Today Mika (pronounced My-kah) found a new family to love her, and went home to live with them. We have had her since she was less than 2 months old and she has been a part of our family for 2 1/2 years. She was Bobby’s dog more than anyone else’s, and she stuck to him like white on rice. The decision to rehome her was a hard one, we have been talking about it for almost 2 years. See, we have another dog, Chloe, who has been with us since she was 6 weeks old. I hand picked her from a litter of 12. I have had Chloe for 3 1/2 years, and she helped me through some really tough times. I got her the week before Bobby went to Iraq and taking care of her and Austin & Christopher is what kept me sane. Well, Chloe is a very needy dog and needs to be the center of attention. I hoped getting Mika would give her a playmate and cause her to be less needy, but in turn it made her MORE needy and poor Mika did not get the attention she deserves.

Well, last week I met the perfect family who were praying for the perfect dog. They came with their children and met Mika and fell in love. They then invited us to their home to see how Mika would react, and then today they came to take her to her home. I am really hoping it works out, because I could not think of a better place for her to be. If it does not work out, we will take her back with open arms.

Austin did not take the re-homing of Mika well. He was fine seeing her go until reality sunk in, then he was in tears. He is such a sensitive child, and I hope he never loses his compassion. Christopher was not phased, he tried to make himself cry, but he could not do it. I think the fact that she is going to such a great home is what is making all of this bearable. When our kitten Jynx died, he had only been in our home for 4 weeks, and Austin cried for days, Chris cried, I cried and Bobby almost cried when he was telling the boys. Chloe seems confused, but I am sure in time this is the best situation for everyone.

Wasn’t she the cutest little puppy?

Jacob is not doing well after his declaw. He has not eaten much of anything since his declaw and he has not pooped since Tuesday. I have even offered gormet soft food in addition to his regular food and he’s turning his nose up at it. He’s also been throwing up a couple times a day. I am calling the vet in the morning, I am really worried about him.

Matthew turned 15 months old yesterday. I can’t believe its already been three months since he turned a year old. Everyone thinks he’s around 11 months because he’s such a small little boy.

So, for milestones… He’s walking, he’s running, he’s dancing, he can climb up and down the steps. He’s constantly talking, we just don’t speak his language. He understands a LOT! When the older boys are in trouble he will yell at them and wag his finger at them… he is also now faking that HE is in trouble and will fake cry and get his nose on the door where we do time outs. He just started giving five on request, and will follow simple instructions like ‘go get me that ball’.

We are still nursing 3-5 times a day, and he can drink from a sippi cup also. We are still using cloth diapers, even though everyone swore we would hate them. I LOVE cloth! He’s still using his sling a lot, and now his Ergo carrier. We have used his stroller 3 times now in his life. He sleeps in his crib, as much as I wanted him to co-sleep, he sleeps 11-13 hours at night before waking, and takes a 2-4 hour nap in the afternoon. I must admit I love good sleepers, I have not had a bad sleeper yet, so I am counting my blessings. People wonder why I would love to have such a large family if I did not have fertility issues, and I think part of it is how great my children are.