Boy or Girl?

Craig and I went to the doctor this morning to meet our little one for the first time.  I was so nervous, you know me, I worry about everything.  It probably didn't help one bit that yesterday I had watched a show about a baby having a tumor bigger than he was growing off his butt, and another mother carrying her baby just inside her body floating around.  I really should stop watching TV!  I've also been loading up on the TLC shows about moms giving birth and whatnot.  I've just decided I'm going to skip that part and I'm going to have a stork deliver my child to me!  :)  I can at least pretend, right?

We go into the doctors office and I get up on the table.  The doctor was nice enough to warm up the gel for me!  She puts the machine on my belly and there is our little baby up on that screen!  The whole time the doctor kept complaining because the baby was in such a tight little ball and so squished together that it was hard for her to see everything.  She kept poking my belly so the baby would move, but the baby didn't move when she wanted it to!  She did end up getting everything she needed though, half the things she looked at I couldn't even recognize.  The only thing that stood out to me clearly was the spine - and it didn't look crooked like mine!  Everything looked normal - shew!  His humorous and his stomach were a little bigger than they should be but she said they probably just got a bad measurement because he was so bunched up!  At least I have something to worry about for the next 4 months (haha)!  She also said that I'm carrying a little low - but that will probably fix itself as baby grows - if not, the worst thing that could happen would be that I would have to have a c-section.  Doesn't sound too bad!

She saved the fun part for last - letting us know if it was a boy or a girl!  Apparently she had seen "the parts" earlier but kept it from us!  Then she zoomed right in on "the parts" and there were BOY PARTS!!

WE'RE HAVING A BOY!!!!!!!!

I could not be more excited!!  You know me, I had to know for sure so I said "Really?  How can you tell?  I can't see anything!"  She said "Seriously?  It's plain as day!"  Then she ran her mouse right over top of it, then I figured it out!

Then she switched the machine to 4D and zoomed right in on his face so we could get a better view of things.  We watched him open and close his mouth several times and move his hands all around!  It was so crazy to watch!

Here are some of the pictures.  Keep in mine that these are pictures I took on my phone of the printouts that we received - so they aren't the best but I still wanted to share!

 A little footprint.  (yes, I counted the toes, I am crazy, I admit to it)

Mouth wide open!  He already takes after his Dad!

Still moving his mouth!

This one already makes my heart melt, he is smiling!

Obedience School. Class #2.

Well, we went back to obedience school today.  It was eventful (as everything always is with Bryer) but not quite like last week!

Let me also remind all of you that Bryer has 4 staples in his back foot.  The staples are almost right where his foot bends, so you would assume that when he's acting like a nut bag that his foot would hurt - just a thought.

This is how staples spent his Tuesday before obedience school.  We got a paper last week on overexcited dogs, it said it would be a good idea to exercise the dog before class so he's not so wound up.  Here is how Bryer exercises - he takes after his Mom!

So we get to PetSmart a bit early today.  Craig walks him in and we decide to walk him around the store a bit to help calm him down.  The teacher suggest that this would be a good idea to try and help him get more comfortable while we are learning.

We start walking around and he's just taking it all in.  Then we come to the cage in the middle of the store that has the mice, hamsters and birds.  Bryer thinks it is the scariest thing he has ever seen!

Then we get to the dog toy aisle, he thought he was in heaven!  He would grab a toy, he knew he wasn't supposed to have it, walk a few feet and then drop it!  It was pretty funny!

