Baby Days...

It's so beyond time that I get on this!  It has been over 2 weeks since our latest arrival and I have floated through those two weeks in a blissful baby fog.  J has been home for a good chunk of it, we have been out and about running errands and trying to keep things fun for the older kidlets, sleep has been short, but the love has been long...I'll take it!  So, J returned to work Monday morning and that means I have too.  It was so good to have him home and have all of us together for almost 2 weeks, but getting back into a routine is kinda nice too.  And so far, it's been pretty great...yeah, yeah...I know...it's only been a few days since he returned to work, but I am juggling my responsibilities gracefully...for now.  Everyone was up, dressed and fed by 8:30 Monday morning.  The boys immediately dove into the backyard to enjoy some cooler temperatures.  I started laundry, folded laundry, swept and swiffered the floors, loaded, started and unloaded the dishwasher.  I fed a tiny baby a couple of times and changed some itty bitty diapers a couple of times, broke up a couple fights, cleaned up an accident (thank you, new-sibling-potty-regression) and I still had a few minutes to spare to try to get some blogging in before my momma showed up to lend a hand (obviously not ENOUGH time to blog or this would have been posted Monday).  I'm feeling on top of it...for the moment (have I said that yet??). :)

2 weeks ago this past Tuesday...(imagine a dream-like fade as we reminisce).  July 31st--a day overdue.  I was prepared this time to be in that spot and was feeling as good as one can feel 40 weeks and 1 day pregnant.  My day started very normal...kids up and eating breakfast at the table and I was taking my morning stroll through Facebook posts and pictures and I posted about being a day overdue and that the little womb-hogger had limited time to make himself a July baby.  There was a flurry of replies and remedies to rush a pregnancy along, but it was the glorious midwife, Deidre, with the best suggestion of getting in for an appointment to offer the little man "some encouragement".  I called her late morning and we discussed and agreed that we were both comfortable with checking to see where I was at and hopefully moving things along.  I scheduled an appointment with her at 3 pm to see if we could get things going and went about my day, notifying the troops (my mom, aunt and sister) that they needed to be "on-call" and ready for action.

I arrived for my appointment on time and was checked to find that I was already 3-4 cm, which was great to hear.  After nearly a week of contractions that got me no closer to the end (seemingly), it was nice to find that they had indeed been doing something, even if it wasn't to push a baby out.  Deidre roughed things up a bit, found that his little noggin was turned kinda funny, which was probably the reason he hadn't arrived yet, was able to adjust his little noggin some to make things more favorable for exit and by the time all was said and done, I was then dilated to 5 cm.  Halfway there and not even in labor yet...I like it! :) She lectured me about not waiting too terribly long once labor ensued (as she was very confident would happen...much like the scenario a mere year prior at the end of my pregnancy with Jilly-bean) as most likely things would happen fast given my history.

I headed to my mom's to pick up the kiddos, experienced a few contractions with a little more oomph than I had felt to that point and headed back across town to nestle in at home and wait.  Initially contractions were averaging about 8 minutes apart, though some would be as close as 3 minutes and then the next would be 10 mins...not consistent.  J got home, we threw together a quick, easy meal and I decided to take Stella-dog for a (very hot) quick walk.  As soon as I started down the road (phone in hand, as ordered by my worried husband), my contractions squeezed together coming less than 2 minutes apart.  They were still very tolerable, but having them that close together so quickly made me nervous.  I cut my walk short, put a call in to Deidre and jumped in the shower while awaiting her reply.  Upon climbing out of the shower, contractions were averaging about 3 1/2 minutes apart, but I was still walking and talking through them, so upon conversing with Deidre, we decided that I would notify her when I noticed the tell tale change in intensity.  J began to worry that he would be delivering a baby on the kitchen floor, so he called my mom (Gigi) who would notify my Aunt Nancy (Nana) and sister (Aunt Adie) to come over and wrangle kids in case that scenario came to fruition.  We were able to get the kids to bed fairly uneventfully and a short time later, Gigi and Nana arrived.  I rocked comfortably on my exercise ball in the living room, chatting with them while feeling contractions build. It was now about 8 p.m. and I knew I was inevitably going to be holding a baby at the end of this bout of contractions.  They were growing in intensity and still averaging about 3 1/2 minutes apart.  J and I decided to take an evening walk just down to the end of the block to see what happened.  They quickly closed the gap, coming about every 2 mins again, but more importantly, they became much more serious...I found myself stopping mid-stride to lean into J breathing through and willing the pain away as he reminded me to continue breathing.  We decided not to push our luck and headed back to the house to once again call Deidre.

