Puppy Love

The first time I fell in love with a dog, it was with my best pal Kristen's greyhound Neptune. She was the sweetest, gentlest princess I had ever met. Neptune led me to wanting to adopt a greyhound of my own. When I first delved into home ownership, greyhound adoption was the first thing on my make-a-house-a-home to-do list. I remember the day Kristen went with me to pick up Dottie from Arizona Adopt a Greyhound. It was love at first sight. She was a petite girl for a greyhound, and had an independent (read: snobby) personality and the most beautiful dark brindle coloring. This first photo just kills me with her lovely face.

Over time, Dottie had quite a few health problems: ear infections, digestive woes, and paw/nail problems that have plagued her since about age 5 or 6. I can't even count the many attempts at treating her poor paws. Her paw/nail problem baffled multiple vets. But she was still our sweet snobby girl and we loved her.

I first met Dexter at an adoption event. He was a scared sweet big boy looking for a home. He raced for about two years in Kansas City before coming to Phoenix for retirement. Life with Dexter was a bit of a journey. He was clearly abused during his racing career, and perhaps before it too. He could be a bit agressive with other dogs when put in a bad situation, and was very wary of humans. Sometimes he'd be so spooked that we couldn't get him to come inside the house. Poor guy. Over the years, Dexter warmed considerably. He gave the best hugs, and loved to hog the bed.

Just before Harper was born, we stopped letting the dogs rotate turns sleeping at the foot of the bed with us. We didn't want to take chances of having a 100 lb dog jump onto the baby accidentally. It took them awhile to adjust, but they eventually did. To them, that was the end of an era. From that point forward, the dogs were constantly having to adjust to the shenanigans of their humans. It hasn't been fair to them at all, and now we have the added concern of soon bringing home Norah with all of her respiratory concerns.

The day after my gallbladder surgery, Jeff took on the awful task of dropping the dogs off with the kind woman who runs GPA SLC. You may remember that she helped find the perfect home for Noodle, too. She agreed to take Dexter in to her own home and adopt out Dottie to a friend of hers. Since this happened the day after my surgery, it was just too physically painful to cry. Jeff and my mom helped me fight from sobbing because it was murder on my body. As a result, I still haven't found myself fully able to grieve the situation. I miss them so much, but know it was for the best. The reality is that they're going to homes where they'll probably be much happier than ours. They'll be the center of their little universes again, and that's exactly what they deserve - especially at their old ages of 8 and 9. They were our kids for so long, and I am so thankful for their companionship over the years.


Dottie & Dexter, your mama and daddy love you so much. I hope you can forgive us, and I hope you enjoyed our years together as much as your daddy and I have. We miss you so so much, and not a day goes by that I don't think of you with love in my heart.

Some of our favorite memories with Dottie and Dexter:

