Finally!

Note to self... never try to "fix" the blog design again. Now that I've got all of my layout issues straightened out, I will try to catch up on all that has been happening for us.

Jared picked this new background out, but I may have to change it when he's not looking. It's a little busy for me. :-)

"Baxta"

Our new puppy Dexter (or Baxta as Anna calls him) could not have come at a better time. We got him Labor Day weekend, thinking he was going to help put an extra spring in Maddux's step. What Dexter did then and has continued to do is help us heal from losing Maddux. My words cannot express how great it is to watch the kids with Dexter, especially Anna and Austin. Each time we get home, it is a race inside to let him out and play with him. There is pure joy on their faces. It is something we never got to experience with Maddux because by the time the kids were big enough to play with Maddux, he weighed 100 pounds!

So much puppy energy! The adoption place told us he was a Boxer/Lab mix, but we're not so sure they're right. He is just so small still and doesn't seem to be getting any bigger than about 25 pounds.

It is so fun to watch Anna and Austin with Dexter. I don't know who gets more of a workout from it! It's a little terrifying to see him laying on top of one of them trying to wrestle his toys away, but their squeals of joy are evidence that they're doing okay. They get a few battle scars now and then, but they always go back for more!

Cute picture (ignore the "W" sitting that we are STILL trying to break Austin of)

Right after Dexter returned from his five day stay in the hospital after he was diagnosed with Parvo

The kids were SO glad to have him home!

Prince Dexter sleeps in a king size bed every night.

He stays in bed until he hears the kids up - SO funny!

Long overdue

Every time I sit down to update our blog, I think about how I need to write about Maddux, and then it's just too emotionally exhausting to do. Even now, almost seven weeks later, it's still hard. Jared and I were just talking yesterday about how much we miss Maddux. Pulling into the driveway and going to sleep at night are the two hardest parts of the day because he's not there to greet us (with his howling and barking that drove us so crazy before but now we miss so much). We still open puzzle boxes and pull clothes out of drawers and find Maddux's brown hair that he left behind for us.

So, here goes... We noticed that Maddux had lost some weight over the summer, but we explained it away because we had changed his food, but one day, I turned around to look at Maddux, and he looked like a different dog. The amount of weight that he had dropped in a short period of time was noticeable, and we knew what it probably meant. Large breed, pure bred dogs are frequently plagued by cancer, so we were expecting a lymphoma diagnosis. Unfortunately, that's not what we got. Maddux was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia on September 12. ALL is a more rare type of cancer than lymphoma, and the prognosis is very, very poor. Maddux's spleen was so enlarged that on ultrasound, the vet couldn't see any of his other organs. His white blood cells were 99% lymphocytes, and his hematocrit was only 18%. He was a very sick dog. The next day, Jared and I took Maddux to Starkville to the MSU Veterinary Clinic that offered more options than our vets here in Meridian. There, Maddux received his first round of chemo, platelets, a blood transfusion and heavy duty antibiotics. They told us he would need to stay overnight, but we convinced them to let us come pick him up when he was done. Jared and I made the drive back to Meridian, and at midnight, my sister, Nikki (who was visiting and was a total Godsend through everything) and I got into the car and drove to pick Maddux up. For the next nine days, Jared and I watched and hoped that Maddux would respond to the treatment. He took 18 pills a day, and his diet consisted of boiled chicken and rice (and whatever else he wanted!). I made a second trip to Starkville with Maddie, and he had a second round of chemo, but his blood levels just couldn't rebound against the cancer cells that were attacking his bone marrow. Just ten days after Maddux's initial diagnosis, it was obvious that he was ready to stop fighting.

We made arrangements for the kids to go to friends' houses, and we called the vet to let them know we were coming. They had been expecting the call from us. Jared carried Maddux to the truck, and I followed behind them to the vet. We got to the vet, and Maddux was carried into an exam room. The doctor explained everything to us, and Jared and I huddled down and talked and petted our sweet boy until he was gone. It was completely peaceful, and he drifted off with the sounds of our voices in his ears. It was so, so hard, but it was what Maddux deserved from us. We miss you so much, Maddie.

First Bike Crash

Aidan is an official biker rider now. Well, he was. His first major bike spill may have scared him off for a while. Jared was outside with Aidan, and I heard the cries as they were walking up to the house. I knew what it meant but wasn't quite prepared for the huge knot that was already on Aidan's head.