Deidre arrived about 30 mins after calling her.  I am guessing it was around 9:30 when she arrived and her assistants, Sam and Cynthia arrived shortly thereafter.  I continued to labor, pacing through the living room, using J to lean on during every stifling contraction while they began setting up everything needed for the birth in our bedroom.  After they were done, they moved out to the living room and mingled with Gigi, Nana and Adie while J and I continued to work through the pain in our bedroom.  I was no longer timing contractions, but they continued in relentless waves and I did my best to hold it together.  I think it was my moaning that drew Deidre back into the room and she suggested I sit down in the birth chair they had set up so she could check and see what kind of progress had been made.  In the midst of my misery, I just knew I was still in for the long haul and had hours to go.  Turned out I was 7-8 cm, but dilating to nearly complete with contractions.  I remember saying the only thing I had been able to squeeze out for the last hour or so being something along the lines of, "I JUST WANT HIM OUT OF ME!"  After a couple more contractions and Deidre assisting my cervix a bit, she told me to go ahead and gently bear down a bit if I felt like it...and I did.  I pushed a little during that contraction and then Cynthia suggested that J push the back of the chair forward during my next contraction to help me sit upright more.  As I whimpered with the start of the next contraction, J pushed me forward, his other arm across my chest...I pushed...and then heard Deidre and Cynthia pleading for me to, "slow down, gentle, gentle," as I was vaguely aware of Adie, Nana and Gigi gasping and cheering me on.  J reminded me to breathe, instead I couldn't help but hold my breath and push...I REALLY tried to make it gentle, but despite the orders, his head was out almost immediately and with the next push the rest of him slid out into Deidre's hands and he was immediately placed on my chest.

Declan Lennox slipped into this bright world at 11:22 p.m. on July 31st...7 lbs 9 oz making him my smallest by 2 ounces and 20 1/4 inches making him my longest by 1/4 inch.  And every bit of him perfect!  He immediately started rooting, wanting to nurse and he cried...and CRIED!  The kid screamed for the better part of an hour following his birth.  He finally calmed down at my 2nd attempt to nurse where he finally decided that's what he needed.  After that, he had his first bath, which he loved and then settled in with his new family.  Deidre and crew flew the coop a couple of hours later, my sister followed and Gigi and Nana settled in on a couch and guest bed to field any middle of the night wake-ups by the older siblings.  Of course, all 3 of them began battling a cold in the day or two leading up to the big event, so sleep was unsettled to say the least.  Gokey made it into bed with Gigi very early on and X-man came hacking and coughing up the stairs in the wee hours of the morning during one of my very first nursing sessions with his new little brother.  He sidled up next to the chair I was nursing in, peering through the dark at the bundle in my arms.  I introduced the brothers but X-man didn't seem to be affected by the gravity of the new little being and Nana and Daddy swooped in to offer the poor kid some water and a spoonful of honey to quell the cough.  I overheard him ask J, "is Mom gonna push Declan out now?"  He responded, "she already did...she's holding him right there!" X-man responded with a disappointed, "I missed it???"  Nevertheless, the following morning, Declan and I emerged from our familiar nest to a very exuberant welcome! :)  Even Jilly Bean seemed to be thrilled at the miniature little person we had dropped into her life.  Among the three of them, though, Gokey has been the most enamored with the little guy and it is far from uncommon to hear his pleas to snuggle him numerous times a day.

