Peer pressure

Ok, Ok, Ok....
Here you go...I have a lot of catching up to do.

This is day one at home (day 3 for Violet)
The dogs were very gentle while meeting the sweet girl.
Especially while she was sleeping.

Keona quickly lost interest...Ruby on the other hand....
Watched and watched and had dog ears when Violet started
waking up and making noises.

And watched as I changed her diaper...

And watched and watched and watched....

Even while I fed her.
Now she isn't as interested, we think maybe she thinks we
traded the baby for Keona? She is starting to sniff around
Violet's head again now...earlier today she sniffed her ear
for a long time...she always has had an ear fetish...
I thought we were in for a wet willy, but she is being very
good about not licking the baby. She is a good dog girl.

Jiggity Jig

We are home again!
They sprung us at around 4:30 yesterday. We came home to Kelly and Rose making us dinner and asked them to stick around and chat with us for a while. I am a social gal after all and being in the hospital for a week with only a quick break was too much friend deprivation for me. I did have a few visitors, Lindsey, one of our dedicated art students, took pity on me to bring me dinner (she really just couldn't wait to meet Violet), Rosemary came through with some Thai food and companionship on night, and Stacey brought me both breakfast and dinner one day. Andee joined us for dinner time. Other than these few souls, it was endless hours of nurses, care partners, interns, and the like who were wonderful to Violet and so supportive of Ken and I (especially when we were weepy over Nani). Violet charmed them all...it must be that chin dimple!

Today brought our first visit to the Pediatrician...odd to go when she just had so much going on, but she wanted to check the head spot. All is looking good. Sweet baby is sleeping in her basinet in a green polka dot blanket and she looks like a tiny angel. Am I in love??? Uh....maybe a little bit. I can't stop giving her tiny baby kisses.

Nani didn't make it

After getting IV fluids from the emergency room, Ken took her to our vet this morning. He took a good look at her and told Ken it was time to make a tough decision. The fluids hadn't helped at all. He said it was likely a cancer that was exacerbated by the analgesics she was taking for her arthritis, which, now that I think of it, could have been indicators of something else going wrong anyway. I went home for a short visit last night so I loved her and told her she was ok. Ken slept on an air mattress on the living room floor with her last night so she was not alone during the scary seizure parts. Ken was with her when they put her down and I talked to her on the phone for a second right before. We are torn apart by this. She was the most amazing dog and has loved us through a lot of tough stuff over the years.
Now I worry about Ms. Ruby. She is into the new baby for sure, but will be at a loss for what to do without Keona.

Nani had a seizure

Ken just called from the emergency vet. Nani had a seizure so her took her in. They are putting her on fluids. They don't know what is wrong with her, the blood work from yesterday didn't suggest that she should get this bad. Our vet said fluids for 3 days and reassess. If she was getting better it was likely the pills. If not, it could be a couple of other things...gall bladder or liver cancer. They still say she could pull through, but it is looking pretty dark right now. Ken is having a hard time and is having to make rough decisions on his own. I am feeling so sad that we didn't catch this earlier and she is having such a hard time. If anyone is out there this morning, send some energy her way...she needs it.

Why does stuff like this happen in the wee hours when all you can do is dwell?

Violet has had a good night and is sleeping peacefully in her crib snuggly. Still on IV so I don't know that we will be on our way home today. I guess time will tell.

As of 3:23 today

VIOLET:
Violet's blood has grown gram positive coxi in clusters. it is treatable with the current meds so we are covered. she is still herself, and everyone here says this is nothing to worry about as they see it a lot. (They could be saying that to make me feel better). The second stick in her already bruised tiny arm was good, but she settled right down when I picked her up and has been sleeping ever since. First in my arms, now in Ken's. At this point. I don't feel like I ever want to put her down again!
Mandy has signed the severing of parental rights paperwork with the courts today. She was very calm about that happening when I spoke to her today and she again reassured me that she is at peace with her decision to place Violet with us. She even said, "happy with her decision". She said that if she hadn't felt good about us, she wouldn't have let us take her from the hospital.
So, it is very unlikely that she will change her mind, though she does have the right to do so in Tennessee for the next 10 business days. As of 6 pm on July 3, Violet will be legally ours as long as Mandy doesn't revoke the papers she signed today.

KEONA:
Nani is in pretty bad shape. Lindsay called to tell me she had thrown up in the night and hadn't eaten anything. When Ken got home she was visibly weak, so he took her to the vet right away. They put her on IV fluids right away and just called to let me know they put her on a second bag, this one has some meds in it (Mary Kathryn will have to tell us what these do, but I think they are all liver things...potassium, Vitamin B, and Raglin (a drug I have heard of before , but don't remember when or why)) Ken will pick her up at 5ish to take her home and will know more then. We hope the meds and fluids will at very least perk her up some.
I am trying to line up a ride home for a bit to see her, just in case as the vet seems pretty astounded at her condition.

Send a lot of positive energy our for both our girls please. We could use a break on some of this. So far we have been taking it all in stride, but I think we have reached the end of our ropes today.

One more day...

It is likely we will be in the hospital one more day. Cultures come back this afternoon. We found out that Violet does have staph infection in the spot on her head. They don't know which one until later today. Some are resistant to meds, so they need to know for sure what they are dealing with before they can know if they are treating it fully. Hopefully none of the other cultures grow. Will work on more photos from the past couple of days, but most of them are in the hospitals.
She did great last night with just two late night/early morning feedings. So we are not feeling quite as sleep deprived as before.

Doggie update for Keona lovers:
Nani went to the emergency vet with Ken yesterday as her eyes were bright yellow. It turns out she was having an adverse reaction to the pills she had been prescribed for arthritis pain. Non of the bloodwork suggested that she was knocking on death's door, so we are hopeful. She did throw up last night, sorry Lindsay, so she isn't ready to keep food down well yet. But she is on the mend.