We gave our dog Valium & other weekend tid bits

I'm not into prescription drugs, or any drugs for that matter, but we have a hyperactive dog who gets VERY anxious in cars and spins in circles in the trunk. That, plus we have an 8+ hour car trip to the Outer Banks ahead of us. I was shocked at how quickly our vet handed us a bottle of Valium for Indy. The words "long car ride..." had barely come out of my mouth and I had pills in my hand. You'd think they would have something specially made for dogs. Nope. Regular old human Valium!

Our vet suggested we test it out once before our vacation to see how many pills Indy would need to be calm for the entire car ride. He's a 90 lb dog, after all.

We want Indy to be less like this... (they're playing, I swear)

And more like this.

Over the weekend, I was gone both Saturday & Sunday from 8am-2pm refereeing at a girls' lacrosse tournament in the area, so that means Tim was on Daddy Duty alone. What better time to drug your dog, am I right? Tim gave him 1 Valium and he was perfectly calm for about 2 hours. Clearly he'll require a higher dose for our trek to OBX. At least we know. Now, if you could only drug a baby...

KIDDING. So just kidding. We're hoping Flynn's new comfy convertible car seat + lots of radio tunes chills him out. He usually sleeps in the car, but we've never driven more than an hour away. Should be interesting. 

If anyone has tips for car travel with a baby & a dog, do tell!

P.S. - The heat did not kill me. PHEW. I want to thank bananas, trail mix & lemon water for keeping me energized & hydrated all weekend.

Over the Weekend...

Some highlights from the weekend, which mainly consisted of doing things around the house, errands & trying to stay cool without A/C. 

We have A/C... I'm just very stubborn about using it :-)

["Sleeping" in on Saturday morning]

[One hundred apples + one thousand hours in the crock pot = homemade apple butter]

[Mastering the art of sitting]

[Indy climbing on the couch like a cat]

[Flynn's toys, officially relocated to the living room for easy access]

Now on to another work week (with Wednesday off, thank goodness).

Least Productive Weekend Ever (For Me)

My lengthy to-do list got very little crossed off of it this weekend. What happened to my nesting momentum? I feel like all I did this weekend was clean up dog hair and do laundry. However, in trying to stay positive, here is what I DID accomplish...

- Finished writing out all of my thank you notes for baby showers.
- Made a delicious new meatloaf recipe & made an extra loaf to freeze for after the baby arrives (Mozzarella Stuffed Italian Meatloaf... amazing).
- Survived the wacky October snowstorm. (4-5 inches and we haven't had snow before Halloween since the 1950's!)

In the beginning...

After an hour or so...

My mums were very confused.

Getting 2 all-wheel drive vehicles was an excellent choice.

It's official. Indy loves snow!



- 3 loads of laundry.

- Vacuumed, swiffered, dusted & cleaned the bathroom.

- Took Indy to the groomers for the first time where they made him look & smell pretty (he even got a cute little Halloween bow... awwh). I'm not sure who the groomers spoiled more... me or the dog. He'll definitely be going back next month!

Daddy is not pleased with our manly dog wearing a ghost bow.

Indy got an excellent "Pawgress" Report from Pet Smart.

- Did not go into labor during the snow storm (Tim was very appreciative of this).

- Bought a new pair of wedges that actually fit. Your feet really DO get bigger from pregnancy. I went from a 7.5 to an 8 and my current pairs of flats are sooo tight.
- Attempted to make a fabric flower and it was disastrous. I don't even want to show you. It looks terrible.

Annnd there you have it. Seems like I did a good amount, but most of these things weren't on my actual to-do list. I'm simply reiterating them to make myself feel better. And I kind of do! Mission accomplished. Hopefully I have another baby-free weekend in my future to git 'er done.

On Tap for the Weekend

The big news story in the northeast is that we're getting SNOW this weekend.

Lots of it.

Before Halloween.

Everyone's in a frenzy!