I thought Jilly's was the perfect birth, but there's no beating such an experience in the comfort of our own home...safe, warm, comfortable and FILLED with love.  THIS was the perfect birth and it brought forth another perfect little being!  Welcome to the world Mr. Declan...can't wait to see what the world has in store for you!!!

ONE??? How Did THAT Happen?

So...I'm behind.  It's a theme these days.  I DO have a good excuse, I think.  I AM 40 weeks pregnant, planned and cleaned and prepped and baked for a FIRST birthday party and suffered through yet another week of pregnancy and teasing contractions and am exhausted...I think that gives me a good reason to slack a bit???  In my defense, I did start this on LAST Saturday (7/21), THE big day but there was just too much going on to finish it.  So...here it is:

What a year it has been!  One year ago today at this time I had contractions that were getting closer and more regular, but I was still in denial that they might actually result in a baby after being a WEEK overdue.  How is it that one week at that time felt like an eternity and this entire past year has disappeared in a flash???  Our little Jilly Bean has GROWN!

Where to start?  Perhaps the beginning is the right place. :)  You came into this world FAST!  Once active labor set in it was a short 2 1/2 hours for you to slide into this world and straight into our hearts.  As we examined you in your first moments of life on the outside we were initially struck by your ravenous appetite.  You came out ready to eat and you have been doing so ever since!  The second thing that struck us as odd was discovered during your first bath.  As the vernix and goo was washed off of your head your hair seemed so light.  After having two very dark-headed newborns preceding you, having a little blonde was not what I had pictured.  That's when our midwife's assistant, Christy, suggested she thought you were going to be a red head...and we laughed.  No laughing now!  We have a true red head on our hands...and an attitude to prove it! :)

A girl and her attendants

You started out SO relaxed and chill and I FINALLY got my champion sleeper after the zombie days of sleeplessness I had with your brothers as babies.  I think that those brothers have doted on and spoiled you so much (and maybe your dad and I have contributed a LITTLE), that you have learned to milk the world for all it's worth.  You have most definitely figured out how to make a little drama work for you...I think you have been paying far too much attention to your brother, Gokey's ploys!  You will contentedly play with the baby monitor, the glass dishes, cooking utensils or the hair dryer and suddenly realize that I am not watching or paying attention and suddenly you are a puddle of tears, pleading after me through the house, "Mamamamamamama....*gasp*...mamamamamama!"  It's very sad and heartwrenching.  If that doesn't work to get a quick snuggle then you will plop your (very padded) hiney on the floor and lean all the way forward until your forehead hits the hardwood with a "THUD" and wail.  THAT I am certain comes from your brother.  You two need to stop commiserating...it's bad for the household duties that need to get done, and clear that I would much rather cuddle with you than accomplish said household duties.

Speaking of brothers...you adore them!  First smiles, giggles and all attention was and still is in the direction of those two idols of yours.  They love to run from one side of the house to the other to escape from the terrible "Jilly-Monster" and you toddle after them squealing with glee, arms waving through the air like a little ginger E.T.  Your biggest brother can often be found lugging you onto the nearest couch or bed for gentle wrestling matches to which you rarely protest and I have, more than once, found a very tearful Gokey when you have chosen to hand out kisses to everyone BUT him.  I think it's safe to say that the adoration is mutual!  Though you may be more hesitant to kiss your smaller big brother (don't blame you...he is definitely the droolier, stickier of the two), he is the one who truly owns your heart and is your biggest entertainer.  You follow him with your gaze wherever he goes hoping to catch his next hilarious antic to which you double over with giggles.  I love the love you three share and hope it continues to the end of time.

