Go Buckeyes!!

Ohio State Buckeyes are 1-0!!!Touchdown!!!

O...H...

Lots of Updates

I confess...I've been a blog slacker.

I have lots of updates...some good, some not so good.

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I'll start with the one that I am the most excited about. For a week straight Cayman has slept through the night. :o) That means she has slept for 6 or more hours straight!! One night she actually went 9 hours. My body doesn't seem to know how to react to the extra sleep. Strangely, I seem to be more tired from getting more rest...go figure.

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Cayman had a vision screening done. Her vision development is behind. One eye seems to be working better than the other one. It's been recommended for us to return to her Ophthalmologist for a further evaluation of this.

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Wednesday night Mike received a phone call from work calling him into an unscheduled meeting that next morning. The last several weeks the company has been making some cut backs resulting in many of the employees being laid off. The economy is rough right now and the auto industries are often the first ones to feel it. We had hoped that Mike's position (management) would be safe but after the meeting he returned with the news that his position was terminated and he was laid off permanently. Our insurance will continue to carry us for another 2 more months.

Lots of questions swirl our my minds.

Why God, did you have us move 200 miles 8 months ago to take this job and it turn out like this? How will this affect Cayman's care? Will Mike be able to find another job in the next 2 months? Will we have to move? Maybe this will lead to a better job for Mike? Maybe one that is closer to home. What is it You have planned, Lord? This sure seems like crappy timing for this to happen.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

"We know"...tough words, but true. It feels like life just yanked its rug out from us leaving our confidence in what we know or do not know shaken, but we have words of certainty to fall back on. God's still the same to us...He's faithful. We're putting our trust in that He has a plan in all this. We know we are not promised a life without tragedy, crisis, hardship, and suffering. Not even Jesus had paradise here. God does not always do what we wish. We wonder at times what God is doing...and sometimes wonder why God is NOT doing some things. But in the end we trust…not because God gave us what we wanted…but because He gave us what we needed. We realize that in our humanity our vision is severely limited compared to His divine wisdom. Our faith is in God..not in our ability to explain why such things happen.

In the meantime, Cayman and I are enjoying our extra time with Daddy. We went for a long walk together, had a movie night, and played the Wii. With Mike home and on our sleeping schedule he has been a great help to me with Cayman. So how have I occupied my free hands?

Crocheting!

I taught myself how to knit several years ago and have wanted to learn how to crochet too. I've attempted it different times but could never master it until recently. I use the word "master" lightly though. Here is my first crocheted beanie hats.

Corner Chair

This is Cayman's new chair. The Early Intervention Physical Therapist made it for her. It's called a Corner Chair. The way the back of it comes together creates a "corner" that supports her entire torso so she can sit up like a big girl. It's a bit of a workout for her right now to balance that big 'ole head of hers, but she's doing really good. The first day she could barely tolerate more than 2 minutes in it. Now, not quite a week later, she's already worked herself up to 7 whole minutes!!

"Way to go Cayman!"

Let's Laugh

Cayman laughs now! She just started this yesterday.

A baby's laugh is soooo contagious!

Congratulations Nick & Val!

Congratulations to our friends Nick & Valerie! On August 20th they had their first baby. It's a girl. Ashalyn Faith. Isn't that a beautiful name? I love it!! Mike, Cayman, and I were able to visit them at the hospital yesterday. Ashalyn is adorable. She's so tiny...weighing only 5 lbs. 12 oz. Everyone is doing great and hopefully going home tomorrow. :o)

Neurosurgeon Appointment

Cayman saw her Neurosurgeon today. It's hard to believe it's been 6 weeks already! Her hydrocephalus is stabilizing so well that we do not need to return for another 6 weeks. Dr. Maher is pleased with the decrease in Cayman's head size. It measured 46.5 cm. Even with the loss of fluid from her head the scale showed she has still gained weight. She now weighs 12 lb. 14 oz. Cayman had a head ultrasound done today too. She was much less dramatic this time and much more cooperative than last time. Her brain has continued to increase as the fluid decreases. Yay!! It's an amazing feeling. Our experience of ultrasounds from the pregnancy left me dreading these kind of appointments. It's been refreshing and somewhat healing to see positive results be delivered from an ultrasound.

Here is Cayman with her Neurosurgeon, Dr. Maher. We love him! He has the right amount of compassion and empathy without letting that cloud his medical judgments. That is wonderful to find in a doctor.

