A hypoallergenic dog with allergies

Only I would have a hypoallergenic dog that has allergies...

I took Auburn to a new vet yesterday for a second opinion on her skin. They agreed with the other vet, that it is more than likely allergies. Since it is year round they are leaning toward food allergies over environmental so they have put her on a STRICT diet. No treats, no yummy food, no anything with taste. She gets this prescription hypoallergenic (aka expensive) dog food that is almost colorless, white hypoallergenic dog "cracker" treats (which ironically has a picture of a schnauzer on it), and that is it. Breaking her of the tomatoes, chips, and sweet potato addiction is going to be difficult. We have to give her a medicated bath twice a week and half of a really expensive antibiotic once a day. Hopefully she will be feeling better after a few weeks. If she stays good after the antibiotics are done then we know it was the food. If not, we HAVE to do the allergy tests. Crossing our broke fingers it is just the food!

2012 in Pictures

Doug Turned 30 - Cherry Blossom Festival and Arlington National Cemetery

Orioles game for Heather's 29th Birthday

Happy 4th of July!

Trip to Georgia to see family and friends

Trip to Alabama to see family and friends AND to go to a game!

Sarah's birthday at Olive Garden and then off to the Casino

Ryan's birthday at Dave and Buster's

Merry Christmas!

3 snow days in 6 days

So in less than a week it has snowed three times! Today was the most accumulation but none of it has stayed for more than a half day or so. It was mixed with sleet and rain so most of it was mush but it sure was pretty. We enjoyed it while it lasted! Still waiting on the "Big One"!

Christmas Eve we got a little but nothing stuck. :(

The day after Christmas we got about an inch or two but I was at work when it happened. Thankfully Doug was home to snap a few pictures.

And then today we got a few hours of snow. It was beautiful and I wish it would have lasted all day so Doug could have gotten out of work. Oh well. Maybe next time!

 

Christmas 2012

We did not do much this year for Christmas. Last night we ordered pizza and watched a movie with Doug's Mom and Dad. Today we did the traditional dinner and opened presents. From cooking all morning, to a stuffed belly, to an afternoon of present opening, we are one exhausted family. Auburn loved her gifts. After she opened one she had to help everyone open theirs. I guess she thought they were all for her. Of course the nice toy that was suppose to last her is partially destroyed but the pack of cheap toys are still in tack. I give them a week tops. Doug and I got more than what we needed but love everything we got. It was nice to have a day off together. I hope everyone had as good of a Christmas as we did. As usual it came and went too fast. Just like the year. The best part about today was thinking about how lucky and blessed we are. We don't always remember or think about the good things but the holidays tend to make us slow down a bit to remember. I am thankful for my family and friends, my puppy and home, my job and my income, and my life together with Doug. I am one very lucky lady and I am very grateful for everything I have. Now to remember that everyday, even during the downs in life, will be the New Year resolution.

The toy that did not survive...

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

The battle has begun!

So as most of you know from my Facebook status post, Doug broke the Christmas commandment. We decided early in November that we would skip the presents again this year and opt for a long weekend trip at the end of January. Well last week Doug informs me that he bought me a few things. I was so not happy with him. He broke the rule and now I felt bad because I had nothing for him to open. Everyone knows I am a gift giver and LOVE buying stuff for others. It brings me so much joy. I usually always go overboard because I love seeing the smiles on the faces of others when I get them something they love. So, I proceeded to yell at Doug for making me feel so bad for not getting him something and for all the hell he was going to put me through going out days before Christmas to find him something. See, he buys everything he wants. EVERYTHING! He bought an Ipod Nano just last week. So I had to think really really hard, which made me even more mad.
Day 1 - I got nothing. Everyone was out of everything. So I went home empty handed and teary eyed.
Day 2 - Windy but some progress. The wind was gusting so bad but I had to get out and try. I got smart and went to bestbuy.com where I could purchase what I wanted and do the in store pickup so I knew the product was there. I got what I wanted there (there is a story behind this but can't tell it right now) and headed a few more places. Best part, I finally got to eat at Wendy's. I never get to go because the one by our house is not the best and the others are a bit of a drive away. So wind gusting, winding road, one hand on my burger, and one hand on the wheel. Yeehaw!
Day 3 - Finished! I did not find everything I wanted on Day 2 so I set out early in the morning to beat the traffic. Macy's was open 24 hours and Kohl's opened at 6 am. I finished my list, grocery shopped, brought Doug doughnuts to work, and made it home by noon in time to put everything up and wrap before football came on. SCORE!
Now Doug is the one who feels bad because I bought him more than he got me and spent more money (which I did on purpose so he could see how I felt when I had nothing for him). So he is going shopping when he gets off today. See, this is why we can't buy presents or we have to establish a budget. It becomes a battle of who can spoil the other the most. (He always wins! :) )

It's a cruel, crazy world

There is no need to talk about how horrible the school shooting is in Connecticut. There is no need to mention how sad and heartbreaking it is, how angry it makes us, how senseless it is, and how evil this world is becoming. We all know it, we all feel it. I will say two quick things on this.

It's not guns that kill people. PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE. Yes I understand accidents happen but the accidents happen due to people. Guns that are locked up, not loaded, not bought illegally, and not in the hands of crazy people, for the most part, do not kill. We have a few and they have not harmed anyone. It's all about who has the gun in their hands. It does not matter if it is a gun or not. If someone wants to kill others, they will find a way to do it. If guns did not exist, they would use bombs, knives, swords, or their own hands. We have to face the fact that our world is not peaceful and loving like it once was. The world is not a better place and it's people like this guy who shot up an elementary school that is making it worse. Until we stand up and start changing this there is no stopping it. Do you really think stricter gun laws will help? This guy stole his mom's guns. No gun law would have prevented that. And lets compare guns and drugs. Drugs are illegal but how many people use those everyday? Making guns illegal will not stop possession. That will only create a society where people who are willing to break the law will have them and others who abide by them will be left defenseless. The only way to keep events like this from happening is to change the hearts of the wicked. Is there anyway to remove hate from our hearts?

