I had an appointment on Friday to see one of the midwives on base. We're to the point where I'm going in weekly. I learned I was dilated 3 cm, which doesn't really mean much at all! I did have some contractions throughout the afternoon, but obviously nothing happened. I was thankful to get a fairly long nap that day as well as Saturday after I attended a family ministry conference at our church from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
So now it's 4:48 a.m. Sunday and I'm awake...been awake since about 1:37 a.m. when a contraction jolted me out of sleep. The next one came 5 minutes later. Another one 30 minutes later, followed by one 12 minutes later. Got out of bed and made some raspberry leaf tea; since I let it steep for 20 minutes, I decided to go ahead and make the banana caramel sticky buns I was planning to make anyway for breakfast. Putzed around the kitchen for awhile, and after the buns were made and my tea was gone, I decided it was time to try sleeping again. I hadn't felt any painful contractions, just a few mild ones and a general crampy feeling.
In bed I tossed and turned and never did fall back asleep, having a few more contractions, but again, nothing all that painful. But my back aches, and I still feel crampy. So...I'm not sure if something is happening or not! After all the to-do with Lucan's false alarms and lengthy labor, I really hesitate to do anything unless/until I feel something is DEFINITELY happening.
August 21, 2011
August 14, 2011
Growing Up
Who took my baby girl and replaced her with such a sweet little young lady?! Notice her hair is in ONE ponytail again--FINALLY!!
Kenna is truly growing up! I can't get over how responsible and mature she has become. (Don't get me wrong--we still have those Kenna moments, but they are NOTHING like her toddler years!) She is very polite; I think she says, "Yes, ma'am" even more than Charis does, and that's saying something! She is also a tremendous helper. Because she is tall, she is often mistaken for a kindergartener (or at least a 5-year-old), so it makes me even more proud of her understanding and listening skills. She is going to be a great help with the new baby and can't wait for him to arrive.
Not Again...
Those who have followed our family blog for awhile may remember that I experienced a couple of false labors with Lucan (read here and here for more info), who didn't arrive until 10 days after the second trip to the hospital. Looking back, we aren't sure if all that happened because he was in the wrong position or what, but regardless, it was extremely frustrating to experience with a 5th baby. I've been praying we won't have to go through all that again! (On a random side note, it's kind of funny that the same thing happened with Arden, our 3rd baby--I was in the hospital twice with what everyone, including the doctors, thought were real labor pains, only to have him not show up until a day after his due date! I find that interesting, since Arden and Lucan are so similar in both looks and personality!)
So last night, when I was hit with some contractions that actually got my attention, I wondered...I was feeling "different," and I'm not sure how else to describe it. When I first lay down for the night (at the second contraction), the baby started moving like crazy, and his pokes and jabs were all in a different spot than I usually feel them--much, much lower, almost as if I could expect a little hand to reach OUT of my body! I got up again, drank some water, talked with my mom a bit, sent a quick note to Ted and my local "I'm in labor and need help with the kids" friend, and then got back in bed, thinking that if this WAS going to go anywhere, I had better try to rest a little bit, at least!
Well, I tossed and turned throughout the night, waking with some pains, but nothing too bad, and by this morning all was calm again. After my last L&D experience, I will probably want to wait until I feel the urge to push before I even leave for the hospital for fear I'll be sent back home again, LOL! But then again, I don't want to assume it WON'T be short and wait too long, either! Please pray for clear guidance when the time is right. I still have over 2 weeks before my due date, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but the fact that our other deployment baby (Kenna) came 2 weeks early kind of makes me think/hope that it might happen again this time!
So last night, when I was hit with some contractions that actually got my attention, I wondered...I was feeling "different," and I'm not sure how else to describe it. When I first lay down for the night (at the second contraction), the baby started moving like crazy, and his pokes and jabs were all in a different spot than I usually feel them--much, much lower, almost as if I could expect a little hand to reach OUT of my body! I got up again, drank some water, talked with my mom a bit, sent a quick note to Ted and my local "I'm in labor and need help with the kids" friend, and then got back in bed, thinking that if this WAS going to go anywhere, I had better try to rest a little bit, at least!
