Tuesday, January 17, 2012

So I may not...

be the most consistent blogger but hey, that just means I'm away from the computer making memories right?

Photo blog




































Yep I'm just that lazy!

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Tons has happened!



So as you all know very well I had our baby... lol. I owe you all the gory details of her birth.

After I was allowed to leave bed rest behind at 36 weeks, I went hog wild. It was a cleaning extravaganza over here, there was no slowing me down. I welcomed the contractions back with open arms. I just didn't realize they would last a couple of weeks before Jozlyn arrived. On April 11th I woke up early and got into the tub because I felt so uncomfortable. John monitored my contractions for about 10 minutes then called his mom to watch over me while he went to work. Thus the count down began. We called John around 8 am and told him we'd be calling the midwife and my mom. The midwife came and checked me 2cm 75% effaced. She went home to prepare lunch for her kids and said she would be back after lunch to do a re-check. John finally made it home by 2pm and LaMonica (the midwife) had re-checked my progress. 4cm. I was instructed to walk around out back for an hour, then come back inside for a re-check. Still 4cm. LaMonica went home to get dinner on the table when she returned we thought for sure it was time... Nope. Around 12:30am LaMonica went home and advised us to call her if anything changed because she'd never had ANYONE go from 4cm to a baby in an hour so relax and get some sleep.

1:50ish am I asked John to help me into the bathroom because I absolutely had to pee and I couldn't get up! LOL!! Then the magic hour happened. 1:57am my water broke. John jumped into action and started filling the bathtub because I was in INTENSE pain. I told him that I needed push and wide eyed he said "DON'T PUSH'!! He left the room to call the midwife and my mom, and when he came back in... there was her head. Jozlyn Amelia Ancheta arrived at 2:00am, a mere three minutes after my water broke, I pushed two times. John was running around in a panic saying over and over "Where's the bulb syringe? Is she breathing?!? I need to suction her..." Quite funny actually in contrast to the complete calm I felt.

The boys slept through it all. When LaMonica arrived 7 minutes after Jozlyn arrived John cut the cord and we went through the normal process of measurements. Around 3am we climbed back into bed and slept comfortably. Home birth was AMAZING I wish we would've had the boys at home.



Jozlyn Amelia Ancheta
April 12, 2011
2am
7lbs 12oz
20" long


Sunday, April 3, 2011

Okay okay I know...

what's the latest news... where to start.

December 15th- fell down the stairs at home

January 20th- fell down Alex and Shanti's stairs on our last night visiting them

10 days later... I fell again this time I tripped over an animal while dealing with one of our goats

Ugh. Does that say it all? No well okay here we go.
This pregnancy has been amazing up until my 33rd week I didn't really feel pregnant, just tired. However, pre-term labor started (could've had something to do with the falls I had taken!) and I was put on bed rest.My first day on bed rest John came inside and said "I think the dogs got to Adam (a goat), he's just laying in the middle of the yard" I got out of bed to check, and John told me to just forget he said anything... um YEAH RIGHT! So I went out to check on our 6 month old buck only to discover that Adam was dead. With no stand out injuries the conclusion was the Hank had chased Adam until he had a heart attack which is pretty easy for purebred goats, they are very susceptible to stress, and Hank had some of Adams hair is his teeth. John buried Adam out in our arena.
Six days later I tried to get John's attention but saw him crouched down in one of the horse stalls, so I opened the door in or bedroom to yell out to him and instead he yelled to me... "I need help Bruno got kicked". Dread filled me and a I rushed outside John met me on the deck cradling my limp puppy in his arms. I knew instantly it was good. Sobs filled my throat, and tears started streaming down my face. I asked for a towel and wrapped my little guy up and carried him inside to my bathroom. William followed me, stood next to me trying to comfort me while gently petting Bruno. He didn't know it yet but Bruno had already passed before I even made it inside. All I could think to do was try to resuscitate him, as I was steadily rubbing his chest with one hand I cleared his nose with the other preparing to do mouth to puppy nose. Before I could Bruno started breathing again and he suddenly had a pulse. I was amazed and insisted on rushing him to the Vet ER. We called ahead so they'd be ready for us. By the time we arrived Bruno had started bleeding from his right ear, and they rushed him into the back critical care area. I wanted to speak with the vet about chances of recovery before I started charging his care on our credit card. The prognosis wasn't good. He had received a direct kick from one of the horses to his brain. A fluke accident, and now my pup (if he made it through) would be a vegetable. I made the choice to have him euthanized because what kind of life would he be leading as a vegetable. This puppy that just an hour before was running around happily playing didn't need to live any other way. So John, William and I (Luca was with my parents) gathered around Bruno and showed him much he was loved by us and in our hearts until long after his stopped beating. The vet was so kind and gave me an imprint of his paw and provided us with a cardboard coffin to take him home in. On our way home we picked up Luca, and went forward with a burial for Bruno in our front yard.
None of that was expected and just made the contractions worse. I was supposed to be on bed rest and stress free. But the stress didn't end there...

