Presents for Jax

Jax received a very thoughtful gift from the family pups yesterday, and she was so excited to open it! Thank you so much to my mom, and all of the "cousins", for thinking of her and welcoming her to "the pack".

In case you can't hear from the video, she got a duckie from Maddie, a Kong Wubba from Tessa, a few tennis balls from Westin, a blankie to snuggle in from Bailey and a bag of yummy treats from Sharkey (of course!).

Oh, no!

Jax has fleas. That's right...F-L-E-A-S!!! I am freaking out.

Puppy Pals

Jax had another busy Saturday, with two friends coming over to the house for a play date. Thank goodness for the fence in our backyard because it is just perfect for the dogs to all run around and play. It was a gorgeous day and I hung outside with Katie (Brodie's mom) while we played with the pups and the "dads" built a couple of "Cornhole" game boards in our driveway.

While she seemed to recognize Bella from last weekend, Jax was a bit scared of Brodie - a lab mix pup from her same rescue. He did happen to knock her over while running for a ball, so I think it freaked her out each time he came tearing toward her after that. All three enjoyed the many sticks and leaves we have in our yard and Jax ate countless pieces of bark (and another disgusting item that we couldn't quite pry from her mouth).
After spending all afternoon outside, not to mention getting covered in slober from doggie wrestling, it was definitely time for a bath this evening. Again, she did very well although she did try to hop out of the tub a couple times. Now, the entire family is beat and ready for a good night's sleep!

A little lopsided

Ever since we gave Jax a bath last week, we've noticed a little something...can you tell what it is?

(Oh, and thank you so much to Uncle Mike and Aunt Lindsay for the new football toy! Jax loves it and is so cute playing with it!)

Bath Time, Play Dates and Valentines

We had the all clear from the vet to give Jax her first bath on Thursday night after waiting long enough for her incision to heal. I was so excited to get her clean and start fresh! When we first put her in the tub, she was shaking and scared and I don't think she ever really enjoyed it but she behaved so well and just clung to the side while we washed her. She even waited to shake it all out until we had her rinsed and almost done. And now, if it's possible, she is even softer and more cuddly!

I got home on Friday from a long week at work to find my husband already there with Jax to meet me in the front yard. I knew something was up, and when I walked in the house I was greeted by a gorgeous bouquet of red roses. He had even gone to Publix to buy breakfast and made the romantic gesture of cooking for me while I slept in on Saturday morning. What a great husband!

For the rest of Valentine's Day, we decided to go low key this year. I arranged for a little play date for Jax to meet one of our friends' pup, Bella. We met them over at their beautiful new townhouse in Baldwin Park and let the dogs meet. At first, our shy little girl was terrified of the much bigger Golden Retriever, but once we got them outside, she opened up and enjoyed running around in the open field across from their place. We brought them in for a water break and that's when Jax really went wild...she ran around and was play fighting with Bella, even growling and making more noise than we'd ever heard from her! It was hilarious to watch them and amazing that an hour passed with us all just watching the pups.
After running a few errands, we got home and Jax passed out. It made it very convenient to have her sleep while I made a romantic dinner, complete with filet and crab cakes, mashed potatoes and asparagus. To top it off, I had found a recipe for s'mores brownies that I just had to try and they were quite delicious! It was a quiet evening but perfect to spend time with my wonderful hubby.

Today has been pretty low key as well. I think Jax is still worn out from playing yesterday because she has been exhausted all day. We'll have to plan a play date every weekend to get her some great exercise!

Jax and the rope

Here is the video of Jax playing with one of her favorite toys.

Too good to be true?!

Okay, we have an angel pup. Last night she actually slept through the night! We were amazed when we woke up at a normal hour this morning. Unfortunately, she isn't completely perfect. We found some worm bits in her...well, you know...so Ryan stopped at the vet again at lunch time to get her some medicine. Hopefully that wipes them right out!