Hearing Test

Cayman had a hearing test today. In the overall recording of the test she failed. It does not necessarily mean she is partially or fully deaf. We feel very confident that Cayman can hear. She responds to her noisy toys, the TV, our voices...she jumps when my cell phone rings, etc.

Hearing tests on babies can be tricky. The baby has to be real quiet and still...asleep preferably. Cayman was asleep...HOWEVER, she is a very noisy breather. I have never had to do that check at night that paranoid mamas do to make sure their babies are still breathing. I could always hear her. It's not quite as raspy as a snore...it's just loud. The Audiologist believes that the testing device kept picking up her breathing. A few times it did record the tiny little echoes in her ears that they test for, but most of the time it recorded bigger noises.

To be honest, it was difficult to sit there and be issued onto another kind of hearing test because she did not pass this one. I felt like someone had their hands around my neck and was squeezing me. It had been awhile since I have had a panic attack. They started after my first appointment with the specialist in the high risk department when I was 20 weeks pregnant. Some of my most trying moments have been when I was sitting in the doctors' offices and having them deliver words that you never want to hear!

So there is a possibility that Cayman's hearing might not be perfect. I had to remind myself of how confident I am that Cayman can hear and if she needs hearing aids to assist her, so what. That is actually quite minor in the overall light of Cayman's situation. It was explained to us like this: think about the eyes, someone can see but might need glasses to make the vision clear. With the ears, someone can hear but might need a hearing device to make the sounds clear. The test she had today did record some positive hearing signs it just wasn't consistent. That could have been because of her breathing or because she could have some kind of hearing issue. It's very common for hearing issues to coincide with some of her other anomalies she has which is why the doctors want to keep looking into it. So now we have to schedule a different kind of hearing test that will be done at a different facility than where we were today. I really am dreading it....for two reasons. One, I always get nervous that new "bad" news is going to pop up, and two, because Cayman has to be completely still and quiet for the test and if she is not cooperative then they will sedate her for it. :o(

Videos

Check out Cayman aggressively play with her toys!
And here's a video of Daddy and Cayman making noises at each other.

Frozen In Time

I wish I could freeze time...just for a little while. I love the size that Cayman is right now. She fits perfectly in my arms. She's still small but big enough that I no longer feel like I'm going to break her when I tighten her car seat buckles. I love it when she cries for me to pick her up. As soon as I get her nestled in my arms she stops crying and settles right in. I completely understand what people mean when they say "I miss my kids being this age." I know when Cayman is older I will miss her being this small too. For now I'm going to enjoy every second of it!

Cayman's Latest Tricks

Cayman has three new tricks she has been doing lately:

1. Thumb sucking - I don't know where she picked this up at. She will not take to a pacifier, she prefers her thumb (and fingers). I think she particularly likes the extra bump that is on her right thumb. It's like her own personal built in teether. :o)
2. Rolling- Cayman tucks her feet up and rolls to her side.
3. Holding her head up - it's only for a few seconds, but hey, that's progress!! It's a lot of work to hold up that big 'Ole head of hers. We're so proud of her!!

This video is Cayman rolling, and doing a little bit of thumb sucking. You will hear how she is still very verbal. Whenever she goes off on some tangent like this I always run to check on her to make sure she's alright. She always sounds so upset but once I look at her face I realize she's just talking, not fussing.


Here is Cayman's progress in holding up her head.

What to Say, what Not to Say

The point of this post is to be informative and perhaps educational on how to talk to a parent of a special needs child. It is NOT to make anyone feel bad or bash those that have been in an awkward situation. I was hoping by compiling this list it could perhaps eliminate some of that awkwardness. I myself never knew or understood how to address myself in the presence of a special needs child before Cayman came.

Do I look at them? Will they think I'm staring? Will they think I'm rude? Do I smile, should I maybe not look at all?

By no means, am I mad that people do not know how to always react to us as a parent of a special needs child nor know how to react directly to Cayman. Sometimes I'm still shy and don't always know how to approach another family with a disabled child. I desire for people to know how to approach us though. I can understand the shunt is very odd looking and Cayman's head is not round. Sometimes people pretend they do not see Cayman at all and that is very sad to this proud mama that I am. But I can understand that not unless you have experienced this side of it you might not know what to do.

So I have compiled this list hoping to inform people on how to talk to a parent of a special needs child or directly to the child. In this list, some are our experiences and some are from other parents with a special needs child. I have a lot of faith in humanity, that if perhaps people realize what they say or do hurts then they would probably do it differently.

