Mama H - 22 weeks

I think I'm getting bigger by the day!  Here is a picture of me at 22 weeks.  Still feeling really great and normal (except for the Irish step-dancer in my belly!).  Also, at our ultrasound this week, Baby H weighed in at a pound and a quarter!  She's just over the average for her gestational age -- not surprising since her Mom and Dad were both good-sized babies!

Baby H

T and I are expecting a new addition to our family on 11/27/09! At our first ultrasound (when I was 18 weeks along), we discovered that we're having a girl. :) Here is one of her ultrasound pictures where the top of her head and her little arms can be seen. I've been feeling fantastic and will post more soon!

SO big!

Check out how big Sox is getting!  She's about 30 pounds now.  It's hard to believe that our once sickly, little pup is so big and healthy now -- so wonderful!

Car ride with Sox

Our friend P, from Boston, came to visit us for a long weekend over Easter weekend.  T and I took P up to Payson for a couple of days during her visit.  Of course, Sox came along for the trip and, luckily, she does pretty well in the car (even on the 90 minute ride to Payson).  The pictures are from the ride up, but on the ride home, Sox spent the entire ride snoozing on P's lap in the back seat!  Sox is super-friendly and loves meeting new people and animals!

Proud Uncle and Aunt!

T and I went back to MA this past weekend and met, for the first time, our niece M!  She is just over a month old and is absolutely beautiful (not that this proud auntie is biased or anything!).  We felt so lucky to be able to spend a ton of time with M during a short visit and can't wait to see her again soon.

Spring Training Game

T and I made it to a Cactus League Spring Training game on Sunday.  The Mariners played the Royals at the Peoria Sports Complex (in Peoria, AZ -- about 20 minutes west of our house).  We had fantastic seats (not that there's a bad spot in any of the spring training fields) and the weather was absolutely beautiful.

Sick, little puppy

About a week after we brought Sox home, we discovered that she contracted the Parvovirus (the shelter we adopted her from called me, as I was driving to the vet to have Sox checked out for lethargy, to tell me that one of Sox's littermates tested positive for Parvo -- this information was very helpful in the quick diagnosis of Sox's problem). Parvo is an intestinal virus that is almost guaranteed to be fatal if left untreated. It is very common among puppies (because they haven't been fully vaccinated yet). With constant, professional care, puppies have a pretty good chance of overcoming the virus, but there still is a 20% mortality rate. To make a long story short, we had to have Sox hospitalized for about 5, agonizing days. As is common with Parvo, the symptoms fluctuate during the first few days. It was an emotional rollercoaster because one day Sox would show signs of improvement and the next she'd be worse again. Thanks to the wonderful dedication and support of the vets and nurses, Sox pulled through the toughest part of the virus and we were able to continue administering her meds at home (I kept a log to track what I fed her when and what time and amount I administered of her medications).

When we adopted Sox she weighed about 7.5 lbs. When we brought her home from the hospital, she weighed just over 6.5 lbs and looked so emaciated. I am happy to report that at her last check up, Sox weighs just over 10 lbs! She is acting like an energetic and happy puppy again and all the good and bad (hello teething!) that goes along with it!