Friday, January 9, 2015

Rants and Updates

I feel like it's been forever. But, really, its only been six days....

This week has kicked my ass. Work has been SUPER crazy, and amongst it all - I feel like I've been fighting off this horrible cold that keeps trying to come back. It's been like -50 outside, and Pappy and Wally HATE the cold. Which results in them refusing to go outside, holding up their tiny paws when they ARE outside, and Matt and I refusing to walk them because we'd ALL freeze to death.




So - Pappy and Wally have been bonkers, bonkers, BONKERS! Seriously! SOOOO naughty, and soooo hyper. Pooping and peeing everywhere in the house (because when we take them out, they just stare at us with pathetic sad faces and shiver like crazy). So, their marking in the house and uncontrollable hyperness result in Ernie and Lulu resenting the dogs even more, and hating their lives EVEN MORE. So, in order to get back at us for even adopting them in the first place - they decide to poop and pee everywhere.in.the.house.

I bet you all think that our home is practically condemned (from all the our pets). But don't worry, I'm way too OCD for that nonsense. After crazy work days, I come home and frantically clean each room of our house, floor to ceiling, from 6-10pm. THEN I pass out on the couch after a glass jug of wine out of pure exhaustion before getting up the next day to do it all.over.again.            Every. Single. Night.




Where do I find time to cook through all of that?? Beats me!

The Feliway diffuser (the fifty dollar plug in thing to stop the cats from peeing everywhere) was working really well for about two weeks - then Ernie and Lulu went on strike AGAIN, and decided to start peeing in the same spot as before.

In other news: Pappy and Wally have slept/cuddled together every single night since the night they were born. So naturally, we have crated them together every single night since the night we brought them home.

Well, the time has come that they've officially outgrown their crate. And BECAUSE they've been so cramped, we get ZERO sleep. In all reality, we fall asleep on the couch with them until about 2 AM - then we wake up, take them outside to potty, put them in their crate, and go to back to sleep in our bed. THEN- 4:30 AM comes around, and the pups are crying as loud as they possibly can (because they're SO cramped). And just like that, we're up for the day.

Matt's sister gave us another crate to borrow but we haven't even TRIED it yet because we're terrified to separate them. They are so attached! So - we've been exploring different options to keep them together and not in their (now) too small crate.

The bathroom in the basement:

Tried that for a few days. Puppies destroyed it in a few minutes. #FAIL.

Proof:


Chewed Doorknob


Chewed vanity


I gave up on keeping the boys in the bathroom last night when we got home and realized they LOCKED themselves in (by accidentally turning the lock on the doorknob). After we literally removed the door the get them out, we smelled the AWFUL stench that escaped from the room and noticed the completely filthy and destroyed guest bathroom.

I poured myself a glass of wine and cleaned the rest of the night. The vanity will need to repaired/replaced. And the walls will need to be repainted. But that's a whole other day, and a whole other post.

So, (most likely, not our best decision.......) Matt and I decided to keep them in our BEDROOM today. Hoping and praying they'll just sleep in our nice, cozy bed all day long. 

Please, please, please -- JUST SLEEP, PUPPIES! keep the chewing, pooping, and peeing to a minimum. (More on that later).

We're going to put them in their own individual crates tonight. And I imagine they'll cry out of loneliness all night long. We'll get ZERO sleep, again.

This is Plan B


Leaving it inside and putting vinyl flooring below it, so they don't ruin anymore of the carpet.

And, in order to mend the whole Ernie and Lulu destroying our carpet thing, I bought a refill of the Feliway and another litter box, so they each have their own. HOPING that will solve the problem. Maybe????

DID I EVER SAY PETS ARE EXPENSIVE?!?

But you guys, they're SO, SO, SO worth it. 


I mean, look how adorable he is!!!

And they just love us SO unconditionally. The pure excitement they have when we come home at the end of the day is BEYOND adorable. They seriously make us feel so loved and like a million bucks.

Sometimes I worry that I sound too negative on this blog. Like I'm bitching or complaining about our pets too much (as if we regret getting them). So, if that's the case, let me clear this up right now.

I may joke or say sarcastic comments about out little babies: But NEVER in our wildest dreams have we regretted one second with them. They mean just as much to us as people's children mean to them. They are our lives. Our joy. Our entire world. And the reason for all of our happiness. 

They are our family. They are our babies.

They may destroy the bathroom. The walls. And the carpet. But ya know what? That's their bathroom, their walls, and their carpet. Our home is just as much Ernie's, Lulu's, Pappy's, and Wally's home. Everything in our house is replaceable. They aren't.

