieber is a reptilian creature and it's the best news story I've ever seen ever. There are like videos and everything where people go, "RIGHT THERE! HE BLINKED LIKE A LIZARD!" It's honestly amazing and I am so here for this.
8. I'm so excited to get Jeph's "Service Dog In Training" vest in the mail. Then, we get to start practicing and training in public.
9. I have so many green outfits that I have options for this weekend! I can try a bunch of them on and then decide instead of being stuck with a green t-shirt or something.
10. Magnum just released a Cookies 'N Cream ice cream bar and I need it.
Love to you all.
So. Here's 10 Happy Things:
1. Guess what my baby Jeph learned to do? He can open doors all by himself! He opens the door to go outside to pee all on his own. This is huge, people! Huge! And today, he opened the fridge for me for the first time! Simply amazing. I love him.
2. Tonight, my husband's friends are coming to see us. We're going to dress fun and go out and hopefully have an excellent evening.
3. I put an automatically-spraying air freshener thing in our living room and also cleaned the floors and now our house does not smell like pee. And will continue to smell nice, unless Jeph leaves me a present or two.
4. I'm excited to take a really relaxing bath this afternoon. I'm going to put so many excellent oils in it and stretch out my angry muscles.
5. There is ice cream in my freezer and I'm going to eat so much of it.
6. I'm excited to get my hair touched up so that it continues to look amazing.
7. There's a huge conspiracy thing going on that Justin Bieber is a reptilian creature and it's the best news story I've ever seen ever. There are like videos and everything where people go, "RIGHT THERE! HE BLINKED LIKE A LIZARD!" It's honestly amazing and I am so here for this.
8. I'm so excited to get Jeph's "Service Dog In Training" vest in the mail. Then, we get to start practicing and training in public.
9. I have so many green outfits that I have options for this weekend! I can try a bunch of them on and then decide instead of being stuck with a green t-shirt or something.
10. Magnum just released a Cookies 'N Cream ice cream bar and I need it.
Love to you all.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
I'm So Tired And The House Is So Messy
I'm so tired. And the house is disgusting. Small pieces of dog toys litter the floors. I can't remember what my bedroom floor looks like. The side room doors are closed, partly so the puppy won't pee in there, but really because there is so much work to be done in each room and it is easier to just close the doors and forget about it. The dust bunnies took our brief trip as an excuse to multiply at alarming rates. And the dogs happily pooped all over the backyard. In one day, the grass is hardly visible and the nasty smell coming from the backyard is enough to stun a small elephant. Add that to my inability to bend over due to neck pain and the abdominal hemorrhage and you've got the situation: me stuck on the couch as the house falls down around my ears. The dogs are eating trash they found under the bed. I attempted to teach Jeph two new commands today. One of them stuck. The other one...we'll work on it.
I might perhaps be able to dust some today. In the living room. So that is one out of like seven hundred things I need to do. Did I mention that I have a Colonoscopy/Endoscopy on Friday? Did I mention that most people have to go on the liquid diet for one day but I have to start it today? Did I mention that I ate breakfast this morning as my last meal for the week and it made me incredibly ill for no reason whatsoever? Did I mention that I'm on hospital-level mgs of Zofran in order to stay out of the bathroom? Send help, folks.
Of course my husband would help me with everything if I asked him, and he does so many things without me asking. He takes care of the trash and the dishes and takes care of Jeph in the evenings and I honestly don't know what I would do without him. Probably cry more.
But the point of this post is not to tell you that I've got an amazing husband. It is to tell you that I am feeling overwhelmed and tired and crabby and sick and that this is normal considering what my body is going through right now and that it is okay to feel these things and to let these feelings run their course so you can get past them and get back to living life. Which I will do. This post is at the height of feeling overwhelmed. Perhaps later today or tomorrow, you'll all get a post about how life doesn't suck as much as I thought it did in this particular moment. We will see.
