Sebastian's veternarian appointment on Friday brought us some answers, but they were not the answers we were hoping to hear. He was supposed to have a dental cleaning and an office visit. They actually use anethesia to put the animals under while they do the cleaning. Because of Sebbie's age, they wanted to do some preliminary blood work and tests. The results of those tests led them to do some X-rays. The X-rays revealed an enlarged heart, fluid on the lungs and an abnormal spleen. The X-rays combined with Sebastian's symptoms led the veternarian to believe he has cancer in his chest and abdomen area.
Needless to say, they did not perform the dental cleaning. Instead they sent us home with some medications to keep Sebbie more comfortable. The vet suggested that we take Sebbie home to see how he reacted to the meds since he seems outwardly healthy and happy there. The good news is that we've already seen some improvement. Sebastian is already moving around easier and he's not hacking nearly as much. He seems to be feeling much better. Although they wouldn't give us a prognosis, we found out from a friend who works at the clinic that Sebastian could have anywhere from six months to two years with his symptoms.
I think I finally found my peace with Sebastian. I'm just enjoying every minute I have with him. After all, he's still alive. Praise God for that! We started spending extra time with him this past weekend. We stayed with my parents in Washington and Sebastian stayed with us. Just hanging out with us and getting some special attention seemed to have tremendous healing power. I'll continue to pray that he never knows another day of pain.
I love that boy. I own more of his big, old, enlarged heart than any old cancer cell. And, I'm certain I love him more aggressively.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
We're moving to Greenville!
It's official. We're moving to Greenville. David has formally accepted the offer from PaperPak. He starts Feb. 12th. That gives us just a few short weeks to find a place to live, pack up and move out. We have lots to do around the house to get it ready to sale. If you need a house in Clayton, call me to make an appointment. If you're good at moving, get up here and help us pack!
We're very excited and looking forward to what God has in store for us in Greenville. Everything is happening so quickly, but there's still a tremendous process that has to take place. We need to sale this house, make living arrangements there, find a new church, find a school for Cohen and work out job details for me, and that's just the beginning. God has gotten us this far and I know He will fill in all the gaps between here and Greenville. Right now, we just want to praise him for the incredible opportunity he has provided our family. There is definitely power in prayer!
If you haven't heard me say it, I truly believe this move is an answer to a prayer I had. My prayer was to be able to work part-time so that I could spend more time with Cohen. I began praying last year that in 2007, God would allow me to change my work status. Dave and I didn't really think this job opportunity would pan out when we first heard of it. In fact, Dave didn't even send in his resume. But, a good family friend, who is the one who hired Dave, called and asked him to submit his resume. They scheduled an interview for the next week and Dave was offered the job on the spot. There were some road blocks along the way, but after tremendous prayer, I knew this is what God intended for us to do and He easily worked out all the obstacles. I had such faith in God's plan that I began packing two weeks ago, well before the job was official. The position is a huge promotion for David and the salary will basically equal what the two of us were making together here. That will allow us to maintain our lifestyle, while allowing me to work part-time, thus answering my prayer. There are many, many more details I could share of how God made this happen. In time, I'm sure I will.
For now, let me just say that whatever you're facing today or whatever seems out of reach and impossible today can be achieved tomorrow with prayer. Being able to work part-time certainly seemed impossible at the time I began praying for it. Hopefully, Cohen is the one that will benefit from all this!
God is good. All the time.
We're very excited and looking forward to what God has in store for us in Greenville. Everything is happening so quickly, but there's still a tremendous process that has to take place. We need to sale this house, make living arrangements there, find a new church, find a school for Cohen and work out job details for me, and that's just the beginning. God has gotten us this far and I know He will fill in all the gaps between here and Greenville. Right now, we just want to praise him for the incredible opportunity he has provided our family. There is definitely power in prayer!
