Life Is Good: Annie

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Annie

Meet Annie.

Now I have to admit that I wasn't quite ready to adopt a new puppy. I have been "keeping my eyes open" (browsing the petfinder-type sites) for when the "right" dog might come along. I just didn't think it was going to happen right now. So let me tell you how Annie found us!

While out garage sale shopping Mimi and Aunt Jen were gleefully greeted by this sweet little girl. The woman at the garage sale announced she was needing a new home for the puppy because she was moving to an apartment and couldn't afford to take 3 dogs. Mimi and Aunt Jen thought of us and called. I thought, "well...hmmm...maybe." I called Wade and we decided that sometimes the right things come along at times we might not know is right.

Boy I think this is most definitely one of those "right things". This little puppy is the sweetest little thing ever. She was being raised by a family with a 4-year-old little boy. She is calm yet playful and fun. So far she has been absolutely tolerant of all the antics my 4-year-old little boy pulls. She already loves Ryan and Ryan already loves her. They play together so well. Ryan wants here to be everywhere he is, and I'm just basking in the all the laughter I've been hearing. Poor Evan just doesn't know what to do about all the puppy kisses right now, but he isn't at all scared of her and she is very gentle with him.

Annie is a great pyrenees/blue heeler (mom) mix with a chocolate lab (dad).

So I guess it's safe to say that sometimes great things are often unexpected and the best dogs can be mutts that find you instead of you finding them.

2 comments:

mimi and Grampy said...: 2 cute Boys, a handsome Husband, and a Sweet Baby-girl Puppy.....I would say Life is Good!; March 14, 2011 at 1:31 AM
Hilary said...: AWE she looks too sweet! Annie love her name too :) Have fun!!; March 14, 2011 at 12:51 PM

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Brandy Danielle

Brandy is our firstborn, our precious angel baby girl. Her entry into this world wasn't without excitement. At 26 weeks I started preterm labor with contractions 5 minutes apart. With 10 weeks of strict bedrest, most of which were in the hospital, she made it to 36 weeks.
Brandy was diagnosed with "possible/probable" heart defect around 28-30 weeks gestation. After her birth she was whisked away to the NICU for monitoring and after a few days her defect was formally diagnosed and labeled...atrial septal defect and a cleft mitral valve.
Brandy, upon indications of failure to thrive and pulmonary hypertension, underwent her first of 2 open-heart surgeries at 4 months of age. A week after her surgery on the day of her anticipated discharge home Brandy coded for 13 minutes...a stoke.
From that point on Brandy's life was full of doctor's visits, endless crying, pain and suffering. She underwent another heart surgery, fundoplication and g-tube surgery, treatment for infantile spasms, and a mountain of tests and procedures. Her brain damage was extensive.
Upon counseling of our wonderful, most amazing heart surgeon, Dr. Christopher Knott-Craig, and many hours of prayer, we finally called in hospice and called off all of the extensive medical interventions and surgery needs that would prolong her suffering while possibly prolonging her life. Brandy, our precious baby girl...our angel...passed out of our arms and into the arms of her Saviour, Jesus at the tender age of 17 months.

Ryan Andrew

Ryan, our micro-preemie miracle, is a ball of life. After nearly a year of trying to conceive imagine our delight when we finally knew he was on the way. My pregnancy with Ryan was uneventful at first. It seemed perfect and with all of the precautions for preterm labor being taken and monitored we entered this pregnancy with cautious anticipation covered over by a whole love of naive excitement.
At 20 weeks we discovered our "Baby Peanut" was going to be a little boy. We began to make plans and began dreaming about the day we would meet our son.
Almost 2 weeks later everything changed in our lives. It wa a whirlwind of fear and emtions as I began to bleed, was sent for monitoring in L&D and eventually had an appointment with my OB only to find out that it was serious. I had incompetent cervix with hourglassing membranes. The doctor admitted me to the hospital immediately and an emergency cerclage was placed. The statistics were grim, but the hope was to keep our son inside for at least 10 more weeks. We only made it 10 more days.
Early in the evening of February 11, 2007 our son, Ryan, came into this world in emergency fashion at only 23 weeks 5 days gestation. He weighed 1 pound 8 ounces and was 12 ½ inches long. He was so tiny. All I could think of was “oh my goodness is he really that tiny? And is there any way he could actually make it?” I tried to hold on to hope, but in all honesty I had never met anyone with a baby born that early and that small that ever made it.
Ryan did make it! It was a long, hard road, but in the end he spent 90 days in the NICU. He was on a ventilator for 2 months. Finally on one fine glorious day in May we bundled up our 4 pound 4 ounce baby boy and went home...May 11, 2007.
Ryan is now a spunky, lively, strong-willed little boy. His laughter is contagious and his spirit is compelling. He is our miracle. There are no words strong enough to share our delight and joy that God has blessed us with this little boy.

Evan Alexander