Some Words are Hard to Hear

We've all had to hear words that are just *hard* to hear. That happened to me yesterday when I found out hat my 13-year-old puppy dog, Daphne Doodle, has kidney disease.

I took her to the vet for her yearly physical on Friday and they ran her "geriatric" blood work against the baseline they have from when she was nine. Based on the results they learned that she has kidney disease. This means that her kidney's are failing and there is no solution or cure. All we can do is make her as comfortable as possible. The vet also recommends a medication that helps (Azodyl) and changing her to a low-protein diet. I am starting both immediately.

Daphne has all the signs - not eating much (she has taken herself to one meal a day) and drinking and urinating a lot.

They vet asked about how's she's been acting and aside from being somewhat unusual for a short time earlier this year, she is acting like her typical self and just as playful as a puppy. I feel like now I know why she was acting that way earlier this year - she was in some kind of discomfort. I was going to take her to the vet but then she snapped out of it and has been back to her old self ever since. 

Since she appears to be happy and pain-free, the meds and new diet will only help. However, like anything else, it won't last forever and her kidney's will eventually fail.

She turned 13 this year and I am so blessed to have had her this long! Of course I've always known that she won't live forever and that something will eventually happen. Now I just know what it is.

As far as time the vet said there is no clear indicator. She could live only a few more months or a couple more years. I told the vet that since she turned 12 we've taken it day-by-day so really this is no different. We will continue to take it day-by-day and make her as comfortable as possible - as I've always tried to do - for the rest of her days.

Eighth Annual NYC Shopping Trip

Once a year my mom, my aunt, my cousin and I meet up in New York for our annual girls shopping trip! This year marked our EIGHTH ANNUAL trip! It is literally a shopping trip because we do just that – we don’t do anything cultural – no museums, no Statue of Liberty, no Empire State Building, none of that. We shop. And we take it quite seriously!

The Mom's - Aunt Carol & Twinkle

 

The Daughters - Sarah  & Nicole

The plan is typically the same: we coordinate our flights to arrive at the same time, meet up in the airport, take a car service to a fabulous hotel – this year was the Ritz Carlton in Battery Park – to drop our luggage, then hit the streets to shop! 

We always hit up SoHo, The Village, the Meat Packing District and Madison Avenue to visit our favorite shops and to find new boutiques. 

We also make sure to have scrumptious Dim Sum in Chinatown, wonderful pasta in Little Italy, and delicious Middle Eastern food in SoHo. We usually catch one show – this year was Jersey Boys – and we try out some of the hippest restaurants. 

It is such a fabulous time and we look forward to it each and every year! Here is a recap of our Eighth Annual Girls Shopping Trip in pictures…

Dinner at R Lounge overlooking Times Square

Great view of Times Square from our dinner table!

 

*My white North Face jacket was the only one that zipped over my belly!*

 

 We saw the new buildings at The World Trade Center. The memorial (not pictured) is two beautiful fountains placed in the footprint of the original towers.

Pausing for a photo with the "Wall Street Bull"

 Dinner at STK in the Meat Packing District

 

  

"Birthday Cake" Dessert since we have two April Birthdays to celebrate!

 Ready to see Jersey Boys - what a super fun show!

 

 My cousin gets us matching PJs for each trip,  we always look forward to seeing what she comes up with!

 Since I had my hands on my bump everyone thought it would be cute to cover up their "bump" they had acquired as a result of all the glutinous eating we did on this trip!

Official Bump Pic!

Fabulous cappuccino's served in bowls at Balthazar

We had a GREAT time and are already talking about next year's trip!! And while we love the shopping and the eating, most of all we love the girl time.

So What Wednesday

It’s Wednesday, must be time to say SO WHAT!! As always I’m linking up with Shannon over at Life After I "Dew" and…

This week is a special *New York City* edition! Since I’m fresh off the heels of our “Eighth Annual Girls Shopping Trip”, this week I’m saying:

So what if… my *baby brain* is so bad that when a boutique owner asked me if I wanted to see a mirror I thought she said “Are you American”? Now of course any normal, non-pregnant person probably would have said, “Excuse me?” or “Can you repeat that?” Oh no, not me, I actually said back “Am I American?” She seriously thought I was having heat stroke and was very concerned about me. No, it’s not heat stroke. It’s just a moment of complete idiot-ness due to pregnancy. Don’t mind me.  However, I was able to purchase these fabulous Mystic Sandals from that very boutique.

So what if… I drank so much water that I think I used the ladies room in every single shop we went into? My need for water is *extreme* right now and my bladder is very *small*. This does not make for a good combination! I filled up my Nalgene water bottle at least three times every day!

So what if… I completely took advantage of being pregnant and boarded the plane with the “priority boarding” passengers? I’m making a baby right? That definitely qualifies as *priority*!

So what if… I overindulged on Dim Sum in Chinatown and Gnoochi in Little Italy? NYC is as close as you can get to either China or Italy without requiring your passport! I overindulged and it was FABULOUS!

So what if… I missed my puppy dogs, Daphne and Cash, SO MUCH? My dad kept them both for me and sent me regular texts with updates and pictures. He even sent me a video of Cash Dog playing! Of course both my sweet babies thought they were at “summer camp” and had a wonderful time!

 Cash (left) with his brother & best friend Truman (right)

Handsome Cash ready to play

Cash (left) and Daphne (right) "helping" in my dad's workbench

 Another long day of playing. So sleepy...

