Ding Dong, the SNAKE is Dead...and Updates

You read that right, folks.  That blasted snake (and yes, I'm choosing to believe it was the same one) is DEAD.  I've been inside sick for several days the past week and my precious mom came over Sunday to deliver lunch.  As soon as I opened the door she slid inside with a squeal and informed me it was back.  Just sunbathing in the yard at almost the exact spot it was before.  Let me inject here that the moth ball myth is a hoax! I had the entire neighborhood smelling like a nursing home and this little trickster didn't mind.  We called my precious uncle immediately and he came to the rescue...broke his hoe and all while planning the exact and proper execution.  Hallelujah!  Now, if I see another one- the "For Sale" sign is going up.

Bentley- Well, things have been better with the little one.  He's learning to use the bathroom on his papers and has somewhat began playing independently.  It's still a struggle.  I appreciate all the advice you have given me.  JENNIFER- oh my.  I'm SO sorry I never responded to your fb message.  Between being sick and dealing with the above, it slipped my mind.  So, please accept my public apologies and thanks. :)  I'm not as desperate to get rid of him like I was a week or so ago.  I find myself just content to not make the decision right now.  I love him- mostly when he's asleep (HA), so will allow him to manage my life for a little while longer for now. 

Other than the snake and the dog, I have been battling the worst viral issues ever!  I started running fever and having a sore throat almost suddenly last Tuesday night.  I felt AWFUL and was waiting for my doctor's office to open Wednesday morning to get some relief.  He checked for strep and it was negative, but didn't check for the flu because he was confident it wasn't that.  He said it was viral, gave me a steroid shot, and sent me home with antibiotics just in case.  I felt much better that day (Steriod shots are such precious gifts.) and most of the next, but it started going downhill from there.  My ear completely stopped up on Friday, which is absolutey miserable.  My throat continued to bother me off and on, and I began coughing 24/7.  I called the nurse back and had them call me in some cough medicine.  Lesson learned: Do not take cough medicine with codeine.  It sure helped the cough, but a tornado could have come and completely removed my house from its foundation and placed it in a different state, and I would have had no idea.  The next day I was still out of it.  I went home early from school and stayed home yesterday, too.  I FINALLY feel like myself again today.  My ear is still totally clogged, but I feel much better.  I'm not convinced it wasn't the flu.  I don't ever remember being down for that long with a "cold."

Mom and I get to keep sweet Sarah Taylor this weekend while Cort and Trey go to the Opryland Hotel to celebrate his big 30th birthday.  We are so excited! 

What Was I Thinking?

I don't know what I've done.  It seems as if everything in my life defies all odds and my sweet little puppy seems no different.  Wow!  I knew to expect a lot of work and a lot of "accident" clean ups, but what I'm experiencing is nothing short of exhaustion.  Today marks two weeks I've had him.  He isn't anywhere close to being potty trained.  He thinks his puppy pads are toys and finds it very enjoyable to grab them and run around the house as if he's Superman and has just recovered his cape.  He chews on my one and only plant in the house and bites pieces of it off.  It stands almost four feet tall so there's nowhere for me to move it out of his reach.  He wants to do nothing that doesn't involve me.  His attention span with his toys lasts about 2 minutes before he runs to find me and whines until I give him attention or pick him up!  I feel like he's bored even though I play with him as much as I can and have bought him about ten toys.  I tried to take him out for a walk to release some of his energy and he would.not.have.it.  He didn't want to even get close to the street and I was having to drag him with the leash, so I gave up.  He claws on the couch with his sharp little paws, which I'm afraid is going to result in a rip or tear on my furniture.  I tried crating him and he completely and totally drenched the thing and relieved himself over and over throughout the night.  I feel like he needs me every second I'm home and there's never a chance for me to relax.  I would never compare a dog to a child nor do I think the responsibilities can be compared.  BUT, I feel like I've signed up prematurely to be a single parent and it's not sitting well with me! To top it all off, I'm paranoid I'm allergic to him.  I thought he was supposed to be hypoallergenic.  However, while I have allergy issues each year, it's really bad right now.  When I stopped to think about it, it seems like it started when I got him and has gotten progressively worse.  I woke up this morning with a sore throat and I just outright feel crummy.  What does that leave me to do?  I feel like a failure and I'm not typically one that gives up on something that I really want.  I guess either my dog is extra demanding or I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  Maybe it's the last of the two.  If I'd known it would be like this, I don't think I would have gotten him.  It makes me really sad because he's precious and I do love him.  He's just hyper and unless he's fast asleep, there isn't a time he will let me hold him and love on him without biting the fire out of me or striking at me like a snake! (And you know my issues with those!)  What do I do, friends?  I go back and forth each day.  I'm embarrassed to be honest.  I thought I knew what this would entail and I guess I just didn't.  I want what's best for him.  I really do.  If I'm not that, then I want him with a family with children that will love him and play with him like he deserves.  I guess the issue is to just figure out if that's me or someone else. :(

Finally...

I FINALLY got an iPhone this week!  After talking to Verizon hundreds several times, they finally realized it wasn’t ideal to send me Droid X #6 after almost two years of troubleshooting. Instead, they gave me an upgrade two months early, and I am one happy girl! This iPhone is nothing short of amazeballs.  I’m enjoying lots of new apps that I didn’t have the luxury of using before.  One of them is Instagram.  I know it’s old news to you apple veterans, but I’m just learning it for myself.  I was encouraged by my friend Haley to do the April photo challenge, where you post a photo each day in April of a specified person, place, event, etc.  Today’s challenge is someone that makes you happy.  I not only dedicated Instagram to this special person, but today’s blog post too.  It’s none other than my sweet Sarah Taylor, who has the ability to make me happy in a way that no one else can.  She is my light, my sunshine, and I love her to pieces.

                     

 If any of you "Instagramers" are interested in the April Photo Challenge, here's the list.  Find me and let's be friends. ;)

My Fellow Crafters will Love This!

If you're into crafts like I am and love to make fun seasonal home decorations or recipes, this blog is for you!  Melissa is a friend of mine that lives in Murfreesboro, TN.  She just began this blog and has already been featured in Tatertots and Jello, as well as others.  Leave her a comment and tell her I sent you!

www.daisymaebelle.com