Let's Go RAMS!!!

We took Campbell to her third VCU Basketball game last night! The RAMS are playing for the WIN or the at least trying to win the College Basketball Invitational! The final is best out of 3, with the first game played at VCU and the other 2 played at St. Louis! We won the first game last night so hopefully just one more game and we will be the CBI Champs! The next game in on Wednesday night and you know that we or at least I will be watching since Brian has a softball game.

Campbell had a great time at the game again! She fell asleep for most of the second half and everyone sitting around us couldn't believe she was asleep! I think it is a good think that she can sleep through just about anything.

Also, if you could please keep our good friend Amy in your prayers, she is in the hospital with pneumonia until at least Thursday. We are taking dinner to her family tonight. If you could also keep Brian's grandfather in your prayers because he is also in the hospital.

Exersaucer

I know I have blogged about the exersaucer but Campbell loves this thing.

She loves to jump

inside

and

outside!

We can't wait for more warm days to spend outside in the exersaucer!

Grover Update

We got the blood work back today on Grover and he has Hypothyroidism! Which is basically a generalized metabolic disease resulting from deficiency of the thyroid hormones...so he thyroid doesn't work as well as it should! It could also explain his fur issues. Even though it is rare in young dogs it can occur in larger breeds in young dogs.

So he will take another new medicine for 3 weeks and then go back and have more blood work done to make sure the medicine is doing what needs to be done. Our poor dog is on 4 medicines or 9 pills a day....YIKES! I am just glad we got something figured out and that it is something we can treat! Also, the pills aren't that expensive so that is good news since he will likely be on them for the rest of this life!

Grover Update

So yesterday I took Grover back to the vet for a follow up with Dr. Kelly. After trying 3 different foods she has decided to give up on the food front for now, since he won't eat any of them. I had noticed this lump on Grover's back near his tail on Tuesday and it seemed to be sensitive, so I really went to have her check that out, turns out it was just a fatty pocket that no one had seen before.

She is running blood work on Grover that we should have back on Friday, blood work that cost $140!!! She wants to make sure he doesn't have a thyroid problem because he has this weird crease in his tail & thyroid dogs usually have a crease in their tails and carry their fatty pockets around their tails. So we shall see! I hope it is not his thyroid, but I hope we can figure something out. We know a couple who have a labradoodle who has a thyroid issue & is on crazy expensive medicine! After the blood work comes back our next step will be to see a doggie dermatologist! Let's hope that someone can figure out something soon!

Jessica & The Dress

This afternoon Campbell & I meet up with Jessica, her mom, Kim & Leslie to look at wedding dress and to try on a few bridesmaid dresses. We had a fun time and by the end of the afternoon Jessica had found a few dresses she liked for herself and a few dresses she liked for the maids! I was most grateful that she didn't make me try on any dresses...I have some serious weight to lose before her wedding in October!

Jessica looked beautiful in the two dresses that she liked the most. I know she is going to make a beautiful bride! I of course brought my camera so I could take a picture of Campbell with Jessica but it never made it out of my diaper bag, so no pictures maybe next time. Campbell was so good the entire time we were at the store, she just sat in her stroller and watched Jessica try on dresses! She even stuck her tongue out at the dress she liked most, which of course is a compliment from a 4 month old! (PS Jessica it was the second dress you tried on...haha!)

After dress shopping we headed out for dinner at the Olive Garden, Leslie joined us for drinks but then had to head home to pick up her boys. Don't worry I didn't have anything to drink...these days one tiny sip of alcohol makes my tipsy!! I had a great time at dinner, it was great to catch up with Jessica & to meet Kim. We had a blast & I hope to be able to meet the girls out again soon!

