Foster Cat Rudy

I haven't fostered any cats for awhile. My last foster was over the summer, and into the fall, and her name was Bear. She was very fearful and it took a really long time for her to be comfortable. I had her almost 4 months and I'm happy to say she ended up going to a wonderful home.

My most recent foster was named Spaz, and he was another fearful guy. The shelter manager always ends up giving me black cats, and now it's a joke because pretty much every black cat that comes in that needs a foster, I think she pretty much just picks me :)

Spaz was a small guy of only 6 months and he was a hisser. He would hiss out of fear, and was never aggressive. But, he really loved "rough" (strong) petting up around his head, neck and ears. And no joke, the first time I got him to purr, I shed a tear. He was with me for about a week when I wrote a bio for him that we put up on the website:


Meet RUDY! Rudy is a 6 month old guy who is quite shy. Don't be deterred by the nervous hiss he may give you at first, as he is incredibly loving and sweet. While not a lap cat, once he is comfortable with you he enjoys hard scratches and petting up around his head and ears, and he'll eat treats right out of your hand! He has the deepest purr and will lean in for more while kneading his paws into the ground, and when he really trusts you, he'll give you that oh so rewarding head boop (a sign of love in the cat community!). He let's you know when he's had enough by scooting away to a quiet corner. Rudy would do well in a quiet home and would be fine with other cats and calm dogs as long as he is given time to adjust. He'll do fine with older, quiet kids who will go slow around him and let him get comfortable. Rudy is in a foster home getting some extra lovin' and getting acclimated to family life. Email us at info@lowellhumanesociety.org if you'd like to schedule a time to meet this fella at the shelter (and take him home!)

Also, the shelter manager was kind enough to let me rename him (let's be honest, Spaz is a pretty crummy name!). Rudy is the name I have picked out if we ever find a male Boston Terrier to add to our family.

Well, a few days after the bio was posted the shelter got a call that someone wanted to meet him! I brought Rudy to the shelter and talked with the girl who was interested. It was going to be her first pet so she had a lot of general questions, and I helped her as best as I could. I explained how I would sit and talk to him in a quiet voice and explained about his hiss, that it was fear based and not aggression based. She told me she is a rape counselor so she knew a lot about talking softly and giving someone (in this case an animal) time. I thought it was a really good fit and then she told me that what drew her to Rudy was the bio on the website! I have to be honest, it felt so good to know that what I wrote was what made her to decide to call.

I'm happy to report that Rudy (who she will probably rename Freud, but that's ok, it's still better than Spaz) was adopted and is now living the good life in his forever home :)

xoxo

Oh Sweet Nicholas

You are growing so fast, and I'm lucky enough to be home with you and get to see how much you are learning each and every day.

Here are some of my favorite things over the past few months.

One of his new favorites is "I want a kiss" or "one more hug." He will take and give 45,000 kisses and hugs if you will let him, and I love it. He loves to laugh, dance, and be goofy. He's very cuddly with me and is getting more cuddly with Nick. He likes to kiss Nick on the nose, but only Nick, not me.

He had some pretty chapped lips a few weeks ago, and now, even though they're better, he constantly asks for his "lippy stuff." Just like when he had a runny nose he'd ask for a tissue, and now that it's all better, he still asks for it.

He'll go weeks sleeping through the night without a problem, and then spend a week waking up 2-3 times. I always take him out of the crib and cuddle with him for a few minutes, and that's all he needs to go back to bed. He leans up from laying on me, with his eyes closed, hair disheveled, a little drool, and says "I go in my crib now." And I tuck him back in and he is content (and so am I).

When we get ready for bed, or for a nap, he INSISTS that "Dexter come too." He's still learning to be gentle with Dexter, and Dexter is a saint. I know that Nicholas really really loves him and wouldn't understand if Dexter wasn't always around.

Another silly thing he says all the time when I ask "Do you want to do (such and such)? He goes: "Ooh yeah that's a good idea yup!" Along with "I'm so funny" or "I don't know!", those are just a few of my favorite sayings.

I know these may seem like little things, but I know one day I will miss them dearly.

Love my boy.

xoxo

Family Christmas Visits

I haven't had time to blog much lately, and forgot to write about when my Mom & Dad and Erik & Joe came to visit after Christmas. We had a really great and relaxing time with everyone, and Nicholas got some really wonderful gifts (as did Nick and I). Here are some pictures from the visits.

Happy 1st Birthday Alice!

Yesterday we celebrated Dan and Kingsley's daughter Alice's first birthday. It was nice and low key with just immediate family. Always good to get to relax and just breathe.

Christmas 2014

We had a really great and relaxing Christmas this year. We went to Nick's parents house on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Minimal fighting, lots of laughs, lots of eating, and lots of wonderful gifts. It's nice to not have to jump from house to house like many of our friends do. Although I missed my family, it was a bit much to go home this year so I'm excited that my brother and Joe will be coming this weekend and the rest of my family is going to try and visit at some point in January.