Well, I tossed and turned throughout the night, waking with some pains, but nothing too bad, and by this morning all was calm again. After my last L&D experience, I will probably want to wait until I feel the urge to push before I even leave for the hospital for fear I'll be sent back home again, LOL! But then again, I don't want to assume it WON'T be short and wait too long, either! Please pray for clear guidance when the time is right. I still have over 2 weeks before my due date, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but the fact that our other deployment baby (Kenna) came 2 weeks early kind of makes me think/hope that it might happen again this time!
Girl Time
Having my mom here has been such a blessing! Not only do I walk into the kitchen to find the dishes have magically been cleaned, but also I have been able to leave the house--ALONE!
Last week I enjoyed some time to get groceries by myself on Tuesday, plus went to the first homeschool parent meeting Thursday evening and then out for coffee with a friend afterward. Friday I met a friend for lunch at a favorite Indian restaurant, and then in the evening I went to a friend's house to scrapbook with her and her mom. I actually got some more work done on Lucan's baby album, which I began shortly after we moved here in 2009 but haven't worked on in nearly 2 years! Because I knew I'd be scrapping Friday night, I sorted through our photos and finished picking out the ones I wanted to include in his album, which is probably going to be much more of a hodge-podge than maybe my other baby albums, but hey, it's nearly completion now, so I don't really care! And now that I've actually got the pictures printed out and the materials together, I'm hoping I'll be more likely to actually work on it and get it finished. Maybe I'll have to schedule another girls' night out!
Last week I enjoyed some time to get groceries by myself on Tuesday, plus went to the first homeschool parent meeting Thursday evening and then out for coffee with a friend afterward. Friday I met a friend for lunch at a favorite Indian restaurant, and then in the evening I went to a friend's house to scrapbook with her and her mom. I actually got some more work done on Lucan's baby album, which I began shortly after we moved here in 2009 but haven't worked on in nearly 2 years! Because I knew I'd be scrapping Friday night, I sorted through our photos and finished picking out the ones I wanted to include in his album, which is probably going to be much more of a hodge-podge than maybe my other baby albums, but hey, it's nearly completion now, so I don't really care! And now that I've actually got the pictures printed out and the materials together, I'm hoping I'll be more likely to actually work on it and get it finished. Maybe I'll have to schedule another girls' night out!
Saying Goodbye
Wednesday was an eventful day at our house. The older kids and I spent the day at the pool with friends while Grandma stayed home with Lucan, and then after dinner our Bible Bee kiddos attended the bi-weekly Bible Bee Blast with another friend while the rest of us enjoyed time at the park.
Unbeknownst to us, however, a small tragedy awaited us at home. By the time everyone was back from our various activities, Boots, our new hamster, had died peacefully in his sleep. We had spent a mere 10 days with the little fellow, and we were all pretty attached to him. As you can imagine, the kids were devastated. Lucan was already in bed by this time, but all four of the others shed many tears, and there was much weeping and wailing, particularly from Kenna, who kept asking why Bootsie wouldn't breathe again. I confess I shed some tears myself, mostly because my heart broke at seeing the sorrow the children were experiencing. We cried and hugged and prayed together and made plans for a little funeral service the next morning.
So, Thursday, which was supposed to be a work-at-home day for me, the one unplanned day I had last week, ended up filling with plans that none of us particularly would have chosen if given the option. (Definitely a lesson one learns continually as a parent...my time really is not my own, it belongs to God, and I need to be available for HIS plans, not mine. In this case, His plans involved the opportunity to talk with the kids about life and death and hopefully bless and encourage them in the midst of sadness.)
Charis spent a good portion of the morning creating this "headstone," which is actually several layers of cardboard stuck together. Arden found the sticks to make the cross, and he and Tobin both took turns digging the little grave. Though we had laid Boots to rest in an extra Huggies wipes container, I didn't really want to put that in the ground, so we ended up transferring him with some of his bedding, some food (!), and a Kleenex as a little covering into the grave. Grandma distracted Lucan by reading to him in the library--the last thing I wanted was to have him know what was going on and be able to dig Boots up sometime!