• We lovingly referred to them as the most "pathetic" dogs on the planet. Just look at the sweet pathetic looks on their faces. <3
• Dexter loved to catch snowballs in his mouth every winter; Dottie loved to chew on ice in the summer
• A few months after adopting Dexter, I attempted to take up jogging. I took both of them with me the first time, but before even a single mile had passed, I was having to literally pull Dexter along. He has zero endurance!
• In her younger years, I'd take Dottie to charity 5k walks. She liked being social with the other dogs, but sometimes I sensed a little competitiveness in her pace.
• Though I can't recall the reason, I remember once crying on my bed in Phoenix. Dottie came right up to me and licked my face to cheer me up. It worked.
• Once I had to carry all 65 lbs of Dottie across a giant parking lot in Phoenix because it was too hot for the pads of her paws.
• Dottie was a sun worshiper. She loved to spread out in the grass and soak up the hot sunshine.
• One time Kristen brought over one of her foster dogs for a playdate. The moment we went outside, her foster dog just trotted into the swimming pool, thinking it was only a couple of inches deep. Down he went! FYI: Greyhounds don't float well since they have so little body fat!
• The first time Dexter met Jeff, he clearly didn't want him to leave. Jeff was sitting on the couch when Dexter came up to rest his head in his lap and heaved a big sigh.
• In Arizona, there was an especially large bee flying around. Dexter thought he would do his duty and chase it away. He trotted over to the bee, snapped his jaws in a fury, missed, and came running back into the house as if he was being chased by a pack of hungry cats.
• Dexter loved to lean against us. He'd just lean in, begging your arm to be wrapped around him. We couldn't ever deny his hugs.
• Dexter was especially gentle with Harper, and I often got the sense that it was in a protective sort of way. When Harper would get upset at a random barking dog during a walk, I'd always say "Don't worry buddy, Dexter will protect us!"
• Dottie, Dexter, and Noodle bore their own track into the backyard in Seattle! Here in Utah, Dexter still loved to run, and for some reason it made Harper laugh so hard! Dottie, on the other hand, would often go back inside. She became antisocial in her old age!
• Backyard picnics with the dogs begging for food cuddling with us on the blanket 
• As mentioned in Noodle's post: The fact that they were there for our wedding in CA - I'm sure everyone who was there remembers Dottie and Noodle's Great Escape!
• And who can forget the "bucking incident" as hilariously documented by Jeff
• Though a pain at the time, I'll always remember the many many road trips with them including a Thanksgiving with Kristen in NM, several trips to CA, and of course our multiple out-of-state moves.
• Dexter's ears could rival the softness of any puppy ears!
• Dottie's nicknames: Moomooz (she had what I called cow spots on her chest), Moomoozers, Dotsalot, Skinny Minnie... but when she was in trouble, we called her by her full racing name: Dotsero!
• Dexter's nicknames: Dexterious, Dexterious the Mysterious, Dexter the Perplexer, Cuddle Bear
• Their collective nicknames: Mangies, Puppies, Mange-mo-my-moes (don't ask), Smellies (this one was well deserved... Dexter could especially clear a room)
• The love they always had to share, especially when you most needed it

Sisters Dottie and Noodle reunited.

Dottie: "Oh no, not you again!"

Dexter snoozing a few days before the wedding

Driving to our honeymoon

The only thing Dexter loved more than eating... sleeping

Miss Priss in Seattle making it known that she hated the snow, though it was only a light dusting.

My Skinny Minnie. She was often on a hunger strike, but would eventually give in and eat.

Move Along, Little Doggies

Oh, the joys of moving. Packing has been coming along nicely. We have mounds of boxes and the to-do list is getting shorter. With a little more than a week before our move date, we're feeling much more prepared than last time. I hold onto the excuse that our last move was such a mess because it was out of state and we were juggling our first baby at the same time.

Harper has been "helping" by taking things in and out of boxes. I probably don't have to specify that most of our productive time comes during Harper's nap. We're all becoming more excited as the day approaches. We were worried that my sister-in-law's oldest would be upset about our moving out... but he seems more concerned about which toys we plan to take with us... as any almost-4-year-old should.

Dottie and Dexter seem to notice that a change is coming, too. Though we'll never be able to give them their royal days between racing retirement and Harper's birth, I can't wait to give them the space that they deserve. On the subject of the dogs... we recently learned that Noodle has finally found a new home. I think of her often, and even worry at times. I hope that the long wait was due to the rescue group finding the perfect home (without small children and with a big, fenced backyard). More than anything, I hope she found a home that loves her as much as we did, do, and always will. My heart still aches deeply when I think about how we gave her up, but I just have to remind myself of the reasons that we did. (Miss you so much, my Schnoodelie Boodelie Boo...)

Knitting, Snow, and Doggies

I can strike a couple of things off of the UFO list I included in my previous post... Including Harper's new black knit hat with a red stripe. He was a wiggly worm while modeling it, so the shot to the right was the best (which is quite blurry as you can see). I'm happy with how it came out, and ready to go onto the next knitting project! See, I get too excited to finish the UFOs that I should work on instead of something new. Oh well, I just can't help myself!

In other news, it snowed yesterday. Snow is still a bit foreign to me, though I'm sure I will become accustomed to it after a few more winters in Utah. It inevitably melted, so it will be fun once it starts sticking with some sort of permanence. I can't wait to take Harper out to play in it for the first time (last year hardly counts since he was so small).

I also LOVE playing with Dexter in the snow. He goes into some sort of puppy-mode when he plays; he loves to jump to catch snowballs in his mouth. It warms my heart. Poor buddy had a rough time during his racing career - he was overworked, obviously physically abused, and mistreated overall. I love seeing him so happy. It's hard to believe that my big buddy is considered a senior.