I joke with friends and family saying I have a list of reasons why I do not care to have kids. Well, this is one of them. I really believe this world is not fit for bringing a child into it. It gets worse and worse everyday. There is so much bad I am scared that it will either hurt my child or take over him/her. The thought of my 1st grader being murdered like this is heartbreaking, this innocence lost from those who saw things no one should ever see is devastating, but the thought of my child committing this act is just... no words. So my heart goes out to those that lost, those who will have to raise a child with memories nothing can ever erase, those who are related to the murderer, and those with children who have to face this cruel, and crazy world.

Christmas Card

This year we went very low budget on the cards so we were not able to send out as many as we normally do. So to share the joy with all (enter sarcasm), I figured I would post it here.

Very Merry Memories Christmas Card

Heartfelt: Christmas photo cards and holiday cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Sick baby

This morning Doug and I woke up to a tootsie roll surprise (if you get my drift) on the bedroom floor. We scolded her, cleaned it up, and I got in the shower while Doug went back to bed. I was not out of the shower yet when Doug came in and told me Auburn threw up in the bed. Thank goodness we invested in a mattress cover. She acted like she was feeling okay so we thought it was a fluke thing and didn't think much more about it. Then when Doug got home from taking me to work he found a mess on the carpet. She was good while he was home before he went to work but when I got home I found two more. I must say it was the grossest thing I have ever seen or smelt. I would take baby diarrhea over what I found in the kitchen!  I called the vet and they said to feed her bland food like rice and watch her. If she is not back to tootsie rolls in the morning we will be going to the vet. She is being so pitiful this evening. I ate dinner on the couch (carrots (her favorite), taters, and roast) and she did not budge. Normally she is all in our face trying to get a bite. Poor, sick baby. I hate that she can't tell us what hurts or there is not an easy way to find out what is wrong. Hopefully she will be back to normal tomorrow and no trip to the vet will be required!

Ryan's Birthday

Last week was our friend's, Ryan, birthday. Saturday we went out to celebrate at Dave & Busters. This was Doug and mine's first trip to D&B. We were not sure about it at first (you know, with all the kids and all) but once we saw the bar we were A OK!
The place was really busy but thinned out as the night went on. We played some pool and video games but did not get to bowl because the wait list was so long. We got appetizers to snack on and they were pretty good for an arcade restaurant. The place made me feel old because you no longer put coins in the games, you SWIPE A CARD! Really! Instead of coin machines they had a variation of an atm. Swipe your debit card and put money on your D&B card... high tech! Ah, the good ole days of tokens. :)

Happy Holidays...?

So the past few years the holiday time has become more depressing than full of cheer. If it was not for Doug it would be down right suicidal. I knew moving away from home would mean less holiday get togethers with the family but it wasn't that big of a deal. See, even though we are southern, we are not close rarely get together. Christmas and Thanksgiving started being the only time we got together. Now that is even hard to do. My mom's side of the family really did not do anything this year and my dad's side are not getting together until this weekend. You know what my parents did today? Yard work. Yep. So even if I was home I would not have done anything today. Since we are not close the time spent together becomes kind or awkward. I know you are suppose to love family unconditionally but I really question some of my family's love for one another.
Christmas is not as bad because the families have a set schedule (Eve with Dad's side, Day with Mom's). But all we do is eat and hang out. Since I was in high school we stopped doing gifts and opted for the game. Plus we are a small family so there are not a lot of people to get for. And the ones I do have to buy for (parents & grandparents) are so hard to shop for I end up doing gift cards. I would love to be out shopping on Black Friday, getting all my loved ones cool gifts to wrap and put under the tree. I love giving gifts. It makes me happy. Last year we did not do any gifts except gift cards to the grandparents. Doug and I completely opted out of Christmas. We did not decorate and have no plans of doing so again this year. I don't even have any holiday parties to host or attend. 
Doug's mom cooked everything this year so I did not have to cook. I literally did not cook anything. No goodies for work, no parties, no dinner. This is the first Thanksgiving in my life I did not have my grandmother's dressing. I am thankful we got to spend some time with Doug's family but since it's Black Friday Doug had to come home and sleep so he could work 10-3am. I am so tired because I can't sleep well when he is not home. And neither can Auburn. I think she is worse than me. It has broken my heart to see her sitting at the hallway whining every night he has left. Sunday he worked overnight and got off at 6am; Monday he worked the same; Tuesday he worked 4-9:30pm; Wednesday he worked 6-2:30am; Thursday 10-3am; Friday 10-5pm; Saturday 1-9:30pm. So yeah, I have not seen my husband this week.
I am so jealous of those large families that love spending time with each other. That get together all the time and every year the family gets bigger. Everyone brings food and presents at Christmas and it's more of a party than a family thing. Nothing is awkward, there is no family disputes that leave people not talking, or no exiled members not invited. I remember the good times when I was a kid. I remember the laughter, the joy, and the fun of the season. Now it's lonely and uneventful. I hear couples have kids to "make things better". Maybe the same idea could be applied in our family/holiday case? Yeah, hell has still not frozen over (making me want to have a kid) so not an option for us.