Things NOT to say to a special needs parent:

• Never, EVER, EVER use the word "retarded", no matter what, medically or to describe something stupid. It hurts just the same. Most likely the parent won't correct you but know that inside they are crying. If they aren't crying inside most likely they are in visioning themselves slapping you silly :o).
• Do NOT say "What is wrong with him/her?" That will put the parent in defensive mode and they will not want to continue the conversation. Nothing is "wrong" with Cayman, God just made her special.
  
• Don't say "Will he/she grow up to be 'normal'?" If the child has a condition that is not something that they will grow out of, this is HARD for a parent to explain and even HARDER for them to be reminded of it. If it's a baby, their development rarely can be accurately predicted so a parent cannot even answer this question. The parent then feels unless they can say "Yes my child will be 'normal'" you are "saying" he/she is not acceptable.
• Don't stare and if you accidentally find yourself staring and the parent/child catches you, then smile WARMLY AND SINCERELY. Do not give the "poor baby...poor baby" look. Or even worse, look away quickly as if you are trying to pretend you did not see them at all.
• Children are often curious about people with disabilities. Or perhaps we're all very curious but a child's innocence often brings them loudly asking what we adults are wondering only in our minds. If you find your child asking questions about the special needs child in the room don't just make up an answer. Chances are the parent has heard your child's questions anyways. It is best to approach the special needs parent very KINDLY and say "My son is interested in your child, can you tell us about her?" This is a genuine question and most parents of a disabled child would not object to such a question. They probably have done it before. It's actually very disturbing to the special needs parent to hear the other parent tell their child to be quiet or show embarrassment at their child's questions. Parents who do this are sending out the message to their child that different is not acceptable.
• If you are approaching a parent just because you are nosy...don't even bother. A special needs child is not a "freak show". Only do so out of genuine interest. If you do approach and the parent gives short, sweet, and quick answers take the hint and politely end the conversation. Sometimes and some days it's just too much to go into a child's problems and likely they have done it more times than they can count. Some days they just want to feel "normal" too. But don't let this make you shy completely away from approaching a special needs family. Just be respectful and mindful that short answers are your que to not keep asking more questions.
• Never ask these questions:
  
  • Didn't you have the blood tests when you were pregnant?
  • Did you consider having an abortion?
  • How long do you expect him/her to live?
  • I'm sure you're glad your other child is normal?
  • Is it hereditary then?
  • Will you be having any more children?
    
  • What will you do when she's too big to manage?
• Never say to a parent "It's such a shame". Being a parent of a special needs child is certainly full of lots of emotions but shame is not one of them.
• Do not EVER say to a parent of a special needs child "We are so blessed to have healthy children." Here is what that parent will think, "So, I guess God didn't want to bless me with healthy children. Wow, God, what did I do?" or "So, my child isn't healthy...does that mean I wasn't blessed by God?"
• Do not say to the parent "I don't know what I'd ever do if this happened to me."
• Don't say to the parent, especially in front of the special needs child, what a saint the parent is, or how hard life must be for them. This actually is pointing out your assumption that the disabled child is a huge burden.

This is how to appraoch a special needs child and their parent:

• Treat the child like you would any kid their age. Talk to the child directly. If they can't talk the parent will answer you.
• Compliment them on their eyes, hair, smile, outfit, ANYTHING. That always starts things off right.
• If you are inquiring because there is someone close to you that has a disability somewhat like that child's, make sure to mention that. It puts the parent at ease and fast. Usually they will be much more forthcoming with information and understand your motive for asking.
• If you MUST ask "what is wrong" with the child say "Does he/she have a diagnosis?" or "What is your baby's story?" I was asked this way before and for some reason it was much nicer than "what's wrong with her." Do not start the conversation off with this statement though, use the compliments first. :o)

I hope this can help you not feel so awkward the next time you are in the presence of a special needs family. Perhaps, after an outing, they just might go home feeling like they had a great day because people treated them so well.

Thanks for reading my long post today. This one is particularly very meaningful to me.

God bless you!!

Funny Words

Some time ago I had received an email forward about the funny combination of words a parent might have to say to their children. I wanted to post that forward along with this blog but I can not find it. It had different combination of words like:

"Stop shooting your sister."

"Licking is not acceptable in the car."

"Drop that sword and that snake and go to your room."

I think you get the idea.

Yesterday I said something to my niece that could be added to that list:

"Just leave the boogers in there until we get to Grandma's house."

