Thursday, March 31, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Little Bean 15 Wks Update.
"Although many women don't start feeling the baby move until the 17th week (or later), your baby has been having his own party in the amniotic sac he calls home. If you feel a little flutter in your belly this week, don't discount it as gas or hunger. It could be your babe banging around. Here's more to look forward to:
Baby's head is now resting on his well-formed neck instead of directly on his shoulders like Igor. He's beginning to grow eyebrows and eyelashes this week. (All the better to give you that "Mom, you're crazy" look when he's a teenager.) The hair on the head also begins to grow and, with some creative styling, you'll be able to turn those locks into a Maddox Jolie-Pitt faux-hawk some day.
Although baby's eyes are sealed shut, he's now able to sense light. His eyes and ears finally look like real baby features now. As your baby practices sucking and swallowing actions, he may actually hiccup. You'll know he's had one too many shots of amniotic fluid by the steady thump-thump you feel.
Over the next month, baby will grow faster than ever, so make sure you load up on enough nutritious food and fluids to support his growth. Your baby now measures nearly 4 inches, about the size of a Kit Kat "finger" (regular-size, not the Big one you get at the movies), and weighs almost 2 ounces."
Willow needs some prayers today, I had to make a last-minute appointment at the vet for her this afternoon. Since we have fosters and Deacon is constantly feeding the dogs, I always watch them poop to make sure that things are firm and looking normal. I know, weird, but today it's a good thing I was watching! Willow had runny bloody poop so I'm taking her in to make sure things are normal. My poor princess!
Baby's head is now resting on his well-formed neck instead of directly on his shoulders like Igor. He's beginning to grow eyebrows and eyelashes this week. (All the better to give you that "Mom, you're crazy" look when he's a teenager.) The hair on the head also begins to grow and, with some creative styling, you'll be able to turn those locks into a Maddox Jolie-Pitt faux-hawk some day.
Although baby's eyes are sealed shut, he's now able to sense light. His eyes and ears finally look like real baby features now. As your baby practices sucking and swallowing actions, he may actually hiccup. You'll know he's had one too many shots of amniotic fluid by the steady thump-thump you feel.
Over the next month, baby will grow faster than ever, so make sure you load up on enough nutritious food and fluids to support his growth. Your baby now measures nearly 4 inches, about the size of a Kit Kat "finger" (regular-size, not the Big one you get at the movies), and weighs almost 2 ounces."
Willow needs some prayers today, I had to make a last-minute appointment at the vet for her this afternoon. Since we have fosters and Deacon is constantly feeding the dogs, I always watch them poop to make sure that things are firm and looking normal. I know, weird, but today it's a good thing I was watching! Willow had runny bloody poop so I'm taking her in to make sure things are normal. My poor princess!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
14 Week Update!
Ok so I realize that I'm closer to 15 weeks now, but better late than never, right? I had my 14 week check-up on Tuesday and everything looks great! Little Bean's heartbeat was going strong and he/she was moving around like usual. I know they say you're not supposed to feel the baby moving until 17-22 weeks, but I felt Deacon around 16 weeks and I swear I already feel this baby! No kicking or anything, but there is definitely something going on in there that is not just gas. I also found out that we will have another ultrasound on April 19th and should be able to see if we are having a boy or a girl! I'm so excited, I didn't think it would be until the first week of May, but now I'll be able to go shopping for the new baby in NC when we go visit for Easter. :) Here's what's going on with Little Bean this week!
Think of it this way: You're a third of the way through and baby's a third of the way cooked. Now that the "big stuff" (like skeletal and organ development) is taken care of, your baby starts a period of rapid brain growth, fat buildup and detail work. Highlights this week include:
Your baby now has fingerprints! Book 'em, Danno! Believe it or not, he actually created them himself while swimming around in the amniotic fluid. As he moved his hands, the skin on the tips of his fingers formed unique ridges and folds. That's why no one on earth has the same fingerprints, not even identical twins! Cool, right? Baby's arms are now in proportion to his tiny body, but his legs are still on the short size in comparison.
Meconium, that tar-like, sticky first baby poop, is now loading up your baby's intestines, which means you might want to set aside a bottle of olive oil, one of the few things that will get the gooey poop off of baby's bottom.