Master To-Do List That You Are Not Expected To Read But I Wrote Out Because I Needed To Vent Somewhere:
1. Backyard poop pick-up
2. Dust Living Room
3. Dust Master Bedroom
4. Clean both bathrooms
5. Laundry
6. Dishes
7. Trash
8. Pick up all trash the dogs have scattered all over the house
9. Throw away the old flowers on the dining table
10. Get Jeph humping Riley's head on camera because it is hilarious and he does it when she takes his toys
11. Write a blog post that doesn't suck
12. Clean Kitchen counters
13. Clean Dining Room table
14. Vacuum and Baking Soda Master Bedroom
15. Re-learn rules of capitalization because this post is a mess as far as that is concerned
16. Put all the weird stuff that found its way into the Living Room away
17. Swiffer (the wet steamer one) the hardwood floors
18. Give Jeph a bath because he smells like pee again
19. Clean Jeph's kennel because that's probably where that awful smell is originating from
20. Put the ten loads of clean laundry that are hiding in the first side room away
21. Clean both side rooms so they are useable and we have company coming in a few weeks and also maybe we can shove the dogs in one of the rooms occasionally to play
22. Vacuum both side rooms
23. Take all the papers that haven't been filed and file them already for goodness' sake
24. Re-organize the side room closets because they are gross right now
25. Continue to teach Jeph "Down" and "Lay Down" this week as well as reinforcing "Sit," "Leave It," and "Quiet."
26. Cry over how long this list is and how you're literally only going to be able to do maybe two things off of this list.
I might perhaps be able to dust some today. In the living room. So that is one out of like seven hundred things I need to do. Did I mention that I have a Colonoscopy/Endoscopy on Friday? Did I mention that most people have to go on the liquid diet for one day but I have to start it today? Did I mention that I ate breakfast this morning as my last meal for the week and it made me incredibly ill for no reason whatsoever? Did I mention that I'm on hospital-level mgs of Zofran in order to stay out of the bathroom? Send help, folks.
Of course my husband would help me with everything if I asked him, and he does so many things without me asking. He takes care of the trash and the dishes and takes care of Jeph in the evenings and I honestly don't know what I would do without him. Probably cry more.
But the point of this post is not to tell you that I've got an amazing husband. It is to tell you that I am feeling overwhelmed and tired and crabby and sick and that this is normal considering what my body is going through right now and that it is okay to feel these things and to let these feelings run their course so you can get past them and get back to living life. Which I will do. This post is at the height of feeling overwhelmed. Perhaps later today or tomorrow, you'll all get a post about how life doesn't suck as much as I thought it did in this particular moment. We will see.
Master To-Do List That You Are Not Expected To Read But I Wrote Out Because I Needed To Vent Somewhere:
1. Backyard poop pick-up
2. Dust Living Room
3. Dust Master Bedroom
4. Clean both bathrooms
5. Laundry
6. Dishes
7. Trash
8. Pick up all trash the dogs have scattered all over the house
9. Throw away the old flowers on the dining table
10. Get Jeph humping Riley's head on camera because it is hilarious and he does it when she takes his toys
11. Write a blog post that doesn't suck
12. Clean Kitchen counters
13. Clean Dining Room table
14. Vacuum and Baking Soda Master Bedroom
15. Re-learn rules of capitalization because this post is a mess as far as that is concerned
16. Put all the weird stuff that found its way into the Living Room away
17. Swiffer (the wet steamer one) the hardwood floors
18. Give Jeph a bath because he smells like pee again
19. Clean Jeph's kennel because that's probably where that awful smell is originating from
20. Put the ten loads of clean laundry that are hiding in the first side room away
21. Clean both side rooms so they are useable and we have company coming in a few weeks and also maybe we can shove the dogs in one of the rooms occasionally to play
22. Vacuum both side rooms
23. Take all the papers that haven't been filed and file them already for goodness' sake
24. Re-organize the side room closets because they are gross right now
25. Continue to teach Jeph "Down" and "Lay Down" this week as well as reinforcing "Sit," "Leave It," and "Quiet."
26. Cry over how long this list is and how you're literally only going to be able to do maybe two things off of this list.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
A Doggy Update
Small One (Jeph) is asleep right now, with no idea that he is getting shots this evening. I don't know who will cry more: him or me. Our vet is the actual best vet, though. Absolutely wonderful woman who really knows her job and puts the animals first and her own thoughts, feelings, etc. second. She answers any questions we have clearly and concisely. It's something I don't think I could ever do without. Our older dog goes to the base vet right now, who is also the most amazing guy. Super knowledgeable, never over-diagnoses and definitely never brushes off our concerns. Between the two of them, our dogs have an excellent care team here.
