Faith - 12.28.08 - 10 weeks

Wow! I'm still amazed with how much this girl has changed in 2 weeks. She's really doing well!! I was able to go out for a visit tonight and spend some time with Faith & Phalin. Phalin of course is thrilled to see me and then goes to sleep once I'm there. When I got ready to leave, I think she was ready to come with. I told her 19 more days and then she'll be back home (not that I'm counting or anything). I'm going on vacation the beginning of January, so Faith & Phalin are going to stay with Alice until I get back. Here are updated pics...enjoy!

I had to post this picture for a couple reasons. First, we have officially made it over 3lbs now!!! Yes, the numbers are now pounds and not ounces! Way to go Faith!!! Secondly, if you look back at previous pictures you can see how she's about overflowing the scale and before she barely took up the entire bottom. This girl has made a lot of progress over the weeks, especially considering it was rather touch and go with her for a while. She's got fight in her! Overall, she's just really looking good. She's much more evenly distributed and doesn't look so horribly small. She's still tiny, but really doing well.

Faith's Christmas sweater!


Snuggling with mom...still absolutely adorable!

How cute am I!?!?!?!?

Playing with the big dogs! Faith is doing SO much better out with the big dogs in the 'big' dog room. A couple weeks ago, she'd get on the tile floor in the big room and just hit the ground and not move. Now she motors all over and amazingly enough doesn't horribly crash into stuff. She is handling the big dogs all checking her out and walking around with them. She truly has grown up a ton in 2 weeks, she's made a lot of progress!!!!

Which is a huge relief to me, I'm a proud mom :)

Faith's new found toy...shoes! Oh so fun!!!

I haven't posted a picture recently of all the pups eating, so I thought I put this on for comparison sake. They have all grown so much this picture really doesn't do them justice. All so adorable and sweet.

I went and got Faith's tags made today too (sorry it's not a wonderful picture). I decided I wanted to have one stating she was blind, if for some horrible reason she were to get away from me, I don't dare to assume people will know she's blind. So better safe, than sorry.

Faith's First "Official" Vet Appointment

Well, I was able to join Alice with Phalin's pups and Faith today at the vet for their Puppy Wellness Checks. I hadn't seen Faith in 2 weeks and it was absolutely wonderful to see her, she's grown so much!!! Sorry, I still don't have pics, I was busy enjoying her. I wasn't sure how she'd handle the vet office and appt, but she really, really did well. She didn't want to come out of the crate at first, but after a bit I pulled her out, held her for a couple minutes and then put her down and she walked around. I was thrilled to see she didn't freak out on this new surface and new place, she really handled it well. She was checked over and given a good report. We discussed her eyes and at this point we'll continue putting salve and drops in them daily and keep on "eye" on them (sorry, no 'pun' intended). Eventually, I'll get her seen by an Ophthalmologist to hopefully get some more input on her eyes and what the future might hold. Overall, she's doing really well and it was wonderful to see how much she'd grown.

I am planning to head out for a visit tomorrow and promise to take pictures and get them posted. That is unless we get blasted with another lovely winter blizzard! :)

The countdown is on, 20 days until Faith comes home!!! Yippie! Please keep us in your prayers, I really hope this transition goes easy and smooth for her.

Merry Christmas

Hello all - I have to apologize for not having any updated pictures. As long as Phalin has been out at Alice's with her puppies I've been lucky enough to visit every weekend and this past weekend that just didn't happen. I was involved in a show at my church and we had 5 shows over the weekend, not to mention horrible, horrible winter weather! So I'm dying to see my girls, it's killing me! I am hoping to get out for a visit in the next couple of days and then I'll post updated pictures. I know you are waiting to see updates and I'm anxiously waiting to visit again! It's amazing how attached I am to little Faith already! And of course Phalin! I miss them both!

I did get an update today from Alice (Faith's foster mom) that Faith is still progressing and gaining weight. She said she doesn't get the extreme potbelly after eating anymore, which is good. Something just didn't seem right about that, as funny as it looked. She said she's continuing to gain gradually, now just more evenly distributed. And apparently she's feistier than ever :) That's my little peanut!

Well, I just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and wish you all the very best in the year to come. I know it's going to be an exciting and busy year ahead at my house, that's for sure.

All our love!
Blessing to you...
Kylea & Gang!

Faith - 8 weeks...visit #2 (12.14.08)

Well, I ended up going out to see the girls again! My aunt wanted to see the puppies and of course I'll never say no to another trip to see my girls :)

So Sunday night my aunt, mom & I went for a visit.

(sorry for the delay in posting, life has been a bit crazy)

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This was my lovely greeting from the little one! :) Actually she was giving me kisses and then decided to chew on my ear. (Horrible picture of me, sorry, but it's too funny!)

This was the best part of the visit, watching Faith play! I couldn't possibly capture how funny it was with camera, so hopefully I can attempt to explain it. The other puppies were out in the 'big dog room' playing with the big dogs, but that's a bit much for Faith right now. She is very comfortable in this 'puppy room' - so Kashi, one of Alice's (Faith's foster mom) other dogs comes in to play with her. When I saw this at first I thought, oh goodness how is this going to go...but Kashi is wonderful with her. Plays with her, rolls around and Faith was loving it. She was in total puppy mode! The other puppies are playing a bit more rough than what Faith can handle, especially because they play with their sharp little teeth. So rolling around with an adult dog is exactly what Faith needs and she loved every moment of it. She was making all kinds of noises and it was just wonderful to watch! Sorry, I probably didn't do justice explaining it...

