Congratulations

Congrats to our friends Rich and Eileen who gave birth to a baby girl last night. Eileen was due three days before me.

UPDATE
The baby's name is Sophia Elizabeth and she was 6lbs 10oz and 20 inches long.

37 Weeks

We are in the home stretch. Well it feels like the baby has been there awhile with all that pressure on my pelvis. So I head to the doctor to get checked to see "how things are." Well it was no surprise that Baby Quinn is positioned nice and low in my pelvis and things look great as my doctor said but I was only dialated a fingertip. Same as a few weeks ago. So she asked me about induction in two weeks. Hmmm I thought.... I still have 3 weeks until my due date, why should I be induced at 39 weeks? Won't the baby just come sooner or later? It isn't going to stay there forever right? I really couldn't get an explanation of why she wants to induce me other that on some Davis scale I scored really high and my cervix is fabulous (can a cervix really be fabulous?) so I would be a perfect candidate for induction. She made it clear right away I didn't have to make a decision right there that I should talk to Paul about it but she went on and on how great it would be and I just kept thinking that this is not what I learned in birthing class. Inductions are for medical reasons only not because I would be a good candidate since my cervix is in perfect shape and the baby is positioned so well. Then unbeknownst to me she did a little procedure while checking my cervix to "sweep" my membranes. I asked what the purpose of that was she answered "stirring up the pot." It is a natural way to stimulate the cervix into dialating.

By the end of the appointment I was overwhelmed, intimidated and I felt bullied. She had gone ahead and checked her schedule for my Week 39 which is Jan 12th and was ready to pencil me in for an induction but of course I could always cancel. I wouldn't want to lose the spot. I would have to go to the hospital the night before and get some meds to fully open my cervix if it wasn't already. She already had an induction and a C-section scheduled for that day but I could be put on also. I chose not to be penciled in that I wanted the baby to come on its own even though knowing when would be convenient. I really felt like crap for the rest of the day. That little procedure I had causes some nice cramping which lasted all day and evening. I do notice more contractions now- nothing regular but I guess the pot was stirred.

I did make a phone call to the Birthing Educator later on that day who is also a nurse, lactation consultant and doula and explained what happened. She was so proud of me to not have given in since induction is not part of my birth plan unless medically necessary. She did say that sometimes doctors think that they are doing women a favor by allowing them to be induced the 39th week so it is more convenient for the patient and they are more ready for labor than if it was spontaneous. A lot of people ask to be induced or to have an elected C-section. Thank you but not for me. So Baby Quinn will not be making a grand entrance on the 12th unless of course it just happens naturally.

So now we wait.

Christmas

Although Christmas Eve was not what I planned due to a really icky stomach bug, I was able to salvage some of Christmas. I slept in while Paul went to my in laws. I couldn't risk going and getting anyone else there sick and I wasn't even sure how I felt at that point so off he went and was able to spend the morning with his parents, brothers and Keri. He then went and picked up Paul Jr (who also was sick and couldn't go to his grandparents) and headed back home. I was so grateful that he prepared everything for Christmas dinner the night before when I was unconscious to the world. He did all the shopping and cooking and last minute cleaning. Christmas would not have been as nice, decorative or yummy had it not been for him. I was ready for the Chinese take out and my parents wouldn't have minded a bit.

So the drama began around 3:30 when Paul Jr went to make Onion dip. I gave him the stuff and went off to do something when he asked me if it was supposed to be "soupy." Upon looking at the bowl of onion dip soup and the smell we decided that it must not have been refrigerated in the store. So we open another container and same thing. We frantically call my dad to ask him to pick up sour cream and there was none to be found. Ok so a party can survive without dip but then my dad realizes his wallet is missing. He runs out like a crazy man trying to find it. An hour later we hear from him that it is found. It was home in his bag he uses with Smartie when he goes to the nursing home. (They had a visit earlier that day.)

My dad arrives back and we are able to eat in peace and open all of our gifts. (We hadn't opened anything yet so it took quite awhile for everyone to open all the gifts.) Poor Tom was so upset with all the paper ripping and flying and boxes and people passing things- he is so sensitive. He likes his routine- just wait till the baby comes! He will learn to adjust. He spent the whole time trying to climb in my lap or Paul's.

So after all the food, gifts and desserts (yum) everyone headed home and we were putting away the food and you would never believe what we found- two good containers of sour cream I forgot I bought a couple of weeks ago. Oh well New Year's Eve dip.

SICK AS COULD BE......

Ok so I wake up on Christmas Eve morning at 1:00am feeling kind of yucky. The kind of yuck that you want a bucket at your feet and to lock your self in the bathroom kind of yucky. So I thought back to the evening before. Hmmmm was I out partying and slugged back a few too many at the doggie Christmas party? NOT likely since I am 36+ weeks pregnant. Could it have been something I ate? No, I ate mostly veggies, dip a few cookies and a piece of fried chicken- that shouldn't have made me sick. That meal right there is probably the healthiest I ate in months. What then? Who knows, but I was sick and sick and sick and more sick the entire night. I resorted to living in the bathroom with my pillow and the tall kitchen garbage pail attached to me. By 6:00am five hours into the ordeal I finally decided I needed to go to the hospital. Not only because I was severely dehydrated but because throwing up with a watermelon sized uterus smashing into your ribs at every upheaval was very, very uncomfortable. At one point I thought the baby might be delivered this way.