So we had a little memorial service, and everyone cried again, and I found myself praying over a dead hamster. Being a parent is heartbreaking at times.
Then we all packed into the Suburban and drove to PetSmart. We tested several dwarf hamsters, the only kind they had available, and chose the one that didn't bite anyone. (Charis was particularly taken with a roly-poly fellow, but she quickly changed her mind after he tried to eat her finger.) We purchased said hamster and carried his cardboard case out to our vehicle, where we attempted to transfer him to the cage we had brought along with us. Unfortunately, he bit Arden--HARD--and there were more tears (not to mention blood). Sigh. The rodent traveled in the cardboard case back to the house, where we very carefully transferred him to the cage without any further ado. I was not feeling very kindly toward our new house guest, let me tell you.
While Lucan and Kenna insisted on calling the new pet Boots (he is black with some white markings here and there), the older ones agreed that a name change was in order. They have settled on Reepicheep, which fits his feisty personality. :-/ He has bitten every member of the family except me--and that's because I haven't attempted to handle him! I haven't allowed the kids to get him out of the cage yet. I keep reminding them that Boots came from a family of 5 children who had loved on him for 2 years, and he was exceptionally tame and loving. We need to help Reepicheep learn that we don't want to hurt him and that it's OK to be touched. But that will take some time. (I'm praying the process will be considerably less painful than it has been these first few days...)
We did notice something funny about Reep--he must like to sleep in high places! He carried bedding pieces up his little ramps to the high areas of his cage and often nestles down there! We only had bedding at the bottom of the cage, but the next morning, the top level was completely full! He was a busy little guy his first night here! I'm hoping he will settle down and that we can enjoy him as much as we enjoyed Boots before too long. (If we don't notice improvement within the 14-day satisfaction-guaranteed trial period, we may end up scrapping this whole plan.)
Unbeknownst to us, however, a small tragedy awaited us at home. By the time everyone was back from our various activities, Boots, our new hamster, had died peacefully in his sleep. We had spent a mere 10 days with the little fellow, and we were all pretty attached to him. As you can imagine, the kids were devastated. Lucan was already in bed by this time, but all four of the others shed many tears, and there was much weeping and wailing, particularly from Kenna, who kept asking why Bootsie wouldn't breathe again. I confess I shed some tears myself, mostly because my heart broke at seeing the sorrow the children were experiencing. We cried and hugged and prayed together and made plans for a little funeral service the next morning.
So, Thursday, which was supposed to be a work-at-home day for me, the one unplanned day I had last week, ended up filling with plans that none of us particularly would have chosen if given the option. (Definitely a lesson one learns continually as a parent...my time really is not my own, it belongs to God, and I need to be available for HIS plans, not mine. In this case, His plans involved the opportunity to talk with the kids about life and death and hopefully bless and encourage them in the midst of sadness.)
Charis spent a good portion of the morning creating this "headstone," which is actually several layers of cardboard stuck together. Arden found the sticks to make the cross, and he and Tobin both took turns digging the little grave. Though we had laid Boots to rest in an extra Huggies wipes container, I didn't really want to put that in the ground, so we ended up transferring him with some of his bedding, some food (!), and a Kleenex as a little covering into the grave. Grandma distracted Lucan by reading to him in the library--the last thing I wanted was to have him know what was going on and be able to dig Boots up sometime!
So we had a little memorial service, and everyone cried again, and I found myself praying over a dead hamster. Being a parent is heartbreaking at times.
Then we all packed into the Suburban and drove to PetSmart. We tested several dwarf hamsters, the only kind they had available, and chose the one that didn't bite anyone. (Charis was particularly taken with a roly-poly fellow, but she quickly changed her mind after he tried to eat her finger.) We purchased said hamster and carried his cardboard case out to our vehicle, where we attempted to transfer him to the cage we had brought along with us. Unfortunately, he bit Arden--HARD--and there were more tears (not to mention blood). Sigh. The rodent traveled in the cardboard case back to the house, where we very carefully transferred him to the cage without any further ado. I was not feeling very kindly toward our new house guest, let me tell you.