We are right on the border of the 3-5" zone and the 6-12" zone (just outside of Philadelphia).

I think it's hilarious to watch everyone overreact about weather. We've had a crazy string of events this year: a hurricane, an earthquake, and now snow in October. Being the control freak that I am, you'd think I'd be panicking, too, but I just can't get annoyed about weather. It's weather. We can't control it, so why bother getting upset?

Tim is working on Saturday, which I hate and love at the same time. It's extra moola... but it also leaves me stuck at home by myself all day. Whomp whomp.

My goal is to tire out Indy in the morning. I will take him for a walk in the rain/snow/mix if I have to! Then I need to do some cleaning and start/finish the projects lined up on my sewing table.

1) The placemat clutch is 90% done, but just needs a fabric flower to cover up the magnetic snap closure.

2) I have all the materials for our Christmas stockings, I just need to get started.

3) I have the supplies to make a few Christmas presents (which must remain a secret)... really would like to knock those out before baby.

4) The pillowcase hamper for the baby's room just needs to be assembled.

5) And as if I weren't busy enough with all of the above, I keep seeing cute projects and adding them to my neverending list:

- Recreating this baby mobile

- Jersey knit bracelets

- Making a sisal rope bowl

On Sunday, this furry guy is going to his first doggie grooming appointment at Pet Smart! Giving him a bath inside has become so tedious due to his black hair, our bathroom's white tile and the fact that I can barely bend over right now. $30 for a shampoo, brushing, nail clipping & ear cleaning... this might spoil us.

We'll try to squeeze in dinner out sometime this weekend as well.

Who knows how many more baby-free weekends are in our future!

Another set of XY chromosomes will soon be added to our family. I might have to start embracing girly colors like pink & purple to break up the sea of gray, black, brown & blue I'm swimming in.

Pregnant on Halloween

Halloween is really a let down when you're knocked up. Every other female is dressed as a sexy insert noun here (pirate, cat, police officer, french maid). So you have two options: completely bare your stomach or completely cover it up. I have no artistic ability so painting my stomach was out. It's freezing cold here. And I didn't feel like spending money on a maternity costume (yes, they exist).

So I went with the second option and donned a giant Mexican poncho. FAIL. Instead of looking pregnant, I just looked fat. Let's just say there was a lot of unnecessary belly rubbing to show people that hey, there's a baby in here, I didn't just let myself go.

Tim basically wore his same clothes and pulled off being a lumberjack quite well! The suspenders are my dads and the rabbit-fur lined hat was his Valentine's Day gift last year from some awesome lady he's married to. (I got a bamboo cutting board from Crate & Barrel. Way better than flowers!)

Will I break out the fishnets & corset next year? Probably not. I'll be too busy making a costume for Baby A and people will forgive me for not dressing up because he'll look so adorable. Or maybe the Mexican poncho will make another appearance. It would work pretty well as a nursing cover...

Weekend Wrap-up

Taking the day off on Friday was heavenly. Indy was scheduled to be neutered, so I dropped him off at our vet's office around 9am (I was a little emotional leaving my baby there... is that weird?) I got home & the house was completely silent... ahhh... peace. Did I take this opportunity to relax? Of course not. Like any pregnant, nesting woman I cleaned the crap out of that house! The crevice tool on my vacuum cleaner got an extensive work out. I even vacuumed the couch cushions & throw pillows and did a couple loads of laundry.

Around noon, I realized I hadn't eaten anything yet. Must have been running on pure cleaning adrenaline. So I made myself a grilled cheese sandwich with some carrots & hummus and sat down at the kitchen table to do some vaccine reading. We had just met with a pediatrician (and loved him) a few days earlier, so I wanted to thoroughly research the 3 immunizations he strongly recommends. I won't go too far into that because it's a very touchy subject. But I will say this... we're not following the CDC's guidlines. 'Cause we're rebels like that.

