Abby turns 2!

If you've read much of anything here you know I have a spoiled rotten an adorable little chihuahua, Abby (her daddy calls her Katie Ann). Abby turned 2 years old earlier this month. She got a few birthday toys... a sweater for the coming winter and a matching blanket and rabbit, whom we call Spot. See why... 

This is probably the cutest of all her toys... in my opinion. :)

Here are all her birthday gifts... the blank and matching rabbit... along with the matching pink and black sweater. Those two pink hearts on the sweater are on two cute little pockets. I suppose I can tuck little treats into those for snacking away from home. :)

Don't let her size fool you though. She may be tiny but all 6 pounds of her is FEARLESS!

Here is a cute little video clip of how she taunts our 15 pound house cat, Beanie.

It's really short, less than a minute. And it shows how she gets attention after she gets bored with  her toys. She's no dummy... at least she backs into him to protect her face lol.

This video was actually from about 8 months ago but she hasn't changed a bit, her looks or her actions. :)
She can be as demanding as any toddler can be but just like I felt with my son... I can't imagine life without her.

My schoolwork is paying off. I hate that it takes so much of my time and keeps me away from blogland more than I want to be :(  but it's paying off. I received my mid-term grades last week and have an A- in both Psychology and Business Math. I am looking forward to be DONE with school after Spring Semester is over. I still read all my great blog rolls regularly but to get to my homework and study time I don't comment on near all that I'd like to. I'm still here though, peaking in on you often. ;)

All New Friday Follow!

IT'S BACK... The all NEW Friday Follow!

Friday Follow is great for finding new blogs to follow. I have met some of the greatest people with it. Click above to join in and broaden your horizons. There are some cool features too like "Top Spot" bloggers and guest posts to introduce yourself to the Friday Follow-ers.

I'm a little late in joining this week. It was a LONG (11 hours) day at the office trying to get ready for several days off for vacation but I hope to still look through the list for new blogs to follow. 

I'd love to have you stop by and visit me anytime and get to me, and the family through me.

The most recent addition to our family is featured in yesterday's post.

HAPPY FRIDAY FOLLOW! :)

Pet Pic Contest with ToothSoap!

Pet Pic Contest Starts Today!

If you want to enter your pet, go visit Shell @ Things I Can't Say and add your pic & post to the Linky!

This isn't the first post about her but in case you are really new here and haven't had the please yet, meet my Abby!

Abigail Catelyn Turner aka Abby (my daddy calls me Katie though)

We were a long time finding her. I wasn't quite so picky but DH had a mental pic of EXACTLY the pet he wanted us to have. He gave me this description and I searched for at least 2 years in pet stores and newpapers, making calls for details from information I'd get from friends. I even searched the internet on breeder websites for this...

"She" had to be female, fawn colored with a black mask. Oh! and she had to be purebred. Seems easy enough right? WRONG!!

That exact make-up was hard to come by. But at the end of January last year (2009) I was in the pet store locally (yet again) and there she was! I took her pic and sent it to DH and said she was perfect and met every description on his list and said he just HAD to come see her.

I drove back home and got him and we went back. It was love at first sight. She was a "pretty penny" but we were determined to have her. We paid a deposit and they agreed to hold her til the end of the week. We already considered her ours and went to the pet store every evening after work to visit her. They would get her out of the cage and let us hold her and play with her in the visiting area.

Her daddy was smitten from the start!

It was a LONG week waiting to bring her home. I took half a day off when we went to get her and bring her home. We were waiting outside when they opened the doors. And on Feb 6th 2009 we brought Abby home!

Leaving the pet store. She was exactly 4 months old when we brought her home. She turned a year old in October 2009. 

She has us all wrapped around her heart and we can't imagine life without her now. 

She is probably  the smartest dog I've ever known and has learned so many words! One of our favorite's is "kiss". When she hears the word she immediately rolls over, belly up for you to kiss HER belly. Regardless if you've asked her for a kiss, or if you're offering her one. The word KISS is her cue to roll over and enjoy the attention.

Abby's Belly Kisses :)

Driving Miss Abby

I've never told you before but I always wanted a little girl. I have a wonderful son (you can see his handsome pic over to the right) and two great step-daughters (we don't use step really, but just so you know I didn't give birth to them and I'll get their pics up soon... they're beautiful!) but I always wanted that baby girl to spoil, dress in cute little dresses and do the "pink thing" with. Abby is that baby girl.. until I have a granddaughter some day. I have tried more than once to walk with her but by the end of my (short) street her tiny little legs are wore out trying to keep up and she starts climbing up my legs for me to hold her. Soooooo...

I ordered her a pet stroller. It came today and I couldn't wait to get out when I got home from work and walk with her. We walked about 4 blocks or so to my mom & dad's. Here's a few snapshots of "Driving Miss Abby".

Hubs stopped me as we headed out the driveway for a quick pic.

  This is the new exercise tool for me. She whined and cried if I left for a walk without her but it was so hard to walk with her and her tiny little legs.

