Our Sweet Marley

Marley girl is in pain and it is breaking my heart. Marley is 8 years old (a terrier mix), and until the two rascals came along was spoiled rotten as our first "daughter." She is wild and crazy, and can jump higher than you would ever think possible. She is so loving and so spirited and is doing great with the kids. Yesterday, she was doing her spastic sprinting around the backyard which she does when she thinks she needs to expend some energy (so smart). She suddenly started yelping and when we went out to her she was unable to move her back legs. She was shaking and scared, and I (known to be so good in times of crisis - extreme sarcasm) was carrying her around trying to figure out what she had done and what we could do for her. We do have a mole invading the backyard and maybe she fell in a hole - initially I thought she had been bit by something - it was that sudden! We got her (and me) calmed down and let her test out her legs some and she had movement but still was limping pretty bad and couldn't jump or put weight on her back leg. We decided not to take her to the emergency vet clinic (being poor sucks!) and just watched her all evening. She is in pain, especially when she tries to lay down, and cannot get up onto the couch or bed where she loves to be. I hope it is just a sprain and something that will heal with rest and time, because honestly we just cannot afford an expensive vet visit and definitely can't get surgery if that is what they recommend. So, we are just hoping and praying that little Marley girl starts feeling better soon. I have looked into some programs that offer financial assistance for veterinarian services so if she doesn't get better soon we might apply for those. I was up all night crying and worrying (as was Lance) because I don't want to be inhumane but also don't want to spend money we don't have going to a vet who tells us that there is nothing that can really be done. Life is tough sometimes, but we are so incredibly blessed that I need to try to remember that more often when I am about to have a stress breakdown (which seems like a possibility at all times these days). Now, I do have to say that if someone would just like to buy a beautiful piece of property on Center Hill lake that would make me even more grateful :-)!

If you are the praying type please remember Marley, who we and the kids love so much, and our little Tyler Bear. He has a cough again, but thankfully doesn't seem to be having trouble breathing this time. It is a deep, hacking cough that so far is very sporadic. We have started up the breathing treatments again and hope that we can head it off. He is still causing mayhem and doesn't seem to be affected, and in fact had THREE timeouts yesterday. They didn't really work, but I had to try something since "no," and hand popping also were pointless. He has gotten into the habit of doing something he knows he is not supposed to, looking at us as if to say watch me, and then when we tell him no he does it even more! That included, this weekend, climbing into the fireplace, pushing the pack and play (still our make-shift gate) out of the way to make a mad dash for the stairs repeatedly, and much havoc in the kitchen including jerking the cabinet doors long enough and hard enough for the locks to bend out of shape and give him access and learning how to open the oven (time for a lock on that too). He still does more sweet things than he does as a troublemaker - he was feeding Marley every single one of his much loved goldfish, gave Katie a kiss yesterday while they were eating, and brings us all sorts of balls, books and blocks in case we are bored - but he is edging ever so slightly closer to the label of "Trouble T" instead of "Sweet T"!