Thunderstorms & Exersaucer

We haven't been up doing to much so far this week! It was rainy & yucky yesterday and I figured out that Campbell can sleep through a thunderstorm...so that is good news! I also decided yesterday during her afternoon nap, which she has decided only need to be 45 minutes, that once she woke up after the first 45 minutes that I would & could let her cry it out. She cried for about 20 minutes and then went back to sleep for another 2 hours! It was great back to the way it used to be when she napped for 2.5 to 3 hours in the afternoon. So today when nap time came around she once again woke up after 45 minutes and this time only cried for 10 minutes before drifting back to the land of nod for another 1.5 hours!



Campbell has really started to like playing in her exersaucer, she can usually take about 20 minutes before she is ready to get out. That is nice because now she can something else she can do besides lie on her mat.





On the Grover front, we have returned our 3rd and final trial food to the vet for a credit on our account. He ate the new food for the first day and then would not pick up another piece. So we are going to keep him on the medicines and hopefully that will clear it up. We might try out some of our neighbors dog food which is supposed to help with skin issues and see if Grover will eat that. Something about our end of the block and doggies with allergies!

Post of Pictures

Here is what we have been doing!

Campbell & Grover

Campbell ready to go walking

Hanging Out on the Playmat!

Moving off the mat!

Loving the exersaucer!

Campbell learned how to put her paci in herself...even if it is upside down!

Hanging out on the mat!

It's A Walking Weather!

The second half of the week has been amazing weather wise. I am so excited that things are starting to warm up and Campbell, Grover & I can spend some time outside. Campbell didn't like the cold weather to much & every time we took her out she would start gasping, so we stayed inside much of the winter with quick trips in the car places and dashing in and out of stores but no walks around the neighborhood. But all that is about to change. I love being able to spend the evenings outside with our neighbors and friends. It is a great chance for us to catch up and for the kids to play and while Campbell can't play yet she loves to watch them play.

Yesterday we took 3 walks in one day, but hey what was I supposed to do Campbell has decided that she only needs 2- 1 hour naps a day...so we have lots of time to kill and walking works well for everyone! I am hoping to get lots of walks in this weekend, sometimes the walks even but the little lady to sleep, but recently she is to busy checking out what is going on.

She loves her exersaucer and can spend a good 20 minutes playing by herself and then she wants out. She has started spinning herself around and playing with the various toys, the best is when she gets something to make a noise and she just stares at it like how did I do that. She has also turned into quit the wiggle worm, when i put her down on the floor she is never in the same spot when I come back, don't worry I am not gone long & she within my view.

I have another call into the vet about Grover, who will still not eat his food. So hopefully we can figure something out. I think his fur is starting to come back, but if he doesn't start eating soon he will be a bean pole. When we went to the vet last time he was down to 100 lbs & they want him between 90-95 lbs but at this rate he will be 80 lbs! I read on a goldendoodle website that they often start having allergy problems after they turn 2, and we are fast approaching his 3rd birthday so we will see. Right now the poor guy is one 3 medicines twice a day, which means 10 pills a day. Hopefully we can figure something out so Brian doesn't have to "old yeller" him....just a joke!

A Lot Of Nothing!

We haven't really been up to much this week, which is fine by me! I am so glad it is getting nice outside so we can spend the afternoons outside on walks or just hanging out with the neighbors!

I am a slacker mom...i didn't even take a picture of Campbell on St. Patrick's Day, not that she was really dressed for the holiday. She just wore a little outfit that had some green on it!

Last night was great, I got out with the girls, for some dinner at Don Pepe! It was nice to just get out by myself and have some me time, even if I did stuff my face! I am so lucky to have such great neighbors and friends. We were talking about it last might that it is so hard to believe that we have almost all know each other and been living here for 5 years! It has flown by, Insley said last night 5 years & 5 babies! I couldn't imagine my life without them!

I will be sure to post some warm weather pictures later this week or weekend. It is supposed to be nice until late day Sunday!