Your baby continues to gain new and impressive skills such as practicing and controlling voluntary muscle movements (this will help him fling food across the room later in life). Your tiny dancer's movements are no longer the jerky, uncontrollable twitches of yore—he now moves with graceful control.
Your baby is now weighs about an ounce and is the length of a flip phone, or roughly 3.5 inches—he's tripled in size from a mere three weeks ago! Luckily, you haven't done the same.
There have been some major differences between this pregnancy and my last one, I'm not exactly sure what that means though everyone else seems to think I'm having a girl. I guess we'll find out soon enough. Here are some differences I've seen so far...
Deacon: I only had morning sickness for about 4 weeks, and only on the mornings that I would have to get up to work at 5:30. After I was up and moving, things were fine and I never really had any nausea.
Little Bean: My nausea has been HORRIBLE and I still have a couple days a week that it knocks me on my butt. I knew I was pregnant before I was even far enough along to test because I was nauseous all hours of the day. At 4 weeks I started throwing up at least once a day, most days it was more like 4-5 times. Talk about miserable! I have to eat constantly to keep from vomiting, and though it's gotten better I'm still not feeling 100%. Soon I hope?
Deacon: I couldn't even look at a jar of mayonnaise or anything with a thick white consistency like ranch or sour cream.
Little Bean: I put ranch on EVERYTHING!
Deacon: Mexican food of any kind completely turned me off. When we lived with Scott's parents they would always have chips with hot sauce and fajitas at least once a week and I dreaded it. I wanted nothing to do with anything spicy or related to Mexican food at all.
Little Bean: Bring on the burritos! For 4 straight weeks all I wanted at 10:30 every morning were 2 beef and bean burritos with cheese on top. I love chips and hot sauce this time and just polished off a whole jar of salsa yesterday, I'm going to have to go to the store tonight and get some more! I've been craving quesadillas, burritos, fajitas, queso, and tacos every day. YUM!
Deacon: Sweet foods were not appealing at all. I didn't want candy, cookies, cake, brownies, nothing sweet at all.
Little Bean: Well, let's just say that sour patch kids, reese's peanut butter cups, chocolate chip cookies, and M&Ms have been high on my priority list. The other day I was having a midnight munch session with a bag of peanut butter M&Ms and accidentally left them on my night stand the next morning. I used the bathroom and left Deacon out roaming, well of course he found my M&Ms and had red, green, and blue drool running down his face and chest when I found him. Silly boy!
Think of it this way: You're a third of the way through and baby's a third of the way cooked. Now that the "big stuff" (like skeletal and organ development) is taken care of, your baby starts a period of rapid brain growth, fat buildup and detail work. Highlights this week include:
Your baby now has fingerprints! Book 'em, Danno! Believe it or not, he actually created them himself while swimming around in the amniotic fluid. As he moved his hands, the skin on the tips of his fingers formed unique ridges and folds. That's why no one on earth has the same fingerprints, not even identical twins! Cool, right? Baby's arms are now in proportion to his tiny body, but his legs are still on the short size in comparison.
Meconium, that tar-like, sticky first baby poop, is now loading up your baby's intestines, which means you might want to set aside a bottle of olive oil, one of the few things that will get the gooey poop off of baby's bottom.
Your baby continues to gain new and impressive skills such as practicing and controlling voluntary muscle movements (this will help him fling food across the room later in life). Your tiny dancer's movements are no longer the jerky, uncontrollable twitches of yore—he now moves with graceful control.
Your baby is now weighs about an ounce and is the length of a flip phone, or roughly 3.5 inches—he's tripled in size from a mere three weeks ago! Luckily, you haven't done the same.
There have been some major differences between this pregnancy and my last one, I'm not exactly sure what that means though everyone else seems to think I'm having a girl. I guess we'll find out soon enough. Here are some differences I've seen so far...
Deacon: I only had morning sickness for about 4 weeks, and only on the mornings that I would have to get up to work at 5:30. After I was up and moving, things were fine and I never really had any nausea.