So off we go through the horrific icy roads to the hospital with a NO WAIT ER and arrive around 7am! Gotta love that. I am seen immediately, they rehydrate me with some saline, give me some nausea meds and immodium and send someone to do some fetal monitoring on me. The baby is good, some contractions but nothing to be concerned about. They let me sleep for awhile, give me some more meds, tell me to stay as long as I like and that this bug will be around for at least the next 24-48 hours. I felt like I was beaten with a baseball bat. Everything ached so I slept on and off until one when I decided I wanted to go home to my own bed. We got home around 2 and Paul tucked me in and went to get my prescriptions. I slept on and off for the rest of the day. I was so disappointed I missed the yummy Christmas Eve Italian Fish Dinner with Marianne and Domenick at Dom's parents Farm Stand. Lobsters were calling my name but I couldn't move. I felt paralyzed. I think I finally woke up and felt well enough to stand up and move about around 4:45 am on Christmas. I napped on and off until later that morning when we had to get ready for Christmas.

I really thought I felt better on Christmas so I ate some real food and drinks other than white bread, pound cake and ginger ale. Christmas will be posted later. It was good although I missed going to Paul's parents for breakfast since I was not in great health and didn't want to get my father in law sick. He is still on the mend from some bronchitis etc. I even decided to go with my mom and Jeanine shopping on Dec 26th. I think I should've stayed home. I was not able to really enjoy myself because I started feeling that yucky feeling again- not nearly as bad thank goodness. I also had my meds that I took with me at the last moment "just in case!" I shopped a little and even took a nice nap in the cushy chairs at Roosevelt Field. I was thrilled though to have one last shopping hurrah without child in tow (on the outside-because technically I towed that baby all over the place today.) I am pretty big so everyone looked at me like I was a freak show. (That is how I felt.) But I am happy to be home now and do not plan to do anything remotely strenuous for the next nine days I am off from work.

Abbie's Photo Shoot

My dad keeping Abbie in her pose

Well Abbie Einstein went on her first modeling job last week for Hill's Science Diet. She will be appearing on Treat boxes in the next few months. Keep an eye out for them. It was hard work for both Abbie and my dad. Maybe now she can buy Tom, Jerry and Smartie some snacks with her earnings!

Here are some pics courtesy of Peg Munves Amanda (photographer), Abbie and my dad

Abbie

Snow Snow and more Snow

Sunday Night Football anyone?

Well I thought we got a lot on Friday somewhere between 7 and 9 inches, but today we just got dumped on again. We got another 5 inches. The dogs were loving it. All they want to do is go out in the snow and play "find it." Maybe they want to try tracking. Every time we threw the football it would sink into the snow and they would charge out into the yard and start digging through the snow for it. They literally folowed Paul around all day when we were in the house to take them to play and then they would come back in and follow him around until he took them out again. They would even follow him as he snowblowed the driveway. Enjoy the pics of their fun in the snow.

I am going to eat that camera when you aren't looking!

Stop taking pictures and throw the ball already!

Santa Visit

My dad and I took the dogs to see Santa- yes you heard right Santa as in Claus. It is a yearly tradition of bringing four dogs into a tiny crowded place with tons of unruly dogs and obnoxious owners and some good ones and then we expect our dogs to cozy up next to someone unfamiliar and ALL pose for a pose for a picture. Well at least this year everyone was actually mature enough that we did not have to tie them to Santa. We also changed locations this year so all of our $ that was collected went to the Putnam Humane Society. And I have to say this is the best picture we have ever gotten under these circumstances! The Putnam Humane Society was thrilled and I wouldn't be surprised if they use our picture for next year's advertisement. It even turned out to be my parents Holiday card. Enjoy!

35 Week Update

Well Baby Quinn is growing like a weed. Everything is going well. The baby is still head down so that is good. I will post the pics from the last growth scan soon. (just pure laziness and craziness with all that is going on here.) I have pitting edema in my calves, ankles and feet so that is pretty uncomfortable. That is when you take your thumb and push into my leg, ankle or foot and it doesn't just spring back. It leaves a nice hole until it feels like coming back to normal. My shoes and boots don't fit and even the loosest of socks leave a terrible ring around my ankle. Paul spends about 45 minutes a night massaging the fluid back up my legs which hurts even more but relieves some of the retention so it isn't stretching the skin so much it burns. I have also entered the stage of exhaustion. I can nap numerous times a day and then sleep all night with frequent bathroom calls since I am technically dehydrated even though all the water is in my legs that I have to drink a gallon of water a day! But this is all for a good cause- maybe baby Quinn will make an early debut and end the pains in my feet. We will have to see, however my two furbabies are settling right into baby's room and already protecting baby's crib. Here is a pic of them waiting for baby! I don't think they are going to let anyone near the baby hehe. I hope they can help feed and change diapers!