His bike helmet BROKE upon impact with the road, and his head hit the road. He had a "perfect" road rash on his forehead. We went straight back to the sink to clean up
elbows, hands and knees and then put him straight into the tub for a distracting bubble bath. After the bubble bath, he had a cupcake and all was right with the world again. These pictures were taken after our litany of bribes.

First Day of Preschool

Anna has joined the ranks of preschoolers! Every morning last year when I dropped Austin off, I carried a crying Anna out of the school. She wanted to stay and play. It made the decision whether to sign her up for preschool this year very easy!

Our new preschooler all ready for her first day at Orientation

Austin was ready to go back to school about a week into summer. He told me I was mean and that he wanted to go back. He's Big Man on Campus this year, as he is the oldest child in the four year old program. Next year, he'll join Aidan at St. Patrick's (pending us still living here, of course). The four year old program is great at his school. They are constantly going on field trips to "educational" places around town like McDonalds, Dairy Queen and the donut shop. I got suckered into agreeing to chaperone all of these fabulous field trips. I went in the first day after giving myself the "No Room Mother" pep talk and was blindsided by the chaperone request. I totally flubbed it and walked out agreeing to chaperone and drive children to all of the field trips for the entire year. FAIL, MOM!

Austin in his new "first day of school" shoes.

Our two preschoolers

LOVE Anna in this picture looking up to her two big brothers.

One last picture before we load up and head to school

Preschoolers walking

Anna and her BFF, Abbie, who's in the other two year old class.

Anna getting some comfort from her Dad on day #2.

Interview with Aidan - 2011

Continuing the tradition...
2010
2009.

1. What is your favorite color?
Red

2. What is your favorite food?
Macaroni

3. What's your favorite thing to do?
Play Wii

4. What do you want to be when you're grown up?
"I haven't decided that yet. Oh WAIT! I do know! I'm going to make a lot of shows and movies."

5. Who's your best friend?
Josh

6. What is your favorite thing to drink?
Strawberry milk

7. What's your favorite animal?
Dog

8. Who's your favorite team?
Braves
A slip from last year's correct answer of the Gators

9. Where's your favorite place to live?
Here

10. What's your favorite TV show?
Power Rangers
(ugh, thanks Nic!)

11. What's your favorite movie?
The Stitch movie

12. What's your favorite thing to do outside?
Swing on the tree swing
If he had had a terrible bike wreck this week, I'm certain he would have said riding his bike.

13. What's your favorite dessert?
"All the things I really like. Chocolate ice cream with brownies."

14. How many kids do you want to have when you're big?
13
Ahhh!

15. How old do you think you have to be to get married?
"If I was getting married, but I won't. Oh wait, you have to get married to have kids. So, around 20."

16. How old do you think you have to be to have kids?
30s

17. Where do babies come from?
Mommy's tummies

18. How do they get there?
From heaven
This is probably the last year I'll ask this question. I may be too scared to ask next year!

19. What kind of job does Daddy have?
He's in the military. Flying jets.

20. What kind of job does Mommy have?
To watch us.

21. Is Mommy a good cook?
Uh-huh. With lunch and dinner. Sometimes with breakfast.

22. Is Mommy nice or mean?
Nice!

23. Who's the President of the United States?
George Washington, but he's dead.

24. What's your favorite season?
Christmas

25. How old is someone when they're super old?
101 - I get this idea from Ma-Ma.

26. Where's your favorite place to visit?
Nana and Guka's because they have a basement with all those toys. Also, grandma and grandpa's.

27. How much money do you think a car costs?
$1,030

28. How much money do you think a house costs?
"More than that."

29. How much money does someone have if they're rich?
A million

30. What are you scared of?
"Cars, when they go really fast. Not the movie Cars, though."

First Day of First Grade

Aidan was so excited to go back to school to see his friends that he hadn't seen for the summer. I was excited for him and Austin to get a break from each other. I was not excited about starting back to the driving routine that uses two tanks of gas a week! So much driving!!

Aidan is on his third year at the private Catholic school in town. We are so happy with the school. It is a great feeling walking in the door and knowing that every person in that school knows Aidan's name. Every morning, he is greeted by the principal and the secretary. The "big kids" know his name, and we have never had any sort of problems with bullying. I need to read this post next August to remind myself of why we'll be sending TWO children to private school then (GULP!).

COMPARING...

First day of Pre-K (2009)

First Day of Kindergarten (2010)

First Day of First Grade (2011)

Aidan standing at the door of his classroom while all his classmates watched me take his picture. He did a great job putting on this smiling face while he was embarrassed by me.