If you haven't heard me say it, I truly believe this move is an answer to a prayer I had. My prayer was to be able to work part-time so that I could spend more time with Cohen. I began praying last year that in 2007, God would allow me to change my work status. Dave and I didn't really think this job opportunity would pan out when we first heard of it. In fact, Dave didn't even send in his resume. But, a good family friend, who is the one who hired Dave, called and asked him to submit his resume. They scheduled an interview for the next week and Dave was offered the job on the spot. There were some road blocks along the way, but after tremendous prayer, I knew this is what God intended for us to do and He easily worked out all the obstacles. I had such faith in God's plan that I began packing two weeks ago, well before the job was official. The position is a huge promotion for David and the salary will basically equal what the two of us were making together here. That will allow us to maintain our lifestyle, while allowing me to work part-time, thus answering my prayer. There are many, many more details I could share of how God made this happen. In time, I'm sure I will.
For now, let me just say that whatever you're facing today or whatever seems out of reach and impossible today can be achieved tomorrow with prayer. Being able to work part-time certainly seemed impossible at the time I began praying for it. Hopefully, Cohen is the one that will benefit from all this!
God is good. All the time.
Good News: Sebastian Update
Thank you, thank you, thank you to each of you who emailed me, called me or contacted me about Sebastian. I appreciate the support and love that you shared with me. Many of you have been through similar experiences and understand the pain of watching a pet suffer. Sebastian and I are both fortunate to be surrounded by such compassionate friends.
You're prayers and support are invaluable. Sebastian seems to be doing better. He's certainly doesn't seem to be getting any worse. He's been getting around much better and I haven't seen him rise with the arched back nearly as much.
I rescheduled his veterinary appointment for Friday. After discussing it with the clinic, I believe he can wait until then. They gave me some symptoms to check for and since he wasn't experiencing any of them, they said it would probably be fine to wait until Friday. (Of course, the caveat is that if he gets worse, we'll show up at the door with no appointment!) The purpose of rescheduling was so David could go with me. If I took Sebbie on Tuesday, as I originally planned, I was terrified I would get bad news and be too upset to drive back home. Now, we can go together and lean on one another for support. Hopefully, Sebastian just had a flare up of some sort and can be completely healed. I'm praying for healing.
After my last post about Sebastian, I jumped in the shower before going to bed. While in the shower, I prayed and prayed about Sebastian. It's amazing--this peace just came over me. I felt like God reminded me that Sebastian is still alive and I need to stop acting like he's not. Instead of dwelling on the inevitable, I need to enjoy every moment. I'm trying to maintain that attitude.
I'll make a post about what we find out Friday. Writing tends to be therapeutic for me. Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts and offer your wisdom.
You're prayers and support are invaluable. Sebastian seems to be doing better. He's certainly doesn't seem to be getting any worse. He's been getting around much better and I haven't seen him rise with the arched back nearly as much.
I rescheduled his veterinary appointment for Friday. After discussing it with the clinic, I believe he can wait until then. They gave me some symptoms to check for and since he wasn't experiencing any of them, they said it would probably be fine to wait until Friday. (Of course, the caveat is that if he gets worse, we'll show up at the door with no appointment!) The purpose of rescheduling was so David could go with me. If I took Sebbie on Tuesday, as I originally planned, I was terrified I would get bad news and be too upset to drive back home. Now, we can go together and lean on one another for support. Hopefully, Sebastian just had a flare up of some sort and can be completely healed. I'm praying for healing.
After my last post about Sebastian, I jumped in the shower before going to bed. While in the shower, I prayed and prayed about Sebastian. It's amazing--this peace just came over me. I felt like God reminded me that Sebastian is still alive and I need to stop acting like he's not. Instead of dwelling on the inevitable, I need to enjoy every moment. I'm trying to maintain that attitude.
I'll make a post about what we find out Friday. Writing tends to be therapeutic for me. Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts and offer your wisdom.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Four-legged First Born
Before there was a Cohen, there was a Sebastian. He was my family dog when I was still in high school. I was about 16 when my mom brought him home. I'm 29-years-old now and my Sebastian is still around.
I can remember riding Sebbie around in my car and taking him everywhere I went. I put his leash on him and took him to high school atletic events. I bought him kids meals. I dressed him up and took glamour shots. Sebastian had his own rain coat. He was such a good sport!