Happy Holidays 2008 Card

I am so disappointed. I always make our holiday card but this year with everything else going on I ordered them from Staples. I still took the picture which I thought came out great (and so did the passing neighbors) but when I uploaded it to Staples and they printed them out on their template at the store, the card looked bad. It wasn't the picture that looked bad at all. It was their template that looked horrible. It looked like their snowman and text were blurry as if they were scanned poorly. I was so upset and I think the clerk saw how sad I was and offered to redo them but I had to email her the photo so she could play around with it. She really like the photo and said to come back later in the week and pick up the new ones. I don't think they will look as fabulous as I hoped and won't use Staples again but they were cheap and I should have known better. At least the clerk tried to help. So I am apologizing advance for a not so nice looking card as usual. Next year should be a real treat trying to coerce a baby into cooperating with my two well behaved children- ahem dogs!

Enjoy this year's photo at least!

Nesting!

Our home is in the middle of renovations and updating and what better time then right before the baby comes! Talk about stress! Anyway we replaced our gutters in the summer and all of our windows in the Fall (before the frost) and our basement is days away from being complete. The nursery is painted but the mural is not even started however at least the furniture is here waiting in the garage. The new baseboard heaters had to be installed in the nursery and our bedroom and should be done by tomorrow. Hopefully the taper and good Uncle Billy will come and finish the basement taping and painting on Thursday and all the furniture that belongs in the basement can start to move there. Then maybe I won't trip, fall and almost kill myself on all the stuff around. As I type my toenail is hanging off and ooze is coming from beneath because I didn't see or remember the crate "o" crap in the hall that has been sitting there for weeks now and I walked full speed into it. I should just hang a handicap sticker from my neck and go from there.

Here are some pics to show some of the work going on.

Here are some shots of the basement room. Check out the windows and the heaters and notice no beam in the middle of the room anymore!

Paul wired this room for anything and everything. It has more wire sticking out of the walls for the computer, television, high def, Fios when it finally becomes available, speakers, phones, and any other electronic wire needing device!

Here are the pictures of the old windows and then the new ones. I hate the top of the bay window but there wasn't much else they could do with our roof the way it is.

Before

After

Tom's Last Trial of 2008

Well since I can't run Tom- then how could he have competed? My dad was willing to run Tom over Thanksgiving weekend and I must say I was quite surprised with what came about. My dad worked super hard to control the beast inside of Tom. No he wasn't charging other dogs or running like a psycho out of the ring. He was being a big fat momma's boy. He did whatever he could to make eye contact with me or run towards me ( who was very outside the ring.) This made running a course with a Tom quite difficult for my dad.

Tom is a very skilled dog but could not keep an entire run together without messing up because he was looking at me. Everyone though this was very comical knowing how Tom used to be. He had trouble focusing on me for a long time and now he can't seem to handle running without focusing on me. I was glad though that the very last run- Tom's first Master Jumpers run he ran "almost" clean. He dropped the first bar why? Why else- he was looking over his shoulder at me when my dad released him therefore knocking the bar down. My dad kept super control over him until a tunnel when he came out looking for me. He ran wide and was called for a refusal but my dad got him back and nailed the rest of the course. I was so proud of my dad for sticking with "stubborn" and making the best out of it.

I think it was just as hard on me knowing how good Tom is and I couldn't run him. I miss running but it would have been a complete disaster had I tried to get out there. I can't even fit a sneaker onto my right foot. Well let's hope the baby comes early enough for me to get some run thrus in!

Here are some great pics of Tom from trials earlier this year and his 2008 collection of ribbons!

(Thanks Barry Rosen for these great pics of Tom!)

Tom achieved 8 titles this year- Go Tom!

Starters- Standard, Jumpers, Gamblers, Snooker, Pairs

A.D. Agility Dog

Advanced- Jumpers, Gamblers ( and only one leg away each in Pairs and Snooker)

Next year's goal is Standard!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I was lazy and didn't take out my camera. We spent the morning at my mom's reinstalling the kitchen light that my dad decided needed a new light bulb. He dismantled the entire light and ripped it from the ceiling leaving exposed wires in his attempt to replace the bulb. He "forgot" the instructions Paul gave him when Paul put the new light in. So my mom had been without a kitchen light for several weeks. It took Paul standing on a stepstool, Jeanine standing on the counter trying to guide the screws of the fixture into the ceiling and me all 32 weeks of baby and all on a chair holding a flashlight as my mom sat with her eyes closed at the table. Perfect picture moment. We managed to get the light to stay up, work properly and no one fell or got electrocuted. Needless to say Paul volunteered to stop by any time the bulb needs to be changed in the future! We left Tom and Jerry at my mom and dad's and went to Paul's parents for Thanksgiving.

It was great to see my father in law home and enjoying himself. He is on the mend and getting stonger everyday. We ate lots of delicious food and I ended up cutting out fondant flowers for the bridal shower cupcake order I had to be finished with the next day. The night ended with MURDEROUS heartburn. So bad I swore birth could not be worse but I am sure I am mistaken.

Here is a sample of the bridal shower cupcakes.

