Goodbye Spike

Yesterday was not a good day for us. Our baby Boston, Spike Jones, had to be put down. He was lethargic, had labored breathing and started peeing blood. Matt rushed him to the vet yesterday and they ran a bunch of tests on him and determined that his heart was enlarged and said he had congestive heart failure. They ran blood tests on him and sent him home last night, but his condition got so much worse in a span of hours. We rushed him back up to the ER vet and they said his lungs were filling up with fluid, his heart rate was highly elevated and he was having a difficult time breathing. He was in pain. They said they could do exploratory surgery, but couldn't guarantee that whatever they found could be treated. It was apparent that his health was rapidly deteriorating. We debated the situation for awhile and came to the conclusion he had to be put down. It was very peaceful when he went, but I am so heartbroken, because he was so young. He was only 4 years old. He was such a good dog...so sweet and loving and faithful. I'll miss him so much. We got a call this morning from the lab and they said he had cancer, so this was the right thing to do. He would not have had any quality of life if we opted to get treatment for him, if he was even treatable. Even though we both feel like we made the right decision, it just doesn't take the heartache away. I know our other 2 dogs suspect something is wrong, as they keep pacing around the house looking for him. Dilly immediately went into his kennel last night and slept there. She knows he's gone. My dear, sweet, lovable baby will be sorely missed, but I know he's in a better place and with no pain. I love you so much, my Baby Spike.

Yoga Nazi

So my brother is getting hitched in October and my goal is to try to be down at least 2 dress sizes by then. After having the kid, my body is stretched out in places that is not supposed to be stretched out! Weight wise, I actually weigh less than I did before I got pregnant. It's just that STUFF is dispersed a lot differently than before, and it's seriously annoying! I think I'd be happy if I lost about 15 pounds, which isn't a lot, but it's so hard when you are surrounded by constant temptation (my husband is King of Temptation....here honey, here's a bowl of ice cream....want a cookie with that??). So, I've started going back to yoga again. I do the power yoga, where the room is heated to a mere 98 degrees and the classes are instructed by tiny little yoga nazi instructors. Am I glutton for special self-torture? Probably. But it seems to be the only thing that helps me slim down and slim down fast. I love how I feel afterwards, even though during most of the classes, I feel like hurling. I really do feel healthy and strong. I just need to keep that mindset and stick with it. I have to force myself to find time to get to class. So the plan is to squeeze at least 3 workouts a week and cut back on sweets. I think if I can manage that, I can get down to my goal size by October. I've only got 2 1/2 more months, so I better get to it!

Food Glorious Food!

As my little monkey is growing and getting to be a big boy, I find myself exploring with new and interesting foods for him to try. In the last 2 weeks, we've gotten him off of formula and started introducing cow's milk gradually. Amongst the hundreds of articles and books I've read over childcare and child nutrition, most have said that his body has had enough time to fully develop his digestive system by 12 months, so he can process cow's milk easier than he would've a few months ago. He seems to like it so far, all though he's a little more gassy than usual (which he gets from his daddy's side of the family anyway). We've also started giving him new fruits such as mangoes, blueberries and strawberries, which he LOVES! He already chows down on bananas, peaches, cantaloupe, pineapple, honeydew melon and watermelon. I'm think I'm going to try to experiment with chick peas and make some chick pea burger patties for him this weekend. Chick peas are a great source of protein, without being terribly loaded with unhealthy fats. I found a good website for some different and yummy recipes, which is the source of my new found inspiration. I've got to find a creative way to get some green beans into his diet, because he's notorious for spitting them across the room with vicious fury! So maybe I can grind some up and throw them in the patties for some extra greenery....we'll see. I might even try introducing honey into his diet. Honey is loaded with antioxidants, but it's not a great idea to give to kids under 12 months, for they are at risk for botulism, which is no bueno! So maybe I can come up with a homemade yogurt dish or something to add a touch of honey to, now that he's old enough. He's loving pasta now, so I'm trying to do different things with that and throwing in as many veggies with it as possible. He loves sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, corn, broccoli, zucchini, squash and avocado (all though, I think that's technically a fruit). I'm sure between Matt and I, we can come up with a yummy, healthy pasta sauce that he'll eat. I must admit that homemade food is SO MUCH cheaper and you get 20 times more than you ever would with the jarred stuff....besides you know exactly what goes into it and you can even get them to "help" you make it....we're still working on that last part....that's a work in progress at the moment! I've made some of his food before, but must admit that I relied on the organic jarred stuff a lot, from lack of time. So it's a goal of mine to make more of his food, now that he's old enough to eat almost anything. Again, this is all a work in progress, so we'll see how it goes.