Sebbie was there for my high school graduation and when it was time to leave for college, I couldn't go without him. I passed up dorm life for an apartment that allowed pets. Sebastian used to lay on the back of the couch and look out the window waiting for me to come home. We would go for long walks. In fact, we would often walk with my sister, Jennifer, for so long that I would have to carry Sebastian back home.
Everything was about Sebastian back then. My boyfriend at that time is the one who taught Sebbie some manners so that he earned some freedom and no longer required a leash. Of course, that boyfriend is now my husband so he and Sebbie have a long history together.
Sebbie was still there when we graduated from college and he was around for my wedding. He was here to greet my son the day we brought him home from the hospital. Sebastian has been a part of every milestone in my life. Over the years, Sebastian has picked up many nicknames--Sebbie, Little Boo, Prince, Pookie, Bay-Bay, Buddy; I could go on and on.
Sebbie's age really started to show last year. A visit to a Clayton veternarian convinced us he had cancer or some other deadly disease. However, a second opinion from a Greenville clinic was much more promising and pointed to a dental problem as the source for his trouble. His condition seemed to improve, but he's supposed to return for a dental cleaning. This week, his condition worsened. He sometimes has trouble standing. He whimpers and stands with his back arched. I'm sure he's trying to alleviate incredible pain. I can't be in the same room with him now without crying. It just breaks my heart.
He has an appointment to return to Greenville on Tuesday. I'm praying he'll make it until Tuesday.
It's amazing how much I've cried and how much I've prayed over this dog. But, if you're a pet owner, you know how our pets become a part of our family. Sebastian's circumstances bear the same weight on my heart as would any other relative. I can't imagine another milestone in my life without him. Sebastian just fit so perfectly into my family. I have always believed God picked him out for us.
I have prayed for a long time that Cohen would know Sebastian, that he would be able to throw a ball for him to chase. The reality is that if Cohen does get to know Sebastian, he'll be in no shape to chase a ball.
I have also prayed that God will help me to heal from whatever happens with Sebastian. And, I thank him for every minute with him that I did have, for all the joy he added to my life and for a lifetime of fond memories.
Utimately, though, I pray that Sebastian has had a good life. I pray that he's been happy here and that he thinks I'm half as perfect as I think he is.
My head knows he won't be around forever, but I can't make my heart understand. His pain is my pain and right now, I have a very broken heart.
To my Little Boo, my Prince, my Buddy----Thank you. Thank you for the years of happiness you brought me. I love you and I hope I gave you the best life you could have.
Birthday Blues
Cohen's birthday is February 18th. We had planned to celebrate on Saturday, February 17th, because a Saturday party is easier for me. We were hoping to have the party at Jenn's church in Garner, but the church is not available on that day. We really didn't have a back up plan, so now we're scrambling to find an alternate location. Jenn said the church is available the following weekend, but we were really trying not to have to delay the party if we didnt' have to. We'll keep you posted on party details!
Pacifree
Cohen is eleven months old and the pacifier and the bottle are both gone. We're paci-free! It's so nice not to have to worry anymore whether I have a paci with me. Out of sight, out of mind seemed to work for Cohen. There were moments, and there still are, that I think a paci would soothe him, but we just don't resort to it. We tough it out.
No more bottles either. Poor boy. We told him we would take both away at one year, but we started early thinking it would take a while. To our surprise, it was much easier to ween from both than what we had anticipated. So, here we are at eleven months with no paci, and sippy cups instead of bottles. We haven't switched to whole milk yet, so Coey still gets formula in the sippy cup. They say whole milk is harder for babies to digest so we're in no rush on that. And, besides, Cohen is such a good eater, I'm sure he'll make the switch just fine.
Cohen was playing in the living room last night when I walked in with a bowl of ice cream. (Must of gotten that from my Popi!) He immediately dropped to the floor and whined as I took a seat on the couch. He saw I had food, and although he didn't know what I was eating, he already knew he wanted some. He came crawling over with his mouth open. He was right though; he likes icecream! He cried again when it was "all gone".