Congratulations Dawn and Eileen

A co-worker Dawn and a friend Eileen recently had their baby showers. Dawn is due December 9th with a boy and Eileen is due three days before me with a girl! (I know I did not have a shower because I wanted to wait until after the baby was born but my sister is planning one for April so Baby Quinn won't be left out.) Here are the diaper cakes I made for their showers.

Baby Update 32 weeks

Well Baby Q has certainly grown a bit. Up to 4lbs 10 oz already and in the head down position which is always nice. The doctor said it will be hard for the baby to move because of the size and it keeps dropping lower so that makes it more difficult too. We started the birthing class which is very interesting. Hopefully soon we will set up the tour to visit the maternity ward and birthing rooms so it won't be so unfamiliar when we finally end up there. Next week I go for my final growth scan because of my thyroid to make sure the baby is growing in proportion. I am actually measuring a week ahead on the measurements my doctor did with her machine today. Next week we will see if this is all accurate with the nice machine at the hospital.

Good News

My father in law was released from Burke this week and will be home to celebrate Thanksgiving!

Update on My Father in Law

My father in law was finally transferred to a rehab center today after being in the hospital for three months. He will need physical and pulmonary therapy to strengthen his body and lungs. Hopefully he will be home in time for Thanksgiving. I know he can't wait to wrap all those Christmas presents and sleep in his own bed!

Baby Update 28 Weeks

Well guess what I still am not going to tell you if it's a boy or girl but things are still going great. We had a little scare with my leg swelling up like a tree trunk 2 weeks ago but that was all attributed to me 1. outlet shopping for over 7 hours straight on a Thursdays 2. going to the zoo on a class trip on Friday 3. running two days straight with Tom at an agility tournament on Sat and Sun 4. doing all of this while commuting over 12 hours those four days! By the way Tom did great!

As for the baby it is fabulous- kicking, moving a lot and of course mastering the bladder poke. This baby is even head down for now. Hopefully it stays that way and my doctor said it should. I even had the first Braxton Hicks contraction that almost knocked me on the floor. It was awful. I decided I am not ready for any more of those just yet! Baby Quinn is measuring approx 2 lbs 12 oz and is measuring within range for 28 weeks for all measurements and they didn't change my due date. That doesn't mean I haven't started my Christmas shopping. You can never be too prepared. More on Bay Quinn in two weeks after the next appt.

Update 24+ weeks

Baby Quinn- 24 weeks 2 days 1 pound 11 ounces!

Today I went for my second Anatomy Scan. The first time Baby Quinn was not very cooperative and the doctor could not get some pics of the face because its hands and arms were covering it the whole time and also the left arm because it was not where it was supposed to be. It was across the face because "stubborn" baby wouldn't put it down. They also could not see the blood vessels around the baby's heart clearly because the baby was still too small so they told me to come back in a month.

After an hour waiting we were finally seen. The techs poked around for an hour or so and got all they needed. Baby Quinn is perfect they say. The doctor then came in to check for herself and agreed and also gave us a sneak peek at what 3-D ultrasound looks like. It is still about 5 weeks too early since the baby right now is just skin covering bone- very little fat. But of course Baby Quinn got wind of it and put itself in that familiar position of hands, arms and yes even legs across the face. Oh wait and yes the baby even yanked up the cord to partially cover itself too. The doctor thought this was comical but she was nice to keep trying to get us a pic of the baby in 3-D. We did get one but the leg is straight up against the right ear and the cord looks like a snake is crawling along baby's chest. The picture is not really good considering the baby is still small and there is really no fat on it. The baby weighed in at 1 pound 11 ounces already! Good to know some of the weight I gained is baby!

Here is another side profile including a bent leg off to the right and the cord all bunched up because someone thinks its a toy. Watch out for your tails Tom and Jerry!

For a good visual- my uterus is the size of a soccer ball already! Yikes and I still have 16 weeks to go. Hopefully it will not grow too fast or I will be begging for immediate evacuation once baby hits 7 pounds! LOL I am sure Baby Quinn has a plan of its own though. Enjoy the pics.

Here is the 3-D image. It shows the leg straight up on the left, the front of the face and the cord all bunched up under its chin. Not bad for a free picture.

Happy Birthday TOM!

TOM TURNED 3!

Delicious cupcakes

Tom turned three on September 23rd and what better way to celebrate than at an agility trial with all of his friends. He had a Thomas the Tank themed party complete with party box favors for all the doggies and yummy personalized cupcakes made by his momma. He even sang Happy Birthday to himself when we started to sing.

Contact Trial

Yes I am still running my dogs at 24 weeks pregnant. I feel great and my doctor says keep going until it is uncomfortable, hurts or makes me dizzy. I am even allowed to fall down but I managed to keep my balance even though Tom fell off the dogwalk during gamblers. He was fine although it was very scary. JoAnna's mom took some great videos of Tom. Enjoy. This is what agility is about- running and leading your dog around a course quickly with little to no mistakes taking the shortest path and of course handling your dog correctly. I think Tom & I did a pretty good job considering I am 24 weeks pregnant. Thanks Mrs. Lou for the videos. Tom ran 4 runs on Saturday and four runs on Sunday. There are videos for a few of them. And yes it is a lot harder than it looks.
Here are the videos of Tom and me



Here are the videos of my dad and Smartie

An update on my Father in Law

My father in law Bob has been in the hopsital battling pneumonia- related breathing issues since August 8th. He is looking and sounding better but still needs lots of prayers that this "sick stuff" gets better fast.

