Friday, March 27, 2015

Bitching, Complaining, Ranting - CHEERS!

The ultimate comfort food


Which I've been making A LOT lately. I just cannot catch a grip on life. With that being said, it's 6:24pm on Friday night and I'm about to fall asleep on the recliner. So this will be a quick one. Promise. Also, does anyone want to come do all my laundry?? I'll pay you in puppy kisses.

Life has just been SO busy lately. Right when I think I have things under control - I realize I forgot to do this, or never responded to that. Then I try to play catch up and then I'm juggling the daily things and... so on and so forth. Will life ever slow down??

I blame the puppies. But not really. Not at all. I blame work. And the other work. And working six days a week, sometime seven. I blame stress.  And this being the busiest time of the year. Basically, life is kicking my ass.

But most of all, I apologize to my darling, Matt. Because I'm always running late and I've passed out on couch (every single night) for the past two months and stayed there the entire night because I'm always too tired to wake up. Our weekends are too busy. And our weekdays go by way too slow. Nonetheless, I cannot wait until Summer.


To this


Not that I'm counting or anything, but only 111 days until our week and a half long roadtrip to Alabama shores, 148 days until our trip to NYC, and ONLY 380 days until our week long cruise to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. I can make it! I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.

So, Life.

The Badgers basketball team is one win away from going to the final four. Um, yay? AKA WORK IS SO BUSY.

Baseball season is starting. Um, yay? 81 games. 20 tickets. 35 executives. AKA WORK IS SO BUSY.


Matt and I got to go to Milwaukee for the suiteholders tasting and reception event. We didn't wear our Cubs shirts. Don't worry.


Thursday I worked from home separating all these babies (suitetickets). 


 And only nine days until Opening Day! I think I can. I think I can.


Over the weekend, Matt and I noticed Pappy had been peeing in his crate throughout the night. When we came home from work on Monday (after Sharon visited and walked them around noon), we noticed Pappy had peed in his crate AGAIN. Monday night, Pappy stared straight at me while I was cooking in the kitchen and peed standing up. Enough was enough. I was certain he had a bladder infection.

So of course, we called the vet and got him in for an evening appointment Tuesday night.

Matt and I joke constantly that Pappy has a crush on his vet, Dr. Gerbig. Every time he is healthy and we don't have immediate plans to go back to the vet, Pappy gets sick so he can go back and see her. So, naturally. This is exactly what we thought this time around, too.


Pappy's Diagnosis: Separation Anxiety

Oh Goody!!! Well, THAT, and marking.... 

Pappy pees everytime we leave. Pappy marks because he's not neutered. Dr Gerbig suggests pheromones for the dogs, TOO (cats already have them), and if that doesn't work ------ Prozac.

JUST LIKE HIS MOMMA!!!


Somewhat related --- Other than marking and separation anxiety, which will HOPEFULLY get resolved with neutering and pheromones, BOTH Wally and Pappy are 98% potty trained!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They both go to the door, and signal us, and go right away when outside, and EVERYTHING! Is this what Heaven is like???



And now, something totally unrelated. It has come to Matt's and my attention that some of the people who read this blog think that Matt and I are not good dog parents.

That we're being judged for letting our dogs walk on the table, for having them chew holes in the walls, for the pups eating our couch cushions, for pulling them out of puppy classes because Pappy got sick, for me freaking out that ham could possibly hurt my babies, and (again) for me being a first time worried puppy mom.... You get it.

With that being said, I fully believe there are upsides and downsides to writing this blog. I love being able to look back at previous posts and see what Matt and I were up on this date two years ago.  I love being able to share puppy and cat pethood stories that include all the ups and downs. I love taking pictures and sharing them along with our stories and memories.

I love writing. I love being funny. I love letting my voice shine through these posts. And most importantly, I love hearing all of you tell me, write, like, comment, post, or however you choose to say it -that you love reading my posts, too. I put a lot of time and effort into these, and it brings me no greater joy than to share our crazy, hectic life with all of you.

In all honesty, I am constantly checking to see how many people have read my posts. I take it personally when people don't comment or like my posts, and I have thought several, several times (and failed recently) about quitting all together.

