I’m a Grandma!

Well, sort of… I’m sure you remember our doggie, Chewy.  The best dog in the whole wide world.  The dog that deserved the best owners in the whole wide world.  Well, he’s been living the dream up in a cabin in Alaska on 200 acres of land with his best friend, Kayo (a Husky) and his companion and mate/love, Bonnie Dai (a Wheaten Terrier like himself). 

Well, gosh darn it, that Chewy is all grown up.  He became a daddy last night!  Chewy has taken that task seriously from the get go, and it paid off… eight puppies in the litter!  It’s all so amazing to me.

“Total count.......8 puppies ! Last one was born at 2:15 this morning. Mother is very tired but attentive to all sqeaks and squills… All puppies seem to be doing well. Some are smaller and I need to make sure that they nurse more and get the fuller teats. Still don't have a final count on females/males but I know there's a lot of females and at least one male. I noticed one little squirmer has a white star on it's chest. And I thought I saw a spot on a tip of a nose. Will be fun to see how they fill out in a few days… And you should have seen Chewy this morning when we went outside for our walk... he was a wild man! Crazy, running around the house. He knew something had happened. I kept him in our arctic entry way last night because he's been wanting ...to "breed" with Bonnie Dai the last couple of days (odors probably) and since this was Bonnie Dai's first birthing, I didn't want to chance him upsetting her at all (some dogs eat their puppies when disturbed). So for now he's having a grand time outside with Kayo, playing and chasing squirrels. Good thing we have a heat wave going on right now too... he loves it, it's 31 degrees with lots of snow on the ground. Perfect weather for hunting mice, shrews and voles. He's definitely a proud papa today.” –Shannon (Chewy’s new owner)

Chewy is doing his man thing right now while mama Bonnie Dai and midwife Shannon take care of the pups.  Here they are:

Chewy's New Home

We are officially in our last couple weeks with our doggie, Chewy. A few months ago, Jake and I decided that we needed to find a better home for Chewy. Chewy is the best dog that anyone could ever ask for, and almost everyone that meets him agrees that he is just swell. But, we have quite a lot on our plates at this juncture in our lives, and Chewy frequently gets lost in the shuffle. We want a life for Chewy where he feels like the main event; where he gets to live out the doggie dream.

Our prayers were answered when we found the perfect home & owners for Chewy. Chewy is moving to Alaska, where he will live with a wonderful, active, retired couple and their female Wheaten terrier, Bonnie Dai. The couple's daughter is a vet tech, so relief for his allergies and ear infections will never be far away. He will get tons of love and attention, and will never be left behind!

His new owner wrote to me today:

He will be on the best adventure he's ever had. Just envision Chewy running and playing and chasing squirrels everyday. He'll have one indoor girlfriend (Bonnie DAi) and one big outdoor girlfriend (KayO - the Husky/Malamute). He's going to get to play in the snow (Bonnie and Kayo's favorite thing together) and he's going to get to go hiking on trails and go on daily walks. Even get to eat salmon and moose meat. Plus, he's going to learn how to be around farm animals (right now it's only chickens but pretty soon it's going to be a milk goat or cow). What a life for a Wheaten Terrier! You know this breed is originally a farm dog? He's going back to his roots.

Jake and I both feel very happy with our decision and with this wonderful opportunity that has opened up in Chewy's life. I can also get pretty blue at times, but I just tell myself that it is like Chewy is growing up and moving off to college, spreading his wings, and getting to be a "real dog". Thinking of him happy makes me feel in my heart like we are truly doing the right thing by him.

Perfect Pet

We have enjoyed the company of our wonderful dog, Chewy, for nearly six years. Chewy has always been the perfect family dog. He is patient, loving, playful, loyal, and gentle. He is everything that anyone could ever want in a dog (he plays fetch, obeys commands, loves hiking, is housebroken) and then some (he doesn't go on carpet or furniture, he is hypoallergenic, doesn't shed). As much as we would wish for Chewy to live out the rest of his years with us (we know that we could never find a dog that compares to him), we know that it wouldn't be fair to him. Like all dogs, Chewy deserves to go on regular walks, have fun outings, and would love the attention of his owners. Regrettably, we have not been able to offer this to him recently. Provided the right person or family come along, we may be willing to place him in a new home. We plan to be quite discerning, because he is not just any dog. But if you think you know someone who might be a match for a perfect best friend, then please let me know.

{Chewy with my sister}{Chew E. Baca: Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, 6 y/o, male}

Losing Streak

I really don't want to come off as whiny, but I am beginning to think someone might have put a hex on us. Okay, I'm kidding. But, if bad things really do come in 3's, then will someone please tell me what multiple of 3 we're on now? I'm trying my hardest to be positive, but the closest I'm able to come to that these days is sarcastic -- just enough to be able to laugh at myself.

Yesterday was a heck of a day. Lately, there has been quite a bit wrong with our poor dog Chewy in terms of his health. Unfortunately, that just makes him a lot like the rest of us, and he doesn't get nearly the attention he deserves. He has chronic allergies to everything, which lead to skin irritations and rashes, ear infections, and open sores from the scratching/biting (and oh, the smell!). We know this, but yesterday Chewy seemed even worse. Really, I thought there wass something seriously wrong with this dog. Then, I got brave and looked at him up close (it requires bravery because he stinks that bad). Chewy had ripped the fur off his chest and there was what looked like an open, puffy tumor on his chest. Before I get everyone worked up, it turns out that it wasn't a tumor. Chewy had be attacked by ticks -- yes, ambushed in fact, by seven ticks on one of his infrequent walks last night. The vet removed the ticks and Chewy will live to see another day, but he is still no sight for sore eyes. This picture shows off Chewy's "boob" quite well.
Last night, I went to pick up a prescription for Ariana, and I took Isabella with me. When I took Isabella's carseat out of the car, I noticed that there was blood-tinged spit up on her blanket and white bib. There wasn't much, but I could tell that it was blood, and I called her pediatrician that second. Her pediatrician (who I think is great, by the way) said for me to just monitor it and come to get her seen in the office the next day. When we got home, I took her carseat out of the car, and noticed that the spit up on her bib was not "tinged" as it was before, but bright red blood. She also had blood running down her chin. What is a mom of a six week old, exclusively breastfed baby supposed to think? I called the doctor again, and she told me to take Isabella to the ER at Banner Desert. I did. We got there at 10 PM, and while there wasn't a wait, I can't say that they were really helpful either. Everyone in the ER triage acted like it was a big deal to see a baby spitting up blood, but when we got back to be seen, no one had answers for me (same old story). The doctor (Dr. Agozu) was incompetent, and didn't even know what a clotting disorder was -- he believed it meant you bleed excessively, and he refused to be corrected when I told him that thrombophilia is the opposite of hemophilia. Everyone kept insisting that the blood must have been from my breastmilk. They had me pump milk to see if there was blood visible (there wasn't), then they tested the milk for blood (negative), and then they waited to see if she spat up again (she didn't), so we went home... at 1 AM. Today, the pediatrician wrote us a prescription for Xantac, to prevent further erosion of Isabella's esophagus, in the event that her acid reflux caused the bleeding. But still, we're stumped.
So, have I earned a break yet?