Baby Check up 21+ Weeks

Everything is good so far. I even got to eat a hot dog! Two more appointments during Week 24!

Blackthorne Trial

This past weekend was our Fall trial at Blackthorne and I have to say I think Smartie rocked it all. She cleaned up and took home ribbons from 7 events out of 11. Not bad at all. She also received her Starters Snooker title and is now in the Advanced level of Snooker. She ran beautifully all weekend and really is jumping nicely. She was so close to her Standard title but dropped the last bar. Smartie and Henry came in second and Q'd in pairs and immediately following that run Smartie had to run again as an accommodating dog and came in first and got her partner a Q! Go Smartie.

Congrats to Meg with Sailor and Susette with Marea on their A.D. titles and Standard titles.

Tom, Hailey and Ella picked up some Q's too and had some really nice runs. I have to say this is the first trial ever Tom ran under control all 11 runs. No sightseeing- his eyes were all on me.

Jerry ran twice (four obstacles each time) and if you blinked you missed it. He had a great time and so did I. He is so stinking fast and will be hard to beat one day when his brain catches up with his body!

Congrats to Tom and Jerry's brothers War and Rukh who picked up their ADTCH titles. Maybe one day ( a long time from now) we might get an ADTCH- and also only after I figure out what all those initials stand for! :)

Thanks to Donna and Brian Young and Y Agility for putting on a great trial as always!

Back to Work

Well September finally arrived and so did a new school year. I have to say I was very excited to start the year with the very same class as last year minus a few- one left :( for private school, one was placed in a special needs room (at least I get to see her every day) and the problem child switched schools. I think his mom was so annoyed I called everyday to discuss his poor, disruptive and dangerous behavior she couldn't deal with it anymore! Hopefully he stays at this new school and gets the help he needs.

All the rest of the kids are great and were so excited to be back. One said, "It's just like a long weekend and now we are back." Another said, "Now we are just taller!" I was a little nervous about the first day telling them I was pregnant- I guess not nervous about them but their parents. However everyone is very excited and I know I will get them ready before I leave for maternity leave so things will be fine. I told the kids the baby can hear everything so I shouldn't have to yell or scream and they should be quiet too. So one little genius turns to my belly and yells HI BABY!!!! So much for following directions better now that we are in fourth grade.

Baby Checkup 19 weeks

Today we went for the Anatomy Scan of the baby and everything looks great. The baby was incredibly stubborn for the entire hour plus process and refused to look when needed to for a few things so I have to go back when baby is bigger in three weeks. We went to NWH that has really nice machines so we got some great pics of the baby. Enjoy.

This is a frontal view which is a little spooky. If you look closely from right to left you can see the baby's skull with its hands on either side of its head. The big circle to the left and down of the skull is the baby's chest/stomach/abdomen.
The is a side profile with the baby's head starting at the right and the body following to the left. You can see the baby's spine and the black circle above the spine is the heart.

St Thomas

Paul and I are currently vacationing in St Thomas and I have to say it is not as nice as I thought it would be.We have been to St John and several of the British Virgin Islands but it compares nothing to what we experienced in Phuket. The snorkeling is really not that interesting although the beaches are beautiful. The ocean is so many colors of blue it is amazing. They are still doing construction on the timeshare property here so all the amenities are not available either. It has been relaxing though. If you ever come here be sure to rent a car. The cabbies all try to rip you off and are not very nice. It costs $8-10 each way to go anywhere even if it is close. Hopefully our week in Las Vegas will be more exciting although Paul will be playing pool most of the time. I will enjoy traveling to the M&M Factory (everyday)for peanut butter M&M's- yummo. Don't worry I will walk to keep from getting too fat :) Besides they say whatever you eat a lot of the baby will acquire a taste for. What better than peanut butter m&ms. As of now it is loving Chips Ahoy and milk! (everyday)

Would have loved to post a few pictures but I forgot to update the laptop with the new software. Oh well.

Baby Checkup 16+ weeks

As for the baby I had yet another checkup. For the most part I go every two weeks because of my prior molar pregnancy not because there is anything wrong with this pregnancy. This pregnancy is not even labeled high risk, however because of all the emotional and physical changes with pregnancy and this being my first "normal" one, my doctors suggested me coming more frequently for my own piece of mind. Most visits I just get to hear the heartbeat and see the baby move during ultrasound and take home a souvenir pic. I think I have enough for a whole album and the baby isn't even here yet. As for this appointment I(Paul didn't get to go- he had to deal with the gutter installers) got to hear the heartbeat which was normal and I got to see the baby somersaulting around and waving its fingers and kicking its legs. The doctor was able to get a good view of between the baby's legs so we kind of know what we are having but since I am going for the anatomy scan in a week and a half we are going to wait until then to really believe it. Those should be really nice pics and the best thing about that ultrasound is I DO NOT have to drink any water because the machine is so good it doesn't need a full bladder to detect everything. YEA!