Just for fun, below are some pictures from some of our walks to the nearby park. I'll miss these long walks when it will be too snowy and cold to take them regularly. Note that I do not take both of the hounds at once. They are just too big (Dexter is about 100 lbs, and Dottie is usually between 55-60 lbs depending if she is currently on a snobby hunger strike), and I am only talented enough for one hound and one stroller!

Dexter unsure of why we've stopped (for me to take a photo). He's so pleasant to walk. He doesn't stop to sniff, and pays no attention to the other dogs - even if they bark or whine at him. He does, however lose focus and run into the stroller once in awhile. Greyhounds tend to bump into each other when the walk or run together, so maybe that is why he runs into the stroller. I take him out a bit more than Dottie mostly because he's the only chubby greyhound I've ever known.. but I love him dearly.

Our "Skinnie Minnie" Dottie who (unlike her brother) always insists on stopping to sniff EVERYTHING and whimper at every dog we pass. Regardless, I love her SO SO SO much.

Our little dude, laughing (as always) at Dottie. It was an unseasonably warm day - in the mid-70's. And of course, I LOVE LOVE LOVE him! How cute is that face?!

Noodle

About two years ago, Jeff and I were perusing through greyhound-data.com, looking at Dottie and Dexter's pages. Each registered dog has their own page with links to (somewhat comprehensive) race records and breeding information. We clicked through the links of their siblings, to find that Farisita, one of Dottie's many littermates, was available for adoption in Portland. We saw these adorable pictures of the precious girl:
We were amazed at how much she looked like Dottie; it was love at first sight. She had been racing at a Tucson, AZ track when it closed, and I think she wouldn't have wanted to retire if she had been able to continue racing. We made arrangements to adopt her then made the trek to Portland (we were living in Seattle at the time). Little did we know at the time, that "Noodle", the name we picked (because Farisita wasn't easy on the tongue) would be so fitting for her spunky, goofy, wild, bucking, puppy-like personality.

It was decided that we would meet one of the volunteers from GPA NW (Greyhound Pets of America - Northwest) at their annual picnic, where the foster family would drop her off. When we got there, we enjoyed the fun of the picnic while waiting for Noodle to arrive. Four or so hours went by with many unanswered calls to the foster family. We continued to wait patiently, when the volunteer finally got in touch with them. There was some miscommunication somewhere, but we ended up meeting them at a zoo parking lot a bit more northward. Upon meeting our precious little girl, we fell even deeper in love with our little Snicker-Doodle-Noodle.

We thought Dottie and Noodle would perhaps recognize each other, but their reunion turned out to be quite anticlimactic. If Dottie did recognize Noodle, she was probably thinking "OMG, not you again!!" We began what we thought would be an adjustment period with Noodle. She still thought she was a puppy, and still wanted to run her heart out. She had separation anxiety, and would chew the coffee table, dig holes in the backyard, chew up anything she could get her paws on, howl whenever we came home, jump all over everyone, would make Dottie let out the GSOD (Greyhound Scream Of Death) by stepping on her feet, etc etc... As time went on, we started to realize that what we were going through was NOT an adjustment period. She was always going to be a wild child. Even today, at 6 years old, she remains a puppy. Still, we loved her.

Moving to Utah has been especially difficult for Noodle. The combination of our smaller living space, Harper crawling all over the place, and many other little things.... it has been a recipe for trouble. She even knocked Harper down onto the floor last week. We always find ourselves scolding her, and know that the situation isn't fair at all. It is with a heavy heart that we contacted GPA Salt Lake so they could find her a new home. I have been crying for the last few days, but I knew in my heart that it was better for her, and better for us. She deserves a household where she can get the attention that she needs. We wouldn't do this unless we knew she was going somewhere that would be meticulous about finding her a new forever home.

We dropped her off this morning at Liberty Park in Salt Lake so she could be with a foster family. I cried the whole way home, and now feel a surprising amount of emptiness in my heart. Somehow, my mom has a sense for when I'm upset, because she called as we were driving home. I'm not sure how she knows when I need her, even from so many miles away. We talked for awhile, and it helped. But - I'm still left feeling lonely for my baby girl. We made a difficult decision, but know it was the right one. I'm just glad we were able to give a rescue a good home for a couple of years. Many greyhounds aren't so lucky.

