Saying Our Prayers

Cooper had another seizure early Thursday morning.  

There was only 4 hours between the 2nd and 3rd.

They are getting less scary for me.

I know what to expect.

It was the first time for Ben, though.  I think he was equally terrified and relieved that he finally knew what exactly was happening.

The vet now has him on Phenobarbital to try to control the seizures.  Ideally it will fully kick in within the next 5 or 6 days.  We're praying that there is no more excitement before he reaches that mark.

She also straightened me out on the priority list.

While I felt like the stones were next on the list--I just really want to take care of what we can--she said that once the seizures are under control, we really need to figure out what's causing them.  In addition to the concern about putting him under anesthesia, we need to make sure that he is going to live long enough to make the surgery feasible.

It was really hard to hear it laid out like that.  

Really, though, she's right.

For now I am being pessimistically hopeful.

I have to assume that he is going to take a turn for the worst at any time--I can't emotionally afford to be caught off guard again--but we are holding on to the slim possibility that the seizures are a side effect of the injection that he got on Tuesday.

It's only a sliver of hope, but at least it's something.

I Spoke Too Soon

Ben took Coop to the vet yesterday.

We were pretty sure that he had a urinary tract infection, plus he needed an update on some medicine.

They did an x-ray and it turns out he has kidney stones.  

That's a rough one, but it's manageable.  

He looked like he was in great shape, otherwise.

Today, however, he had a seizure.

It came from out of nowhere.

It was so very scary, but I'm grateful that I was home with him.

Ben rushed home and we took him to the vet right away.

She told us that it was most likely either caused by one of his organs shutting down (worse case scenario) or a tumor on the brain (usually they're slow growing).

That was the most terrifying things to hear, especially when we just lost Bailey.

I ran some tests on his blood at work.  His liver, kidneys, everything looks good.  His urine, however, showed that the type of stones he has can't be broken up with medication.  

He's going to have to have surgery to get those out.  

The problem is, that since he just had a seizure, it's very risky to put him under.  We're kind of in a bad position.

After talking to the vet, I felt like we had a good grasp on things.  The kidney stones are our immediate concern.  We'll deal with what's causing the seizures once we get past the surgery.

How naive.

He had another seizure tonight.

Two within twelve hours is not good.

I don't know where we're at with things right now. 

It's hard to stay optimistic in the middle of the night.

A Good Dog

Amy's dog, Bailey, died on Tuesday.

He would have been 11 in November.

We are unbelievable sad about it.

He's been in bad shape for awhile now--his hips weren't good--and, we all knew that he was getting to the point that they needed to make the decision to put him down.  I don't think any of us thought that he would go downhill so quickly or so soon, though--we just saw him on Sunday.

I'm thankful that I went back in for a last cuddle with him as we were leaving.

Amy got Bailey when we got Cooper--they were litter mates.

Cooper and Bailey--2 months

Unlike Bailey, though, Cooper's in great shape.  I'm thankful for that, but it makes me extra sad that Bailey got dealt such a bad hand.  

Our Maggie, on the other hand, is three years younger and seems to be on her way down the same path as Bailey.

I've always thought that, when the time comes, I would much rather my dogs go on their own, than having to make the call to put them down.  I just don't know how either Ben or I could make that decision.  After hearing what Amy and Bailey had to go through on Tuesday, though, I pray that we make that decision before the suffering really sets in.  

Bailey sure was a good dog.  

We are going to miss him--a lot.

Working Things Out

We decided to bite the bullet and put all the boys in soccer this year.

It was a big leap for us--well mostly for Ben!

The problem isn't with them actually playing.  The problem is trying to work three sets of practices into a week full of homework and other activities with only one parent to balance things on most nights.

We've put it off long enough, though.

We signed them up and prayed it would work out.

It's been a bit rough, but we've gotten it sorted out--thanks to the help of Grandpa John!

Our Saturday mornings are spent jumping between their games.

Josh's are quite entertaining!

I think he often forgets that he's actually playing in a game.  I've seen a shocked look on his face more than once when he sees the ball suddenly roll past him! He'll catch on, but I doubt it will be this season!

Henry's fierce on the field.

He goes after the ball with everything he's got.  He's pretty good, too.  It surprises me, because I don't think he's really played much, other than kicking it around a little in the front yard.  I'm pretty sure he's a natural athlete. Really, everything seems to come natural to Henry--lucky him!

Luke's done really good this year.

He hasn't played on a team since 1st grade, but he plays almost everyday at recess.  Much to Ben's sadness, he really wants to be a goalie.  He's not currently big on running, so the goal may be the perfect spot for him!

I'm really glad they all got to play this year, but I must admit that we won't be too sad for the season to be over.

We're not big fans of chaotic schedules!

Abner

I love the name Abner.

I loved it long, long, long before I had babies.  

Had it been up to me, it would have been Luke's middle name.  

In all fairness, I never brought it up to Ben.  I had to work hard enough to bump Lucas from a middle name to a first name;  there was no way I'd win him over on two names! 

I secretly still consider him my Abner, though!

After school yesterday, the boys and I tagged along with Luke while he took a quick test in his school library.

I saw this book sitting on top of one of the shelves:

I about fell over dead!

I never come across the name Abner.  

On top of that, it has not one, but two of my favorite names!

I almost read it to the boys, but I decided I am going to wait until I track down my own copy.  

Then I can savor it's loveliness!

*     *     *     *     *

We were in there for a grand total of 10 minutes.

It was long enough for Ollie to fall asleep.

Kindergarten wears him out!