Little Bean: My nausea has been HORRIBLE and I still have a couple days a week that it knocks me on my butt. I knew I was pregnant before I was even far enough along to test because I was nauseous all hours of the day. At 4 weeks I started throwing up at least once a day, most days it was more like 4-5 times. Talk about miserable! I have to eat constantly to keep from vomiting, and though it's gotten better I'm still not feeling 100%. Soon I hope?
Deacon: I couldn't even look at a jar of mayonnaise or anything with a thick white consistency like ranch or sour cream.
Little Bean: I put ranch on EVERYTHING!
Deacon: Mexican food of any kind completely turned me off. When we lived with Scott's parents they would always have chips with hot sauce and fajitas at least once a week and I dreaded it. I wanted nothing to do with anything spicy or related to Mexican food at all.
Little Bean: Bring on the burritos! For 4 straight weeks all I wanted at 10:30 every morning were 2 beef and bean burritos with cheese on top. I love chips and hot sauce this time and just polished off a whole jar of salsa yesterday, I'm going to have to go to the store tonight and get some more! I've been craving quesadillas, burritos, fajitas, queso, and tacos every day. YUM!
Deacon: Sweet foods were not appealing at all. I didn't want candy, cookies, cake, brownies, nothing sweet at all.
Little Bean: Well, let's just say that sour patch kids, reese's peanut butter cups, chocolate chip cookies, and M&Ms have been high on my priority list. The other day I was having a midnight munch session with a bag of peanut butter M&Ms and accidentally left them on my night stand the next morning. I used the bathroom and left Deacon out roaming, well of course he found my M&Ms and had red, green, and blue drool running down his face and chest when I found him. Silly boy!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Farewell Hubble Bubble.
Yesterday we said goodbye to Hubble, one of the best dogs I've ever met. He was such a sweet boy, had a zest for life, and loved our family unconditionally. Hubble was our first taste of fostering, and the reason we fell in love with helping these dogs find their way after having a rough past. He changed Scott and myself for the better and showed us how to love and let go. Hubble knew how much he was loved and I was so blessed to be able to hold his paw as he drifted off to sleep, never to know the pain of this world again.
You will forever be missed Hubble Bubble and never forgotten. Your Auntie Maggie loved you so much in the eight months you were with us, though it wasn't nearly enough. Run free now sweet boy, and tell Cobb that his Mama loves and misses him every day. I know I'll see you again one day, I'll meet you on the other side. :)
You will forever be missed Hubble Bubble and never forgotten. Your Auntie Maggie loved you so much in the eight months you were with us, though it wasn't nearly enough. Run free now sweet boy, and tell Cobb that his Mama loves and misses him every day. I know I'll see you again one day, I'll meet you on the other side. :)
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Diamond's Adoption Profile
Hi, my name is Diamond, it's a pleasure to meet you! I'm an all natural girl who loves life and everything about it, especially since I'm out of that yucky shelter now. It was scary in there and I didn't have anyone to play with, but now that I'm in my foster home I'm much happier! There are other dogs here and a toddler who is super cute, I like to follow him around and play with his toys. I'm very gentle when we play together and take treats ever so softly from him when he decides to sneak me a pretzel or two. I don't even mind if he grabs my long tail! I would really like to have a skin brother or sister in my forever home, especially if they want to take part in my training and teach me lots of fun tricks.
I'm a special girl, you see I'm deaf and can't hear you when you talk like most dogs. That's okay though, my foster mom says that makes me unique! And if that wasn't enough I've got a long tail, hazel eyes, and light brown spots all over my body. Mom tells me I'm beautiful and that I shine when I walk. I've got long lanky legs and when I play with the other dogs and run around the backyard I look like a ballerina!
I get really nervous when I'm alone and will need a fur brother in my forever home so that he can show me the rules and what is safe. I'm not afraid of new people, new dogs, or new situations, I'm just a social girl who likes to have company all the time! Even though I'm house trained and crate trained I really don't like my crate at all. I scream and cry in my crate if I know that you're home, so apartments won't be a good fit for a girl like me. My most ideal forever home would be one where I have someone home with me a lot, I really don't like to be locked up but I'm still too much of a puppy to be left out of my crate for a long time. I'll get better as I mature, but for right now that's what would make me happiest, you'll love my smile! :) My foster family lets me sleep in bed with them, you see I need to sleep touching someone so that I know when something is wrong and when it's time for me to wake up. I sleep with my head on or next to my foster Mom every night, I like to feel her breathe so I know she's okay. Even when it's day time, I'm never far away from my people because I like to make sure I can see them in case they want me to do something or go somewhere. When we snuggle on the couch, I always like to sit in someone's lap so that I can be close to everyone. I'd love to snuggle with you too!