The German Shorthair Pointer rescue finally had an opening for Hank and arranged for us to drop him off a week after Bruno's death. I swear he knew he was about to head out so he got his licks in before he left by going after our other purebred registered Nigerian Dwarf Goat DeeDee. He bit her on her right hind leg. The next morning we loaded up and drove to drop off Hank, he scratched William across his cheek ...argh what next?! Two days later John reported that DeeDee's leg was slightly swollen, but he didn't think it was anything to worry about. Turns out it was. The next day John told me DeeDee couldn't use the leg at all. He brought her inside and I examined her, a diagnosis was made and John had his mission for the day. Well one of many actually...poor guy. WinCo, Church, Tractor Supply, and then home to prepare for Luca's 2nd birthday party (more about that later), then he had to bring in DeeDee so I could treat her for tetanus, and administer her first dose of Penicillin. Tetanus had already set in so she was quite stiff and unable to walk. As it was raining DeeDee became a house goat for a few days until she could at least walk around again. But now she's running around like a champ! Phew!

Now on to Luca's second birthday. We had a small party here at our house that John and Brent set up for AND prepared the yummy turkey with bacon croissant-whiches. Fortunately they took care of almost everything so I was still off my feet. They are one in a million or rather two in a million. I had planned on baking a cake myself for Luca's big day but I was having contractions and didn't get started in time... so enter my parents. They shot over to Costco and picked up a birthday cake with BALLOONS!!! Luca is a HUGE fan of balloons. Believe me you cannot take this child anywhere near a balloon without him screeching BALLOON!!!!!!!!! I'll post photos when I get a chance.


After the party... Back to bed rest until the 23rd...

While on bed rest I watched as the pounds packed on. So far I've gained 40lbs this pregnancy, and I'm so disappointed in myself. Had I not gotten injured I could've continued working with my trainer and I'm convinced I would've maintained my athletic appearance. I am beyond frustrated. And now not only has maintaining a slim physique alluded me but now stage two of labor has as well. ACK!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Luca is 2...

Today my baby turned 2 years old. I'm overwhelmed.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

A Real Effort...NOT!!

To William : "Can you tell your brother it's lunch time?"

William: (In almost a whisper) " Brother it's lunch time" then turns to me and says " I guess he doesn't want lunch Mommy"

HAHAHAHA!!!!!!

A new Addition

Meet Bruno...






He's some kind of a mix I picked up at our local animal shelter. Some of you may already know, but Baybee died September 30th and I was not coping well. The same day Baybee passed Westside German Shepherd Rescue contacted me about fostering a black shepherd puppy at another shelter. She was adopted and I was no longer needed to foster... although I really really was not in the right state of mind to be taking on a foster. So Westside waited until this past Saturday and called me about a dog they needed me to 'evaluate' at Kern County Animal Control. So I agreed, after all they only wanted me to 'evaluate' her. Well turns out KCAC didn't get that message and they were under the impression I was taking her on behalf of Westside...HA! The animal care worker brought her out and she was drenched from midline down to her paws in urine and had chunks of feces hanging from her long hair. It broke my heart to see her, she didn't even want to walk. Would you? When I approached to try to test her ( SAFER test is administered to be sure the dog will be safe around children or other animals) I started to gag because she smelled sooo bad! Of course I couldn't leave her there so I didn't put up much fuss when the rescue coordinator said she would be a few minutes while she finished up this poor dogs paperwork.

While I was waiting for her paperwork two ACW's were discussing this little dog in a carrier on the sink. ACW #1 " I just don't have the heart to do it" ACW # 2 " I know I don't either but we already gave him an extra day". So I turned another ACW (that I used to work with there at the shelter) and she said it was his pull day. If he didn't get adopted by the end of the day he would be put down. Now this little guy had already been neutered BUT had no adoption interest. He had actually been in a kennel with other puppies and he was the only one not adopted.He was moved into a carrier because there were more puppies coming in and given one more day. It broke my heart to hear this sweet boy would be put down simply because his time had run out. So I adopted him.

Here's something kinda funny... he arrived at the shelter on September 30th.

Yesterday was his first exam with our vet, and the poor little guy has an infection because his neuter was done too early and his living area was dirty (because ACW can't take the dogs out to go to the bathroom so they eliminate in the kennels/carriers). He also has a hole were his skull never finished forming... so not hitting this dog in the head please!

I keep seeking John's honest opinion about my new little man but he just says 'he's cute' or 'he really seems to love you'. I dunno I hope John isn't unhappy about our newest addition because I just adore him. He isn't a replacement for Baybee just a happy addition.



BTW the foster dog I took in had to be taken to the vet hospital in Malibu because she was sick. But fortunately she is doing well , and was actually walking around after I cleaned her up (it took me 3 hours to bathe her....blech!) If you'd like to adopt a GSD or donate to the cause visit sheprescue.org. Don't breed or buy while shelter animals die.

This is Garbo... such a sweet girl!