My heart breaks, and I mourn for all the furbabies that don't receive that same kind of love and commitment from their family. 

And on that same note: I want to rescue this homeless little babygirl from Noah's Ark in Rockford.

SERIOUSLY!??? SHE'S SO CUTE!

#crazycatlady

In other news:

We've officially gone back to being VEGAN!



But not before a couple last hurrahs::::


These mac-n-cheese bowls (yes, those are mac and cheese) were made with CHICKEN BROTH.


WHO THE FUCK AM I?!!?!?!?!

Spoiler Alert: we both got sick that night. And I was SO disappointed in myself.
NEVER AGAIN.


Pizza and Brownies in the Kohl Center suite. 
#jobperk




Matt was thrilled to be at a Badger game. CAN'T YOU TELL?



Matt and I signed up to work out with this asshole again.


And we're going to die. 

but ONLY for thirty minutes now.

#p90x3


What a douche.


Also: I've started planning Pappy's and Wally's first birthday party that's eight months away. It's going to be EPIC. Get ready.

Happy Friday!

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Bad Tooth Fairy!


The tooth fairy visited last night, and it seems as though she teamed up with Santa and gave the boys the remaining halves of their bones. YAY!


A couple problems. The first one is super cute:

Wally likes to hide his bone, but then forgets where he hides it. Afterwards, he runs up to Matt and I and cries until we help him find it.


Today, he hid his bone under our pillows (in between the mattress and headboard). I just love this video. And I apologize in advance for our high pitch voices.

Also: You have to read this from your computer to see the video.


The second problem puts the tooth fairy on my shitlist. And this one is NOT cute.



The tooth fairy ate OUR WALL!
BAD TOOTH FAIRY!!

I mean, OBVIOUSLY it couldn't be these precious angels, COULD IT????


No. I refuse to believe it.


Ernie is loving his new blankie that he got from Santa.


And Lulu is loving cuddle time with Daddy today.


The boys lost another tooth this morning.


Which means bigger teeth to do bigger damage.


I wonder what the puppies--- I mean! Tooth Fairy will get into tonight.

Can't wait to find out!

Friday, January 2, 2015

Mangy Mutt


These poor babies cannot catch a break.

First and foremost, I have to say that I am SO thankful for the network of Dog Mommies that I've met since we adopted Pappy and Wally. As most of you know, I posted these pictures yesterday saying that Pappy still had a skin infection and we had a doctor appointment today at 2 pm. 




Today, before heading to the vet: I got a Facebook message from a fellow pup mommy suggesting that Pappy could possibly have Demodex (AKA mange). 

Naturally, I googled it and this is what I found:::



Mange (mites) are common in all dogs, but cause an issue when the pup has a low immune system. 


There are two types: one that is contagious and, the most common, that is not. I hoped that IF Pappy's skin infection was mange, that it wasn't contagious ( so Wally, Ernie, Lulu, and we wouldn't get it!!! Yuck!) So of course, I was a nervous wreck until we got to the vet. 

Right when the tech looked at Pappy's sores, she agreed that it was probably Mange. SIGH. 

The vet comes in. Takes some tests.(scraps skin, looks under a microscope, through a black light, etc) and SURPRISE!
WHADDYA KNOW?!?!

Poor little Pappy is a MANGY MUTT!

Good News: it's not contagious!!
Bad news: it's going to take three rounds of double dose meds, two months, and at least one more skin test before we are in the clear. 

We started his meds immediately after their appointment. 



Send your prayers for our little poodle. 

In other news:

The Bladder infections are all clear!! Yay!

The vet recommends belly bands and neutering by next month to help with the constant marking in the house

Pappy weighs 28 lbs
Wally weighs 20 lbs

In a frustrated conservation with the vet, I confessed:
 "I mean, we are not the best at taking them out every thirty minutes but we try to most often" 
The vet responded, "What's the longest they've gone in between pottying in the house?"

Our response: "probably 30 minutes...?"

She starred at us as if we were joking. 
"Um, they should be able to hold it for at least 5 hours. I recommend neutering."

FIVE HOURS?!?!! In our dreams.....!!!!

I'm hoping the neuter will help with the potty training..... And constant humping of everything.

On the way home, Matt joked that whenever the vets see us pull in the parking lot, they probably yell: "BONUS TIME!!" $$$

The babies are NOT cheap. But they're absolutely worth it.

Also, the puppy tooth fairy will be stopping by tonight. Byebye baby tooth! Hello big boy teeth!!