OUCH

Okay I know this is my dog blog but I will make it dog related, I promise.  Went into the hospital yesterday to try and get mr. andrew to turn, since he is head up, bottom down.   Had to be admitted because of the chance of causing complications or needing an emergency c-section.   I have only ever been in a hospital once in my life time for kidney stones so I was pretty nervous.  Had to be monitored for an hour pre-procedure just to get a baseline of how andrew behaved.  They gave me a shot of something to relax my uterus to make everything easier but it made me feel like my heart was going to pound out of my chest and made me shake like a leaf.  I had two doctors working on me, two nurses, an anestesiologist, and mom and tony.  One doctor was doing the ultrasound and pushing one way while my main doctor was doing most of the heavy pushing work.  Let's just say that was probably the second most painful thing i have ever had (kidney stones being the worst, hands down) and I don't recommend it to anyone.  The success rate is pretty low but my hubby wanted to try before we just gave up and did the c section and I felt like it was worth a try.  After 20 minutes of pushing and me trying to breath and stay relaxed (wasn't very successful on that one) we all decided to give up.  My doctor was actually shaking because he had been pushing so hard.  Had to stick around for another hour to monitor andrew (he was fine) and then went and ate breakfast.  I had to take it easy the rest of the day and am off today too since I am super sore.  The funniest part of it is that the dogs were all over me yesterday afternoon.  Going to be very interesting keeping them off of me when I actually have the c section.  They lay on me on the couch and sleep on top of me at night.  That won't be happening at all when I have a section, yet I can't imagine not having them in the bed with me.  I honestly don't know if I could sleep.  They now sleep on the pregnancy pillow as I think they think it is me;)  I tell you one thing, I won't worry so much about them pouncing on my stomach now or laying on it.  If the doctor can use that much force and not cause any harm to andrew, then they aren't either.

So the decision has been made to schedule a c-section no matter what.  I could still go into labor early and that would be fine, I would just have to have an ultrasound first to make sure he hasn't flipped and if he is still head up, I would go straight to a c section.  As it stands now, I am scheduled for June 12th.  That won't give me enough time to recover for the july usdaa show I was hoping to get to but it should be good enough for regionals in August.  8 more working days till i get maternity leave, YIPEE!  I am ready!

Well, thats that

No triune for Deuce and I.  Mixed feelings.  Went to the doctor yesterday and mr. andrew is head up and running out of fluid.  Basically I am too small and he is getting big.  He is only a little over 6 lbs at this point but I am only 5 feet even so no room.  My hubby and I decided to let the doctor try to spin him even though my placenta is in the front and could rupture or separate and I would have to have an emergency c section.  Either way, will probably have to have a c-section which is a bummer!!!!!  I wanted to go to a show mid July but I am thinking that isn't going to work and probably don't need to go as I am not going to nationals anyway so what is the rush.  I guess looking forward to just taking it easy this weekend versus scribing/timing and video taping deuce run for the barbs.  Anyway, feeling a little scared and not wanting to get too far from my doctor.  Not only is he a hottie mc hottie but he is supposedly one of the best surgeons in manhattan when it comes to c-sections.  There was a hospital less than a mile away from the show site but it would be  strange hospital and a strange doctor and I need to feel comfortable right now, not nervous.  Will keep everyone posted:)

officially off

So stella is chugging along with her 2 x 2 training.  She has done really well so far, only have a few issues with a few of the entries but then getting it the next session.  We are almost to the point of adding the second set.  I am taking my time with this, we don't always do 2 x 2 work every day, in no rush for sure.  We went out to Lori's field and had an other private lesson on her plank work, her 2 x 2 work and her jumping. I  had started linda M's jumping foundation work with her and I was noticing some trouble things so I wanted Lori to watch her.  She still seems to get distracted a little bit too much out at lori's place.  Part of it is that we had no classes when she was a baby like mr. Deuce did and part of it is I just haven't gotten her out like i did the other dogs when they were babies.  With deuce I was also running when he was younger and when I did shorter mileage, he got to go and see a variety of settings.  I am hoping once the baby is here and can go out in the stroller, she can go on shorter runs with us.  I also hope as I can start lugging the wire crates in the show sites that she can go to more shows too.  She can be a big pain at shows with her vocalizations and her eating her way out of crates so I have to admit, I have taken the easy way out and just stopped taking her.  That I do travel with others alot so one dog is usually all I can take with anyway.

I really do feel like I have reached the point where I can't train the dogs unless it is an exercise where I am stationary and they move around me.  I tried to do some motion work with stella when we were doing jump chutes and by that afternoon, I could barely walk for the round ligament pain.  I have basically stopped doing any training with Deuce because pretty much all I need to do with him involves running so he is on vacation now till after the baby is born.  I still hate that he missed the last show thanks to KC, but it happened and there is nothing I can do about it now.  I am fully prepared to hand him over to the Barbs at the Triune show. I think I had some glimmer of hope that we could do some running but there is just NO way now.  I am too big, too clumsy and get too sore even with my belly band.  So my plan up until Mr. Andrew comes is to continue to work on plank work with me stationary or throwing something and keep on working the 2 x 2 method.  Then, we shall have to see after mr. andrew gets here as to how I feel.  I envision me jumping back into the saddle again fairly quickly  but I also had envisioned myself running alot longer too.

Stella's 2 x 2 journey begins

Stella's 1 year old b day was today so I decided to go ahead and start her 2 x 2 training now.  Would like to be done with most of the work with this method by the time the baby comes but we might not get there.  Summer has decided to hit us full force since spring never did really but I can do at least one if not two sets in our bedroom (although the baby stuff might make it only 1 set fitting now LOL).  She has been taught all of her other behaviors with shaping so this should be fun.  Last night we just did running straight through the poles and then started with the poles at 12 and 6.  She got that pretty quickly I did 5 minute sessions at the most.  Did another session this morning but she was hooking through the poles on her right shoulder.  She gets VERY frustrated when she does not get rewarded and it is kind of funny because she pouts or she starts turbo offering behaviors to try and please.  I just have to sit there and wait her out and try not to giggle.  I love the fact that she will work for food or toys so we can switch up using a ball or using food or tug toys.  It is alot easier for some reason to keep sessions short with her too, maybe because I am preggers and I have no stamina or that I have no expectations of her since she has never weaved at all.  With deuce I think i struggled with longer sessions because I knew he knew how to weave.  I will try and get some video because some of the behaviors she offers are pretty funny.

Here is a video I threw together of Stella's first year in pictures.  Of course my digital camera sucks so alot of the pictures aren't great and I was making this with one hand while I threw the ball with the other hand to wear her out so the transitions suck sometimes.  Am hoping that youtube doesn't strip the music as I think She Likes Rock and Roll by AC/DC fits her so well.




 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsTHgCTLYe8&feature=g-upl