My Funny Baby

Nothing warms my heart more than to watch Campbell! I love to watch her watch Grover, I wonder what she must be thinking as she watches this big white dog run around like a crazy man, she smiles, laughs and sometimes screams at him..is she saying stop running around me or run faster or teach me how to do those thing! I also love to watch her lounge...she sits in her bouncey seat and just lounges...we have to make sure to buckle her in or she might just end up on the floor! She is growing up so fast & if I could freeze time I would, but I also can't wait to see what is next for her.

Campbell Lounging



Campbell Reading





Campbell & Grover

Campbell's 4 Month Appointment

Just a quick update about Campbell's 4 month follow up appointment. She did fine with her 4 shots & 1 liquid shot. She was a little scared of Dr. S, just because she knows who is mommy and who is daddy and who is not. She weighs 14 lbs 14 oz and 25" long those measurements are all within the 75th percentile. She is doing just great! Dr. S also said we could start some food whenever we are ready...first rice cereal and then we could move on to veggies and fruits...so we will see. I might wait another couple of weeks and let her get better at sitting in her high chair before I try to feed her anything. I will be sure to take pictures though!

Our Big Bald Dog -Follow Up

Campbell & I took Grover to the vet yesterday and while the licking & itching of his balding spot has gotten better, he is still not better. His fur is falling out and breaks every time you pet him. I felt so sorry for the vet tech yesterday b/c he was a big white ball after he left our room. So we are on another new medicine, an anti-fungal, along with the 2 other medications he has been on and a fatty acid supplement. He is also (wait for it, wait for it) on a new food, that costs 3 times what he old food costs!!! JOY!!!!!!!!!!!! He is on a duck & potato diet for 8-12 weeks to see if that helps, if not I guess it is back to the drawing board.

Well this morning we our off to Campbell's 4 month check up so hopefully she will be just fine, well we know she is. Just a normal check up with some shots.

Our Big Bald Dog

Soon our big puppy dog is going to be a big bald puppy dog! He has been on medicine for his skin for close to 2 months & has had to take medicated baths but he still is losing all his fur. So I called today to make him a follow up appointment! Hopefully when we see Dr. Lauren on Monday she will be able to do something for him...she did mention last time that if we didn't see any improvement it might be time to look at his food...maybe a food allergy...GREAT! I really think I could make a dog with all the fur that is on the floor around the house...no matter how many times I vacuum there is also a pile of dog hair from my dog that wasn't really supposed to shed all that much...haha!

4 Months!

I know I say it every time I do one of these posts but time really does fly! It is so hard to believe that our little girls is already 4 months old and growing more and more every day. We will go to the doctor on Tuesday to get her official measurements and some more shots but I am guessing she weighs 15-16 pounds...but I could be way off.

Campbell at 4 months you are:


*wearing 3-6 or 6 month clothing
*taking 2 regular naps
*on a really good daytime schedule
*working on a night time schedule
*"talking" more and more everyday
*rolling over more and more
*you love to stand with mommy & daddy's help
*love to sit up in your bumbo chair or highchair
*started following Grover with your eyes

Campbell looks so funny in this picture!

She has discovered signs...we might be in trouble next month!

What In The World!

What is the world is going on with Campbell & her sleep...who knows! First we had a good 3 week period where she slept from about 9-5...lovely! Then we moved to sleeping from 7:00-1, getting up to eat, then back to sleep till 7. Then we added getting up at 4 to the mix. Then last night she went crazy...CRAZY!! She was up at 11, 1, 2, 5:30 & for the day at 6:30...what in the world!



So the plan for tonight...haha...there is no plan! I think we are going to try putting her down a little later...closer to 8 & then only feed her once during the night and let her work on crying it out the other 100 times she gets up! I don't want her to get hooked on being feed every time she gets up & the books I have read state that she should only need 1 nighttime feeding & should be dropping that within a month or two.

I was telling Brian the other night I don't think I have had a good nights sleep since before I got pregnant...I didn't sleep that well while I was pregnant & now I don't sleep either!