You are suddenly in the last few weeks really coming out of your shell and it has been delightful watching your new personality blossom.  You have learned the power of "no" with a shake of your head to EVERYTHING that is asked or said in your general direction.  Are you hungry?  You shake your head and then devour whatever is set in front of  you.  Can I have a kiss?  You shake your head and then lean in with mouth open wide, but only after we beg.  Do you wanna take a bath?  You shake your head and then dash to the bathroom to get your splash on.  I think it's safe to say you may be a little confused on the whole yes/no thing, but am confident you will figure it out.  In the meantime we will just continue to not take you so seriously. You have also become very good at scolding...especially your brothers when they are downstairs and have left you locked behind that nasty gate at the top of the stairs.  You will stand there and rant at them in a slur of undecipherable grunts and shouts, but it is clear that you are definitely in control.  Within that tough little exterior, with your ruby curls, though, is a sweetness that's hard to define.  You began hugging, wrapping around and pressing your little body into whomever's body it is you have decided to trust at the moment at a very young age.  And you possess a smile that lights up a room.  Even Stella-dog seems content to share her bed with you when you plop your little body next to hers, though there's not really room to share.

Stella love!

You have stolen our hearts...not that there was any doubt that you would.  I can't imagine a world without my Jilly-bug.  Your world is about to change, though, as is so very evident by this giant belly that has an expiration date of today (ahem...any time now, kid) and it makes me wince to think how confusing this will all be to you.  I know the Irish temper that accompanies your rouge locks will carry you through and perhaps I should be more concerned about how I will fare. :)  As your brothers have embraced their little sister, I know you will find the same love for a new baby brother...and I can't wait to see it unfold.  Happy (Belated) Birthday, Little Girl!

You'll freak when you see it! LOL

GIVE IT TO ME NOW!!!

She was NOT disappointed

The Aftermath

Clean-up in the sink

Little Man Growing...

The BIG 3! Amazing how quickly it all goes by and how breathless it leaves me every time one of these milestones comes and goes.  My littlest man (until July/August) turned three on Cinco de Mayo!  I try to do a Birthday Blog on the actual day, but this one was packed full of festivities and I didn't have time to even glance at the computer. So, Mr. Gokey...here it goes... :)

It seems that a year has shown that you have followed in your big brother's footsteps in at least one area...you have a mind like a steel trap.  Just like the marshmallow gun that X-man begged for in the 8 months leading up to his birthday, you made a request months ago for a Batman cake and Batman car and toy for your birthday.  This was terribly odd because I'm not sure you have ever even seen anything batman and I honestly thought your tastes would change and other requests would replace it.  I was so very wrong and I had to do my Batman research to make your day perfect as the day drew near.  I think you are satisfied with the outcome! :)



You are still a small little guy, but what you lack in stature, you make up for in heart.  Your bottomless brown eyes still swallow me up and your Dad and I constantly giggle and comment on how absolutely adorable you are on a daily basis.  You put an extreme amount of emotion into everything you do.  I love (and so do your beloved extended family members) the random "I love you's" that escape your lips for no reason than to fill the space between us.  You are quick to dole out hugs and long snuggles on the couch and you insist on holding my hand wherever we may go.  You recently nuzzled into me and muttered, "Mom...you're a squeezy mom." If anyone else had said that I would have been appalled, but I couldn't help but adore the sentiment. Your facial expressions are limitless and we, as your parents, are not the only ones to notice. It seems you can contort your little mug to fit whatever feeling you are exuding at the moment and I would love to be able to capture each of them because they easily give me a glimpse into your little head.

The Many Faces of Gokey

You have done a lot of growing this year.  You are a rockstar on your little bike and love to show off your "wheelies" and can still dance the pants off of your Dad.  You are now self-sufficient in the restroom and reached that big milestone very suddenly after numerous attempts over months by announcing at lunch one day that you had to go potty.  You never looked back! I never get tired of listening to you and your brother pretending your days away when you don't know I am listening.  I especially love that you haven't grown up enough to keep your Batman figure from saying "I love you" to his fellow hero toys and that they always respond with the same affection.  We also can't forget that you became a BIG brother this year for the first time and have excelled in all aspects.  You are so attentive to your little sister and love to make her smile and laugh.  You have also embraced this new pregnancy to the full extent.  There is nothing that makes you happier than to find a bare piece of baby-filled belly to blow raspberries on with the hopes that you will get a return kick from within.  I think you kinda like being big brother for once, but the role of little brother is still pretty cool too. :)
