Because blogging is not always glamorous. Unlike A LOT of social media users, I don't filter things. I share all my feelings, all of my medications, all my thoughts, and unedited makeupless pictures. I share every naughty #fennelpuppy behavior and never once considered six months ago that I would catch so much shit for it.

I mean, I guess, if Matt and I had twin toddler boys (humans) you could compare our parenting style to free range parenting. Hands off. Letting them explore and learn on their own. It was once our hope that our dogs would be 100% obedient. Always following us on the walk. Having a spot in the room to go to when we commanded them. Following every direction. Being calm. You know. Like the REALLY trained dogs. But as we grew as puppy parents, we realized that was NOT AT ALL what we wanted. Sure, we want our dogs to not pull on walks. And we'd love it if they didn't jump on our guests. But we also want our dogs to be happy. To be able to explore on their walks and sometimes lead us instead. Because you know what? That's the BEST part of their God damn day. We want free range, curious, happy pups. Not robots.

Over the week, someone told us that we should give up our dogs because we weren't good parents. That we couldn't control our dogs. That they were destroying our house, and that we clearly didn't know what we were doing.

And let me tell you, blogging brings out all the WANNA BE veterinarians and WANNA BE dog trainers. To those who have genuinely enjoyed reading our ups and down, who get a laugh, and have been (maybe) in somewhat of a similar situation - Thank you for all of your advise, inspiration, and applause.

To those who think we are BAD dog parents, who think I worry too much, or think that, God forbid, our dogs (the most spoiled and happiest puppies you will EVER meet --who eat better food than we do and have an endless amount of care, love, and affection) need to be placed in another home....

Stop reading my blog.

 Neutering on Tuesday morning. 

You know what rhymes with Friday????

WINE.

Happy International Whiskey Day!!

Sunday, March 22, 2015

So many celebrations and even more pictures

SUCH a busy and fun weekend! We are exhausted and wish we had another day off -- but as is life. And we will survive.

On Friday, we celebrated Lulu's FIFTH birthday. Where has the time gone?!?


We started the celebration early in the morning with a tub of catnip.



And she even shared some with Ernie!



But when Wally wanted to try some, too-- Well, that's a different story.




He's just a little scared of her

On Friday night, we had cake and Lulu got to open her present!!


We adopted a critically endangered Darwin Fox from World Wildlife Federation in her name.
YAY!



She was thrilled


On Saturday morning, we woke up and Matt made JELLO SHOTS!!



I made a ham. #notvegan


And I had very eager taste tasters to help


RIP Piggy Pig


On Saturday night - we went to FREASTER at Chelsea's and Josh's


I love these ladies SO much


HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHEL AND NICOLE!


BEST picture ever.


I got to hold a bearded dragon


And sweet little Carly
(Nice photo bomb Weena)
(Even nicer flipping off the camera, baby Carly)


I really loved her cuddles.


So did Matt.




Today, our Godson, Grayson Ryan, got baptized!!



We love you, sweet boy


And we welcomed Nashville to the family.



Pappy and Wally cannot wait to meet their new cousin.



The boys also got to go a hour and 45 minute SMELL walk this weekend.


(where they get to smell as much as they want for as long as they want).
It makes them SO happy.


In other news, HELP! After making the ham, and serving it at Freaster - I made sure (thinking I was a good pupMom) to save some for Pappy and Wally because (being a Vegan family) our pups never ever have fresh meat. Enough parenthesis?


So, we gave it to them. They ate it


And loved it


 Then Grandma told us today that ham is SUPER bad for dogs. And that a long time ago, her dog almost died from it! YIKES.

OMFG!!! IS THIS TRUE?!?! We have googled and googled and googled some more. And all of the websites say different things! I am a nervous wreck and super terrified they'll get sick.

So far, they've been completely normal and ate rice/broth to settle any tummy issues they COULD have had. I took Wally's temp (yep, in the butt) and it was normal for a dog temp. Any other advise?

Pappy and Wally will be #veganpuppies for the rest of their lives.



Snow sucks. Monday sucks.
MORE prayers for the #fennelpuppies please!