Here's the story:
Mike's family all got together yesterday for supper. Before dinner Uncle Mark, Aunt Cara, Aunt Sam, and Mike went golfing at a coarse 20 minutes from Grandma Sue and Grandpa's house. Mike and I live near Uncle Mark, Aunt Cara, and their two girls, Sidney and CeCe so we carpooled together. I dropped the four golfers off and drove our van (that now only had Cayman, Sidney, and CeCe in it) to Grandma Sue's house. On our way to the house this is how the conversation between Sidney and I went:

"Aunt Kristen, I need a tissue."

"OK, I can't get you one right now while I'm driving. We'll soon be to Grandma's house, can you wait?"

"Umm, I'm not sure."

"Is your nose dripping?"

"It's not dripping, it has dried boogers up there that are stuck."

"OK, we'll soon be there."

"I think I can get them unstuck with my finger."

"NO! Just leave the boogers in there until we get to Grandma's house."

A minute passes and I hear Sidney say, "I got it unstuck with my finger, what should I do with it?"

"Oh geesh, ummmm........just hold onto it. We're about there and then I'll get you a tissue."

Another minute passes and Sidney says, "How much longer til we get there. I don't know how much longer I can keep holding it."

It cracked me up!!

Anybody else have anything unusual they have spoken?

Cayman's Benefit (continued)

As I promised, here is more about Cayman's benefit:

It was such an amazing time. We are so blessed to be apart of a loving community full of supportive and caring people. It was estimated between 700-800 people came!!

The food was great!! Our good friend, Matt, who happens to be a professional Chef, worked the grill!! ("Thank you Matt!! The burgers and hot dogs were amazing. Another big thanks to those that donated the food. Your time you took to prepare a dish and bring it is so greatly appreciated.") Rita, a gorgeous lady in our church and owns a local pizza store, helped coordinate all the food and the kitchen help ("Thank you Rita and all the rest of the kitchen staff! It's a lot of work to keep the food coming for that many people! You all were a big help!")

There were 4 local christian bands that played and each gave a wonderful performance! Even Aunt Sam and Uncle Mark got some percussion time in. ("To the bands, thank you for playing. Cayman did not seem to enjoy your loud music but everyone else did :o).")

The silent auction seemed to be the hit feature (well, besides Cayman that is..hehe). There were so many fantastic items that were donated. People had a lot of fun "shopping" and bidding. ("Thank you to those of you that had a hand in coordinating the auction-Grandma Cindy, Grandma Sue, Aunt Stacey, Karen, and Tammi. We also thank each one of you that donated to the silent auction. A lot of time and creativity were put into the items and that made the "shopping" and bidding fun. We also thank those of you that participated in the silent auction. It was fun to watch so many of you win your items and those of you that were out bid, it was entertaining to watch you be so proud of yourself for bidding up the item and lose with such grace. Everyone had such a friendly, competitive attitude. Thank you all for that!!")

The kids had fun with their games. ("Thank you Mr. Reid for letting us borrow your awesome games. Thank you Grandma Sue for picking up the games, providing candy, and coordinating the kid activities at the benefit. Carla, thank you for bringing the nerf footballs for the kids to take home. All the children were running around happy and energetic!! A big thanks to the face painters. I saw some of the kids walking around with their hands, faces, etc. painted up beautifully. You people have talent! I was impressed!)

A special thank you to Sara and Kadyn, who drove over 1 1/2 hours to come to the benefit! Far as I know she was the guest that came the furthest. Sara is a mom to a precious little boy born with hydrocephalus. I met Sara on the internet several months ago, and at the benefit was the first we met in person. She is so sweet. ("Sara, I had so much fun talking with you in person. Kadyn is amazing and you are a wonderful mommy to him. Thank you for making that long drive. Meeting you was a highlight of that day for me.")

"To the Burkholder family: Thank you Larry and Greg for running the sound and picture slide show during the event. And Karen, thank you for handling all the financial collections from the benefit. You are a very precious family to us."

In case you missed that number at the beginning...700-800 people came!!! That's a lot of people and a lot of love!! The Oooo's and Awwww's over Cayman made our parent hearts swell with pride. We wish we could thank each one of you individually but we do not have the resources to do so. Your attendance was the final touch to making the benefit a great success. There were several people that could not make it to the event but still wanted to showed their support. We received cards, phone calls, and in person visits before and after the benefit, flooding our home with so much love. We thank you as well for your thoughtfulness. Mike and I are deeply humbled by the love and support people have given us.