While Lucan and Kenna insisted on calling the new pet Boots (he is black with some white markings here and there), the older ones agreed that a name change was in order. They have settled on Reepicheep, which fits his feisty personality. :-/ He has bitten every member of the family except me--and that's because I haven't attempted to handle him! I haven't allowed the kids to get him out of the cage yet. I keep reminding them that Boots came from a family of 5 children who had loved on him for 2 years, and he was exceptionally tame and loving. We need to help Reepicheep learn that we don't want to hurt him and that it's OK to be touched. But that will take some time. (I'm praying the process will be considerably less painful than it has been these first few days...)
We did notice something funny about Reep--he must like to sleep in high places! He carried bedding pieces up his little ramps to the high areas of his cage and often nestles down there! We only had bedding at the bottom of the cage, but the next morning, the top level was completely full! He was a busy little guy his first night here! I'm hoping he will settle down and that we can enjoy him as much as we enjoyed Boots before too long. (If we don't notice improvement within the 14-day satisfaction-guaranteed trial period, we may end up scrapping this whole plan.)
August 08, 2011
Mon-daze
I began this week by allowing myself to "sleep in," i.e. not wake up to an alarm clock. I woke at 6:15, late enough to make me feel I had gotten a little extra rest (despite waking every 2-3 hours to go potty or shift positions), yet late enough that I felt I had squelched most of my early-morning productivity. The lack of a structured schedule this summer has really taken a toll...as much as I tried to have us follow a basic daily schedule, remaining flexible for our varied activities, about the only thing we've really stuck to is our Bible Bee work. And even that has not been as in-depth as it could (should?) be.
As late as I finished my quiet time, everyone else but Lucan was still asleep--we were all up pretty late last night, as the kids and I hung out at the N's house (just around the corner) for the kids to play while I visited with Eilene a bit. I decided that I didn't want to skip my exercise time, so I gave Lucan his milk and a banana and plunked him in the stroller. We set off for a nice long walk, and it was good to move again. I've been a bit slack the last couple of weeks and had only walked maybe a couple of mornings instead of my almost-daily routine.
Everyone was still asleep when Lucan and I returned. Kenna and Mom woke and joined us before too much longer, and I finally dragged the older kids out of bed at 10 a.m. (We MUST get to bed earlier tonight! This schedule will NOT do at all when we begin our school year!)
After a late breakfast, Charis, Kenna, and I headed out for a few errands. We went to Walgreens to take advantage of some back-to-school specials--our church is doing a community outreach, trying to put together 700 backpacks for needy kids, and next Sunday is the last day for collecting items. I had just a few things I wanted to get...I must say, homeschooling actually means our school shopping is drastically reduced! I did stock up on more dry erase markers and mechanical pencils, plus a 3-subject spiral notebook for each of the older 3 kids, which will be a bit of a change from their loose leaf notebooks we've used the last few years. We'll see how we like this approach.
Anyway, we headed to Charis's orthodontist appointment, and then to the library. Then I treated the girls to lunch at McDonald's (shhh! Don't tell the boys!), and then home again for some rest time and Bible Bee work. I managed to sort through some piles of baby boy clothes that I've been given (or in some cases, have been returned--we gave Lucan's clothes to a boy from church, whose mom is passing them back to us now!). It looks like our new baby will have PLENTY to wear...if we can get him through the first few weeks with the very few newborn size clothes we have! Guess it depends on how tiny or big he is whenever he makes his appearance! I'm not one for purchasing newborn clothes anyway...they outgrow them so fast...but I do like to have a couple of things they can appear in public in right away! At least it's summer, and we don't have to worry much about layering!