The baby was also tested for spina bifida and I was tested early for gestational diabetes since diabetes runs in my family. I should have results when I get back from Las Vegas. And my blood type was finally decided. I am definately heterosomething O positive but since I received a positive from my dad and the negative trait from my mom I am a weak D which means I DEFINATELY have to be treated as O Negative forever! How weird. Oh well at least now I know.

Westfield Trial

This past weekend we traveled to Massachusetts for an agility trial and this time not only did Tom compete but Jerry was old enough to get in on some action too. In USDAA dogs cannot compete until they are 18 months old. Even though Jerry is not really ready for a whole competitive starters course I decided to take on a different route with him than I did when I first started with Tom and put him out there for two events. When I started with Tom he wasn't quite ready to begin and I jumped in there and did a bunch of events and it was too much. He became overwhelmed because I had no experience and I didn't know how to handle certain things not ever competing before. So from that Tom developed some issues that we are still working on that cost us some Q's.

For Jerry I decided to enter two events Gamblers where you choose your own course and Standard that has a set course. I decided before hand I was going to pick four or five obstacles in an easy sequence on both events and just go out and have fun. I chose things I knew Jerry really could do with no problem and I wanted to practice his sit stay because I know he has a great one.
I figured I wouldn't be stressed because I wasn't running to win and it would give Jerry some quality time out there in the ring and he wouldn't be stressed either. It turned out great. He had lots of tunnels and chutes which he loves and I got some contacts in there too which he was great on too. He slid off the end of the see saw once after getting a touch and then he righted himself which got him a whistle but it was at the end of our 5 obstacle sequence and his jumping was ok. He dropped a bar or two because of his speed and inability to really figure out his stride just yet.
In the end I think it was a great experience for both of us.

As for Tom he had a good weekend too. We completed our second trial of all Advanced events and we came close on both Snooker courses missing a Q both times by one point but we placed second. We had some issues on popping on poles for Standard and then I wasn't calling out obstacles mostly because I was trying to save my breath since the baby is taking up some good room compacting my lungs! so Tom started pulling away and refusing tunnels and a jump on Sunday. In Jumpers he dropped a bar on Saturday and on Sunday he decided to take a few off course jumps so we will keep working on it. Gamblers was great on Saturday he got his first Advanced Gambler Q and came in third. Sunday's Gamblers was not good from the start I was in a bad position from the get go and it took time to get back on track so we didn't get enough points in the opening and it took awhile to get to the Gamble so the buzzer sounded before we were able to get the gamble but good thing was he did it so I know he can. Smartie dropped some bars this weekend costing her a lot of Q's but she got one in Gamblers which makes her one Q away from her title in Gamblers. She is also one away in Snooker and Standard!

As for me the weekend was very tiring and my feet were killing me when I finally got home. I can feel myself slowing up I guess because I have gained weight and my lungs are being squeezed. I don't know how I am going to walk forget about run come December and January. We have two more trials I am going to try to compete in so we will see how it goes.

Update on Blood Type

I got my genotype results back and I am genotypically O positive but I still test O Negative...... which amounts to I have a weak Big D for all those medical people who understand and for the rest of us it means I am missing some pieces of my D antigen? which is okay. SO the doctors all decided to treat me as O negative for this pregnancy and any others I may have in case the baby has a different blood type so I don't reject it. Shots in the rear here we come! In the event I ever need a transfusion the genetics people in Wisconsin are still running tests to see how weak my D antigen really is and to see if I should be getting O negative blood but it takes forever for the results to come back. Never a dull moment.

Aside from all that mess the baby is doing well. The first trimester screening all came back negative and they said I didn't need an amnio so that is good news. We went to the doctor again and saw the baby wiggling and squirming all over and it looked like it was punching. Good thing I don't feel anything yet! It is getting bigger too. I am very grateful that my doctors are having me come every two weeks, mostly for our sanity after last year, but it is so nice to see the baby and hear the heartbeat so often and just make sure everything is going smoothly.

Now for this weekend Tom & Jerry have a trial in Westfield Massachusetts so we are packing it up and leaving Friday for some nice outlet shopping etc. Jerry is going to get a go at trialing but just a couple of easy obstacles because I couldn't possible run him in an entire course. He is still reckless and not ready for trialing but I want to put him in the atmosphere since I am not going to be trialing all winter. Paul is staying home to stain some doors and get the house ready for the baby. It should be a nice weekend hopefully not too hot and even my mom is coming! Must be that shopping that lured her in!

A New Sibling for Tom & Jerry

Paul and I are proud to announce that we are pregnant and so far everything looks "normal" whatever that is. HA I tricked you. I bet you thought we were getting another puppy!

What a completely different experience this time from our sad loss with a molar pregnancy just one year ago. We are starting to get excited as we had some testing done and everything is as good as it gets so far. Still nervous and scared - not about raising a baby but with everything that can happen between now and its birth. It has been extremely hard to be happy or excited during the past twelve weeks but each doctor's visit brings a clearer picture and a smile or two to our faces. Seeing the baby bounce around, flail its limbs, hear the strong heartbeat and actually look like it is sucking its thumb were truly amazing. Thank you to our close family for not saying anything until now. We really appreciate it.

