Piper Update

A few weeks ago Piper got really sick and after a few days at our local vet we learned she had immune mediated hemolytic anemia and we had to take her to the Animal Diagnostic Center for a blood transfusion and to stay for observation for 5 days. (click here for more background)

Piper has been home for a little over a week now. She is still a little lethargic but seems to be slowing gaining her energy back. We have a line-up of meds we have to give her each day and she's on a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice. Which means we now cook more for our puppy than anyone else in the household.

Carl took her back to the Animal Diagnostic Clinic today for a check-up on her progress. Her red blood cell count is back up. When we discovered she was really sick her packed cell volume, PCV was at 20%, normal PCV is 40% and today she tested at 43%.

She's doing much better but we're still keeping her on all the meds. She'll go back in for another recheck the week after next.

Overall, good news. Big sigh of relief!

First Time For Soccer

This fall the twins are playing soccer for the first time. I was super excited to have an activity they could do together and went crazy with cleats, shin guards and long socks. I think they look adorable in uniform.

However, they're not so excited to play. The very first game Chloe got out there and really seemed to enjoy herself. However, our team is short players and she was totally worn out after playing the entire game.


Connor would not play. He likes to kick the soccer ball but gets really frustrated if someone kicks it from him or keeps him from getting it. Not really a good perspective when trying to play soccer.

It's a bit painful as a parent when the team is short players and your kids are crying on the sidelines refusing to go on the field. I understand this happens sometimes when kids first start playing, but since our team is short players it's obvious when one or both of the twins won't play.

The one fun thing for me is that the coach and one of the other fathers are English and they call the game "football," the field is the "pitch" and I get to be a "soccer mum." 

Connor did tell me his favorite part of soccer is the "high fives." So he doesn't like going on the field to play, but his favorite part is when they line up at the end and give everyone on the other team a high five.

We're waiting to see if the twins can find a way to enjoy it more or this may be our one and only season of soccer.

Pensacola Beach Vacation II: The Rest

After the stingray incident, the vacation went pretty smoothly. For the first part of the trip Carl's Mom, Betsy, and her sisters, Aunt Deb and Aunt Denise stayed with us. I love having these ladies around and the twins get plenty of love and attention. It was their birthday everyday. Literally, the twins opened a birthday present every single day JoJo and the Aunts were there.

back row: JoJo, Aunt Denise, Aunt Deb
front row: Chloe, Carl, Connor, Me, GiGi

One day we took a dolphin cruise. We didn't see any dolphins until the very end, but the kids loved their life jackets, the snacks and then eventually seeing a few dolphins.

We didn't go to the beach as much as I thought we would. I couldn't go in the water with the kids and most days there was a yellow flag for rough conditions.  

We also learned a new flag on this trip. The purple flag for dangerous marine life. During the last few days of the trip there were a lot of jellyfish in the water and quite a few washed up onto the beach.

The second part of the trip our cousins from Louisiana came and stayed with us. We had a full house with Lauren and Kevin, baby Owen, sweet Elizabeth and Andrew (same age as the twins). Aunt Marlene, aka Mae Mae joined us too and I'm so glad she was there. She just another set of hands for the kiddy chaos, but as a former kindergardener teacher, she's someone I consider an expert.

Lauren with Owen & Elizabeth

With cousins around the twins had an awesome time. 

We did make it to the beach few more times, but I'm so glad we had pool. Much easier to get a refill on your margarita when you're at the pool!

Pensacola Beach Vacation I: The Stingray

Travel to Pensacola was smooth, but our first day on the beach was a bit rough for me. We'd only been on the beach about 10 minutes, I was in the water and Chloe was headed in, I was looking up at Chloe, stepping towards her and I suddenly felt something sting my foot.

As the rest of the family played in the water, I hobbled up the beach, bleeding all the way to the towel. Carl and my Mom yelled from the ocean they thought it was probably just a shell but I didn't feel well and knew it was worse. I looked up sting-ray stings on my iPhone and was pretty sure that's what happened.

Not the actual stingray that stung me, but an example of stingrays

When I told Carl I needed to go back to the house and maybe consider going to the emergency room all hell broke loose. The kids were not happy to leave the beach after being out for only 10 minutes. They did not care one bit I was injured and had a total meltdown leaving the beach.

By the time we got all our stuff and the twins back up to the house, I could feel poison in my body and I was a little scared. Carl took me to the emergency room.

They put my foot in hot water and I felt better immediately. I feel silly for going to the emergency room. If I'd known I just needed to soak my foot in hot water I could have done that at home.

They did give me a tetanus shot and told me I had to stay out of the ocean for the rest of the vacation to avoid infection.

My sympathy shot, it hurt at the time!

A bit of a bummer, first day of a beach vacation and I'm told to stay out of the ocean. At least we had a pool.

What made it funny for me is no one was really concerned. The kids made up a story saying I stepped on the poor stingray and it cried all the way home looking for it's mommy. 

All the love for the poor stingray.