Jeph is nearly completely potty-trained! So far, no accidents today. The only problem now is he pees when he wants attention. If I'm on the phone or haven't played with him for a bit, he will bark at me and stare at me and pee very intentionally. We're working on that behavior.
Riley is beginning to listen to me again. And when she doesn't, I use my "mom" voice and she knows right away that she messed up. Down go her ears and her tail. Poor girl has such a huge sense of guilt. The good news is that she is adjusting well to Jeph and listening to me and having a lot of fun playing with her little brother. She is absolutely exhausted at the end of every day, having worked all day for me and played hard for hours with Jeph. She is more focused at work now, as her extra energy is completely depleted by the tiny alive fur squeaky toy. He keeps her on her doggy toes.
Jeph also appreciates that Riley has taught him how to open sliding closet doors. It is not uncommon to hear a rustling noise from the pantry after I've closed the suspiciously open door. Riley also helpfully opens other doors for Jeph. She can't understand why I'm not thrilled that she lets Jeph in the laundry room, bathroom, extra bedrooms, etc. when he asks her to. She doesn't get punished for it, as she is trying to be a helpful big sister.
They both got reprimanded, however, when they discovered the weak points in the dirt under the fence and dug several holes just big enough for baby Jeph to wiggle through. Thankfully, Jeph is terrified of the neighbors' dogs. Every time he starts under the fence, they bark and he goes running back into the house. He only made it entirely out once, and thankfully I caught him right away. He has gone through a growth spurt in the last week and cannot get out of those holes anymore. I found them inspecting the holes together yesterday, as though they were little architects planning a renovation. I sprayed the holes and fence with bitter apple spray, and they decided to take their hole-digging operation to the other side of the yard.
We are also working on the chewing of the furniture. We got a new table and chairs and benches for our dining room and already there are visible teeth marks on the legs of one of the benches. We got Jeph some new toys to help with this, as the poor baby is teething and isn't entirely responsible for his natural need to chew. We got the toys yesterday, and today Mr. Jeph has not chewed the bench legs, opting to try to destroy a tough toy instead.
Dogs are awake and laundry is beeping, so I've got to be done with this post. Until next time, friends!
Check out my Instagram (thegrandadventuresofabby) for daily pictures of baby Jeph and Ms. Riley!
Also follow me on Twitter (@TheGAofAbby) for updates and some lovely stream-of-consciousness.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Time Out
Today, I am exhausted. There is pee on every blanket we own except for two that are currently on the bed. These two are totally inadequate for sleeping under, but you do what you have to when you're hopelessly behind on laundry. Thank God for my husband who spent three hours cleaning our house with me tonight. All that is left to do is the mountain of laundry before we have friends over this weekend. Jeph had no accidents on the floor today. But the bed...oh, the poor bed. He had a shower today (he prefers them to baths) and was so upset by how cold the world outside the shower was that he just couldn't keep control of his bladder. So while I was getting a new towel for the shivering pup, he cried and walked slowly around the entire bed, peeing a trail of sadness. I of course did not blame him. Showering is a pretty big deal for the little guy. And he watched his poor sister get subjected to a bath before his shower. Tonight, he learned the command, "Quiet," with copious amounts of treats. After that, he was just so exhausted that as we were cuddling he looked at me with pure guilt and whimpered as drops of pee spurted onto the new bed covers. So now here we are. Late at night with all the blankets and sheets in the laundry with some form of dog pee on them.