I went to cook dinner tonight, with Jax playing by herself like a good girl, and as soon as I cut open the chicken package I knew something was wrong. I don't remember ever having a smell come from the raw chicken before (although, I don't remember ever checking) but despite the expiration date being three days away, it smelled rotten. Bummer!


Since we really only had the food in the house for the chicken parm I was about to prepare, we opted for pick-up from Cheesecake Factory instead. Jax made the trip with us, first to the gas station and then to the curbside pick-up. She seems not to mind the car at all, and I love it because she snuggles up in my arms and falls right asleep. I may have to drive around with her each day for a daily dose of cuddling!

She's sleeping now (she was asleep on my legs but I finally had to get up because the wood floor was killing my bum) but here is a little clip of her playing with one of her favorite toys earlier. The funny thing is that she likes to chew on her toys laying on her side. Silly girl!

[it's note quite working, so I will keep trying and post as soon as I can]

First trip to the vet

Our weekend at home was relatively calm and Jax did really well in her crate and getting used to her new home. She woke us up around 2:30 am on Saturday night...at first we thought she was testing us and when I took her out and she didn't go, I thought I was such a sucker, but she had already had an accident in her crate and we were too late. She slept through the rest of the night without making a peep and Ryan woke her up (imagine that) at 7:30 am to start her on a routine for the work week.

She doesn't quite understand fetch, but she likes tennis balls. Watch out cousin Westin! We even got her mini ones that are more her size (for now).

Sunday, we took her to Petsmart to stock up on some more toys (we've already had our first casualty) and other puppy essentials. She was very alert and wanted to see all the other dogs walking around the store (I held her - she's still getting used to a leash). And when complete strangers stuck their hands in her face to pet her, she let them with no complaints. When we got home, she played for a while and then took a long nap. She's a very good sleeper!

Bobo-rope, the first of many destroyed toys. We still have the head, which she loves, but had to get rid of the rope because it deteriorated in her mouth when she chewed on it.

She woke us up again last night, once to go out (which we successfully did in time) and the second time...who knows. We didn't get up that time because we didn't want her to get used to the idea of late night wake-up calls. This morning, her crate was dry and she did a great job playing while we got ready for work.

It broke my heart to leave her at home while we went to our respective offices, but when Ryan came home for lunch to check on her she seemed fine. This evening, we both hurried home after work to take her to her first vet visit. Again, she was very alert to the other dogs in the waiting room, wanting to see what they were up to but not making a peep.

What a pretty girl! She is very good at keeping herself entertained with the many toys we've provided.

She did amazingly well with the vet, sleeping in my arms as I rocked her and talked to him about all of our questions. She was all caught up on shots and vaccines, etc., so there was no need for more. They weighed her (9 lbs.) and checked her all over. They weren't entirely sure of her breed, either, but we realized the vet paperwork we received from the rescue listed her as a Shiba Inu/Husky mix. We had been thinking Shiba Inu because her tail curls, she has the coloring, and just overall looks like one. Our vet wasn't so sure...but said there is no way of really knowing and we'll just have to wait and see as she grows up. Based on her paws, she won't get too big (we hope!).

They showed us how to clean her ears (thank goodness the demonstration actually included doing it) and said we could bathe her later this week. Later than we'd hoped, but we have to give her incision from getting spayed time to heal. We'll just have to deal with a little dirt until then.

Overall, things have gone really smoothly and I am semi-waiting for the hammer to drop and a second personality to emerge from this sweet little puppy. Hopefully she'll stay the mellow, quiet, playful, loving pup we now know. You'll just have to stay tuned to see what happens!

A new addition to our family

We woke up early this morning and headed out to PetsMart about 30 minutes away from our house to check out some rescue pups that we had seen online. We pulled up and saw a massize crowd waiting outside the store...all for the same puppies. After waiting 45 minutes, the shelter finally arrived with a truck full of dogs and a bunch of volunteers started unloading them in front of the crowd. Little did we know there was a list for first-come, first-serve pick and they let each person go one at a time to look. Realizing there was no way we'd get top choice, we left.
Next stop, the SPCA and Orange County Animal Rescue. It felt like puppy jail walking down the long, cold hallway of pens and the dogs were all so sad. There were five pit bulls for every other kind of dog they had, and they were mostly older (huge) dogs, so we left empty handed again.
We decided to go back to the PetsMart to see if the crowd had thinned and stopped at a Petco along the way. This was much better, with a few cute pups and a lot less people checking them out. We walked up and spotted a cute little girl and her brother, wrestling in a crate. We couldn't really tell what she was, and the volunteers didn't help much (we could not understand what the info card said or what the lady said about it). We left, again empty handed, thinking about her.

