Tux watching kitties

Here is Tux at the back door, watching Cheddar.

Ivory

Ivory is beginning to look better nourished now that she comes once or twice a day for meals. She is also feeling comfortable enough to stick around, sometimes all day and evening...grooming, napping, doing her business, etc. Just today, she finally let me pet her...a break-through.

Cheddar

Here is Cheddar, at our back door, meowing for his supper. He has made a complete turnaround from being a skittish, run- when- he- saw- or- heard- us, kitty to an affectionate guy that loves to be petted and jumps up onto our laps for snuggling, kneading, petting, grooming.

Right now, he and Tux are getting to know each other through the front and back doors. Sometimes, they just sit and stare at each other...other times Cheddar growls and hisses at Tux, who backs down...then Tux's tail rapidly thrashes back and forth. They definitely are not ready to be together.

Meet Cheddar

About a week after we started feeding Ivory, we saw this orange tabby in the yard, then feeding at our feeding station. He, too, looks undernourished. We named him Cheddar, and he has been a "regular" from then on. He, also, is standoffish, but appears to have been around people some, because he does not run off. We can watch him feed too.

Meet Ivory

Ivory started coming around recently and last week I got a closer look and saw that (s)he was very skinny. I immediately decided to feed him/her. She ate everything we left out for her--moist and dry food--that first night and came back in the morning for more. (S)he has been coming a.m. and p.m. every day all week. We can sit out on the patio and watch her eat, and she occasionally looks up at us (with the most beautiful blue eyes). Apparently, she has been around humans and is not a feral cat. Eventually, we hope (s)he'll warm up to us. We are going to try to find a place where we canhave Ivory spayed/neutered. Maybe she can be our outdoor cat. Not sure how Tux would take to having another cat in "his" house.

Q: Guess who found her feet?? A: Baby Caroline

I was playing with my feet, and next thing you know--I fell asleep

Little cousins with newest cousin

Little Cousins

Katelyn, Hailey, Mackenzie
Having a sleep-over

Little hams

Taken after Caroline's baptism

David, Kim, Kristen, Michael, Mackenzie, Katelyn, Hailey, with Julie and Doug in the back.
Michael and Kristen
Vicki (aka Grammy) Jeff holding Caroline in her baptismal gown, and Jean (my best friend since we were 18)
Heather and Jeff holding Caroline

Precious Baby Caroline

Home At Long Last and Doing Great

Baby Caroline came home after 12 days in NICU at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. I flew down ahead of our original schedule of April 29th, to be with Jeff for moral support since Heather was still in the hospital til Saturday. Caroline made daily progress and was weaned off the ventillator, then the oxygen, then the IV hyperal (nutrition) and began to breast feed before discharge. Her resp. lungs matured after a dose of surfactant; and her patent ductus closed after a prostglandin inhibitor was administer by IV drip over several days.

John came down on the 29th, as originally planned, and we stayed with Jeff and Heather for a few days til they were able to get some rest and get into a routine with Baby Caroline. She is adorable. Will share more pictures when I get home from Florida.

Currently, John has returned to Indy after 2 weeks' stay, and I'm here at Julie's for a week and then for a week at David's--but on call 24/7 in case Jeff and Heather need help in any way.

Needless to say, I am enjoying my visit with the kids and grandkids. This was my first Mother's Day with all three kids in 14 years. It was great.

Update on Baby Caroline

Caroline continues to have respiratory distress, so they are transferring her to All Childrens' Hospital in St. Petersburg to be put on a ventillator to help with her breathing--so she can rest after working so hard to breathe. Jeff is going up with her and Heather's mom will stay with Heather at the hospital. Heather is supposed to be discharged tomorrow and plans to go on up with Jeff to be with Caroline. They are hoping to get a room in the Ronald McDonald House so they won't have to commute the 40 minutes each way every day--too rough on Heather. Keep all of them in your prayers. They anticipate a week's hospitalization. She does not have pneumonia nor amniotic fluid in her lungs, as was originally believed. They feel her lungs are still immature, due to the fact that she was delivered early (possibly 2 weeks prior to due date).
Will keep you posted.

Proud Daddy and Mommy

Jeff, Caroline and Heather immediately after birth. Isn't she precious??

Sweet Caroline

She is a little thumb sucker. She is currently in the special care nursery on oxygen, iv and monitors due to some respiratory distress. We'll know more tomorrow. Keep her and Jeff and Heather in your prayers. Will keep you posted.

Baby Caroline is Here at Last

Jeff just called to say that Baby Caroline was born by C-section (due to breach presentation). She weighed in at 7lbs. 8 oz. and is 19 1/2 inches long. She has a little dark hair and has Jeff's nose (turned up). She is healthy and whole and Heather is doing well in Recovery. Jeff said Caroline cried the minute she was delivered. Once we receive pictures, I'll post one on this blog with an update on how everything is going. We are so excited. We will be leaving next Tues. for Florida...I'll be there one month, and John for two weeks. Can't wait to see her. Needless to say,
Jeff is so excited.

Inspector Tux

" Hmmmm, what's in here?? Wonder if there's room for me?"

A "couple" of dinner guests

John called me to the front door to see these Mallards eating seeds off the ground in the front yard. How they found it, we'll never know. Don't know of any ponds or lakes nearby.

Back from Sunny, Warm Florida

Mom and I returned from Florida Tuesday...from 70's to 30's in two hours. What a shock to our systems. We had a great visit with kids and grandkids, got plenty of exercise, went to the beach, celebrated Michael's 17th birthday, stayed with each of the kids, saw dance classes, basketball game, jog-a-thon, had lunch with grandkids at school, etc., etc., etc.
I took 200+ photos on my digital camera. While we waited in the airport terminal, I thought I'd kill some time and delete the bad photos. Somewhere along the line, I accidentally deleted all of my photos...now I have nothing to show...and there was alot to see. Oh well, I won't do that again. Next time, I'll wait to delete after I've downloaded them onto my computer. Unfortunately, now I won't be able to burn cds to send to the kids and to show to friends and family. Live and learn.

A New Bed???

Tux is getting very creative about where he chooses to nap. The other night, he climbed into the bathroom sink when we were getting ready to go to bed.

John's "Assistant"

Tux decided to jump up on John's desk and help John out in his tax preparation work. See how he is sprawled out ontop of files and papers? John decided to take a break.

We're Gonna Blow This Popsicle Stand

Mom (grandma) and I are heading to sunny, warm Florida on Feb. 19th til Mar. 4th. We will spend some time with each of the kids and, hopefully, see Jay and Karen too. We have had enough of this gloomy winter weather with its grey skies, lack of sunshine and no green or flowers. Can't wait. John is gonna stay here and mind the fort, take care of Tux, 'cause he's "deep in the heart of taxes" now. Will miss him and Tux.

Happy Birthday, Julie!!!

Julie is 37 years young. Here she is with hubby, Doug and daughter, Katelyn at Christmas in Florida.

Where's Tux?

One of Tux's many hiding places, where he naps.

Caught in the Act...