Miss D went for her One Year Old checkup today. She is at the 90th percentile in height, 57th in weight, and 99th in head circumference. Dr. C said that if she stays on this path until she is three, she's going to be at least five foot ten. (This is entirely within reason, as her mother is five nine, and her aunt on her dad's side is about five ten.) When her mom texted me the data I responded, "Olympic volleyball here we come!" She's going to follow in the footsteps of Gabrielle Reece. She's already showing signs of being very physical and very determined. (We are kidding about the Olympics, of course. She will not be pushed to be anybody's little superstar. But her dad played basketball and her mom swam, so some sort of sports involvement is a given.)
She was once again declared "Fabulous," and Dr. C had some advice about naps and getting her to sleep with less drama. She hates to stop what she's doing until she's exhausted, but this is better now that she is on her feet and busier when awake. Naps are becoming more welcome, instead of a hated intrusion. Being One is more exhausting than being a little baby, you know, and a girl needs her beauty sleep.
Murphy is going to be thrilled, because he's spending a long weekend at their house. I've decided to take just one dog to AVL, and Sophie is Supergirl's BFF. Murphy will be ecstatic to be at his old house with his buddies Layla and Dudley, and of course Miss D, so he'll get his own vacation too. Miss D likes him. Supergirl honestly can take him or leave him (and her parents feel the same way). She'll ask where he is, but when told that he's spending the weekend with her aunt and his doggy friends, she'll be cool with that.
He's getting old, dear Readers. He is three years into a disease that has few survivors past year two. He's not slowing down, he is feisty as hell, happy and full of attitude, and still looks younger than his years, but he's just about down to skin and bones, and travel and a disrupted schedule is hard on him. This will be a fast trip - two days on the road and two days in AVL, in a totally strange place, and the excitement would be hard on him. He'd LOVE it, I know, but he'd suffer for it. We have achieved a certain amount of Pooping Stability lately, but it's fragile.
I'd rather leave him here with my daughter and the vet's office that has cared for him all his life, than drag him on a short, hard, road trip. The excitement of going back to his old house/yard and hanging with his dog pals will be enough, but the vet that knows him best is ten minutes away. If he has Issues, my daughter can call the vet and if needed, they can keep him for a day or two and take care of him. He is High Maintenance, and I'm already feeling guilty about leaving him behind, but it's this or I won't get to AVL until who-knows-when.
It's all so damn complicated. I wish I could be one of those people who just leaves the dog at a kennel and goes about my business, but I'm just NOT. I am already feeling guilty about leaving him behind.
A very cunning trick whenever my two resisted sleep, was to take advantage of their desire to be BIG people:
ReplyDelete"Every time you go to sleep, you grow a tiny, tiny bit, and every little tiny, tiny bit adds up to you growing BIG", and the opposite threat, 'if you don't sleep enough, you won't GROW'
Oooh, I was a STINKER,
Gae, in Callala Bay
That will work when she's a bit older and more ready to listen to reason, but right now Sleep is just that annoying thing that stops Exploring and Doing.
ReplyDeleteMurphy will be fine---he and Dudley will be kick back and watch sports on the TV while they scratch themselves and drink beer. My parents usually keep my dog on the rare occaisions I am away from home. I have only boarded a dog once, and when I picked her up, they let it slip that since she is so small, they had put her in a cage in the Kitty Room. NO WONDER she seemed so glad to get the heck out of that Hell Hole and back home, on her couch. I can only imagine the indignity she suffered as the only dog in the Kitty Room.
ReplyDeleteBrenda.
Little Feisty One, hope you are fine. It certainly sounds like you are, bossing the big dogs around and getting tummy rubs from Miss D. Yah, that would be good.
ReplyDeleteIt's been my experience that Yorkies pretty much bring their own party with them everywhere they go. (Except the Kitty Room at the vet's office.)
ReplyDeleteBrenda.