Though you seem to have grown in all other areas of your little life, you are still the biggest mess that I have ever met!  You gladly and happily use a fork or spoon...with one hand.  Your other hand is generally firmly planted in whatever you are dishing into your mouth and all of it slides down your chin and into your lap as you attempt to slurp it up.  This is why the area around your seat is more valuable space than around your baby sister's, who intentionally chucks food to the dogs! :) I, and your future girlfriends, are hoping that you grow out of this stage soon!  I think, however, that this may be one of the big reasons that you and Stella-dog have such a tight bond...she knows she will never go hungry as long as she has you!

Maybe there's a piece of me that still treasures the mess that you are because it's not quite so grown up.  You will be starting your first year of preschool in 4 short months and you are desperately excited to do so.  You often wear your backpack when we drop X-man off at school and then you linger in the doorway hoping you just might be able to stay that day.  I am so excited for your first day of school, but once again so very torn.  You are my loveable, snuggleable, huggable, kissable little dude...I know the day that you push me away is just around the corner.  I promise to do my best to hold on as tight as I can until you do!





















Happy Birthday, Gokey...thank you for 3 wonderful years!!!!

Love - Momma

IT'S A...

Do you really wanna know???  If you have talked to me in the last 10ish weeks, you have most likely heard me say something along the lines of, "I would be willing to bet this house that I am having another girl."  I was horribly, awfully, miserably sick from 6 weeks until the bitter end with both of my boys.  My pregnancy with Jilly Bean was drastically different.  Still sick, but SO so so much much better...dare I say, tolerable?  :)  This one has been very similar to the last.  Sickly for the first 10-12 weeks, but then very much back on track and feeling well.

We had our big sonogram today and took X-man with us for the occasion.  He is so intrigued with the whole process and has 4 million questions, so we thought he would really like to see his baby sibling on the big screen.  He was very attentive and J spent the whole time being the technician's "Vanna White," pointing to and explaining everything that we were seeing on the big screen.  Our technician even asked if he could stay the rest of the day to explain it all to her following patients. :)  He would tell X-man, "see, there's HER little arm," or, "look, there's her heart beating."  The tech finally got to the end of the process after checking out all of the vitals and said, "uh, Dad...that's no girl!"  It is true...we are having BOY #3!!!!  So absolutely shocked because I was so convinced that this was another girl!  I am stoked, however, that I am not miserable and heaving into the toilet at this very moment as history would suggest I should be.  J was so shocked that he asked her to go back and get a second look at the "evidence" to make sure it was correct...there's really no mistaking it, though. :)

So...Jilly will be a very spoiled, heavily protected little girl and we are so so so excited to be welcoming our 4th baby and 3rd little boy into this beautiful world!  Yay for boys...and thank God for perfect, tiny blessings!

SNOW DAY...Kinda

At least as much of a snow day as we have seen at all this season.  Gokey just got over a bout of "the crud" and X-man is now fighting it, but this is the first snow they have seen this winter.  How could I deny them the fun that comes along with it?  So...let the Mother of the Year nominations roll in!  I bundled up those little bodies...coughing, snotty noses and maybe even a bit of a fever included and sent them out into the elements.  It only lasted 10 minutes max for the boys and Jilly Bean was far from impressed with her first introduction to the cold, white stuff, so her visit lasted about 45 seconds. :)

 

 


What better way to warm back up???  Hot chocolate, of course!  We made the best of it and now it's naptime for all!  Happy winter, everyone!

Fabulous Four

As I sit here listening to my baby, Jilly Bean babble and coo as she sits on the floor playing with her toys, I find myself still in disbelief that I will have another infant in the house in the next 6 months!  Yep...you read that right!  I am pregnant...again! :)

OMGosh!!!