My attempt to have Faith chewing on something other than fingers or clothes :) I'm not so sure she enjoyed it as much!

Faith's new found love! It's a burrow bag and she can crawl down into it and stay warm. Alice said she just loves it! So I've already ordered one for home!

Out like a light...too sweet!

Sleepy girls....tired after playing hard. I love how Faith just cuddles right into Phalin to sleep...just adorable!

Faith - Week 8

I went for a visit tonight to see Phalin & Faith. It was great to see them! It's really getting tough because I'd love to go visit more often especially with them only 20 minutes away, but my schedule has been too crazy to manage more than once a week. Phalin just wanted to sleep tonight, she was not real interested in mom (me)! Faith is still doing well and continuing to grow. She has officially passed the 2lb mark!!!!! Yippy!!!! (sorry this picture isn't better)

Well, that's the only picture I have, sorry about that. My precious Faith fell fast asleep in my arms, out like a light! She was dead to the world. It was wonderful, so I just enjoyed my time sitting and cuddling with my girl :)

Kudos to Danielle...blog design

I just wanted to say a special thank you to Danielle who designed this wonderful blog! I absolutely love it and her work is truly amazing! I just fell in love with her designs the minute I saw them. When I first talked to her she told me that she also had rescue pets and I knew it was meant to be. She's been wonderful to work with and I just absolutely LOVE her design. Please check her out: http://blogsbydanielle.blogspot.com/
Thanks again Danielle!!!! I just love it!

Faith - 7 weeks

12.6.08 my parents & I headed out to go see Phalin & Faith. It was a nasty winter day, but we weathered the snow (lots of snow) and made it for a visit! It was great to see them! This was the first time my dad got to meet Faith. Phalin was sleepy and just wanted to be held. I could just sit for hours with my girls!

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28.8 oz!!!! Yeah Faith!!! We are on the uphill climb, slowly, but surely! This is huge compared to what she was before! Pretty soon and she'll be too big for this scale!!! She'll probably always be a small little peanut!

Faith got to meet Grandpa for the first time!!!

Who knew chewing on Grandma's finger could be so much fun!!!

Phalin was tired and just wanted to be held, Faith was fast asleep! It's sometimes hard to know when Faith is sleeping because her eye lids do not shut when she's sleeping.
It was hard to leave!!!

Faith 12.2.08

Alice (Faith's foster mom) sent me these pics the other night. She bought this adorable sweater for Faith and took some pics for me. She said the sweater is an XS and of course still huge on her! She said it 'weighed' her down so her husband, Ken, held her up for the pics! It probably weighs as much as she does.

I just had to share them...they are just absolutely adorable! Still kinda hard to believe this beautiful girl is mine :)

Enjoy...

Life Without Pets

I received this via e-mail, I'm not certain who wrote it, but I love it! I laughed with all of them, because I think I've said all of them! I hope you enjoy it...

Life Without Pets

I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.
My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.
All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair.
When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel.
When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.
I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, without taking into consideration how much space several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.
I would have money.......and no guilt to go on a real vacation.
I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grandkids through college.
The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit,down, come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it ALONE.
My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers.
My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere.
My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.
I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L, F-R-I-S-B-E-E, W-A-L-K, T-R-E-A-T, B-I-K-E, G-O, R-I-D-E.
I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside.
I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog/cat ties them down too much.
I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading 'mud' season.

I would not have to answer the question 'Why do you have so many animals?' from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get.

How EMPTY my life would be!

Faith - 6 weeks

Some cuddle time with mom :)

Time to eat!

22 oz!!!!! That's crazy!!!! Now this is after eating, so she probably weighs a few more ounces just from eating. Look at that big belly!!!

She looks very 'pear' shaped after eating!!!!

Check out that FULL belly! She literally inflates like a balloon when she eats - it's the craziest thing!!!!

Deborah was in town for Thanksgiving so she got to go and meet Faith :)

Faith - 5 weeks

Faith trying to play with Phalin and of course Phalin doesn't mind at all that she's on her head!

Cuddle time for Phalin & Faith...too cute!

Faith having play time with Phalin.

Faith having play time with little Anna (Phalin's smallest girl, who reminds me so much of Phalin).

Nap time for all! Playing is hard work!!! As you can see Faith is still small compared to Phalin's pups who are only 3 days older than her. But she is doing well and still growing, so that's wonderful!

Faith - 4 weeks

Yippy!!!! She gained weight...what a relief!! She's now up to 14.2 oz! Go Faith!!!

Faith learning to walk! Too funny!

Snuggle time for Faith with her mommy!

Is she not adorable? She's finally starting to fill out her face, she doesn't look so "preemie" puppy anymore!

Phalin/Mommy cleaning up Faith's eyes - taking care of her baby! Phalin takes such good care of Faith!

Faith - 3 weeks

I took Hope to visit Phalin and the puppies and to also meet Faith. This is Hope on my lap with Faith. Phalin was thrilled to see Hope, it was cute!

Yup...she's curled up in this blanket, I promise!

My 3 girls!

Faith didn't have a very good week, she's lost some weight and wasn't getting enough to eat. So I hand fed her some goat's milk...that was interesting for both of us! At least we knew she was getting something then!

Milk kisses after eating :)

Faith - 2 weeks

She finally no longer fits in just one palm, she's spilling over into 2 hands!

Faith again with Phalin's smallest and largest girls (as pictured in previous post).

She's SO totally sleeping!!! How cute!!!

She's SOOOO tiny!!!!!

Kisses for mom :)