Then class begins.  At first the teacher asks how everyone is doing with their tricks.  Of course the other two dogs are perfect (showoffs) - then there is Bryer.  Little did we know that this entire class would consist of nothing but walking Bryer around the store, exactly what we just got finished doing.  The goal was to be able to walk on a loose leash and not to jump on people when they greeted him.  To get Bryer to stop pulling, we were to start walking, and as soon as he pulled we were to stop and wait on him to quit.  Our walking started like this, Craig would take 2 steps and then stop, wait, 2 more steps, stop, wait, 2 more steps, stop wait.  As we went on it got better and better - I truly think this is because he may have been getting worn out!  Then, as we would walk up to an employee or customers in the store they were to pet Bryer.  They would ask him to sit and he would get a treat and his reward would be them petting him.  I was so very proud of him - he only jumped on one person!  Except, everyone he met he was vigorously liking their hands because he figures everyone in PetSmart was a magical treat dispenser!  

While we were walking around, we did come across the vet place they have inside of PetSmart.  It had a scale to weigh your dogs.  Since Bryer has been on his diet for almost a week now we figured we would weigh him and see how he was progressing.  Last week at the vet he clocked in at 75.7 pounds.  Today he weighed 80.2.  REALLY??  How does that happen??  

As I mentioned last week, there is a dog in class named Austin, he is an Australian Shepherd.  He is super shy and gentle and just beautiful.  Bryer is OBSESSED with him.  He would not leave this dog alone at all.  This dog is probably half Bryer's size, maybe even smaller.  Bryer started out by wedging his head all the way into the dog's crotch and smelling him for a good 10 minutes.  Then Bryer really sniffed him all over, he got a good ear sniff and everywhere else on his body - all the while this dog is cringing in disgust.  Then Bryer thinks it would be a good idea to make out with him in class - he literally starts licking the dogs mouth - who does that?  Then, Bryer does the infamous Bryer trick - the 'let me stand here with my paw on your back' - WHICH I HATE!  I felt so bad for this little dog, Bryer just would not leave him alone!  Bryer even made him yelp at the end of class!  The instructor says that Bryer stepped on this dog's foot - I think Bryer bit him - not mean in any way shape or form, he was just playing.  Poor Austin, he's never going to be the same.. :(  I apologized to the dog several times and his owner really didn't seem to care, thank the Lord.  I think next week we are going to choose seats that are not right next to Austin!

On the way home, Bryer was pretty tired (or seemed pretty tired)

He pulled one over on us for sure!  As I'm typing this he is running around like a chicken with his head cut off throwing his dragon and chasing it.  We are getting ready to go on our nightly walk and practice our loose leash walking skills.  Our 15 minute walk may turn into 2 hours..

Staples the Conehead - AKA - Bryer

Well, our Bryer adventures continue.  There is never a dull moment around that big guy.

(This one is a bit lengthy too - there is just a lot to say about our wild man!)

Way back in our Minnesota days, Craig and I notice that there is this odd little spot on Bryer's foot.  It was small and white and he really had no idea it was there.  You know me though, crazy, I start worrying about it.  We don't do anything about it and just keep watching it since it doesn't seem to bother him.

Well, it grew, and recently it started to get rather large and turn red.  We finally decide it would be a good idea to get him to a vet.  I call and set up an appointment for this past Wednesday (two days ago).  I warn them ahead of time that he is crazy, and they said "Bring it on, we love the energetic ones!"  I think to myself "You haven't met Bryer, yet!"

I take Bryer into the vet Wednesday morning while Craig is at work.  We are just scheduled for a check-up and to get that spot looked at.  We get set up in our little room and he his panting/drooling/shedding like crazy!  The nurse comes in to talk to me and get a little info on my son.  He loves her and is soo excited to see her.  She says "Wow!  We usually don't get dogs that are happy to see us!"  Then she leaves and the Doc comes in!  I absolutely love him!  He sat down and petted Bryer and talked to me just like we were old friends before we got down to business.  While we were talking he told me that he finished his vet schooling at VT.  WHAT?????  This can't be good.  He tells me that Bry-man is getting offered too much dog food a day and he needs to go on a diet.  He was cut back from 5 cups of food a day to 3.5 (he clocked in at 75.7lbs!)  Then he looks at Bryer's foot.  He starts poking it with a needle and pulling stuff out of it - poor guy :(  I felt so bad for him!  Good news is that it was "a whole lot of nothing".  The Doc felt like it should be removed before it ruptured on its own and got infected.  We went ahead with the procedure and had it lazored off.  He ended up with 2 staples and the doc wrapped it with vet wrap.  He came back in to talk to us and I said "So, when he starts messing with it what do I do?"  The good 'ole VT Doc said "He won't mess with it."  I laughed.  I'm sure if he graduated from UVa he would have had a cone day 1 so the stitches would last all 10 days - just a guess though?  (I had to throw that in there)  :o)