Getting used to this is going to be harder than I thought it would be. Perhaps in some ways, getting used to being without her is going to be harder than it was getting used to being with her. Though a trying fit, she was a loving part of our family. We love her so so so much. But as I've realized before... sometimes, love just isn't enough.

Some of my favorite things/memories of Noodle:
*The way she sleeps with her legs up in the air like a dead horse
*The way her ears flop like they're in the wind, or pile on her head like an old fashioned hat (as seen in almost every picture of her!)
*How she loved to rile up the barkaholic neighbor dogs by running full speed (45 mph) to their side of the fence, stopping to sniff, then running away... only to do it all over again. She thought she was playing, they thought she was jerk
*The way she always runs up to you - so excited - like you're her favorite person in the world
*How she'd come up to the side of the bed to wake me up in the morning (well, that one is a fun and and annoying memory)
*the fact that she was there for our wedding in CA - I'm sure everyone who was there remembers Dottie and Noodle's Great Escape ;)
*She kept me good company during my time on bedrest at the end of my pregnancy - she was sure to be posted at my feet all day, every day
*cuddles - she was good at cuddling
*The way the three of them would stand together, looking like the gentle version of the three-headed dog in Harry Potter
*She almost always came when we called her name; she was so eager to please
*Our many long nicknames for her - Noodley-Boo, Snicker-Doodle-Noodle, Schnoodle, Schnood, Noodle-doodle-do, and many other variations
*She was so happy to see us come home; she always wanted to be near us
*How much she loved Dottie and Dexter, always following them around like an annoying younger sister
*How much we loved her, and how much she loved us.

I hope you hold those happy memories of us, Noodle... because we will always remember you fondly. We'll always love and miss you, my Noodley-boo. <3

Saturday Morning

Ah, Saturday morning... it holds such nostalgia for things like sleeping in, cartoons, and finding ways to get out of chores. I also love Saturday mornings because it is the one day of the week that the three of us get to wake up together. On this lovely morning, Noodle decided to wake us up. Poor girl just wanted to go outside. It's hard to resist her pathetic, adorable face. The below picture is her peekaboo, resting her head on me. "Mama, puulleeezzzeee..."


Harper has also been in impeccably cute form today. He's been very interested in my phone lately (maybe it's the color), but it has always seemed to be just out of his reach. This morning he finally conquered.

S

Of Mice and Greyhounds

So Saturday we took the puppies (yes, we still call them that at ages 5 & 6) to the vet. They needed to be caught up on their shots so we can board them while we are up (down) in SLC. Pretty much all the boarding places around town are booked up boarding-wise for the 4th, plus the fact that we need 3 kennels doesn't help matters. So we found this local Vet that got raving reviews from everyone that sees him. The only downsides were that the place was a little run down, and there are no appointments, you just show up when you need to be seen. The upside is that you'll get seen as long as you show up, the downside is that it might take a while.

So we show up a half hour early like everyone recommends, and there is a already a line out front. No biggie, there aren't too many people. We chill in the car, let the dogs out for some air and wait for the place to open. Once it does, we grab the dogs and head to the waiting room. Bad idea. This waiting room is teeny and packed full of pets and people, us and our 3 crazy (crazy meaning Noodle) greyhounds don't help matters. We try to get our names on the waiting list while keeping the dogs under control and someone steps on Dottie's foot and starts yelping like mad! Everyone's giving us the stink eye, so we make like tre's and get outta there...We decided, wisely, that Shauna would stay in the car with the girls, and me and Dexter (the calmest of the 3) would wait in the waiting room. We go back in and everyone asks questions about Greyhounds, and how fast they run, and 'do they run faster than cheetah's, cause I heard they are the fastest animal in the world.' Thankfully a chair opens up so we take a seat, and Dexter starts shedding like mad cause he's nervous and gets spooked easily. Plus, there is no AC in this tiny room full of humans and their sick animals and it's the one day that Seattle isn't raining, it's like 100 degrees. That John Denver was full of crap!