And to Aunt Stacey, thank you. You got this benefit started and kept the ball rolling to see it through. You did a lot. There was not a single area of it that did not bear your touch. I do not know how you managed to coordinate such a large event. I hope you are so proud of yourself at the success it was. We thank you for your hard work and wish you many peaceful nights rests now that it is over...and you too Uncle Dan.

My Uncle Paul brought his camera and captured the event with a 122 pictures!! To view those photos click here. ("Thank you Uncle Paul for doing that! You know how much I love pictures!!! I feel the urge for scrapbooking coming on.")

We do not want to miss thanking anyone. I'm trying to go through all of it making sure I've covered everything. If I have missed someone please forgive me and bring it to my attention because we desire for everyone to know how grateful we are.

Cayman's Benefit

Cayman's benefit yesterday was a huge success!! There were so many people that came. I do not think we know an exact number (possibly around 800?). Mike and I had so much fun reconnecting with people, some we haven't seen for years and others meeting them for the first time.

The four hours (from 4-8 p.m.) went by so quickly!! I'm still trying to take it all in and process it. I have so many emotions that are just too large for words to capture right now.

We are extremely touched by people. They have been so giving with their prayers, their money, and their love.

I want so much to write more about the benefit, and I will. I just do not know how to put it all into words right now. I promise I will write more and share pictures soon.

5 Months Old

Headband

Cayman's got a new headband. I first saw it on this mom's baby (Elisabeth) and she told me it was from this store. The stores are only out west, nowhere near me, but I have a very good friend that lives close to one. She told me she would pick up a headband for Cayman before she came to Ohio for a visit. When she came, she brought Cayman two headbands!!Before hand, I called the store to find out what size Cayman would need. The sales lady asked me for my daughter's head measurement. When I told her it's 48 cm she said, "Oh, that's the same size as my daughter's."

Curious, I asked, "How old is your daughter?"

"21 months."

I smiled to myself at the funny thought that my 5 month old has the same head size as a 21 month old. Cayman's head certainly does not seem that large to me anymore.

My blogging friend, Sherri, who is a beautiful mom to a boy born with Hydrocephalus, wrote this post. It is written so perfectly and I identify with every word. You seriously have to hop over and read this short post because I could not have written it better myself.

Cayman's Benefit

The Benefit is just a few days away!!

Mike and I wanted to share a little deeper about why there is money being raised and how it is going to be used for Cayman. I am sorry we have not done this already. We are generally so private about such a personal subject as finances. However, we thought it would be respectful if we explained how the money being raised is going to help Cayman and it takes a certain amount of humility to admit that we cannot do this financially alone.

We do have insurance but with a very high deductible. We have applied for every financial government aid that has been made known to us. Most of them have turned us away due to income qualifications. Mike is blessed with a good job but money is still tight in a situation like this.

We have discovered there are different modalities that have great potential to assist Cayman to grow and develop in spite of all her medical challenges. However most of these treatments are not covered by insurance or government aids.

Here I would like to talk about a new section I have added to the sidebar (to the right) of the blog called "Cayman's Care" . It has a link to each one of the treatments that we believe has made a great impact on her health and development.