Christmas Eve morning Nick stayed with Nicholas so I could go to Lowell Humane Society for a few hours and spend some time with the dogs. I'm so thankful that Nick supports me and gave me the time to do that because it really is the most rewarding experience. Here's a few pics from the rainy morning:

Bennett was ADOPTED TODAY! I couldn't be happier, he is the coolest dude.

These adorable guys are Alfredo, Chulo, and Saint - all are looking for their forever home.

Nicholas still doesn't "get" Santa Claus, but we put out milk and cookies and carrots and spread "reindeer food" on the front porch, it was a cute little craft that Nicholas made in day care and he really liked doing that. I ran out of time so we didn't get to bake the cookies, we just left out good old Oreos- who doesn't love those? I certainly did when I played Santa Claus and ate them.

Christmas morning I video'd Nicholas and he was excited to see everything under the tree. We don't buy him a lot, and no real "big" toys, but he loved his big fire truck and his dinosaur backpack the best (I knew he would). I bought him lots of arts and craft supplies, little trucks, bath toys, books, etc. He's a happy boy:)

Nick's parents were incredibly generous as always but did a GREAT job of buying no toys. He got wonderful clothes, a Cars blanket, Mickey's A Christmas Carol (which I looked everywhere for), and some other wonderful things. He also got awesome gifts from his Aunt's and Uncle's. He's one lucky little dude.

Here are some pictures of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. More to follow once we see Erik and Joe this weekend.

Pretty awesome family picture- thanks Auntie! This was taken on Christmas Eve. Dexter gets overstimulated and even more excited than normal with so many people around, so we let him have a quiet Christmas at home by himself (he also got fed too many crackers and threw up a bunch when we got home- our boy has the most sensitive stomach)!

Dan and Kingsley being all cute

Aaron & Morgan, so glad we got to see him on Christmas Eve and they got Nicholas the coolest Patriots outfit!

Nicholas and Teddy, up to no good.

Let me tell you about Dexter's awesome bow tie- I "met" a girl named Nicole through Instagram. She has two adorable Boston Terrier's named Lucille Marie & Kumba. I've met quite a few Boston Terrier lovers through Instagram and last year there was a pay it forward message going around, where if a person commented on your image related to this, at some point in the next year you would randomly send them something, whether it be a card, a picture, etc. I sent Nicole a gift earlier this year and she reciprocated with a beyond thoughtful and wonderful package- that dapper bow tie, their beautiful family Christmas card, tons of treats for Dexter, BT socks and wine charms for me (how perfect is that??) a Mirabelle book for Nicholas (Mirabelle is a Boston Terrier), a copy of their local paper where her dog was the beautiful cover model, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few other things. She is the sweetest and most thoughtful girl and I'm so glad she and I have connected. Even funnier, we both loved this sweater from White House Black Market and we both received it for Christmas - me from Tami and Nicole from her boyfriend Travis' Mom. We're soulmates for sure ;) Now if only she didn't live in Washington State!

Christmas morning- seriously Mom & Dad, all this stuff is for me? He actually figured out how to open presents this year, so that was fun to watch. He kept saying "more?" After one was done.

Playing with his new "phone" while wearing his dinosaur backpack. I kept calling him so he would look at me and I could take a picture, but he ignored me. I imagine I can easily recreate this image in about 10 years.

Kingsley and sweet Alice. She will be 1 in just a few weeks!

Looking sweet before the hissy fits started.

Love!

Ma, are we done with pictures yet? (not even close)

Took 40 pictures of these goobers, this was the best one. Quinton, Alice, Teddy, Nicholas

Alexis and Rich- let's get wedding planning you guys!

Papou and Quinton

An awesome dinosaur set from Auntie Kingsley & Uncle Dan

BECAUSE WE'RE NORMAL, OK?

What it's all about :)

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

xoxo

Nicholas September- November

Another three months have flown by in the blink of an eye. Nicholas is growing taller by the minute. His language has picked up more and more seemingly every day and he speaks in a lot of full sentences now- granted a lot of them are "Nicholas speak" which I understand the best out of everyone, but seeing how much he is learning is simply amazing to watch.

Potty training was going pretty well but then he took a step back and wanted nothing to do with it. So I'm not pushing it, but we're getting there.

He moved into "Pre-K" at his day care so he's the youngest in the room again, but he is doing great. He was a little hesitant the first time he went in there but they do a great transition process and he has taken to it well. I really like his teachers and he seems to like them a lot too, so I am happy and he is happy.

He loves all things boy- and has really been into dinosaurs lately (I did a good job with those for Christmas ;) He loves trucks, cars, boats, as usual, all things boy. He's starting to get more daring and has been jumping on/off of the couch. Overall he's a happy, healthy, awesome little dude, and we couldn't be more lucky. He is, simply put, our world. Here are some of my favorite pictures of the last few months.