So, one more thing checked off the to-do list. I'm actually starting to feel mentally prepared for having a baby in the house again! I've been physically ready for weeks, LOL. I'm getting SO uncomfortable, and sleeping is almost as much of a chore as being awake these days. I wake up feeling achy or in pain--I've had nighttime contractions and/or shooting pains in my lower abdomen pretty much every night, multiple times a night, and it's far from restful. I can't lie on my right side very long before I get stabbing pains in one particular spot, but if I only sleep on my left side, I wake with a stiff neck and a sore shoulder. I know, I know, it's all worth it, right?! But it definitely makes for a loooooong last month of pregnancy. I'll be 37 weeks tomorrow, though, so hopefully the end is in sight!
As late as I finished my quiet time, everyone else but Lucan was still asleep--we were all up pretty late last night, as the kids and I hung out at the N's house (just around the corner) for the kids to play while I visited with Eilene a bit. I decided that I didn't want to skip my exercise time, so I gave Lucan his milk and a banana and plunked him in the stroller. We set off for a nice long walk, and it was good to move again. I've been a bit slack the last couple of weeks and had only walked maybe a couple of mornings instead of my almost-daily routine.
Everyone was still asleep when Lucan and I returned. Kenna and Mom woke and joined us before too much longer, and I finally dragged the older kids out of bed at 10 a.m. (We MUST get to bed earlier tonight! This schedule will NOT do at all when we begin our school year!)
After a late breakfast, Charis, Kenna, and I headed out for a few errands. We went to Walgreens to take advantage of some back-to-school specials--our church is doing a community outreach, trying to put together 700 backpacks for needy kids, and next Sunday is the last day for collecting items. I had just a few things I wanted to get...I must say, homeschooling actually means our school shopping is drastically reduced! I did stock up on more dry erase markers and mechanical pencils, plus a 3-subject spiral notebook for each of the older 3 kids, which will be a bit of a change from their loose leaf notebooks we've used the last few years. We'll see how we like this approach.
Anyway, we headed to Charis's orthodontist appointment, and then to the library. Then I treated the girls to lunch at McDonald's (shhh! Don't tell the boys!), and then home again for some rest time and Bible Bee work. I managed to sort through some piles of baby boy clothes that I've been given (or in some cases, have been returned--we gave Lucan's clothes to a boy from church, whose mom is passing them back to us now!). It looks like our new baby will have PLENTY to wear...if we can get him through the first few weeks with the very few newborn size clothes we have! Guess it depends on how tiny or big he is whenever he makes his appearance! I'm not one for purchasing newborn clothes anyway...they outgrow them so fast...but I do like to have a couple of things they can appear in public in right away! At least it's summer, and we don't have to worry much about layering!
So, one more thing checked off the to-do list. I'm actually starting to feel mentally prepared for having a baby in the house again! I've been physically ready for weeks, LOL. I'm getting SO uncomfortable, and sleeping is almost as much of a chore as being awake these days. I wake up feeling achy or in pain--I've had nighttime contractions and/or shooting pains in my lower abdomen pretty much every night, multiple times a night, and it's far from restful. I can't lie on my right side very long before I get stabbing pains in one particular spot, but if I only sleep on my left side, I wake with a stiff neck and a sore shoulder. I know, I know, it's all worth it, right?! But it definitely makes for a loooooong last month of pregnancy. I'll be 37 weeks tomorrow, though, so hopefully the end is in sight!
August 05, 2011
36 Weeks & Counting
On Tuesday I officially hit 36 weeks! Our li'l guy seems to be doing just fine--he's certainly an active boy. I had an OB appointment this morning and took a tour of the (new to me) L&D facilities--they have moved since we were stationed here last. (This is where both Tobin and Arden were born.)
I also received the happy news (no one had mentioned this before!) that there is a "Daddy Cam" available, so Ted can receive a link via email to click on and watch the birth! We just have to let them know when we're coming in to set up the camera and give them his email address...and of course get word to Ted that we're on the way to the hospital. This was happy news indeed. I confess I had shed a few tears last night just thinking about not being able to share such a precious time with my love, and lo and behold, God sent me comfort about it the very next day. What a gracious, loving Heavenly Father.