Before you feel the need to comment, yes, I do know how this happens and no, I don't know if this is our last one.  I made the mistake of feeling the completeness of my little family when Jilly was born and look what happened!  Ha...we are less powerful than we think we are.  It's true that I was very shocked and bewildered when I found out, but as the pregnancy has progressed and I spend another morning visiting my porcelain friend (believe me, we are tight after 4 pregnancies), I find myself more attached and more filled with hope and happiness at the thought of our growing family of 6.  This addition is bringing rearrangements within our little house.  Our big boys will have to move into the basement "guest" room and our new little bundle will have to move into their old room.  J has put off his plans to get his pilot's license for now so that he can be around and help out with my less than easy, breezy pregnancy.  And, let's not forget little Jilly Bean...

I find myself wishing the next 6 months away.  My due date is July 30th...a mere 9 days after Jilly's first birthday.  By wishing that time away, however, I am wishing a farewell to Jilly Bean's infancy...a time so precious and fleeting.  We all know that the emotional state of a pregnant woman is lacking in stability and this has definitely caused more than one tearful episode.  She has had to deal with a lot of changes already due to the future sibling growing in the only home she knew 6 short months ago.  She is the most relaxed, glowing baby I have ever known though and has adjusted beautifully.  Coincidence?  I think not... :)

Can't wait to welcome our little "Squirt" to the world...is it July yet??? :)

Hand Me That Soapbox, Please...

Ok...this rant of sorts has been spurred from this article and has nothing to do with my first love...my family, but with my 2nd love...animals.  Since reading this account I have stewed over it because it irritates me so badly.  The gist of the story is this: woman takes 1 year old dog to the humane society to relinquish it. Woman discloses that said dog is destructive (severely so...tearing up walls, carpet, etc.) when left alone.  Humane society discloses that this dog is likely not an adoption candidate and will most likely be euthanized and said woman signs paperwork to relinquish the dog.  Upon returning to her car and rethinking the deed, she has a change of heart and returns, only to find that the dog has already been euthanized.  And people are pissed at the humane society!

Let me give you a different scenario...this happens to be a true story.  I worked at a very large, privately funded, open admission "kill" shelter (the phrase irks me, but I will use it in this context).  This means that this shelter will take ANY animal that walks through the door, whether it be the cute, fuzzy, snuggly puppy that everyone wants or the 12 year old, disease-ridden tom cat with half a tail and one working eye that nobody wants, and everything in between.  Naturally, not every animal will be adopted, nor should they be.  Face it people...some of these animals are not adoptable.  On one of these "ordinary" days I was nearing the end of my shift as a vet tech and working in an area known as Return for Treatment (RFT).  It was a service provided by the shelter where people could make appointments following adoption for any medical problems (shelter-related) that may arise in the weeks following adoption.  I was just about to lock the door when I saw a man walking up with a large german shepherd.  I immediately recognized the dog because I had examined him several days prior.  He was memorable because he was such a great dog.  Shepherds tend to be on the anxious, less stable side and this dog had had such a calm, delightful demeanor.  The 5 year old purebred shepherd was confident, but affectionate and when I tested a few commands on him he enthusiastically obliged.  He knew his stuff and he was an easy dog to work with.  I couldn't fathom why anyone had given him up and I don't recall now what the reason on his form was, but it was one of the more common one answer reasons..."moving" or "allergies" or something along those lines.  He was a perfect adoption candidate and I kenneled him and initialed my approval for his adoption.

I was surprised to see him returning and my first thought was that he must have come down with kennel cough, common in shelters.  I held the door open for him and returned to my spot behind the desk and asked how I could help.  He choked back tears and my heart started breaking.  He and his wife were probably in their 50's.  They had put their names on the purebred list looking for a german shepherd specifically and when they received the call that there was a 5 year old male at the shelter they immediately drove down to meet him.  It was love at first sight and they adopted him that afternoon.  They were retired, so they had plenty of time to work with him, but he recounted that there was no work to be done!  He never had an accident, he went to the door and softly whined every time he had to go without fail.  He only barked when someone was approaching the door and then stopped.  He didn't jump up on people, he was calm and obeyed every command given.  He even walked perfectly on leash.  The 2nd day they had him they had a dinner planned and their grandkids were coming over.  They were nervous waiting for everyone to arrive...this would be a big test.  Shepherds don't always have the greatest track record with kids. Much to their surprise, however, when the kids arrived, he happily greeted them with soft licks to their cheeks and that was it.  He happily played with them all evening and they continued to fall in love.  Then the 3rd day came.  They had tickets to a baseball game and would be leaving their beloved beast for the first time, but it would be only for a few hours.  They had no qualms about leaving him after 2 perfect days observing such a collected dog.

