hey everyone. i'm finally halfway done with this pregnancy! yay! i really have never been a good pregnant person...i really don't like it at all to be honest. so i'm excited that i'm half done with it. tomorrow is my big ultrasound. can't wait!
nicole--i have no clue about dogs as i'm a cat owner. sorry. good luck with your search and trust your instincts..which i'm sure you will! keep us updated!
amylou--bummer about not being able to start cases on wed, but it'll come soon enough. can't wait to hear all about your first day!
starting this weekend it's going to be soooo cold..nothing higher than about zero degrees! ick. now i remember how much i miss living in NC. boo. oh well.
ok..gotta go. DS is being extra "fun" aka naughty today, so i gotta go!
love you guys........my instinct says no.......so i have to make the dreaded call.......but first I have to runm 13 yo DD to school.......long story
XOXO
Kristin- Very good point. We used to breed Great Danes, and I was very strict about who bought them. They are such giant dogs, and a big responsibility. I gave people the third degree, and sometimes told them no if I thought that it was not a good home, or if they did not seem to really understand what they were getting into.
Nicole, be very careful. I bought a pug from a puppy mill once. there were many signs and I just didn't listen to my head. my heart wanted to take him home. He didn't know how to walk on grass, don't think he had ever done it. He was 12 weeks old. He didn't know how to relate to people, he looked like he desperately wanted to be loved but then was afraid to be close. we had him for just a month or two and he died of botchulisim. my advice is just listen to what your gut says. if you feel like it is right then it probably is. but if not, then listen to that! you are about to make a 10-12 year commitment so you want it to be right.
Nicole – here is my long story…Your situation sounds similar to my Maltese story. I had my heart set on getting a Maltese so the first add I found in the paper, I answered. Within a couple of days I met up with a couple, not at their home, but in a public park and they had the entire litter of Maltese (and Yorkie) pups with them. They put on a great, professional front and told me all about the pups and the parents and said I could see the mother if I wanted to. The dogs where all registered, tattooed, they had a strict diet for them, the pups where clean and the couple seemed to care for the dogs. So after an hour I decided on getting the smallest pup in the little, took down all their information again and left with my new puppy. Within a few days I took her to my vet and she had a laundry list of concerns. I had decided to call the people back to ask them about some of the items and the couple was very rude and unwilling to answer any of my questions. I then decided that I just couldn’t keep the dog, canceled the check, and called the people back again. I told them I was returning the dog. Of course they wanted nothing to do with her anymore, but once I told them that I cancelled my check they where pissed. I meet them again, returned the dog, and told them that if they would have some of the health issues taken care of I would possibly buy her back. I had had the puppy for a week and was starting to grow attached and I was concerned with what they would do with her, that’s why I offered to buy her back. The couple took care of the hernia surgery and called me back saying their vet checked her all out, didn’t find any other concerns and that my vet must have been talking out of her a$$. They even said their vet was threatening to call the licensing board on my vet. So I decided to get her back and when I went back to get her I learned that these people where in fact puppy brokers and not puppy breeders. The hernia surgery looked like they did it themselves (even know they had papers from a vet), they didn’t have the mother to the puppies and they told me that this puppy will probably just get destroyed if I didn’t buy her. Well with a threat like that I couldn’t leave the puppy this them. I felt terrible for “supporting” the puppy brokers who probably got the litter of puppies from a puppy mill, but at the same time I couldn’t bare the fact that this puppy would have been put down, even it they just led me to believe that. After all this happened I did a ton of research on Maltese dogs and just puppies in general. After talking to the president of the tri-state Maltese Association, I learned that this area is the largest region in the U.S. for puppy mills and that most reputable breeders in this area have a hard time selling puppy because of this.
I should have seen all the red flags and should have insisted on seeing the mother when they first offered, but they put on a great front and I was naïve and really wanted a puppy. Now I just look at it as learning process and I’ll know what to do and ask next time.