Mom and Dad arrived here Wednesday evening, and I lost my mucous plug Thursday morning. No contractions to speak of though, and I'm only dilated 1-2 cm at most, so who knows how long it will be! Dad has to leave in the morning to head home, and Mom will stay here...however long we need her! Hopefully Dad will be able to get several days in a row off when he comes to get Mom to take her back. The kids haven't quite had enough Grandpa time yet! Lucan especially will miss his buddy Grandpa. I'm thankful Dad was able to do all kinds of little jobs around the house for me, like changing out our air filter (ugh--it was NASTY!), replacing light bulbs all over the basement, and other little fix-it things that Ted normally would take care of. I overheard Charis telling him, "Thank you, Grandpa, for helping Mama!" :-)
It's also been nice to be able to take naps and not worry about what may be happening outside my bedroom door, LOL. We've all had a relaxing couple of days, just hanging out together. We've played some games, put a puzzle together, read lots of books and played with the little ones, and tonight we went out for an ice cream treat and then watched Black Beauty after we put a tired Lucan to bed.
I'm very thankful for the time we've had together and especially thankful that my mom has the freedom and flexibility to be here for a good long while. Though we hope Baby J will arrive before too much longer, my due date isn't until the 30th, so I'm trying to be prepared for another month of discomfort. I'm feeling like I'm carrying around a bowling ball in my belly these days; it's extremely hard to put on my walking shoes anymore! And I simply can't get comfortable in any sort of sitting or lying position. I know this will pass and it will all be worth it, but I'm reminded of how impatient I get at the end of each pregnancy, just wanting to get my body back to "normal" and hold the baby OUTSIDE my body rather than inside.
A few pictures with the grandparents...
I also received the happy news (no one had mentioned this before!) that there is a "Daddy Cam" available, so Ted can receive a link via email to click on and watch the birth! We just have to let them know when we're coming in to set up the camera and give them his email address...and of course get word to Ted that we're on the way to the hospital. This was happy news indeed. I confess I had shed a few tears last night just thinking about not being able to share such a precious time with my love, and lo and behold, God sent me comfort about it the very next day. What a gracious, loving Heavenly Father.
Mom and Dad arrived here Wednesday evening, and I lost my mucous plug Thursday morning. No contractions to speak of though, and I'm only dilated 1-2 cm at most, so who knows how long it will be! Dad has to leave in the morning to head home, and Mom will stay here...however long we need her! Hopefully Dad will be able to get several days in a row off when he comes to get Mom to take her back. The kids haven't quite had enough Grandpa time yet! Lucan especially will miss his buddy Grandpa. I'm thankful Dad was able to do all kinds of little jobs around the house for me, like changing out our air filter (ugh--it was NASTY!), replacing light bulbs all over the basement, and other little fix-it things that Ted normally would take care of. I overheard Charis telling him, "Thank you, Grandpa, for helping Mama!" :-)
It's also been nice to be able to take naps and not worry about what may be happening outside my bedroom door, LOL. We've all had a relaxing couple of days, just hanging out together. We've played some games, put a puzzle together, read lots of books and played with the little ones, and tonight we went out for an ice cream treat and then watched Black Beauty after we put a tired Lucan to bed.
I'm very thankful for the time we've had together and especially thankful that my mom has the freedom and flexibility to be here for a good long while. Though we hope Baby J will arrive before too much longer, my due date isn't until the 30th, so I'm trying to be prepared for another month of discomfort. I'm feeling like I'm carrying around a bowling ball in my belly these days; it's extremely hard to put on my walking shoes anymore! And I simply can't get comfortable in any sort of sitting or lying position. I know this will pass and it will all be worth it, but I'm reminded of how impatient I get at the end of each pregnancy, just wanting to get my body back to "normal" and hold the baby OUTSIDE my body rather than inside.
A few pictures with the grandparents...
