Fetch, Baby!

Ok, yes… so maybe I let Liam play with dog toys…. We may have even been playing fetch, but what can I say, he loved it!

A few camping photos

Camping by numbers

• 11 kids
• 4 adults
• 2 dogs
• 3 very full SUVs
• 8 car seats
• 123 miles
• 2 campsites
• 3 tents
• 2 lighters
• 1 camp stove
• 8 camp chairs
• 4 cases of water
• 2 coolers
• 1 larger storage tub off food
• 14 sleeping bags
• 2 digital cameras
• 4 bundles of fire wood
• 10 glow sticks
• 3 pots of coffee
• 1 sleepless night
• 10 disposable cameras
• 15 person hike
• 2 strollers
• 10 happy beach goers
• 1 little one wiped out by a big wave
• 3 cups of coffee with a touch of sand
• 1 soapy mug lid
• 1 sleeping bag war
• 2 coloring books
• 10 spiral notebooks
• 12 chewed on crayons
• 1 beach ball
• 3 yummy crabs (or so I was told)
• 6 kids “crabbing”
• 1 stuck SUV
• 1 kid that can’t breath
• 2 park rangers
• 1 frantic 911 call
• 6 EMTs
• 6 people running around cramming stuff in cars
• 3 disorganized SUVs
• 2 stops at gas stations
• 8 screaming wakeups
• 15 minute night terror from a sick kid
• 5 minute cry from an overwhelmed Auntie
• 4 bottles of Coke to try to keep the driver awake
• 1 house that has never looked so welcoming!

A change in attitude

Ok, so enough feeling bad about the possibility that my flat faced princess has Glaucoma. If she can power through than so can I! I am now switching my thought process and research on how to cope with a dog that is losing her vision. I figure I will need to know that weather it’s Glaucoma or something else that is causing her blindness. I have found a ton of helpful ideas and have already started using a few! I will do whatever it takes to give my baby the best chance at a very full and happy life!!!

Why did I do it?

So last night I did something stupid, very stupid! I read more about dog Glaucoma online. Boy, do I wish I would have listened to the vet.
My heart aches know Sophie could lose both eyes. I had come to terms with knowing she could go blind but to fine out in most cases the eyes need to be completely removed was something I wasn’t prepared for. My emotions when back and forth between feeling like I could cry and feeling like I was going to me sick.
In these moments I wish she could talk to me, I wish she could tell me what to do. I fear having to make the choice and what if I chose wrong? What if I take away what she not ready to lose? How will I know?
I never thought I would have to think about these things yet. I thought I would have years and years before the hard stuff started.
Two weeks has never seemed SO far away!

Glaucoma????

I took the dog to the vet today mostly just to get a checkup for Panda so I could get a refill on his meds but I also wanted then to take a look at Sophie’s eyes because I had noticed some cloudiness in both eyes. As soon as the vet walked in the room she made a comment about how puffy Soph’s eyes were. Several people have said lately how big Sophie’s eyes looked and I just kept saying “no they are always like that.”
The vet took some pressure readings, looked at them and said there is a very good chance she has Glaucoma. The cloudy spots are most likely blind spots leaving her with about 50% of her vision. I have an eye doctor appointment for her in two weeks (who knew there was eye doctors for dogs!?!) and until then I will just have to wait. Ugh! It doesn’t help I looked it up on the internet. Yikes, I should have listened when she said not to do that.