So after this long winded story, I would say go with your instinct. My puppy was about 10-11 weeks old when I got her and she was tiny (but she still is only 5 lbs.). Do they have papers on the puppy? Why would they cut his hair already? It took months after I got my pup before her hair was long enough for a bow. Her hair was also quite thin as a puppy. I don’t think I would question the possibility of having tear stains, but you would think they would have cleaned the puppy if they where trying to sell him.
On a side note..I was reading earlier posts about cleaning the dog's a$$ and yes, unfortunately I have had to do this several time...my dog is very furry and is gorgeous but occasionaly she has a problem with this....it's not every day but yeah sometimes...it's not pretty but I have stopped gagging! I figure with this practice changing babies diapers will be a breeze however!
thank you all so much for your input. I had no idea the puppy world could be so dark. I have only owned one dog....and she came from a family run breeder who had the momma and poppa on site..........all seemed well. Anyway.....sorry to hijak the thread here. I haven't called her yet, but I am going to stop payment on the check and then call, I guess. I hate making anyone unhappy, but this just feels right.
Omg, Dawn and Lettie. How terrible for both of you.
Nicole- The puppy world can be terrible. However, not everyone is terrible. Find a local breeder who has the parents on site, and breeds because they love the breed. You will find a wonderful puppy that is perfect you. Don't lose heart!
Dodger was 1.75lbs at 12 weeks old and he has been 6.2lbs for the last 14 years. (If only I could have that consistent of a weight!)
My MIL bought her "Maltese" from a breeder who had her meet in a parking lot at night. Well, this "Maltese" is about 20 lbs and looks nothing like Dodger - more like a Bichon-Maltese mix. Personality of a Bichon (crazy!)
When we picked out Dodger, he was so calm I thought there was something wrong w/him - but the others were spazzy, so I chose him. He's very low key - but still playful at times.
Everyone's right - trust your instincts. The right puppy will be there, just maybe not for Christmas.
Jillian, Half way done already! Time flies when I'm not the one who is pregnant.
Nicole, Good luck with the puppy business. I'm sure you'll do the right thing.
Amylou, 1.5 pounds down is great. Keep at it, as I'm sure any gal who can pass the bar can focus enough to lose weight if she makes it a priority. The hard part is making yourself the priority.
I was reading an article about how addictive sugar is. I've often felt that in my family we are not alcoholics or addictive personalities towards anything but sugar, but on sugary things, My gosh I don't think cookie monster has anything on us.... So it makes total sense to me that perhaps certain people have a bigger tendency towards sugar addiction than others. Not that the article says that, but if there is a gene for a tendency to be more addicted to alcohol, then it makes sense to me that there could be one for not being able to eat just one piece of candy.
Eureka, I've got it! I asked my mom for a list of my dad's old records so that I could locate the CD versions of all these, but she responded that he has most on CD already and he doesn't really like to carry CD's in his truck anyway - too much clutter. She then said that his favorite gift from me was when I baked a basket full of goodies... I don't bake anymore, so I started looking online for a fruit of the month club or cookie of the month club, and do you know how expensive that is?! So I decided to commit to sending 2 dozen cookies, or a coffee cake to my dad at least every quarter this year...wish me luck!
Hey guys! I am glad to be back… I just got so overwhelmed in the last two weeks I haven’t been able to get on here. Everything was going so well, then I called my girlfriend from HS to see if she was going to our bookclub last Monday and well, it turned into a week long 24/7 job. She is (I think) getting divorced from her husband. DRAMA. And he won’t let her see their daughter.
Basically I was gung-ho on helping her, but she just started taking advantage. She would come over, eat all our food, drink all my bottled water (well, take a few sips and then not finish it- AHH!!) and then continue to see him. I neglected my own life including my own marriage to help here and in the end, it’s not worth it. Long story short, I am avoiding her now.
My DH is on a project in Lancaster, PA for work so I spent Monday thru today with him there. He’s on 2nd shift, so my life shifted to that, including eating horribly. I have felt so sick all week and am so glad to be home in my own home, and back OP.
Mikkim- Welcome and CONGRATS on your losses!!! Keep it up!