Back at PetsMart, the crowd had definitely dispersed but they had taken most of the puppies with them. We didn't see any left that peaked our interest so we left...to go back to Petco.
We walked up and saw that our little favorite was now alone and really sad. Her brother had just been adopted and she was lonely and missing him. We got her out to play and the poor thing was shaking and so shy. After standing around with her for a while, we finally convinced the volunteers to let us take her inside to put her down and run around. At first, she didn't really walk around and was content to stay with Ryan on the floor. Then it was like she woke up and she was off and pouncing around the store. So cute!

After some consultative calls to my dog expert (aka my sister), we decided to take the little girl home. While we were filling out the paperwork, she fell asleep in Ryan's arms. And then she was ours! She had a little accident while we shopped around the store for some essentials (oops! she had just waken up, though) and then we drove her home, where she slept on my lap the whole way.

She loved exploring the backyard once we got home and so far has ingested a few leaves (and maybe some grass) while running around. Ryan set up the crate and as soon as he popped the dog bed inside (before he was even done putting it together) she crawled right in and layed down. She was out like a light, napping again, so we know she likes her crate and is comfortable with it. We finally had to wake her up for dinner (which she ate a healthy amount of, but didn't finish) and have been playing with her until just recently, where she crawled back in her crate and passed out. I am sure we'll pay for it later tonight letting her sleep so much, but it's been a long day and I am sure she needs it. We'll see how it goes!

Oh, and we decided to name her Jax...a name we had picked out for a little boy pup but we decided it still fit her bouncy personality. It stands for Jacksonville, which is where Georgia and Florida face off each October. Common ground for our two beloved teams, so it's fitting.

We think she is a shepard/husky mix but not totally sure and will definitely be quizzing the vet once we are able to take her in. She's about 10-12 weeks old and can't be more than 10 pounds (yet to be confirmed) and we were told she will be a medium sized dog. Sounds pretty perfect for us!

Dave and Lauren's Reception

Before I got sick, Ryan and I attended a wedding reception for our good friends, Dave and Lauren. It was held at a beautiful historic home in Winter Park called Casa Feliz, which had been moved from its original location across the street in order to preserve it years ago. It is this gorgeous old mansion with exposed brick walls, garden courtyards and lots of cool character for being an older home.
We all met at Eola Wine Company to start the evening and then headed over to Casa Feliz for some heavy hors d'oeuvres, live music and great conversation with friends. The decor was beautiful, with rich brown table clothes and pops of orange throughout. Since Dave and Lauren had already held a smaller wedding reception after their ceremony, they didn't do any traditional wedding "rituals" like cutting a cake or the first dance, but it was still a beautiful night and lots of fun.

Posing for our "prom" photo on the front steps

After the party, a bunch of folks headed back over to Park Avenue and went to a new night club/bar called Circa. I finally got Ryan to dance with me and we had a blast!Of course, we couldn't end the night without a few self-portraits.

On the mend

Thanks for all of the well wishes during the past week! I am finally starting to feel like my old self again...except with a cold. But I would take a cold over what I've had any day! I have seriously never felt as sick as I did last week and it took 4 days off from work, laying in bed, lots of meds and a very good husband taking care of me to finally start feeling better.
My parents were so sweet and sent me an edible arrangement of yummy fruit to wish me well. I've never had one sent to me before and they are the coolest things! Just what a sickey needs...lots of healthy fruit. (unfortunately, none were covered in chocolate but I guess I don't really need that right now) ;-)