Goodbye 2005!

Friday, December 30, 2005

Oh what a year!
This year has most definitely been a trying year, full of ups and downs.
First off I want to thank Jewl for getting me into this whole Blogger world. I am now addicted and have passed the verge of being a complete computer geek! Thanks Jewl! LOL. I have fallen in love with the blogger world for so many reasons, but perhaps my favorite is that it has brought me closer to my SIL's. I think that Jewl and I have learned so much about each other this year and there is most definitely a very strong bond there now and I love that! The blog world has become a sort of web (thing spider web, not world wide web, oh wait...I guess they're pretty much the same right? I don't know...Anyway you get what I'm saying!) for me. Jewl started and I was reading her, then Kristen, then I finally started my own. Then I convinced Mary to start one and Mary's sis Nikki started one too and my best bud Michele started one for her new baby Xander, and best friend Ev even started one (although she's not very good at keeping it up, just too busy for the blog world right now. We'll work on a bi-monthly plan, lol.) And even Stacie, who thought she was computer illiterate, started a blog!

Most of all I want to thank all of my readers for helping me through the hardest point in my life thus far. I started this blog to keep family up to date once I found out I was pregnant. Not knowing, or even imagining, or believing that something would/could go horribly wrong and we would lose the baby. Those were indeed the hardest days of my life and the support unit that has become this blog and it's readers will forever deserve my undying gratitude.

Although nothing good can come from experiencing a miscarriage, it has brought me to realize what an incredibly strong, loving, wonderful, most perfect man I have married. Ian and I have learned so much about eachother and about our love and devotion to each other this year. There is truly nothing that can break this bond. I eternally grateful to him for everything that he has done for me and all the support that he offers me in everything I do. Through the miscarriage I saw a side of him that I will never forget and a love in his heart that will never die.

So as we move into a new year, with new beginnings, new goals and achievements, I say thank you. Thank you to all of my readers. To those of you who have been with me from the start, to those of you who have said prayers for me and my family in our times of need, for those of you who have thought of me and stopped to check in, and to all of you who have been so kind as to leave a comment, Thank you! From the bottom of my heart, from my family to yours, Thank you! And for those of you lurkers, and those who are just finding me, stay tuned...2006 is sure to be another rollercoaster year for us!

Happy New Year! Be safe, Be happy, and Be loved!Y

Kari daydreamed @ 10:12 PM
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A family of 10!

Thursday, December 29, 2005

Now that all is done, Patches had a total of 8 pups! 6 boys and only 2 girls! I can't believe it, all these puppies and only 2 of them are girls. Patches is doing well, and happy to be done with the whole labor thing. She officially started hard labor at 1am and didn't deliver the last pup until 10:30-11:00am! Poor thing :(
Anyway, she's happy as can be today and loving all her new pups. I got to spend the last 2 days with her and I'm really glad that I had this time with her. Ian and I are kind of sad, knowing that this will be her last litter. She just looks so happy when she has puppies. She truely loves them! I can remember my mom's dog having puppies and once they were weaned and running around on their own, she really didn't want anything to do with them, they were just another puppy, so to speak. Not with Patches. She loved her first litter every moment, up until they went to their new homes. She would play with them everyday and cuddle with them at every nap. Too sweet!

Nothing else new going on here. Just loving all the puppies and taking care of Patches.

Kari daydreamed @ 8:22 PM
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Kari daydreamed @ 3:16 PM
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Kari daydreamed @ 3:15 PM
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Kari daydreamed @ 3:14 PM
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Kari daydreamed @ 3:13 PM
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Proud Mama!

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Kari daydreamed @ 11:10 AM
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And then there were 8!

Kari daydreamed @ 10:59 AM
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That's my girl!

Yup, that's my girl crying uncontrolably by my bedside at 1am.
That's my girl giving birth to pup #1 at 2:30am
That's my girl with #2 at 3:15am
And that's my girl with a huge belly at 6:30am and no more babies coming out! I'm up calling our vet and the Vet ER at 6am wondering what the hell is going on, fearing for the pups and for Patches. They say to let her go for a while longer and we hang up. (BTW, the on-call vet was very nice @ 6am and really helped to calm me down)
7am-still just 2
7:30am- still just 2
I take a nap from 7:30 to 8:10am
8:10am - there's 5!!
I call Ian...
On the phone with Ian
8:15am- "Here comes #6!!!"