 Looking down at her from the top mesh window view, as she watches the world... unafraid of the cars whizzing by this way.

I squatted down for this shot of her looking out the back 'window' at me as we walked back home.

I had been thinking about this for a while and finally got it here. There are LOTS of sizes, styles, and colors to choose from. There is a tray under her sitting area where I stored my camera and her leash, for our stop-over at my parents' house. And there is a cool 2-cup holder across the top for mommy's drink and my cell phone sit in one of them perfectly. I see lots of walks in our future! :)

Easter at Our House

The only 'little one' around our house now is the little "Chi-la-la" (what a friend's little niece calls a chihuahua). Abby is my baby girl, so of course she got Easter treats just like my guys did. I decided since I was playing Easter Bunny, I might as well get something out of it... besides any pieces of chocolate I might be able to sneak from the guys. ;-)

Since my guys are 18 and 56 I waived the typical baskets or buckets for their treats. I chose instead some great storage boxes that THIS Bunny will get to use, after the goodies are all gone.

I love the options of these boxes! They aren't actually photo storage boxes. They are square and deeper. They have the label plate on them and there are small "legs" (for lack of a better description) in each corner, that hold up a divider tray for more storage options. I removed the divider trays to make room for the Easter goodies and used them to stash a few of the extra goodies.

Abby's Easter treats consisted of different kinds of goodies, since she can't have chocolate. She got a couple of new toys... they never last long, she "whips" them all into shape (and shows them who's boss) within a few days... she got a couple of Dental Chews... she just knows by the name of "chew"... and of course the little princess had to have a new Easter dress. ;-)

And I couldn't complete the post without a shot or two.. or three of the princess in her Easter dress.

Sorry, this one might be a little blurry. She's so squirmy when she sees a camera, you have to be quick!

 I'm still in shock that I got this one of her laying perfectly still!

I'm pretty sure she was begging for some of her daddy's Easter goodies.

Laying on the couch next to Adam, pooped out from a busy day.

That is a quick look into Easter at our house. There were more treats around than this house needs so I'll have to get some stuff together to take to work, so it disappears faster! I hope you all had a great Easter Sunday and celebrated the Resurrection and our Hope!

All About MEme Monday - Self Portrait

I'm playing along with SupaMommy and All About MEme Monday: Self Portrait.

Here is a picture of me and my spoiled rotten baby-girl chihuahua, Abigail Caitlyn Turner
aka Abby.

 

Today Abby had her 1 year wellness checkup and vaccines at the Vet. 

She is up to a WHOPPING 5lbs 13oz!

She was not happy with the shots. She has been milking it all evening with her daddy since we got home this evening. I think she even got an extra treat or two from him. They both turned in early tonight.

We are supposed to travel to Oklahoma to see the girls. (You've not "met" my two beautiful step-daughters yet have you? I have held off posting their pics until I'm sure they are both okay with it. They are wonderful girls and both are absolutely BEAUTIFUL! ) It will be a 12-14 hour trip (depending on how much Hubs catches me sleeping and is able to speed up much faster than I allow him to wake when I'm awake). I'm not sure how this is going  be traveling that distance with Abby. Any tips you have to share about your travels with a pet?

Sucking Up!

My baby chihuahua Abby is spoiled as bad as any baby could be. She cries when I leave the house and she doesn't get to go with me. So that's at least every weekday morning and when I do run errands on the weekends. I had a wedding to go to today. My best friend, Karen's (who is also my first cousin) son got married today. He's the same age as my son, Adam. And I got a little emotional imagining if that were MY baby boy!

Abby knows a lot of words. Some things we've started spelling so she don't know what we're talking about. One of her favorite words (next to "treat, biscuit, Beanie) is "Kiss!". She loves her belly kisses. And the first thing every morning she wakes me up... crying or barking til I'm sitting upright in bed, she rolls over to assume the Belly Kiss position. The same routine applies when I come home from work... after her excitement has died down a little and the asthma attack is over LOL.

Today when I got home from the wedding, I was expected to suck up and make up for leaving her at home. My hubby thought a couple of pics were in order while I was making it all better.

 

  

We have now earned some lovin' in return from Abby.

 

 

 

And here is just a better shot of the new hair cut/color in better lighting.

And now she's crying by me here again... pacing back and forth and standing at the bedroom door.

It's clearly time for some bedtime Belly Kisses and much needed sleep. G'nite!

Home of Broken Toys

Abby has set a new destructive record. The snowman she got on Christmas Eve is now part of the Broken Toy Club. We have to take some at some points and put them up until there is time for mending. I had quite a few tucked into the decorative boxes/urns and such on the entertainment center well out of her reach. So as toys are admitted to the wound care center, she gets another one or two, something to entertain her for a little while longer.