No more bottles either. Poor boy. We told him we would take both away at one year, but we started early thinking it would take a while. To our surprise, it was much easier to ween from both than what we had anticipated. So, here we are at eleven months with no paci, and sippy cups instead of bottles. We haven't switched to whole milk yet, so Coey still gets formula in the sippy cup. They say whole milk is harder for babies to digest so we're in no rush on that. And, besides, Cohen is such a good eater, I'm sure he'll make the switch just fine.
Cohen was playing in the living room last night when I walked in with a bowl of ice cream. (Must of gotten that from my Popi!) He immediately dropped to the floor and whined as I took a seat on the couch. He saw I had food, and although he didn't know what I was eating, he already knew he wanted some. He came crawling over with his mouth open. He was right though; he likes icecream! He cried again when it was "all gone".
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Caught in the act
Asleep in his recliner, after the big game.
Like father, like son.
One look and you know I'm acting like a brat.
Stair Master
Up the stairs, we go.
I won't stop until I make it to the top. I'll just rest for a moment.
Look, mom, more stairs!I can't find it!
Where is it?
It must be down here...
Nope, not in there....
Maybe I left it under here....
I give up!
I finally found it. A gumball! I wonder what it tastes like?Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Birthday Wishes
People have been asking me about gift ideas for Cohen so I came up with the following ideas:
Outside swing
Toy laptop
Tunnel
Toy remote control
VTech Gaming System
Walking toys
Baby sister?
Clothes are always good! (Sizes 9 months-12 months; 9 months fit great right now, he'll grow into the 12's)
Shoes (size 3)
These are merely suggestions. Cohen will love whatever he gets, and quite honestly, he got so much at Christmas, he really doesn't need a thing! Please don't feel obligated to buy him a gift. If you feel you must, just wrap him up an empty box, he likes those. Or, you can give him a gift bag full of tissue paper. He likes that, too!
We're just grateful he's had a healthy, happy first year and we're looking forward to many, many more to come. He's such a joy. Parenthood is the best gift ever.
Outside swing
Toy laptop
Tunnel
Toy remote control
VTech Gaming System
Walking toys
Baby sister?
Clothes are always good! (Sizes 9 months-12 months; 9 months fit great right now, he'll grow into the 12's)
Shoes (size 3)
These are merely suggestions. Cohen will love whatever he gets, and quite honestly, he got so much at Christmas, he really doesn't need a thing! Please don't feel obligated to buy him a gift. If you feel you must, just wrap him up an empty box, he likes those. Or, you can give him a gift bag full of tissue paper. He likes that, too!
We're just grateful he's had a healthy, happy first year and we're looking forward to many, many more to come. He's such a joy. Parenthood is the best gift ever.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Not afraid of heights
Me? Oh, I wasn't going to crawl up the stairs.
No, not me. I was just standing around waiting for someone to come down.
I wouldn't even think about going up. I'm not even touching the stairs. I'm just hanging out here.
This isn't what it looks like.Natural Disasters
Too bad he couldn't use the paper from the mess he made here....
to clean up the mess he made here. This was the result of eating lasagna by himself.
Helping or Hurting?
We were decorating the tree, but I'm not sure if Cohen was putting the lights on or taking them off.Friday, January 05, 2007
The Pursuit of Happyness
Jennifer and I watched The Pursuit of Happyness over Christmas. The movie features one of my most favorite celebrities, Will Smith. I really wanted to see this movie ever since I saw Will promoting it on Oprah. The movie is based on the true story of Chris Gardner. Gardner was a single father, who became homeless, but rose above his circumstances and is now a multi-millionare stock broker. His co-workers never knew he was homeless. There is so much more to this amazing story. It's truly eye opening to see how other people live and the strength they have. It's an awesome story and well worth watching the movie. As with most movies, I hear the book is even better and includes more details. I haven't stopped talking about it since I watched it. It has touched my heart deeply. You can read more about it at: chrisgardnermedia.com
I left the theater feeling a little depressed because the movie's happy ending is reserved for the bitter end. However, I also left feeling incredibly motivated and inspired. And, that is something I just had to share.
I left the theater feeling a little depressed because the movie's happy ending is reserved for the bitter end. However, I also left feeling incredibly motivated and inspired. And, that is something I just had to share.