Sometimes, Jeph or Riley will get too wild or too demanding or just plain too wolf-like and they get a brief time out. But they are not the only ones. I've noticed that when I take my own time outs, I can handle the stress of puppy parenting a lot better. My husband has been insisting that I take my baths that I am told by doctors are essential to my healing. So every day this week, he has taken Jeph to another room and I have sat in a muscle-relaxing, toxin-sucking bath. Riley is my service dog and she stays with me during baths in case I need her, but she is very quiet when she is working and it is easy to relax and to try to calm my nerves. I also have been relying on Riley's older sister skills. I have been letting Jeph and Riley outside and actually closing the door behind them and only glancing occasionally through the window to make sure they have not tunneled under the fence. Riley is taking pride in taking care of Jeph and teaching him how to play and investigate outside. She also has been using him as her own personal itch-reacher. When she cannot reach a spot, she indicates it and he bites into the spot until she licks his head. It's adorable and weird all at the same time. But I digress. Anyways, when she takes Jeph on an outdoor or indoor adventure, I get a few minutes to breathe and re-focus my mind. These "time out" moments are heavenly, and I hope to continue to find them.
Sometimes, Jeph or Riley will get too wild or too demanding or just plain too wolf-like and they get a brief time out. But they are not the only ones. I've noticed that when I take my own time outs, I can handle the stress of puppy parenting a lot better. My husband has been insisting that I take my baths that I am told by doctors are essential to my healing. So every day this week, he has taken Jeph to another room and I have sat in a muscle-relaxing, toxin-sucking bath. Riley is my service dog and she stays with me during baths in case I need her, but she is very quiet when she is working and it is easy to relax and to try to calm my nerves. I also have been relying on Riley's older sister skills. I have been letting Jeph and Riley outside and actually closing the door behind them and only glancing occasionally through the window to make sure they have not tunneled under the fence. Riley is taking pride in taking care of Jeph and teaching him how to play and investigate outside. She also has been using him as her own personal itch-reacher. When she cannot reach a spot, she indicates it and he bites into the spot until she licks his head. It's adorable and weird all at the same time. But I digress. Anyways, when she takes Jeph on an outdoor or indoor adventure, I get a few minutes to breathe and re-focus my mind. These "time out" moments are heavenly, and I hope to continue to find them.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Small Battles Won
This morning, Jeph and I had a little battle of who could be more stubborn. I wanted him to pee outside, and he wanted to play inside the house with his older fur sister. After an exceptionally long time of picking him up, turning him around, and setting him back on the grass, he finally took care of his business. He glared at me the whole time. Now he's asleep, the horror of realizing that his mummy can be more stubborn than he can having taken its toll.
Ms. Riley likes to pretend she can't hear me when she wants to play with Jeph. She has discovered that I am very quick and can catch her and scold her faster than she can say, "I was going to listen eventually."
Today, I enjoyed a morning free of bites. Jeph has stopped biting me altogether. I also have no new scratches. It seems my methods of yelping like a tiny puppy when he bites have been effective.
Jeph sits upon command now. I've only had the little fella for a week and a half and already he knows his name, "sit," and "come."
I feel accomplished. And my little baby boy still lets me scratch his tiny tummy to put him to sleep. And Ms. Riley still cuddles up to me every afternoon and demands I hold her like I did when we first met. I am loved by two dogs and my husband. I have won, and will return again to fight tomorrow.
Ms. Riley likes to pretend she can't hear me when she wants to play with Jeph. She has discovered that I am very quick and can catch her and scold her faster than she can say, "I was going to listen eventually."
Today, I enjoyed a morning free of bites. Jeph has stopped biting me altogether. I also have no new scratches. It seems my methods of yelping like a tiny puppy when he bites have been effective.
Jeph sits upon command now. I've only had the little fella for a week and a half and already he knows his name, "sit," and "come."
I feel accomplished. And my little baby boy still lets me scratch his tiny tummy to put him to sleep. And Ms. Riley still cuddles up to me every afternoon and demands I hold her like I did when we first met. I am loved by two dogs and my husband. I have won, and will return again to fight tomorrow.
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