And here I sit next to my girl in the whelping box, still going!

I'll post pics when I can get her all cleaned up and sort through all these puppies!

Kari daydreamed @ 8:42 AM
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More Christmas Pics

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Here are some more pictures from Christmas...
No news on Patches yet. I think she might be having false labor. Can dogs get those braxton hicks contractions? She was definately having contractions last night and then was up at 4am having some bad ones again. Poor thing. I went to work this morning, not knowing what she was going to do, then came home on lunch and still nothing, then home again at 3pm and, yup, still nothing. She actually seems to be feeling a little bit better, even though she refuses to get out of bed unless she thinks Bruno is getting a treat.
Bruno's been running around since 4am with his tail wagging and all excited. I think he knows, lol. Not sure why he's all excited, seeing how Patches won't even let him come down the hallway, let alone see her. LOL she can be really mean to him sometimes.

So there she sits in her create, not wanting to come out, not wanting to eat. Just drinking and peeing then back to bed. She's not due until next week, so in human time she would be about a month early if she has them today...We'll see what happens. I have a feeling that I won't be getting any sleep tonight, lol.

Kari daydreamed @ 5:07 PM
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No more little boy :(

Kari daydreamed @ 5:03 PM
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Slinky hair

Kari daydreamed @ 4:58 PM
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Making a call to Santa to say thank you!

Kari daydreamed @ 4:55 PM
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Future gamers

Kari daydreamed @ 4:55 PM
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Me and Cole

Kari daydreamed @ 4:53 PM
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Uncle Ian and Cole

Kari daydreamed @ 4:52 PM
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Uncle Ian and Ryleigh

Kari daydreamed @ 4:51 PM
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It's starting all ready!

Monday, December 26, 2005

Patches isn't due until next Monday, but I'm pretty sure that she is starting contractions! She's been panting (sp?) on and off, and when she's laying here next to me she will just start shivering for no reason! Poor thing!

Hope everything goes ok...I'll keep you updated.

Kari daydreamed @ 10:38 PM
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Sunday, December 25, 2005

I heard this on the way home tonight and I really liked it so I thought I'd share it will all of you. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!
Nothing beats a Christmas started off with a phone call from a Marine over seas fighting for our freedom. We love you Keith! Merry Christmas, hurry home!

A Soldiers - Silent Night

Narrated by: Father Ted Burndt

It was the night before Christmas, he lived all alone
In a one bedroom house made of plaster and stone

I had come down the chimney with presents to give
And to see just who in this lulling did live

I looked all around, a strange site to see
No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree

No stockings on the mantle, just boots filled with sand
On the wall hung pictures of far distant lands

Medals and badges, awards of every kind
A sobering thought came alive in my mind

This house was different; it was dark and was dreary
I had found the home of a soldier; I could see that most clearly

The soldier lay sleeping silent, alone
Curled up on the floor of this one bedroom home

His face was so gentle, the room in such disorder
Not at all how I pictured a United States soldier

Was this the hero of whom I had just read
Curled up on a poncho the floor for a bed

Then I realized the other families that I saw this night
Owed their lives to soldiers who were willing to fight

In the morning, round the world children would play
Grownups would celebrate a bright Christmas day

They all enjoyed freedom each month of the year
Because of soldiers like the one lying here

I couldn't help but wonder how many lay alone
All Christmas Eve's in a lands far from home

The very thought brought a tear to my eye
I dropped to my knees, I started to cry

The soldier awakened and I heard his rough voice

"Santa don't cry, this life is my choice"

"I fight for freedom, they don't ask for more"
"My life is my God, my country, my corps"

The soldier rolled over and drifted to sleep
But I couldn't control it I continued to weep

I kept watch for hours, so silent and still
As both of us shivered from the cold nights chill

I didn’t want to leave him on that cold, dark, night
This guardian of honor, so willing to fight

Then the soldier rolled over with a voice soft and pure
He whispered, "Carry on Santa, its Christmas day, all is secure"

One look at my watch and I knew he was right
"Merry Christmas my friend, May God bless you this night"

Written by former Marine Corporal James M. Schmidt, in 1987.

Kari daydreamed @ 9:25 PM
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