Since I'm a special deaf girl, I'll need someone who has Boxer experience and is willing to work with me and teach me new signs. I know a couple already and am learning more each day, but I'd love to know more! My foster mom has been spending lots of time with me showing me the signs for good girl, come, sit, water, food, outside, inside, leave it, and drop it. I'm a very smart girl who soaks up every bit of attention I can get, and I know to watch my Mama so I can figure out what she's asking me to do. All I want to do is please her and be a good girl, she tells people all the time how rewarding it is to have a deaf dog in the family. She would be happy to answer any questions you have too!
I'm a healthy girl and am all ready for adoption, so if you think you'd like a Diamond like me in your life give my foster Mom a call and I'll come over for a playdate! Hope to see you soon, it was wonderful meeting you. Have a wonderful day, I know I will!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Oh Monday...
I realize that I've yet again let my blog go for a full week, I honestly don't know where this last week has gone, we have been beyond busy. Every day something was going on, I don't think I got to sit down and breathe for more than 15 minutes at a time all week.
First thing's first, as of yesterday I'm 13 weeks pregnant and one week closer to being in my second trimester! I felt the best I have the whole pregnancy this past weekend, and then of course this morning the sickness came back with a vengeance. Thank you Monday. I'm so tired of throwing up and feeling nauseous, if I don't constantly have food in my stomach I'm puking, I can't wait for this part of the pregnancy to be over. Everyone keeps tell me that it means I'm having a girl, which would be wonderful, but I'm not holding my breath. There hasn't been a girl born into the Hensley side of the family in over 80 years, we're all married in, so if this baby turns out to be a girl it will literally be a miracle! The Chinese gender calendar says to expect a girl, and it was right about Deacon, but I'm not quite sure how much I believe in all that. Guess we'll have to see what happens in another 7 weeks, we find out the first week of May what we're having. Yay! Here's the weekly update on what's going on with Little Bean. :)
"Your baby can make a fist and even suck his or her thumb this week—both skills that are über-cute during infancy ... and not so much at the age of 9. If you're really lucky, you might catch a glimpse of baby's thumb sucking on an ultrasound photo. That's a framer! Other exciting developments include: Your baby's eyelids are fused shut to protect his eyes as they develop. His bones and skull are solidifying and soon itsy-bitsy ribs may appear. (Baby ribs! How cute is that?!) Baby's intestines are finally right where you want them—in his or her belly instead of poking out into the umbilical cord. Baby's tooth sockets are all loaded and ready to pop out baby teeth six or seven months after baby is born (causing baby a lot of pain and you a lot of lost sleep). Who's that singing? Elton John? Could be your baby: His vocal cords and larynx are completed now. Your baby-to-be now weighs about 20 grams and is nearly 3 inches long, or about the size of a Nutter Butter, covered in chocolate. OK, it doesn't have to be covered in chocolate, but isn't everything better that way?"