Here is what it looked like on Wednesday:

The wrap was supposed to last one day - it did not.  The stitches were supposed to last 10 days - they did not.  The two stitches made it until Thursday night.  Craig and I decide to go to the grocery store and when we return, I do my staple count, and have a heart-attack because both staples are MIA.  I start super freaking out because all I can think about is now his intestines are going to be ruptured because he has two staples in his belly and that his crater is going to get infected and it's going to cost us $1,209,382 to fix it all.  I call the emergency vet because it was after hours, and I ask them what to do.  They said it cost $100 just to bring him in to get looked at and then depending on what kind of anesthesia he would need for the staples it would cost another $30-100.  WHAT??  So we put neosporin on a paper towel, place it on his crater and wrap it with tape until the morning.

This morning, we are just going to run him by his new vet and see if they will check the hole and replace the staples.  (Also, this morning I found both staples laying in the floor - THANK YOU LORD!)  When we get to the vet, we just decide to leave him there for the morning instead of having staples put in, then throwing him in his crate right away while Craig and I are out looking at houses.  That would just be yet another opportunity to rip out those staples and I was not doing that again!  

We go and pick him up this afternoon and this is what comes bopping around the corner:

Craig and I died laughing.  He could have cared less that he had that thing on his head!  It was hysterical!  

This go around - he has 4 staples in his foot.  Sweet - double the chance of poking a hole in his intestines.

With Bryer at the vet, I had the most productive morning I have had in such a long time!  I love that boy but let me tell you - I so enjoyed my morning!  We got his foot taken care of, and a cone and it was only $20 bucks!  I love our new vet - even if he did graduate from VT!

"Shew Mom, I've had a tough day!"

Obedience School. Class #1.

Well,  Bryer started obedience school today.  This should probably have happened 6 months ago.  (Warning - this blog may be a bit lengthy)

Let me preface the story by saying that Bryer did absolutely nothing today other than lay around and spend a few hours in his crate.  Probably not the best idea for his first day at school.

Our first task, before school, was to drive to Lowe's and pick Craig up so we could head on our merry way to PetSmart!

Can't you just feel the excitement through your computer?

Of course, riding in the car just builds his anxiety/excitement because he needs to know where we are going.  Are we going to grandmas?  Are we going to Minnesota?  Are we going to the dog park?  Are we going to the vet?  Who knows what else is going on in that mind of his.  All at the same time he is panting like crazy and loading the back of the car with drool.  Finally we get to Lowe's, pick up Craig and head out to PetSmart.

We get to PetSmart and try to let Bryer pee before we head in.  Well he can't.  The only spot for him to pee is covered in pine needles, not grass, therefore we cannot pee.  We head inside.  HOLY CRAP, there is other dogs, and other people, and toys, and treats, and animals in cages - what is a labratard to do?  For those of you who have been in PetSmart know that the floor is tile.  This does not work well for Bryer.  He likes to pull us everywhere we go.  He is trying is darndest to pull us towards a dog/human/treat/toy/cash register/anything he can get his furry paws on, but cannot get a grip on the floor and is just sliding and falling all over the place - he kind of reminds us of Bambi out on the frozen lake.  When we get to the training ring there is another class wrapping up so we try and walk him around a bit.