The Paci
Ever since I said something about Cohen being attached to his paci, he hasn't needed it. We haven't given it to him (and he hasn't found a spare one) since I picked him up from school on Thursday. He had it in his mouth during his nap at school, but he hasn't had one at home. I don't know if we're in the clear yet, but it's certainly looking better!
Oh, and Cohen's eating table food now. He eats stuff at school like vegetable soup, chicken patties, string beans, diced fruit, chicken and pastry; I could go on and on. He's doing really well with it. He's drinking fewer bottles and gets some of formula now from a sippy cup. I think we might start this weekend giving him the majority of his milk in a cup. Then, I don't have to wash so many bottles!!
I still need to find somewhere to hold his first birthday party. If anybody has any ideas, let me know.
Oh, and Cohen's eating table food now. He eats stuff at school like vegetable soup, chicken patties, string beans, diced fruit, chicken and pastry; I could go on and on. He's doing really well with it. He's drinking fewer bottles and gets some of formula now from a sippy cup. I think we might start this weekend giving him the majority of his milk in a cup. Then, I don't have to wash so many bottles!!
I still need to find somewhere to hold his first birthday party. If anybody has any ideas, let me know.
The Hairdo
So Cohen's latest haircut didn't out exactly like it was supposed to. David cut it with the clippers, but it's slightly uneven. Ok, so it's incredibly uneven. It's long on the sides and short down the middle. And, yes, it looks as bad as it sounds. David offered to even it up, but I suggested he had already done enough. I think I have a solution though. It looks pretty cool when I put some "product" in it and spike it up. I'll try to get a picture of it up ASAP. In Dave's defense, he has cut Cohen's hair before and he did a great job. I don't know what happened this time. Fortunately, Cohen's hair grows fast so hopefully this won't last long.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Welcome 2007
It's a new year and time for a fresh start. I'm looking forward to 2007, although I don't really know how it can top last year since it brought the birth of my son. But, I welcome another great year. Who know's, this year could bring the birth of Cohen's sister.....
I don't know that it's a resolution but I do vow to eat healthier this year. I want to feel healthier and I want to fit into my clothes again. I have plenty more goals for 2007. I've been praying for some big things this year. I'll let you know what God delivers. I might need to start praying that God will help us take Cohen's pacifier away. I wasn't so worried at one point; it seemed he only wanted his paci when he was sleepy. Lately, he crawls around and finds one and puts it in his mouth and won't let you take it from him. I thought I outsmarted him on the way home today. He usually gets his paci and his dog everyday after school and he sleeps the whole way home. Today, I tried to start weaning him from the paci so I didn't give it to him on the way home. Instead of going straight to sleep, he sat in the back talking. I thought he would talk a while since he didn't have the paci, but I expected him to fall asleep eventually. Sure enough, things got quiet and I thought he had fallen asleep easier than I had even expected. Wrong! I looked at him in the mirror to check on him and he had found a paci somewhere back there and put it in his mouth. That's why he got quiet. He had his paci, he got his dog and he turned his head to the side and promptly went to sleep. I guess next time I withhold the paci, I'll have to check for spares!
I don't know that it's a resolution but I do vow to eat healthier this year. I want to feel healthier and I want to fit into my clothes again. I have plenty more goals for 2007. I've been praying for some big things this year. I'll let you know what God delivers. I might need to start praying that God will help us take Cohen's pacifier away. I wasn't so worried at one point; it seemed he only wanted his paci when he was sleepy. Lately, he crawls around and finds one and puts it in his mouth and won't let you take it from him. I thought I outsmarted him on the way home today. He usually gets his paci and his dog everyday after school and he sleeps the whole way home. Today, I tried to start weaning him from the paci so I didn't give it to him on the way home. Instead of going straight to sleep, he sat in the back talking. I thought he would talk a while since he didn't have the paci, but I expected him to fall asleep eventually. Sure enough, things got quiet and I thought he had fallen asleep easier than I had even expected. Wrong! I looked at him in the mirror to check on him and he had found a paci somewhere back there and put it in his mouth. That's why he got quiet. He had his paci, he got his dog and he turned his head to the side and promptly went to sleep. I guess next time I withhold the paci, I'll have to check for spares!
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