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

The dreaded sound of hacking

I hate that sound, the sound we all know as doggy parents.  No, not the sound of puking about to happen but that cough, the one you know is kennel cough.  Woke up on thursday morning to that sound.  This was suppose to be my last show running deuce and I was really sad that he probably wouldn't be able to run.  Called the vet as soon as they opened and got him an appointment for that afternoon knowing I probably knew the diagnosis.  Started him on tussin tablets and hoped for the best.  Well after a whole night of him harking as I call it, and puking phelgm all over mom and I in the bed, I called the vet back first thing wanting stronger meds and antibiotics.  Got the stronger meds but not the antibiotics as he has no other symptoms.  After a great night of sleep and then a whole another day of being woozy from the meds, he finally has stopped coughing.  I am very glad he is feeling better and we have slowly weaned him down off of the cough meds.  He still needs the lowest dose but only the lowest dose.  I also found out that there were several vaccinated dogs that also came down with it but were kenneled at the other end of the building.  I did walk  out that way to let him potty so if the infected dog was down there, I guess we walked in their airborne wake.  Most of the dogs that got sick came down with it last monday so it was weird that he didn't come down with it till thursday but oh well, different incubation times for different dogs I guess.  I hadn't had him in any classes or out really as I have been SO busy lately trying to get all of my teaching done before this baby comes and have been working my first job till time to go teach and not coming home.  Good for all of my students I guess.  Bad for the puppy class that I used him in on wednesday night though.  He wasn't coughing then but he might have been contagious and they were puppies.  I would hate to miss the wichita show as I enjoy it and the vendors but it seems my dogs always come away from that show with something, thanks to the hundreds of dogs that are there for conformation, agility, lure coursing, obedience and herding.

The good news is that mom and I got to go to the baby shower anyway on saturday as the vet said we couldn't pass it on us to other dogs.  Had so much fun, got so much great puppy and star themed stuff and had the most awesome cake ever!  Will have to upload a pic, took a bunch on my phone.  It was babies doing dog agility and it was AMAZING!!!!  My dog friends are so amazing!

The almost first double Q:)

We almost did it!  I almost got our first double Q and I am so proud.  This weekend was long, had a four day and my body was NOT happy by the fourth day.  My back was hurting, was uncomfortable and just didn't feel good at all but I almost got our first double q on that day.  Funny how that works out!  Not feeling like my normal play by play so here are the overall highs and lows of the four days.

Lows:  Deuce missed a few weave pole entries this weekend.  He had been doing so well for so long but we had some challenges I guess I just haven't practiced.  We had several triple to weaves scenarios.  One I totally thought I cued him to collect over the triple and he just ignored my cues and then was past the entry (it was a 90 degree turn into them and he just turned into the second pole).  The other wasn't as hard as a 90 but he had knocked a bar a couple of jumps before and was running in stressy mode.  Sucked because on the 90 degree to the weaves from the triple was the only mistake we made on that tough course.  Deuce had a couple of knocked bars but not too hung up on that.  One was the first bar but I think it was where I set him and not totally 100% his fault.  I set him up wrong and too close to the first jump in a very soft spot.  Bad me.  Had one course where I was reactive and I hate that.  He felt it too and didn't run very well.  Blew my double Q by holding my breath and not handling the end of the course because I was oh shit mode.  He had made it through ALL the tough parts and I let him jump a jump super extended which made getting back to the a-frame impossible so he ran around it.  Totally my fault, not his at all, I gave him NO information about what was coming up and how to jump.  Three obstacles from the end.  BOOOOO!!!!!

Highs: Got three Qs this weekend, one in standard on a very icky course that only four dogs in 20 inch qualified on and got a second to a big lab that has blazing running contacts.  Got a Q on a fun and fast JWW course that only had about 5 dogs qualify on (lots of bars) and got his first first place in EX B.  He listened and I handled.  Why can't I get this through my head to handle proactively and he will run like I know he will.  The best run I had all weekend was on a very icky standard course that literally made me mad.  It was super, super trappy and I just hated it so I attacked it and guess what, beautiful run.   I need to get mad at more courses apparently. Got a Q in T2B which was a fun course in which I pushed him, he kept his head and so did I.

Hope to have at least one video of the weekend. My travel partner tried to video me some as she could since she was only a few dogs ahead of me.  Two more shows before baby unless baby decides to come early.  I am so ready to have my body back, although running felt good this weekend and other than being out of breath after the runs, I felt good.

plank work

I have been trying to get in as much plank work as my schedule and body allow.  I am going to have to start doing work in the mornings to get in daily reps.  Two days a week I go straight from work to teach so I am not getting anything done on those days.  Today it was super hot as it was yesterday so she was kind of pokey.  We have worked really hard on getting her to run from target to target to get her to build drive.  I have stopped using toys but need to get back to them.  Food seems to get her going the best so have been relying on that more.  I felt like she was finally driving back and forth nicely no matter what position I was in.  Initially if I was standing in the middle and clicking, she would stop and check in with me to get the cookie instead of driving ahead.  We seemed to have eliminated that behavior which is a huge step ahead for her.  She really likes it when I race her to the target the best but I will not always be right there with her, and of course being preggers, I can't really keep up with her anyway.  We reintroduced the plank with her this week, a wider plank to help her.  She still isn't 100% on staying on it, in fact prefers to run beside it.  In her defense, the plank is still not painted or sanded so it is a little slick.  We are having to use cones to help her visually but really want to fade them quicker than she wants them faded LOL.  Will continue this week and hoping to get video of her running.