August 04, 2011
The Newest Member of the Family
After a busy week with VBS last week, it was nice to have an unscheduled weekend to catch up on rest and family time. We had a busy Monday with various errands, the last of which was a stop at another homeschool family's house to pick up our new pet hamster, Boots! The family had posted on our communication loop that they wanted to give away this dwarf hamster with all of his stuff--cage, bedding, and food--as the boy who owned Boots was not really interested in him anymore. The mom didn't feel it was fair to the li'l critter to not be able to have any playmates!
Arden went through a phase of really wanting a hamster about a year ago, which I detailed in his little spotlight paragraph in this post. But somehow there was never any follow-up with this...I'm pretty sure Arden ended up spending all his money on Legos, and even though he still wanted a hamster, he kept choosing to purchase other things with his money.
So when I talked with the older 3 kiddos about whether they wanted to accept Boots as a free pet (I had already contacted Tina to let her know we were interested), you can imagine how thrilled Arden as well as Tobin and Charis were! They promptly agreed to divide hamster duties and take good care of him, so I contacted Tina again to tell her for sure we would come take Boots off her hands.
So far Boots has been a wonderful addition to the family! The kids have given him a LOT of love and attention, and we found a perfect spot for his cage--in the family room on the top of the microwave cart we've used as a toy shelf for years. This allows Lucan to peer in at his new friend but also allows us to keep a close eye on him to make sure he isn't opening the cage! The kids get Boots out often enough that Lucan seems to be kept happy with seeing "Butts," as he pronounces Boots. The older kids (including Kenna) have done a great job of cleaning up after him (he seems to poop wherever he goes), and Arden has proudly been on Hamster Detail this week. (Cage Cleaning 101 will take place on Saturday--we'll see how interested he is after that chore, LOL.)
The K family had Boots for approximately 2 years and said that the life spans are typically 3 years, which works out wonderfully since we're slated to move next summer. The kids have been warned that we don't know how much time we'll actually have with Boots, but they are happy enough to have him while they can and pointed out that we can always buy a new hamster since we already have all the accessories!
Boots is a dwarf hamster, and while some people warned us that they weren't the friendliest breed, the family who originally got him has handled him since he was 3 weeks old, and it's obvious he adores attention--he has not once tried to nip or bite any of the kids. He's pretty darn cute, too, but very fast; it's hard to get good pictures!
Arden went through a phase of really wanting a hamster about a year ago, which I detailed in his little spotlight paragraph in this post. But somehow there was never any follow-up with this...I'm pretty sure Arden ended up spending all his money on Legos, and even though he still wanted a hamster, he kept choosing to purchase other things with his money.
So when I talked with the older 3 kiddos about whether they wanted to accept Boots as a free pet (I had already contacted Tina to let her know we were interested), you can imagine how thrilled Arden as well as Tobin and Charis were! They promptly agreed to divide hamster duties and take good care of him, so I contacted Tina again to tell her for sure we would come take Boots off her hands.
So far Boots has been a wonderful addition to the family! The kids have given him a LOT of love and attention, and we found a perfect spot for his cage--in the family room on the top of the microwave cart we've used as a toy shelf for years. This allows Lucan to peer in at his new friend but also allows us to keep a close eye on him to make sure he isn't opening the cage! The kids get Boots out often enough that Lucan seems to be kept happy with seeing "Butts," as he pronounces Boots. The older kids (including Kenna) have done a great job of cleaning up after him (he seems to poop wherever he goes), and Arden has proudly been on Hamster Detail this week. (Cage Cleaning 101 will take place on Saturday--we'll see how interested he is after that chore, LOL.)
The K family had Boots for approximately 2 years and said that the life spans are typically 3 years, which works out wonderfully since we're slated to move next summer. The kids have been warned that we don't know how much time we'll actually have with Boots, but they are happy enough to have him while they can and pointed out that we can always buy a new hamster since we already have all the accessories!
Boots is a dwarf hamster, and while some people warned us that they weren't the friendliest breed, the family who originally got him has handled him since he was 3 weeks old, and it's obvious he adores attention--he has not once tried to nip or bite any of the kids. He's pretty darn cute, too, but very fast; it's hard to get good pictures!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)