Here is a good look at Baby Quinn- look closely and you can see its little hand near its mouth and some ribs.

The baby is due on January 18th. We figured we could add one more birthday to the MANY that occur in our family between December and January! Tom & Jerry are very excited about the baby. Tom sees it as something that will throw a ball or anything else to him and Jerry thinks it will make a good snack....... Hmmm we will have to work on that one!

The only strange thing about this pregnancy is that my blood type mysteriously changed from O+ to O- (which really didn't happen but the test says it did) so I had to get a genotype test which will straighten things out so I will not need special shots for RH- blood. We await those results but they will have no effect on the baby whatever the results are. They are just to set the record straight so I don't go wasting O- blood and of course save my behind (yes that is where the shots go if I am O- to protect the baby! I will not need shots if I am O+) Thanks Uncle Terry for explaining and helping with that.

I am gettting promoted to the 4TH GRADE!

Hehe- after being left back in third for four years straight I get the chance to go to fourth grade. The nicest thing is that I am looping up with my entire class so in September we get to carry on where we left off. I have always wanted to do it and my class is really great so this should be a fun year even though there is so much prep for three state tests. I am not too worried since I taught fourth for three years when I started at PS 182. I did take some of the new books home that they use though to prepare myself. I will keep you posted on our progress.

Contact Agility Trial

Smartie approaching the jump
Smartie clearing a jump!
Our friends Donna and Henry

This trial was held in Carmel in Putnam Park and is only about 20 minutes from my house so I love going to this trial just for that reason. This trial was not too rewarding in the Q category. I had to run in Advanced Standard and Advanced Jumpers and the courses were very different from Starters. Tom embarrassed me royally as we sat in the ring waiting for our turn to run in the pairs event. As Hailey started to run her side Tom squatted and peed right in the ring. I had forgotten to ask him to urinate before entering the ring which I do every time so he took it upon himself to pee before he went. We were able to run but we NQed for eliminating in the ring. Hailey had run great with only one bar dropped. We would have come in second and Q'ed. Oh well there is always Blackthorne Lauren!

Saratoga Springs Trial

Tom & Nemo Pairs Partners

(our first pairs Q's!)

What a great event run by Y Agility by Donna and Brian Young. We all love their trials. The big highlights were Nemo and Tom got a pairs Q together. Tom got his Standard Q even after the timer didn't start and we flawlessly ran the first five obstacles. The judge was great though because she made us rerun the whole thing for time but wasn't counting the first five obstacles as we reran it since we had no mistakes the first time. Lucky us because Tom dropped two bars! He then went on without error to complete the course and get a Q. Smartie, Hailey and Sailor all picked up ribbons and Q's and the weekend was really nice. We stayed at a Residence Inn ( I slept on a cot in the kitchen!) and ate at some great restaurants each night. (plates of cotton candy larger than my eyes could handle!) Definitely worth a revisit next year. The greatest thing for us too was everyone won something in the raffle. We won a wooden jump!

ALSO BIG NEWS--- Tom got his A.D. at this trial. This is his Agility Dog Title. He has completed 3 Q's in Standard and at least one Q in Jumpers, Gamblers, Snooker and Pairs. He has officially moved up to Advanced Level in Standard and Jumpers. You can move up in Jumpers, Gamblers, Snooker and Pairs with only one Q as long as you have 3 in Standard but we will work for three Q's in each event to get us ready for the higher level.

I can't believe I do not have a picture of him and his rainbow ribbon. I will have to post one later.

Nemo & Ella's Luau Birthday party

Nemo & Ella celebrated their birthday this past weekend with a luau theme. Everyone including dogs came dressed for the occasion. Tom & Jerry had a fun time playing with all the other dogs and Tom got the ultimate party favor- a tennis ball that squeaks- no more multi tasking of dribbling the tennis ball down the path and squeaking a toy at the same time when he can now run and squeak with one toy. However he needs to lay off the tennis balls. I found out they are like sandpaper on teeth after a while and Tom has worn down a few of his teeth to the point they will need to be pulled if he continues! Enjoy the pics!

PCOTC trial at FDR Park

This weekend Tom, Smartie and the crew participated in our club's annual trial. My dad ran Tom on Friday when I had to work and boy was I glad- it was a monsoon here in NY. When I came home from work to pick up Tom at the trial I almost didn't recognize him. He was soaked to the bone and shaking even though all the dogs were under our massive tent structure and safe from wind and rain. I will try to post a picture of our "compound" during Saratoga's trial. My dad's rain gear practically self destructed and everyone seemed to be walking their dogs on course because of the mud and rain to avoid injury. Tom got his frist AKC Qualification during the monsoon with my dad! Saturday Tom was fabulous 3 for 3. Three first place Qualifications. On Sunday he got another Q for me for Mother's Day. His trial behavior is imprvoing! My dad ran Smartie well but she was plagued with a drop bar every run so no "Qs." Everyone had a good time. Hope everyone had a Happy Mother's Day. My dogs bought me a Dogwalk for Mother's Day. I will have to post a picture of that too.