A week ago we had a litter of puppies born into the Boxer rescue, I was lucky enough to be able to help with the birth and am SO in love with these little guys. The white male with a brown spot on the back of his head will be our foster baby in about 7 more weeks once he's old enough to leave his Mama. The puppies have a theme to their names, the Mom's name is Sushi, the white female's name is Tuna Roll, the fawn male's name is Maki, and my sweet little white boy's name is Sake. Willow went to spend the weekend at Aunt Kathy's to have a "princess vacation" and get away from her brother for a little bit, so we took Deacon with us to pick her up last night and see the puppies. Here is my favorite picture of him and Sake, Deacon kept giving him kisses and patting him on the head, it was precious! Can you tell I'm just slightly smitten with this little puppy? :)
This past Saturday morning Spruce started his first of six weeks at a training class for adolescent puppies. I can't exactly say that it was the most positive of experiences, but I know he will get better as time goes on. I feel terrible because I set him up for disaster this first class and am still kicking myself for it. We went out on Friday night with a group of friends for our birthdays and didn't get back until really late, so the dogs were crated for about 8 hours the night before the class. Then we got home, went to bed, and woke up the next morning to head straight to the class. If you know anything about Boxers, they NEED exercise and are badly behaved if they don't get it because all of that energy is pent up and I know Spruce had too much built up that morning to focus and concentrate on anything other than playing with the other dogs. I also forgot his gentle leader, and he's a BAD puller on the leash so all he did was drag me all over the place the whole morning. The only thing that makes me feel better about the situation is that he does know the commands that she was teaching, so hopefully next week we can exercise him really well before the class and have a more positive experience for him. Poor Spruce, he's such a good boy, just needs some training and self-control. Before we adopted him, all he knew for the first 10 months of his life was a backyard, so nobody has ever spent any time with him and showed him how to be a good dog. He'll get there, it's just going to take a lot of work and consistency from Scott and me.
Yesterday morning I took our Boxer foster Diamond to the Dallas Stars hockey game where they were having a huge rescue event before the game to raise money and awareness for rescue dogs in the Dallas area. It was a really fun event and Diamond was very well behaved, she had a lot of admirers and was so sweet to everyone she met. I love talking to people about deaf dogs and how rewarding it is to have them as a part of your life. If she wasn't a girl I would absolutely do whatever it takes to keep her, she's just the sweetest little girl and SO smart. When she first came to us she knew absolutely no signs, and now I can incorporate about a dozen different ones into our daily life and she responds to them. Diamond wants to please us so badly and soaks up every bit of attention she gets, I can't wait to meet her forever family, they will be so incredibly lucky to call my girl their own for the rest of her precious little life. Here is a funny picture of her from yesterday's event, she kept jumping into my chair and sitting up like a person, it was hilarious!
My nakey boy Knight is at the vet today getting his second dose of Promeris for his mange, please keep him in your prayers over the next couple of days as he recovers from the medication. It makes him loopy, cranky, and it's pretty painful. The last dose he had two weeks ago was heartbreaking, he just wanted to hide in a corner of the kitchen in a dog bed where nobody could get to him so he could sleep for two days. His skin is much better this time around and he's sprouting lots of hair, so hopefully since his condition is improving it won't be as traumatic this time. I took this picture of him yesterday, you can see the hair on his chest that is new as of last week. It's been very rewarding to see him heal and progress through this terrible and completely preventable condition.
Deacon is such a fun little boy, I absolutely love being his Mom. We have so much fun together playing with blocks, cars, puzzles, riding in the wagon, and going to the park when the weather is nice. He loves Chik-Fil-A so we try to go once a week and take it to the park and have a picnic and play on the slide. Every day he looks bigger and more like a little boy, he's a such a fun age but at the same time I miss him being my itty bitty baby that would snuggle with me. He's not much of a cuddler, but gives the best hugs and has started blowing kisses. He knows where his eyes, ears, nose, tongue, toes, and belly are, it's always hilarious to see him lift up his shirt to complete strangers to show them where his belly button is. :) Deacon says Mama, Dada, Woo (Willow), ni-night, baby, tickle tickle, and when you ask what a puppy says he will yell "BOO-WOO-WOO!" I signed him up for pre-school last week, starting in September he will be in a class Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-2. I struggled with whether or not to send him for a while, but after seeing him interact with other kids and how much fun he has playing with people other than me (haha) I knew he would really enjoy it. I think it will be nice to have two days a week to spend with Little Bean too so I can have a little bit of a break. The timing should work out nicely when he starts, once his little brother or sister is born he will have a week or two to spend with family that will come visit and then school will start, so hopefully he will feel included and it can just be a big ole party for my Deac-man. :)