After a beautiful day at a spring baseball game they began their drive home and received a phone call from their neighbor.  He was just calling to tell them that he had seen their new dog running in the neighborhood and had him in their back yard to be retrieved whenever they got home.  How could that be?  They left him securely in their house.  They returned home and walked in to find not a home, but a disaster area.  Every window treatment had been torn down, furniture had been demolished.  Walls and doors had been clawed and scratched at desperately, leaving blood behind as he looked for a way to escape.  They even found water running in the bathroom sink at full blast.  Still they couldn't figure out how he had gotten out.  They searched the house in tears trying to figure out what had gone on and finally the wife went upstairs and discovered the broken window.  In his terror and desperation at being left and in a last attempt at finding and joining his new beloved clan he jumped through a second story window.  He survived it...unscathed, but his new owners hadn't.  They had fallen in love and discovered that the dog that had gripped their heart from the moment they saw him had a horrible secret.  He was terrified of being alone to the point that he would gladly harm himself to cure his loneliness.  You can't stick a dog lake this in a crate...they will chew through it eventually, leaving teeth and claws behind as needed to escape their "prison".  It's questionable whether a case such as this is even rehabilitatable in the best of situations...who is willing to take something like this on and is it fair for the poor animal?  By the time the story had been relayed to me the man was sobbing and gripping the dog around his beautiful neck as he said his goodbyes.  I apologized to the man for their terrible experience and he quickly and very graciously thanked our organization for all that we did day in and day out and found no fault in us...if only his previous owner had been as honest about his history as the woman in the link above.  I walked away with the regal dog on the end of a slack leash and placed him in a kennel...he had given us no signs when in the shelter.  He seemed perfectly well-adjusted.  A few calls to some rescues and the same number of "no's" later, his fate was confirmed and he was peacefully euthanized...not killed...euthanized.  I was able to hold it together through the whole experience, but sat in my car on the phone with my now husband and sobbed about it.  I could feel their hearts breaking and I hurt for the terror that that poor dog experienced as well.  Someone tell me it's fair to prolong that kind of fear!

There are people who will argue that a dog should be placed in a foster home to see if rehab is possible.  Foster homes are few and far between...the fact is that there are more animals that need foster homes than there are foster homes available.  Just as there are more animals that need permanent homes than there are permanent homes available.  To add to the complication, foster homes are purely made up of volunteers.  What kind of volunteers open their homes up to homeless animals?  People who have a very sensitive heart for animals.  If there is probability that an animal is not going to end up adoptable or rescue-able how can a shelter place that animal in a foster home only to tell them, "oh well, we gave it our best shot?"  Shelters have a responsibility to take care of their volunteers as much as they do the animals in their charge.

I have probably had my soapbox long enough, but the truth that I want to be extremely evident in this post is that these shelters are not horrible places that are just looking for a reason to "kill" an animal.  People agonize over these decisions...decisions that are made HUNDREDS of times every day.  These are not taken lightly and the people who work in these places are on the same side as every other animal lover out there.  The one year old lab in the first story linked here was not euthanized out of spite for the woman who left her behind...they were simply trying to do the kindest thing for the pup.  Shelters are not doggie spas.  No dog wants to be left there...it's stressful, scary, loud and cold...and VERY far from home.  This is becoming very cliche, but the only cure for these situations is to SPAY and NEUTER your pets.  I hope one person can read this and suddenly realize what shelters are up against...it's a sad place staffed by wonderful people.