Our New Lives with a Baby

I got your attention with that title didn't I? The baby I am referring to is, Cookie. We picked her up from the vet yesterday around 12 noon and brought her home. The kids stayed at Mimi and Bibi's house so that we could get Cookie situated at home. It's gonna be a tough few months but hopefully worth it. Joey and I got her a new, large crate, cushion and piddle pads to get her comfy at home.

She has twenty staples in her leg that should come out in 2 weeks.Until the two week mark, she will be wearing a lovely inverted lampshade sort of thing called an E collar, so that she won't bother the staples. Joey, lovingly calls her, Satellite.We will be pulling shifts over the next few weeks with the first major mile marker at 2 weeks when she has the staples removed. She will be able to take the E collar off then. Until then, she really can't be left alone so we will be very flexible and just pull shifts.

She whined and whined in her crate when we first put her in but I just pulled her close to me and then she was fine. So, we snoozed. I have had the sinus junk and so short naps have been very nice lately because I have been zonked.

Joey would like you to believe that taking care of the dog is about me and the kids but I would like you to notice the look in his eyes. That man cares about his dog!

We took her outside for a few minutes to just look around and try to get her to go to the bathroom. After looking so pitiful in her little cone hat, she gave me a sweet smile for this picture. The healing process will take months. At the six week mark, she will return for a checkup and then she will be able to go on walks on a leash but still must stay in the crate. most of the time At the 12 week mark, she will return for another checkup and then we will be told if she has done well or not. Hopefully at that point she can be placed in smaller pin in the back yard to play and have some bit of freedom. If she does well in that she will gain more and more freedom. So mid August is our goal to freedom. I might even add a ticker at the top of the blog to count down the markers because as she gains her freedom, we ALL gain more freedom.

Pray for me and the kids, we are gonna have cabin fever but there really is a lot that I need to be doing right here at home. I need to plan and order curriculum for next year, attend to projects in the house, have a consistent Bible study time with the Lord and there are all kinds of recipes I would like to try out, as well as, I have a wedding cake to design by early July! Thanks to everyone who has called and texted to check on us. We have been taken care of in so many ways. My friends care enough to call and write even when our dog is down! Wow! We are so blessed by so many wonderful friends. We love you all!