There are the boys.  Ready for class.  Finally, we are allowed to go inside the ring.  Luckily there are only 3 dogs (including Bryer) in the class.  There is a small terrier/poodle rat looking dog named Coyote.  Then a beautiful, small, Australian Shepard dog named Austin who is literally scared of his own shadow and just likes to sit in his owners lap.  Then there is Bryer.  Oh boy.

Class starts by an introduction of what we are going to be learning today.  The 3 tricks we will be doing, and the signals that go with each.  I was able to catch Bryer at a quick moment where he gave in and decided to lay down while the instructor was talking.  (And yes, I do realize that I'm probably the only person crazy enough to take a picture of their dog at their first obedience class.)

The first trick that we learn is called "Watch Me".  Sounds simple right?  Well, for Austin and Coyote it was very simple.  All we were supposed to do is take a treat and hold it between our eyes, say "Watch Me", and get the dog to make eye-contact.  As soon as eye contact was made then he was rewarded with a treat.  Guess who the instructor picks as the first dog to demonstrate how to do this trick with.  Yes, she picks Bryer.  I mean why not, the one dog who can't sit still, is drooling like a maniac, and is panting like he just ran a 5k because he's so excited.  Good choice!

So she tries it.  "Bryer, watch me."  What does he do?  Looks every where else in the store he could possibly look except for her eyes.  At that moment, you couldn't have brought in a silver platter of peanut butter to get him to look her in the eyes.  Therefore, she has to give up and demonstrate with Coyote.  We've already failed.  Then she turns us loose and it's our turn to get Bryer to do the tricks we ask.  Are we any more successful - HA!  Apparently when you say "Watch Me" Bryer says "hey there is someone shopping over there, there are two dogs behind me, there is an instructor with treats attached to her him, hey I can poke my head through this wall right here"  I'm sure the list goes on.  He looks everywhere in the known universe, except in our eyes.  This is how Bryer spent most of his first class.

Well, it's just starting out dandy.  The next trick, good 'ole "Sit".  Craig and I are thinking "HECK YEA!!!  He already knows this one."  This one did go a tad bit better, we got him to sit about 1 out of every 5 times we asked.  The last trick we learned was "Touch".  This is where you just get the dog to walk up to you and touch your hand.  Seems simple.  Wrong.  The hardest part for us is getting Bryer to acknowledge that Craig and I exist outside of our apartment.  Once we have his attention, we're good.  Usually, we call his name and he just flat out ignores us.  Every once and a while we will call his name and then we get 2 seconds of his attention before he's on to something else.  

As we are working on all of the tricks by ourselves.  The instructor is circulating and then she will attempt the tricks with our dogs, too.  Of course, Bryer does them for her the first time she asks, EVERY TIME.  The funniest part of the entire class was when she was doing tricks with Bryer.  She asked him to sit, he did, she rewarded him with a treat, and I guess he forgot to chew because you hear him cough, then SPLAT, the entire treat ends up right back on her leg.  I about died!

Just out of curiosity, we get home, and I ask Bryer to do all those tricks we learned at school.  HE DOES THEM PERFECTLY.  That little fart.  I couldn't get him to do a darn thing at school, he just flat out ignored me.  We get home, and I could teach him an entire routine.  On a side note - Craig left with red cuts in his hand from holding the leash for an hour with Bryer pulling on the other end - fabulous.

I wonder what week two will have in store for us?

Bryer turns 1!

My first child (Bryer) turns 1 today!  I cannot believe that he actually lived to see his first birthday!  Craig and I both just adore that crazy dog!  He starts obedience school on Tuesday - they grow up just too fast!

For his birthday he got a new dragon toy, a bone thats the size of my leg, a new bed from Grandma and Grandpa, a red squeaky bone from Gogga, I'm making him a birthday cake today, he got a special breakfast, and he gets to go visit his friends at the dog park tomorrow!  I think that should about cover it!  He's not spoiled or anything!  :)