I'll give a quick run down of the different animals in the room. A sick beagle mix drooling like a leaky faucet who would start baying at everyone and everything, poor guy. A german shepherd, chow chow mix (only half a blue tongue). A cute pug puppy. A very angry cat that I believe would have ripped us all to shreds had he not been safely confined in his Hannibal the Cannibal restraints. The noises this cat made was unbelievable! Two kitties in a box that kept hissing at Dexter. An older sick miniature schnauzer whose owner was nice enough not to mind that Dexter farted or that he kept stepping on her toes and pushing against them. Countless other dogs and owners who couldn't stay in the waiting room cause there was no more room, but they put their names on the list nonetheless. Did I mention this Vet also has some great rates, that are like 35% less than what others normally charge?

Needless to say, it was finally our turn to go in after two hours of waiting, and one by one we brought the puppies in for their shots and checkups. Everyones doing great except for a few minor things. The doctor didn't think Dexter's farts were a major thing, but then again, he doesn't have the joy of experiencing them on the day to day basis that we do. They were all pretty well behaved except for Noodle who started bucking like a wild bronco the minute she got out of the truck. Next time we'll be making appointments during the week when it's a little bit less crazy, and hopefully the line won't be the same length as the one to get U2 tix.

J

Dexter vs. Squeaky Toys

Here's one of our first videos using the Flip. There is some slight compression so that it will play smoothly online, but doesn't look too shabby. Looks even better when played locally on the hard drive.

Dexter, our hero, is quite the dashing leading man, and as you can see, Sinister Squeaky Toy has no hope of survival. Danger! Excitement! Dexter!

J

Be Your Own Señor Spielbergo - Flip Video

We recently purchased a Flip Video-Ultra(yep, the orange one you see to the left here). We were looking for something cheap, lightweight and convenient that we could use to take quick videos of Baby 1.o when he/she arrives without worrying about about flying oatmeal dirtying up the lens of a super expensive camcorder. It's about the size of a bulky cell phone, and actually takes pretty good video(640x480). We got the Ultra version($129 on Amazon)that stores up to 60 minutes of video(runs on 2 AA), and the cool thing is that it will break them up into chapters for you. For example, if we take a 3 minute video of the dogs chewing up the furniture, and then later a 2 minute video of us chewing out the dogs, it will save them as separate videos, instead of one 5 minute video. This makes it easy to upload mini-clips. It has a built in USB connector which makes it easy to connect to your Mac or PC. Lastly, the interface on the device is incredibly easy to use. Basically there are about 4 buttons. Play, record, Trash can and then a 4 way track pad that you use to zoom or navigate stored videos. We'll upload some videos soon to show the overall quality!

One last thing, for those of you playing Mario Kart Wii, add us as a friend so we can race! Our code: 3308 5053 2476

J

Seattle Springtime Snow

Most of western Washington has seen snow during these past few days. Friends in Phoenix have told me that they are seeing temperatures in the high eighties. Though that kind of weather does sound refreshing, I am still captivated by snow in the springtime. Not only is this the first place I've lived with snowy weather, but the first time I've ever experienced snow in the spring. My favorite thing to do in the snow is throw a snowball at Dexter. He excitedly catches it in his mouth and eats it! However, we haven't had quite enough snow for that. I'll try to snap a picture of it next winter.

I am now about 17 1/2 weeks pregnant. I try not to gripe about my unpleasant symptoms too much, but sometimes they get the best of me. Jeff is fantastic, and takes great care of me. Also, I feel fortunate to have a decent amount of knowledge about pregnancy. My studies and time as a massage therapist probably gave me the most background on the subject. Not only did I learn about the symptoms themselves, but also why they are present. It is a nice relief to know that my experiences are "normal", and that they are a result of purposeful cause and effect within my body. Of course, no matter how much anyone reads or hears about it, there is no substitute for the experience itself.

Jeff and I have discussed a mini-vacation this summer. We may look for a small cabin on the Washington coast so we can spend a long weekend there with the dogs. It will be a nice, inexpensive getaway for just the two of us before the baby comes. We haven't been to the local coast yet (shame on us), so I'm really looking forward to the prospect.

Sundays are quiet now with Jeff's new schedule. I mostly laze about with the dogs and put off doing homework as long as possible. I've become a huge fan of afternoon naps, and think we should start a petition to introduce siestas into the American culture. Admittedly, that is the pregnant-me talking, but I truly think we would be a more productive, energized society! Think about it!

S