Jillian- How are you feeling? How’s everything going with the kids?
Lettie- Way to go on your loss and new entry into the 170s!!!
Felicia- WELCOME BACK!
Amylou- Congrats on your promotion! That’s so exciting!!! Hang in there! I know it’s easy for other people to say, but what is a few days after all you went thru with school and studying for the bar?? Congrats on your loss too!! Any wedding plans??
Nicole- good luck with your puppy!!
If I don’t check in tomorrow, have a great weekend guys! Off to bed…
Good luck, Jillian. I will be thinking about you all day today, and I cannot wait to hear how your ultrasound goes. It is so exciting, and it doesn't matter how many pregnancies you have had, it is such a joy to get that sneak peak of your new baby!!!
So, I apologize for totally blowing everyone off this week as far as WL suport. You are all working so hard, and I am so proud of all of you. I promise to get myself back on track here soon and work at participating in a more constructive WL support mannor.
Barbara..........my name is Nicole, and I'm a sugar-holic. It is so bad. You know those Queen Ann chocolate covered cherries that are like $0.97 that very few people like that are in stores mostly from Thanksgiving till New Years? Well, I LOVE LOVE LOVE them. It is discusting. But I love them. Me, and all of those old ladies sort through all of the boxes to find the dark chocolate ones. Sometimes I have to get pushy and check those Grannies. JUST KIDDING. My mom says people who crave sugar are often children or relatives of alcoholics or alcoholic wannabes. I can see that........and addict is an addict, right? Well, it may not be that simple.......but it is an interesting view.
So, I did it. I bought me a tiny white little fluffball of a puppy last night. Oh, she is just a doll.......and she kept me up all night long, as a new puppy should. We haven't named her yet, but I am seriously thinking about Fluffy. I really like Penelope.....but I don't think DH is too crazy about it. Snowball is also on the shortlist, but the girls don't love it. I will ask Andrew and Adam this morning what they think. They have not met her yet........we didn't get home with her until about 10:30 last night, and the boys were sleeping I will post pictures in a little while..........DH is sleeping and my camera is in our room. Baby girl weighs just under 2 lbs.......and oh, just wait till you see her. I was leaning towards a male.....but there were no males in this litter, and she just stole our hearts. My girls ere thrilled beyond belief. Bethany even told me that I could take all of her Christmas presents back, cuz she was the best gift ever. What a sweetie, huh? Makes me want to go buy her more gifts.......lol:
Ok, I have to get moving here.......I have to get something done while the kids are still home.........Lord knows I will be doing nothing but chasing this baby girl around all day
XOXO
yay nicole! congrats on the new puppy! where did you end up getting her? was it from the same lady or did you call and tell her you changed your mind? how exciting! a new puppy!
thanks for the well wishes today. my appt is at 1pm(central time), and then i have a few errands to run after that and then my regular check-up around 430pm, then the kids are sleeping over so i'll try and report as soon as i can. DH is super duper excited to see the baby!
amy--so sorry about your friend taking advantage of you and putting you in quite the situation. ugh. glad you're deciding to ignore her and make you and your marriage a priority over hers. pretty selfish friend, if you ask me.
anyways..i'm gonna have another cup of coffee and then go to grocery store for a few things. hope everyone has a good day today! and be sure to check the thread over the weekend, if you want a u/s update from me!
Nicole - Congrats on the new puppy! I can't wait to see the pictures. I just love puppies (& I'm a bit partial to Maltese). I even said to DH last night that we should get another puppy for the kids. See my Maltese is MY dog and my DS has been asking for his own puppy for the last year. I know it wouldn't be fair to my dog to get another puppy, so we'll wait. But a puppy is kind of like a new baby. Whenever I hold a newborn, I want another baby and whenever I see puppies, I want another puppy! I told DH that we'll probably have to get two puppies next time, one for DS and one for DD!
Jillian – good luck at your ultrasound today! Make sure you bring some tissues, I always cried out of happiness at my ultrasounds. I think even DH had a tear down his face at our DD’s ultrasound.
can't wait!