I called the vet after lunch and was surprised to hear that Indy was already out of surgery, awake and had been out on a walk & fed. So much for getting anything else done... but I kinda missed my pupsters and was excited to pick him up.

This was Indy for a few minutes on the ride home. And then he was up & sticking his head out the window for the rest of the drive like nothing even happened. Seriously, dogs (especially puppies) are resilient. Stitches on my privates? What stitches?

We went to our favorite breakfast place on Saturday morning, Penn's Table, and got a table outside since we brought Indy (they love pets). It was 65 degrees, sunny and the briskness felt fab. It's sweater weather!

On Saturday afternoon, Tim got to work assembling strollers and installing car seat bases. Indy helped.

Sunday marked Indy's 6 month old birthday. We are at times completely aggravated by this dog, but just love him to pieces.

This week, I'm entering week 35 of pregnancy.

Maternity leggings are officially my favorite pants to wear.

On Sunday, we watched the Eagles lose at my brother's house (but got to see 4 of our adorable nieces, so that's an automatic win!) Back at home, we flipped on the Phillies and I'm the only one who could stay awake. But I'm glad I did because I got to see this. Adorable.

Everyone loves a puppy

And when I say everyone, I mean ev-er-y-on-e.

We look Indy to the farmer's market on Saturday and he was literally SWARMED with people. Some of them were respectful and just asked how old he was, what his name was, if they could pet him, etc. Then, one lady picked him up without asking and jokingly (I think) told us she was going to steal him. Another idiot let her dog jump on top of him. Thanks, lady. Maybe keep one hand on your leash in crowded, public areas.

[our baby]

It was kind of funny to hear random people say "oh looooook" and "awwwwwh" as we walked down the street. I won't lie... it made me feel pretty proud to have such a cute little pup at my side. Good experience for Indy, too, since you're supposed to expose them to public places with other adults, dogs & kids as soon as possible to build up their confidence. But note to self, if you're ever in a rush, don't bring a puppy with you! It took us twice as long to do a simple errand because of our new family member, and he was so pooped afterwards that Tim ended up carrying him back to the car.

[pooped!]

Indy's slowly getting a hang of the peeing outside thing. He actually goes to the back door now and waits for us to hook him up to his leash to take him out. Before he would pee on the way to the door, or right at it - very frustrating. But, for 9 weeks old, I'd say he's doing pretty well! He hasn't destroyed anything (except maybe our sleep habits) and even did great at the vet. Gained a whopping 5 lbs in one week! I have a feeling we're going to have a huge dog before we know it. Gotta keep taking pictures & videos while he's still got that little puppy potbelly and soft fur.

[sitting still... a rarity!]

New likes: going on walks, watching bunny rabbits, playing tug-of-war with a towel, getting treats for going potty outside, watching cars go by in the front yard (on his leash), classical music

New dislikes: the evil vacuum cleaner, baby gates, not being able to jump on the couch (it's still too high), waiting to be fed, when we ignore him (which rarely happens!)

[my boys!]

Introducing... INDY!

Hi, I'm Indy, Meg and Tim's new puppy!

Can I lick your face? No? Okay... maybe later.

Here is some info about me.

Name: Indy (short for Indiana Jones)

Breed: Labrador Retriever, black, male

Born on: April 2, 2011

Adopted on: May 28, 2011

Hometown: Newmanstown, PA with the Eberly Family

Parents: Sir Nittany (chocolate lab) & Lady Alexia (black lab)

Favorite Toy: Squeaky limp raccoon

I love to: chew on anything, play with Daddy, tackle small children, nap on tile floors, eat grass, wrestle with my stuffed duck, be around people 24/7, lick ice cubes, get belly rubs

I hate: my crate, being told "No", being home alone, hot weather (I am wearing a black fur coat all the time, after all), my collar & leash

Now can I lick your face?

<3 Indy

P.S. I have my own theme song. Top that!

Weekend To-Do List

I have a bad habit of creating overly ambitious weekend to-do lists.