• Stem Cell (Cord Blood) Therapy. At birth, Cayman's cord blood was collected and it was taken to Duke University in North Carolina. There it was preserved and stored for her. When Cayman was 5 1/2 weeks old we drove 12 hours to Durham, NC for her Stem Cell Infusion. To read about that day click here. To learn more about what the Stem Cell Infusion is and why we had it done for Cayman click here. This procedure is considered "Research" so most insurances will not cover the cost of it.
• The Body Scan. This is what we have done for Cayman at her Naturopathist. It's a machine that scans everything that is going on in her body at the cellular level. If cells, the building blocks of our body, are deficient in what they need, disease and symptoms show up compromising our health. The machine inputs a very detailed scan of all of Cayman's cellular numbers up on a computer screen and the Naturopathist interprets them and suggests what vitamins and supplements to help her deficiencies. This is also not covered by insurance. These scans are done about every 3 months. Cayman has had two scans so far. To read about those click here and here.
• Infant Massage. I highly believe in the benefits of massage, but I am a bit biased as this is where my work of trade is. I graduated as a Licensed Massage Therapist in 2003. Massage increases blood circulation, which increases oxygen, making a healthier body. It's all about that oxygen isn't it? After each bath, I spend about 15 minutes massaging Cayman starting at her head and ending with her toes. Her legs seem to be her favorite. This also helps her become more aware of her body as I massage each part. Right now there is no extra costs to us since I massage her, but I am not certified in Infant Massage. I would like to take the course. I could learn specific techniques that would be stimulating to her Nervous System, encouraging it to develop properly.
• Intramax. This is like liquid gold to me. It's a multi vitamin that contains the purest ingredients you can find. I quit taking it when I became pregnant because it does not read "prenatal" on it. At 22 weeks pregnant I saw the Naturopathist that we take Cayman to and he suggested I recontinue taking it, but gave me specific instructions on how much I should take since each dose is not formulated for pregnancy. When you are pregnant you have to be careful not to take too much iron or vitamin A. I have continued to take it while breastfeeding. If I miss even a day taking the Intramax I see a less fattier milk. The Intramax has so many of the necessary vitamins in helping a babies' brain to grow and develop such as DHA and choline. I was surprised, during my pregnancy, to discover how many prenatal vitamins do not contain these important vitamins. This website has the best price. If you sign up for their e-newsletters you get a discount on all their products. They don't bombard you with a bunch a junk mail and once in awhile they send you an e-coupon which is great to save even more. Mike and I both take the Intramax everyday. It has increased our immunities and energy levels. Do you see why this stuff is like gold to me?...it has all the stuff that my baby needs for her growing body and brain, Daddy and I are not sick very often and have better energy levels. All very important things to parents.
• Breast milk. After reading this article and this one I think you will understand why I have been so willing to dedicate myself to the heavy task of pumping all of Cayman's feedings. (She was over 4 weeks old before I could really try feeding her at the breast and by then she wanted nothing to do with it). This part of Cayman's care does not cost us anything. If anything we save money because we do not have to buy formula. We were blessed enough to have our insurance cover the cost of my double breast pump. The doctor wrote a script for one and our insurance approved it because of Cayman's medical conditions restricted her from being able to breastfeed right after she was born. That is something you Mom's about to have a baby with a medical condition might want to look into. My Lactation Consultant played a big part in talking to our insurance directly to get this approved for us.

Along with being private about money we are also very honest about money. A separate savings account just for Cayman has been opened. The money being raised will be used for Cayman's care and only Cayman's care. It is not a personal account for Mike and I. It will be used to pay for her outstanding medical bills, our travel expenses to her appointments, and the other treatments that I listed above.

We deeply thank everyone for their part they have in bringing this benefit together. Mike, Cayman, and I hope to see you on Saturday at the benefit! Even if you do not have a monetary donation to give please come!! We would love to have you!

fundingforcayman.blogspot.com

Mindy...My Dog

My dog, of 14 years, passed away today. I was 13 years old when my dad bought her for me. It was my 7th grade year and I was being home schooled while I recovered from an auto accident. I was lonely without having daily contact with my friends and my parents thought a dog would lift my spirits and motivate me to get well faster. My dog became my best friend! She was very sensitive to my emotional needs. If I was having a bad day, in body or spirit, she knew it. She would follow me every where, staying close to my side. I loved how excited she would get when I walked through the door. Dogs are fun in that way. No matter how many times you leave and come back, they always react so happy to see you return!

A favorite, funny memory of my dog is when I decided to teach her tricks. I wanted her to sit, shake, and lay down by command. She did so great learning how to sit and shake that I started in on teaching her to lay down, all in the same day. The poor dog became so confused learning so many commands so quickly she always struggled getting it right. All she knew is if she kept doing all the moves she learned eventually she'd get her treat.

"Sit"....."No, that's lay"

"Sit"....."No, that's shake"

"Sit"...."There you go! Here's your treat!"

What can I say, I was never a very good dog trainer, but I loved my dog.

Not having her in my life now is not of a great adjustment. She stayed with my parents when Mike and I got married 4 1/2 years ago. I will still miss her though and I will greatly feel her absence every time I am at my parents' house. I will miss her happy circles she ran when I walked through the door.

A New Look

So I decided to go with a new look. What do you think?

I see changing the template has messed up some of the alignment of the picture captions. I'll have to fix those later.

Change? or No Change?

I'm thinking about changing the background. I really do love this current background...it reflects me well-green, pink, flowers, simple, clean.

But there are two things I do not like about it:

1. The template does not contain the "taskbar" at the top. I would really like to have the option to search the blog for past posts without scrolling through all 168!
2. The font is kind of small, especially on the sidebar. I do enlarge it each time I post, but I am not aware how to change the sidebar's font size.
   

If you have not checked out these blog templates you have to! They are beautiful!! I had fun looking at them even though they are out of my price range.

I am still thinking about changing the background if I can find a template that I like.

What do you think?

Change? Or No Change?