I don't have a picture of the snowman 'before' but I'm sure you can imagine. Her "Tweety" bird doesn't seem as worse for the ware but in a second shot you can see the shredded rope legs, which have been trimmed up on a few occasions. The yellow seahorse lost its tail and eyes months ago and had to have a seem sewed back where the tail was once attached. She has what we call a 'broke-eared-dog'. The missing ear is put up in a safe place and will be sewed back on, as soon as I find where I lost it put it. Her crab was repaired recently by my niece during wound care week over the holidays. The missing third rope leg is long gone. It was unrepairable because after the dismemberment, Abby proceeded to chew up and shred the rope leg.

I got her two new toys on New Year's Eve. She has a cute brown/tan moose, who we call Bullwinkle (all of her toys get names) and a blue M & M. I'm not sure but I thought I heard a familiar appedage-ripping sound when she was playing with Bullwinkle earlier today. I'll have to get him out of her bed and see if there are any battle wounds play time markings that need attention.

 

 

 

 

 

Down Abby Road

I had the day off work today so I worked to create my FIRST Digital Scrapbook Mini Kit. I call it Abby Road. I created all the papers and embellishments myself with PSE7. I have been reading and watching tutorials on different websites and some CD's I have with tutorials on how to create a variety of papers and elements. I created this new mini kit, far from the quality of true professionals of the trade (so please be kind with your comments lol). I will provide this as a freebie download to anyone who might want it for their own personal pages. Just as soon as I get the files uploaded, I will post the download links here for you (hopefully tomorrow). I saved the elements with names of "abby lane" and then rememberd the Beatles album Abbey Road, and decided my page title and Mini Kit title would be Abby Road. Below is the page I made with the kit. I can't wait to get busy making another kit and try some new technique.

Happy Birthday Abby!

I'm just a little late in posting this but we did celebrate her birthday this week. Abby turned 1 year old this week on the 6th of October... exactly 8 months after she became a part of our family. HAPPY  BIRTHDAY ABBY! You'll never see a baby anywhere (human, canine or feline) that is more spoiled. She got a few things that you can see below... 

 

Abby got a cute pink wishbone, a squeaking Booda flamingo, an Everylasting treat ball (with refills), and the most adorable baby blue elephant. Doesn't sound too bad huh? Here's where the spoiled part comes in...

When I come home from work in the evenings, Abby is wild! After having not seen me all day long she is trying to climb up my legs, whining to be picked up. I have to set down anything I'm carrying and then it's all about Abby. If I have my hair pulled back with a scrunchie, it has got to come out and she won't stop pulling til it does. For some reason she loves to play with these things. So that too was on the list. Tommy wanted me to pick up a new package of hair scrunchies for her to play with. Nevermind that it's a chore for me to find any now to actually use in my hair because she's taken them all. But at daddy's request, Abby got a new package of scrunchies...

She love to play fetch with them, though it's me that has to fetch when she throws her head to the side, slinging whatever is in her mouth then looks at me with that 'are you gonna get that?' look on her face. A time or two I will (she has me well trained).

Here are a couple of more shots of her playing... one with her new birthday elephant (Ellie... because they all get names), and jumping up on the couch with me. We call the mid-air shot "Mighty Dog".

We love her like any parents love their baby, and have the same frustrations and 'demands' that a baby's parents have as well. Although I do have a small advantage. I just set her food and water out on the floor and her puppy pad is always there for her to 'go' on... which let me soak uninterruped last night in a tub full of water with a good book... water so hot your skin turns a pale pink... something I hadn't done in quite some time. :)

                                                      

It's now "another day"

Excerpt from Dec. 2007 post Whippin' the Cat "...I always wanted a dog. (We'll get to that another day.)..."

Well... it's now 'another day' and I have my dog! On Feb 6th 2009 we brought home a 2.5 lb baby chihuahua. Her papers say Abigail Caitlyn Turner aka Abby.

I've never seen anything move so fast in my life! Who'd have thunk it would take 3 full grown adults (me, hubby and the vet) to hold a 3 lb chihuahua still enough for shots. I managed to come out on top. I held the 'back end' hidden from view so her daddy and the vet were the bad guys she saw when that needle went in. I'll remember that position in the future too, since daddy came away with a bloody hand from her wrath. LOL

She is nearly a year old and about 5 lbs but don't mistake her tiny body. She's still 'finding her bark' and it's fun to get her going and listen to the various level changes. And she's howled just a few times, accidentally of course because she seems to surprise herself and us when she does and can't do it again. Right now we are in the Terrible Two stage. And she's teething, so just like any other baby, everything goes in her mouth. Sometimes you pull back and injured or bloody stump too if she gets her teeth sinked in enough before you jerk back. Night time... bedtime she comes alive no matter how tired and sleepy she is just minutes before we walked into the bedroom. She sleeps with us and the bed is her playground. She isn't allowed in there all day so she the bed is her playground. And when she has run a few laps and played with a toy or two (she brings them to bed every night) she will crawl under the cover, most nights to the bottom close to our feet and sleep. It's peaceful again. But Abby always wakes up first and when she does, everyone gets up. She will crawl out from under the covers, do her 'shake & stretch' routine then she starts pulling the covers off of us with her teeth... and Abby will not be ignored. But it is still a thrill to see her face when I wake each morning and running to greet me each evening... full of love.