DOGSWALK 2008

Tom, Jerry, Abbie & Smartie

Today was the ACS DOGSWALK at Bear Mountain and it turned out to be a really nice DRY day. I spent $50 on raincoats for the dogs yesterday so that our cars wouldn't smell like wet dog all the way home but now I can return them! Paul and I raised $951 and our team raised $1688. This was amazing. Next year we hope to raise $1000 for our team. Thank you to all who donated.

Smartie, my dad & Abbie

Jeanine & Abbie

Teammates Fiona & Diesel

As for the walk itself we had a great time. We walked around Hessian Lake and we miraculously made it to the finish line without Smartie ending up in the lake. There were great vendors who gave out a lot of free stuff and this year my dad and I entered some contests. Abbie did the "Best Tail Wag" contest and came in second place. Tom did the "Best Trick" contest and sang to Fergie's Big Girls Don't Cry in front of 500+ people. He didn't win anything but everyone thought he was too funny. Too bad they didn't play Goo Goo Dolls. He would have rocked the house. Jerry entered the "Musical Sit" contest and kicked butt. He came in first place and won a new Comfort Lead from J&B Wholesale.

Abbie's winning tail

Jerry doesn't look too coordinated here but don't let that fool you. He came in first place in the Musical sit!

Tom singing

My dad and I also bought a "dog's length of tickets apiece and we ended up both winning a prize in the raffle. I won a gift basket from Paws of Distinction with over $150 worth of pet products including organic dog shampoo, a new ceramic food bowl, fleece lined collar and leash, coat shiner, toys and a year's worth of gourmet dog biscuits plus more stuff I can't remember right now. My dad won a dog house and a whole bag full of tennis balls and dog toys from Petco. We had such a nice time and it was all for a great cause.

A Day at the Park

Last weekend we went over to FDR to cheer on my dad and Smartie in Rally and Obedience. While we were there we took some nice nature shots and some pictures of the PCOTC competitors.

Westfield Trial

Tom , Hailey, Roo, Smartie and Jerry at Naomi's Inn

Well this weekend was quite the interesting! We stayed at a quaint B&B about 20 mins from the trial in Springfield. It was very nice. Thanks to Marci for her wonderful hospitality. I would recommend her B&B if you are around the Springfield area. It was beautiful and the best part was it was PET FRIENDLY!!!








As for the drive to Massachusetts, it was horrible. We got stuck in traffic through Bridgeport and Hartford. By accident on the way home I got on 90 going the wrong way and we ended up hitting the Taconic instead of going the 90-91-84 route and it ended up being shorter and a much nicer drive. I love making "good" mistakes.

On to the trial.....


First off Congrats to Smartie on her FIRST "Q." She was truly amazing this weekend with her jumping and my dad was great too. She would have had two more "Q"s but dropped bars on the last jump of two runs.





Way to go Sailor and Meg receiving their first 2 "Q"s in USDAA. That nickname "Snailor" may not last too long!





Way to go Draco (one of my my instructor's dogs) for having a great first trial and "Q" and also my instructor for "SMOKING" the steeplechase!





As for Hailey she got a little zoomie but stayed in the ring under control. Her jumping is gorgeous and her sit stay in snooker was complimented by numerous competitors. She is going to be awesome. She held all of her criteria on the obstacles and I look forward to seeingher in Standard next trial.





As for Jerry and Roo who do not compete, Jerry because he is too young and Roo because she has a handicap and may not ever compete in USDAA, were the loudest most obnoxious dogs there. Jerry was such an instigator and got Roo and all the other dogs to bark like they were protecting a pot of gold when anyone came near our tent. We had to reconfigure our tenting to block their vision and attempt to keep them quiet. We were not very successful and are now in the process of purchasing more tarps and screens to block their expens completely.





Finally we will discuss Mr. Stubborn Tom. I cannot figure this dog out. We started off with pairs. We were paired with the same dog that Tom ran after in jumpers last week when they came in the ring and were tugging. So of course when the dog and handler came running toward us to pass the baton Tom went nuts. He went over to the dog and barked but I eventually got him back. He knocked the first bar because he blew the sit stay. He managed to get through the rest of the course perfectly but absolutely showed signs of the old Tom with space issues. I was very nervous for the rest of the day but he switched personalities and was amazing. We won the class for Gamblers with the most points and also the best time. This was our second "Q" in Gamblers and our first FIRST PLACE ribbon ever. HE was completely focused. Sunday was awful. He blew me off, took a wrong course and charged a dog from across the field and never even looked back when I called him. He didn't do anything harmful to the dog but bark but it was the most horrifying, embarrassing experience I have ever had with him. He flat out ignored me. I was seriously pulling him from jumpers (his last run) after that, but at the last moment I decided to run him and take it one obstacle at a time so we wouldn't be leaving on such a bad note. He was semi focused and again a competitor entered the ring and was tugging and Tom saw it but I was able to get his attention made him lay down and we exited the ring without finishing. Let's just say we will be working on his obstinate behavior a lot in the coming weeks to prepare for the next trial. Hope you enjoy the slide show of the pictures I took of Tom and Jerry's friends this weekend. There aren't any of Tom on course although you will see his brother War. I think they resemble each other a lot.

Westfield Pictures