First thing's first, as of yesterday I'm 13 weeks pregnant and one week closer to being in my second trimester! I felt the best I have the whole pregnancy this past weekend, and then of course this morning the sickness came back with a vengeance. Thank you Monday. I'm so tired of throwing up and feeling nauseous, if I don't constantly have food in my stomach I'm puking, I can't wait for this part of the pregnancy to be over. Everyone keeps tell me that it means I'm having a girl, which would be wonderful, but I'm not holding my breath. There hasn't been a girl born into the Hensley side of the family in over 80 years, we're all married in, so if this baby turns out to be a girl it will literally be a miracle! The Chinese gender calendar says to expect a girl, and it was right about Deacon, but I'm not quite sure how much I believe in all that. Guess we'll have to see what happens in another 7 weeks, we find out the first week of May what we're having. Yay! Here's the weekly update on what's going on with Little Bean. :)
"Your baby can make a fist and even suck his or her thumb this week—both skills that are über-cute during infancy ... and not so much at the age of 9. If you're really lucky, you might catch a glimpse of baby's thumb sucking on an ultrasound photo. That's a framer! Other exciting developments include: Your baby's eyelids are fused shut to protect his eyes as they develop. His bones and skull are solidifying and soon itsy-bitsy ribs may appear. (Baby ribs! How cute is that?!) Baby's intestines are finally right where you want them—in his or her belly instead of poking out into the umbilical cord. Baby's tooth sockets are all loaded and ready to pop out baby teeth six or seven months after baby is born (causing baby a lot of pain and you a lot of lost sleep). Who's that singing? Elton John? Could be your baby: His vocal cords and larynx are completed now. Your baby-to-be now weighs about 20 grams and is nearly 3 inches long, or about the size of a Nutter Butter, covered in chocolate. OK, it doesn't have to be covered in chocolate, but isn't everything better that way?"
A week ago we had a litter of puppies born into the Boxer rescue, I was lucky enough to be able to help with the birth and am SO in love with these little guys. The white male with a brown spot on the back of his head will be our foster baby in about 7 more weeks once he's old enough to leave his Mama. The puppies have a theme to their names, the Mom's name is Sushi, the white female's name is Tuna Roll, the fawn male's name is Maki, and my sweet little white boy's name is Sake. Willow went to spend the weekend at Aunt Kathy's to have a "princess vacation" and get away from her brother for a little bit, so we took Deacon with us to pick her up last night and see the puppies. Here is my favorite picture of him and Sake, Deacon kept giving him kisses and patting him on the head, it was precious! Can you tell I'm just slightly smitten with this little puppy? :)
This past Saturday morning Spruce started his first of six weeks at a training class for adolescent puppies. I can't exactly say that it was the most positive of experiences, but I know he will get better as time goes on. I feel terrible because I set him up for disaster this first class and am still kicking myself for it. We went out on Friday night with a group of friends for our birthdays and didn't get back until really late, so the dogs were crated for about 8 hours the night before the class. Then we got home, went to bed, and woke up the next morning to head straight to the class. If you know anything about Boxers, they NEED exercise and are badly behaved if they don't get it because all of that energy is pent up and I know Spruce had too much built up that morning to focus and concentrate on anything other than playing with the other dogs. I also forgot his gentle leader, and he's a BAD puller on the leash so all he did was drag me all over the place the whole morning. The only thing that makes me feel better about the situation is that he does know the commands that she was teaching, so hopefully next week we can exercise him really well before the class and have a more positive experience for him. Poor Spruce, he's such a good boy, just needs some training and self-control. Before we adopted him, all he knew for the first 10 months of his life was a backyard, so nobody has ever spent any time with him and showed him how to be a good dog. He'll get there, it's just going to take a lot of work and consistency from Scott and me.
Yesterday morning I took our Boxer foster Diamond to the Dallas Stars hockey game where they were having a huge rescue event before the game to raise money and awareness for rescue dogs in the Dallas area. It was a really fun event and Diamond was very well behaved, she had a lot of admirers and was so sweet to everyone she met. I love talking to people about deaf dogs and how rewarding it is to have them as a part of your life. If she wasn't a girl I would absolutely do whatever it takes to keep her, she's just the sweetest little girl and SO smart. When she first came to us she knew absolutely no signs, and now I can incorporate about a dozen different ones into our daily life and she responds to them. Diamond wants to please us so badly and soaks up every bit of attention she gets, I can't wait to meet her forever family, they will be so incredibly lucky to call my girl their own for the rest of her precious little life. Here is a funny picture of her from yesterday's event, she kept jumping into my chair and sitting up like a person, it was hilarious!