2 days, Meg, it's only 2 days.

I feel like if I'm at home, I need to be doing things constantly, so I overbook.

Good thing I'm not an airline.

1. Get boxes & pack at least 10 of them. My brain cannot comprehend the fact that we're moving in 2 weeks.

2. Make homemade coffee ice cream.

3. Referee 2 lacrosse games on Saturday & go running at least once. The games are 2nd and 3rd/4th grade... which means I'll get little to no exercise. I basically get to watch a cluster of 8 girls go after a ground ball for the entire game. (Hey, I was them once!)

4. Sunday night: family dinner! Make roasted potatoes.

5. Clean the bathroom and the shower. My most loathsome task! I'll probably put this off until next weekend. I won't lie about it.

6. Take box of books-to-donate to the 2nd hand bookstore on Church Street. See if they'll give me store credit. Cha-ching!

7. Pick out outfit for Sheri & Matt's wedding on April 23rd. I'm thinking the short black dress with ruffles down the front from Ruche. But what shoes...

8. List external hard drive on eBay & look for a new one formatted for PC.

9. Scour Craiglist for furniture deals. $675 for old plaid couches is NOT a deal. I'm not sure what these people are smoking that makes them believe their old crap is worth that much money. THIS is what I'm talking about.

10. Get outside as much as possible & soak up some sweet sweet Vitamin D!

[I miss squinting]

 

Hope you all have a productive weekend!

We took a hike

Does anyone remember those cheesy public service accouncements on TV that tried to encourage teens to do something other than play video games?

Some hip actor would yell at you through the TV, "GO OUTSIDE & DO SOMETHING!"

Well, on Sunday, we did just that! We went outside and did something.

That something happened to be taking a 4+ mile hike on this awesome new trail through the woods. It was 10 minutes from our apartment and we didn't even know it existed until just recently. I guess advertising is not in the Parks Department budget.

The trail was probably a huge victory for our town's version of Leslie Knope.

We got suited up in our fancy hikin' shoes & even packed a little backpack of water and snacks. I mean, who knows when you're going to get lost in the woods, right?

We were definitely sore the next day. And I even got a blister.
Hardcore.

The first and best cheesecake I've ever made

Let's get one thing straight. I hate baking.

It's messy, time-consuming and by the time I'm done and the 3 bowls, 4 spoons, measuring cups and spoons, mixer attachments are washed & the counter is wiped clean, I don't even want what I just made anymore.

I much prefer the carefree-ness of cooking to the preciseness of baking.

However, my hankering for cheesecake over the weekend pushed my dislike of baking aside and I went to work.

Step 1: Find an amazing recipe.

Step 2: Survey pantry & acquire missing ingredients. Plus a 9" non-stick springform pan. (Thanks, Devon & Paul!)

Step 3: Throw on a sweatshirt over my pajama shirt (it's 4pm...) and head to the grocery store.

Step 4: Pick up random things that are not on the list.

Step 5: Drag grocery bags 2 blocks to apartment because there were no close parking spaces.

Step 6: Unload groceries & haul out baking equipment.

Step 7: Follow recipe to a T and then...

Step 8: Have a minor meltdown when I read the last line of the recipe: chill in refrigerator overnight. Son of a bee sting!

[The aftermath]

Step 9: Eat cereal and a pint of blueberries for dinner since husband is out at the bar watching the Phillies game and I don't feel like cooking.

Step 10: Watch the rest of Season 1 of Dexter (amazing!) and go to sleep dreaming about eating an entire 9" cheesecake on Sunday.

[Drop in strawberry sauce]

[Get your swirl on]

[Bake & chill for an ungodly amount of time. Top with extra strawberry sauce & savor. Try not to make any weird, semi-sexual noises. Oh, you'll want to!]

The results? So worth the time & mess. Better than any cheesecake I've had at a restaurant. Yes, that includes Cheesecake Factory. In your face!

Uh, is work over yet? I really need another piece.