What are you saying SO WHAT to this week?

Operation Nursery: An Update

I am so excited to share the updates we’ve made to Baby Parker’s room! You already saw the paint color and furniture when I posted about that here last month.

I registered for Peter Rabbit bedding and I hope the crib skirt and bumper will pull the look together. But while I’m collecting that I’ve been able to hang several things up!

  What I am most excited about is Parker’s name above the crib:

I used Blue Stick (or as I call it “sticky stuff”) to stick the letters to the wall so I could determine spacing before I committed to each letters *spot*.

The window treatments are green gingham to coordinate with the green gingham crib skirt and the finials on the curtain rod are green glass. I love how they turned out! The best part is that these curtains have black out to keep it dark for Parker’s naps!

Parker already has a few books and I started collecting them in a basket I placed by the window.

Eventually I will fill these shelves with small accessories and favorite pictures. I am planning to hang some framed photos on the wall here too.

One of my most favorite things in his room is the Peter Rabbit chalkboard!! I can’t wait to write little notes on it!

I also really like how the mirror over the changing table turned out! This will be a great spot for Parker to discover what he looks like.

So what’s next? I am planning to hang an old window over the dresser. I am still working on what will go in the window panes… pictures, vintage Peter Rabbit artwork…

I also need to get the dog bed recovered to match the room.

I have found myself going in his room several times a day just to look at it, sit in the recliner, and just be. It’s hard to believe that in just eight weeks we’ll have a baby boy in his room!!

Why Does This Happen To Me?

I'm back from New York… we ate, drank and shopped to our hearts content!! Well I didn’t drink of course except for *a lot of water* and used *every restroom* on Manhattan Island…

But while I’m recovering from the trip I thought I’d share a tidbit of my small town life and the *excitement* I experienced running a few errands last week…

First up, Kohl’s. I was returning some picture frames I decided we don’t need for our gallery wall. I walked in and asked where the returns counter was:

Associate: In the back

Me: Thanks. [Start walking to the back wall] This way right?

Associate: No. In the back… that way. [Points to the right side of the store]

Me: Oh that back. [I did not tell her that was not the back]

So I get to the returns counter which is located on the *side* of the store in case anyone else needs to make a return at my local Kohl’s store.  I get in line behind a lady who had a used Keurig in a plastic grocery bag with no box, no receipt and didn’t have the credit card she purchased it on. Great, right?

The return associate had to call someone from house wares to help and then we all wait there. Since we’re all clearly just waiting, I wondered why she wasn’t helping me, soooo I asked if she would mind helping me while we waited.

Associate: [Stares at me. Clearly not used to making such big decisions]

Me: I have my receipt and packaging and everything. I think it will be quick.

Associate: [Blinks.] Ummm, well ok then.

Well ok then. Great, let’s get this done. We complete the return, I thank her and start on my way out. House wares has yet to show up. Clearly she made the right decision since we had plenty of time.

Next I go to Pier One. I needed to purchase some woven baskets to help organize our closet. At the counter the associate asked me if I wanted to apply for their credit card. As usual I politely declined. She proceeded to spend the rest of the checkout time telling me about all the benefits of a card I can *only* use at Pier One. (How often does she think I shop there? I’ve been twice in ten months.) But she wasn’t just talking to me about the benefits, no she was YELLING them to me. Why, I have no idea! I couldn’t get out quick enough!

Next I go to Kroger, our grocery store. I had bought something that had ripped packaging and was there to return it. In front of me was someone doing a wire transfer for two-thousand-something-dollars. Clearly bailing someone out of jail, right?. Except they couldn’t count. So they had to recount and argue with the associate about the money. After realizing that I’ve been waiting for eternity the associate calls someone to help me. That someone is on break. She asked three of her co workers where Becky was. No one had seen Becky. After the money was counted for the 100 th time I was finally able to return my ripped package. Not worth the two bucks I got back.

Finally I’m on my way to my last stop. Home Depot. I needed to return a shelf I bought for our closet that was too short. This should be easy right?Well, not when you’re behind someone who is returning a used lawn mower that they claim broke and they don’t have the receipt. What is with these people not saving their receipts for major purchases? It went a little something like this:

Wife: Well we bought this and it’s broke but my husband needs to tell you about it and he went to get somethin’

Associate: [Looks at her]

Wife: [Looks around for her husband] Oh here he comes, GET OVER HERE [yells at him]

Husband: Yea, we need to return this because it broke … [Proceeds to tell the associate all about the crank shaft and the gizmo that goes in the whatchamacallit]

Associate: [Interrupts] Sir do you have your receipt?

Husband: No. [Looks at wife] When did we buy this?

Wife: Well it was after March 24 th, I know that.

Husband: It was on a Sunday

*Note: no one has asked them *when* they bought it. They are completely offering this up on their own.

Wife: All I know is it was after March 24 th. It was like 3 weeks ago.

Associate: [Interrupts. Again.] Do you have credit card you used to purchase the item? I can use that to look up your receipt.

Husband: [Holds up a credit card and looks at associate] This one?

Associate: Sir I don’t know if that’s the card you used.

Husband: It was this one.

About that time a lady at customer service calls out that she can help the next person with their return. I was so happy to get away from these people that I practically skipped over to her! I thanked her for rescuing me and told her that they were going to be a while on that one. She agreed.

After that I went home. And I didn’t talk to another soul the rest of the day.

And that's the kind of small-town excitement I occasionally experience...