Frog Update

Nico seemed worse the following day :( He still barely has eaten and his thighs are still swollen. But the worse news is that when I took him out 2 days ago,I saw when he stretched his legs out, that he has small dark sores forming in the little crevice where his legs meet his body, and one on his thigh too. I am unsure if this is related to his initial problem, or if it is a separate parasite issue, despite having been in quarantine for almost 3 weeks. I emailed the doc about it and will meet with her when he gets his 6th shot in the morning tomorrow, barring a bad snowstorm...which we might get....

  He slept on the floor of his tank today--another sign that is not promising. I hope we can clear up whatever skin problem/infection he has so he can go back with his buddy Peenuhlope in the new tank.

  And for my real kids, they have completed their 3rd quarter of K and 1st grade. Last quarter to go! Soccer was supposed to begin already but the cold snow and icy weather have prevented much from happening. We are ready for spring here!

Nicodemus Update

There was a time a few days ago that I thought my froggy was on his way out, but as far as I can tell today, he seems better!

    Because of a snow storm and icy roads, I didn't take him to the vet to get his 6th shot (of 7) yet--hopefully tomorrow since we are getting our taxes done in the same area tomorrow. But I was concerned that he hasn't been eating for the past 2 weeks, and his red belly and legs looked worse. So I bougth waxworms, small superworms and a reptiboost powder to dust his crickets with. He wasn't interested in any of it, but has since eaten 2 crickets (I didn't witness it, but they are no long in his tank. I am awaiting a poop from him to know for sure. I have been more attentive to his quarantine tank's temp and humidity and hiding places. I gave him a cave 2 nights ago and he went in there and slept. I think it greatly relieved his stress! I know this seems ridiculous to spend money and time worrying about a $20 frog, but I guess I'm a frog person! I guess I also feel guilty because these are very hardy animals that in captivity can live 15 yrs, So to have bought him healthy from Petco, and only kept him 2 yrs, means my "husbandry" as they call it, has been lacking. I enjoy watching them in their pretty tank and on their waterfall, so I'm going to take the best care that I can, especially since once 'red leg syndrome' is diagnosed, the prognosis is bleak.

I have been posting on a frog forum to ask the pros (long-time owners, not vets) about his progress and tips on his tank, and found this frog lover--ironically they post on youtube and I had watched their videos; this person is so devoted to their frogs and talks to them. I found it endearing :) And I like their names-here's one of their videos:


And so they have all helped me make this quarantine time the most conducive to Nico's recovery. Here are some pics from yesterday:

 These were taken with my cell phone below---plus the red night light was shining on me which is why it looks red:

 His belly and thighs look less red and swollen. I'd say there is hope!

He even croaked in response to an old video I had of him croaking when we first got him.:) 

Stay tuned for a frog poop update...

Late Winter

Last winter we got a few flurries and a couple bad ice storms. This winter was nada...until this week, late february. At least we get to use the rock salt for the front steps. I woke up to white outside and the kids were so excited, they wanted to build a snowman. Of course it wasn't snowy enough for that, but they had fun anyway. I let them play with the snow that fell on our front porch (since I was alone with all 4). Here's Lucas trying to make a snow angel; I burst out laughing when I saw that haha--so cute how easily amused he is :

It's very cold here in schizo TX....of course this screws up all our schedules. My mother's helper couldn't come because of the roads. I didnt' want to drive in the ice/slush, so we didn't take Nico to get his shot today. Tomorrow's Faith Formation classes ( my first day) are cancelled. Soccer practice tomorrow and most likely thursday is cancelled, who knows if we will have our first game this saturday (if we do it should be fun with so many poor kids who didn't have any real practice!). It's funny because John has always been part of the "essential" team at his workplaces. Meaning, when there is inclement weather, and they say "all non-essential" employees need not come in, that has never included him. Especially in the navy, but even now. There were no cafe employees to feed him his lunch today poor guy only had some of my pumpkin seeds.

   I have been trying to use my expensive camera more because these kiddos are all growing so fast. I finally found a setting I really like on them, so here are some pics from today:

 My baby boys just had their warm baths and were ready to play---Eustace is liking this walker we brought back out. He is really attentive and smiley now. :)

More later--gotta go pump....but my froggy looks better today!

No reason, just like it

13 years and 4 kids ago:

Lent

With everything we have going on, I really want our prayer life to be the foundation of it all especially during Lent. I want to set a better example for my kids. I was "randomly" given this quote today from my Daily Catholic app...hits home for me so I don't want to forget it:

"Weak, lazy penitents abstain regretfully for a while from sin. They would very much like to commit sins if they could do so without being damned. They speak about sin with a certain petulance and with a liking for it and think those who commit sins are at peace with themselves."
  -St. Francis de Sales

Spring Soccer Has Begun!