My nakey boy Knight is at the vet today getting his second dose of Promeris for his mange, please keep him in your prayers over the next couple of days as he recovers from the medication. It makes him loopy, cranky, and it's pretty painful. The last dose he had two weeks ago was heartbreaking, he just wanted to hide in a corner of the kitchen in a dog bed where nobody could get to him so he could sleep for two days. His skin is much better this time around and he's sprouting lots of hair, so hopefully since his condition is improving it won't be as traumatic this time. I took this picture of him yesterday, you can see the hair on his chest that is new as of last week. It's been very rewarding to see him heal and progress through this terrible and completely preventable condition.
Deacon is such a fun little boy, I absolutely love being his Mom. We have so much fun together playing with blocks, cars, puzzles, riding in the wagon, and going to the park when the weather is nice. He loves Chik-Fil-A so we try to go once a week and take it to the park and have a picnic and play on the slide. Every day he looks bigger and more like a little boy, he's a such a fun age but at the same time I miss him being my itty bitty baby that would snuggle with me. He's not much of a cuddler, but gives the best hugs and has started blowing kisses. He knows where his eyes, ears, nose, tongue, toes, and belly are, it's always hilarious to see him lift up his shirt to complete strangers to show them where his belly button is. :) Deacon says Mama, Dada, Woo (Willow), ni-night, baby, tickle tickle, and when you ask what a puppy says he will yell "BOO-WOO-WOO!" I signed him up for pre-school last week, starting in September he will be in a class Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-2. I struggled with whether or not to send him for a while, but after seeing him interact with other kids and how much fun he has playing with people other than me (haha) I knew he would really enjoy it. I think it will be nice to have two days a week to spend with Little Bean too so I can have a little bit of a break. The timing should work out nicely when he starts, once his little brother or sister is born he will have a week or two to spend with family that will come visit and then school will start, so hopefully he will feel included and it can just be a big ole party for my Deac-man. :)
Monday, March 7, 2011
Big News at the Hensley House!
As some of you already know, we are expecting another baby this September! I'm 12 weeks right now and still feeling really sick, but I'm hoping that things will start to get better in the next few weeks. I went to my OB a few weeks ago and everything looks great with our Little Bean, the heart rate was 178 and the baby was wiggling around and being feisty just as I expected. We should find out in late April or early May whether we are having a girl or boy, I can't wait to start preparing for this little one. My actual due date is September 18th, but since I had a c-section with Deacon we decided that it was the safest option to deliver this baby the same way, so I will actually have him or her a week or two before my due date. I can't wait! :) Here is our sonogram picture along with my belly as of this morning. I always get weekly updates regarding what's going on with Little Bean right now, so I thought I'd share what our little one is going through this week!
Baby's face is looking more human as his eyes have moved to the front of his head and his ears are in place. Hooray! Other amazing fetal highlights this week: Your baby is able to swallow this week and practices on the amniotic fluid he or she floats in. (And you thought baby food was kind of nasty!) And in case you're wondering how your kid can breathe in all that fluid, here's your answer: Fetuses get oxygen from the blood pumped into their bodies by the placenta and don't breathe with their lungs. Mystery solved! This is kind of gross, albeit fascinating, so feel free to skip ahead: Your baby's intestines are well under way, but they aren't all where you'd expect them to be. Instead of all being locked away in the body cavity, some are dangling on the outside, in the umbilical cord. Ewwww. Don't forget to put a baby nail file on your registry—your little nugget's finger- and toenails are forming this week. The chin and nose are also becoming more defined. Junior has doubled in size over the past two weeks and now weighs almost ½ ounce. He's also now around 2 ½ inches long, about the length of your pinky finger or a Vienna sausage, which, in a few months, will be indistinguishable from one another.