Yesterday was both L & O's teams first practice for soccer. It was a hectic field with 4 teams practicing at once for the first time but it was fine. It has only been a few months since last season, but everyone looks so much older! We now have to take the double stroller out, unless John just takes the older 2. Frankie was happy on my back in the MiaMily carrier the whole time :) it got pretty chilly when the sunlight was gone--Texas weather goes back and forth. Hope it warms up soon for the good of all our soccer babies. Eustace stayed bundled up and warm in his seat and slept.

   Lucas practiced with his team on the adjacent field. He said he had lots of fun :)

 Here is our newest player Barrett dribbling--he has a 7 week old brand new baby brother ;)

     We have all 4 and 5yr olds and it's shaping up to be a great team. We have 5 returning players, and 4 new. Looked like they had a good time and were pretty good already at dribbling the ball.

Here's Braxton, Mason, and returning London, Ethan and Olivia--Gage (my fireman bill!) showed up to play too! 2 players were unable to make this practice --better luck next tuesday.

Hopefully I will have time enough to bring my good camera and get better pictures soon :)

My little ones

Frankie just had his 15 month appt and is actually only 22 lbs, which is in the 26%. I thought he was heavy! Anyway, he has started getting his eczema patches back again, and I think it's something he is eating. We have cheated a few times on gluten (except for Olivia because she is the only one we know for sure is actually allergic to wheat/gluten), and Frankie started eating these colby jack cheese squares he loves. I may have to cut back and see if he clears up.

  I decided to start getting him familiar with the potty--I didn't pottytrain the older 2 this early, but it can't hurt. Frankie has peed in his potty 2 times, but I think unknowingly. Here he is playing with his farm while sitting on his throne:

And then he decided to go 'shelfing' and got stuck:

Eustace has been very attentive and smiley, Trying to talk as well! He just had his 2 month appt and is in the 80th% for weight@ He's a little chunky one. Also, as I suspected he has an umbilical hernia but it is small and will most likely heal up on it's own.

It was so nice to have my mother's helper on wednesday; Frankie surprisingly took to her right away, and then when he was napping, L & O played with her outside. I got so much cleaning done without interruption, that I forgot to eat half the day! Would've been good with that if it didn't affect my breastmilk supply :( I feel I now have the freedom to take the kids out and do more fun things since I will have another set of eyes and arms to help. I was interviewed today to complete safety certification to help teach catechism to 1st graders at the church too. With catechism classes, soccer, Eustace' baptism, not to mention completing the 4th quarter of school with L & O (moving on to 1st & 2nd grade then!!) we will have a very busy spring. I am not use to busy-ness, but I think it will be good for all of us to meet people and find opportunities to serve.

Froggy Update

I took Nico to the herp vet last friday and the doc said he's got some kind of infection but she said the outlook is good because he was active and no broken blood vessels. He was angry while she was examining him (croaking and blowing its throat up, and even peed on her lol) which she said was a good sign. I trust her because I researched and she has her own geoherp site about educating owners of reptiles and amphibians--the site had lots of frogs :)

   She gave me an antibiotic to INJECT into his belly every other day, 7 times total :( She did the first one, John and I did the second (it's so hard to hold him still without squishing him--and his skin is a thick barrier that you really have to poke!), and I am taking him back every other day to have the vet techs do it for free. We have 4 more to go.

  She also said he was dehydrated--no doubt because he;s not in his normal tank with the waterfall and humidity...the quarantine tank is where he has to stay til the meds are out. So she gave me this pedialyte powder for animals to mix with distilled water and I have to have him sit in it every day for 20 mins...supposed to be twice but I only am able to once---and I leave the solution in his cage so when he goes in at night, he is self-treating.

    He seems more swollen (edema) so I am scared. Plus he has barely eaten any crickets. I am thinking I might try worms as gross as that is. But he is still very alert and likes to sit on my hand (I wear gloves to protect his mucosa) and rest on the warmth of it :) I hope to see more progress. Here are the latest pics:

 See his swollen thighs? I guess I shouldn't talk...what with my fat thighs :P

Here he is in action--looks less red but I wish the swelling would go down:

He is going to get his next shot tomorrow morning. I may see dr again even though it's a $50 charge...I just want to know he's getting better so he can rejoin his pal Peenuhlope. We will see.

** in other news--we hired an awesome "mother's helper!" and she had her first day today. Was an awesome day, and she went to mass with us for Ash Wednesday :)

Also, the kids both have their first soccer practice of the season tomorrow afternoon--John's coaching again too :) Excited !

Peenuhlope

We have had 2 white's tree frogs for the past almost 2 years. I like them because they are fairly low maintenance and are fun to watch at night. I think they are cute--and i'm not a big animal lover!
  Anyway, we evidently we haven't been taking the best care of them, because one of them seems to be sick. I always guessed that one was male (we named Nico or Nicodemus), and the other a female (we named Peenuhlope), but now I am thinking they are both male. Well, one of them, I think Nico got my attention about a week and a half ago because he was sitting on the water bowl looking at us and awake during the day. They are nocturnal and usually sleep on the highest most hidden walls during the day. Then, at night, he started frantically crawling on the walls back and forth and even hitting the top screen as if he was trying to escape. I noticed his legs and belly looked a little more pink/red than usual so I researched as much as possible online.

 This was our old tank...not ideal for them since it's not very high, and the full screen top didn't keep enough humidity in.
These were taken last friday when we first put him in quarantine:

 These two were taken a few nights ago:

 These two were taken tonight:

   There is a deadly syndrome called red-leg disease that is common to these frogs, caused by the wrong temp/humidity,stress or unsanitary conditions. There was about 5 days between ordering a new water filter that could've exposed him to bacteria. Plus, we are loud and he could've been stressed. IDK. So I isolated him in a 'hospital tank' with clean damp paper towels, a water bowl, a plant for hiding and put it in our room upstairs where it was quiet and warm, He's been there since last friday and hasn't changed. He hasn't eaten the 3 crickets we put in there, and continues with the same behavior. Not lethargic though--very active at night, but not eating. I know this seems ridiculous, since it's such a small animal, not like a dog or something, but I am taking him to a herp vet tomorrow in north richland hills. I feel like it's our responsibility to take care of the pets we have and I don't want him to be in pain, hemorrhaging to death (which is the end result of red leg). Hopefully it's an illness we can treat, or maybe there is some other explanation, i.e. weird mating season behavior or something.

   So we bought a more appropriate cage for them, so they can climb, and are trying to do better with the temps and humidity. The other frog doesn't seem ill, so he is in the new cage while Nico is in the 'hospital' quarantine tank in my room. Here's the new tank:

The other frog seems fairly happy sleeping up high next to this heating pad. He's changed colors a lot since being put in his new home---from green to teal, to brown and now this brownish-green. But its belly still looks white so I don't think he's sick. Which is why the other one is quarantined. :(

 Hope to have good news tomorrow...and not too high of a bill to pay...

February Update

Look at my doll face baby---could his eyes be any bigger!? 

 And Eustace is putting on the pounds :)

 Lucas my introvert, worked on this 500 piece puzzle for hours a day and recently finished :) 

 I went to make sure L & O were brushing their teeth before bed, and turned around, and saw Frankie took my bowl of popcorn and was chowing down (didn't spill any!) while Tyrone patiently waited haha.

 I got this diffuser (called Smiley Daisy) and use thieves oil in it daily. Nice smell and supposedly disinfects. I'm new to the essential oils stuff, but anything to help keep viruses away.

 My Eusty is getting chubby--likes to sleep on his tummy during the day.

 He has some mean looks when he's getting into trouble. He's a quick one.

 He bows to Eustace and gives him his forehead kisses.

 In big kid news, we decided to give L & O the MMR shot. It's not an issue I am ever really sure about, and my kids are not fully vaccinated. Our decision is partially because of the measles virus going around right now, especially since they are going to be getting back into soccer in a week, and possibly gymnastics, and then a trip to California this summer. But these are the reasons we felt it was the right decision--because they are older now and their immune systems are stronger, because our doctor doesn't use the shots that have preservatives, and a large portion of our choice is because of the reassurance we have, knowing that their pediatrician acknowledges vaccine injury and encourages natural homeopathic remedies and preventatives. She agreed with me about Olivia's vitiligo and did the allergy screening to find the underlying cause (a severe wheat allergy). Other doctors would have dismissed my concerns and suspicions. She goes against the grain (haha pun intended!) when she has to. So giving them the shot at their age was not such a painstaking decision, and I hope it keeps the babies safer by preventing exposure too.
   Oh--and Lucas was brave, Olivia screamed, and someone farted..lol..but we got through it and their totally fine now.

 I was trying to show how long Eustace's fingers are :P

 He's studying faces more and even smiled at Susan for some pictures:

 We went to a cool park in Frisco last week. Kids had lots of fun--Frankie ran around a while, but he likes to be on my back a lot too. And it's easier to keep track of all 4 that way!