Right now we have two foster babies, Diamond and Knight. Diamond is our Boxer foster, she's a young white girl who is deaf and also has a natural tail. For those of you who didn't know, Boxers are born with long tails and have them docked at 2-3 days old. Many times when a Boxer's tail is left long they hit it on doors, walls, furniture, and other things that cause it to break open and bleed so it has to be amputated eventually anyway. It's much more humane to dock the tail right after birth than when the dog is older, kind of like circumcision. (I know, gross!). Diamond and I are working on learning some new hand signals, so far she knows little to nothing but is soaking everything in little by little. She's absolutely gorgeous and I know someone is going to fall in love with her quickly, but I'm hoping for an experienced owner who works from home and will have lots of time to teach her new signs and give her lots of snuggles. Here she is with Scott last night, I think he likes her, don't you? :)
Knight is our Boston Terrier foster, though he's mixed with another breed of some kind. A couple weeks ago I got a phone call about a puppy in Oklahoma with mange that needed a foster home, so of course I scooped him right up. When he first came to us he was naked, smelly, his skin was infected, and he literally felt like a rubber tire to the touch. Poor guy was in SO much pain and didn't want you to even think about touching him, but after two weeks of treatment and special baths he's starting to make a come-back. There is new hair sprouting out of his chest and front legs and he's wanting to play and snuggle with our other dogs. Unfortunately the stink is still present, but once his skin starts to heal and the infection gets under control that will go away too. We should have Knight for another couple of months, but eventually he will be healthy and ready to find a new home just like all of our other fosters! :)
Now that we have Little Bean on the way, I have every intention of keeping this thing updated regularly so I can remember this pregnancy. I so regret not keeping a blog while I was pregnant with Deacon, but I won't make the same mistake with this baby. Stay tuned for lots of exciting things going on here at the Hensley House!
Baby's face is looking more human as his eyes have moved to the front of his head and his ears are in place. Hooray! Other amazing fetal highlights this week: Your baby is able to swallow this week and practices on the amniotic fluid he or she floats in. (And you thought baby food was kind of nasty!) And in case you're wondering how your kid can breathe in all that fluid, here's your answer: Fetuses get oxygen from the blood pumped into their bodies by the placenta and don't breathe with their lungs. Mystery solved! This is kind of gross, albeit fascinating, so feel free to skip ahead: Your baby's intestines are well under way, but they aren't all where you'd expect them to be. Instead of all being locked away in the body cavity, some are dangling on the outside, in the umbilical cord. Ewwww. Don't forget to put a baby nail file on your registry—your little nugget's finger- and toenails are forming this week. The chin and nose are also becoming more defined. Junior has doubled in size over the past two weeks and now weighs almost ½ ounce. He's also now around 2 ½ inches long, about the length of your pinky finger or a Vienna sausage, which, in a few months, will be indistinguishable from one another.
Right now we have two foster babies, Diamond and Knight. Diamond is our Boxer foster, she's a young white girl who is deaf and also has a natural tail. For those of you who didn't know, Boxers are born with long tails and have them docked at 2-3 days old. Many times when a Boxer's tail is left long they hit it on doors, walls, furniture, and other things that cause it to break open and bleed so it has to be amputated eventually anyway. It's much more humane to dock the tail right after birth than when the dog is older, kind of like circumcision. (I know, gross!). Diamond and I are working on learning some new hand signals, so far she knows little to nothing but is soaking everything in little by little. She's absolutely gorgeous and I know someone is going to fall in love with her quickly, but I'm hoping for an experienced owner who works from home and will have lots of time to teach her new signs and give her lots of snuggles. Here she is with Scott last night, I think he likes her, don't you? :)
Knight is our Boston Terrier foster, though he's mixed with another breed of some kind. A couple weeks ago I got a phone call about a puppy in Oklahoma with mange that needed a foster home, so of course I scooped him right up. When he first came to us he was naked, smelly, his skin was infected, and he literally felt like a rubber tire to the touch. Poor guy was in SO much pain and didn't want you to even think about touching him, but after two weeks of treatment and special baths he's starting to make a come-back. There is new hair sprouting out of his chest and front legs and he's wanting to play and snuggle with our other dogs. Unfortunately the stink is still present, but once his skin starts to heal and the infection gets under control that will go away too. We should have Knight for another couple of months, but eventually he will be healthy and ready to find a new home just like all of our other fosters! :)
Now that we have Little Bean on the way, I have every intention of keeping this thing updated regularly so I can remember this pregnancy. I so regret not keeping a blog while I was pregnant with Deacon, but I won't make the same mistake with this baby. Stay tuned for lots of exciting things going on here at the Hensley House!
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