ICE STORM...

Well it stopped. OKC is a disaster area. It is the creepiest thing going out after dark in this city. No stop lights, street lights or lights on in homes. Complete darkness, except for the occasional headlight. As of last night, we have over 500,000 people without power. I wonder when the looting will start.

SWEET LOLA JEAN...

My Cat Has AIDS.
Ok, it isn't exactly aids...
I think I had mentioned in a previous post that Lola Jean wasn't feeling well. She has had trouble breathing for the past few nights and has been coughing. We took her to the vet last night and had her checked out. Four hours later, she was diagnosed with FIV and asthma. They had to keep her over night to start her on breathing treatments and if all goes well she will be home today. The most devastating part of the story is that both of our cats are now banned from going outside. We have to protect Lola from any chance of coming across an infection. We also have to have charlie tested. Our cats are going to hate us. I know the doctor has informed us about FVI before, but we kinda laughed it off... Kitty Aids. I guess we should of taking it more seriously. Lola will be just fine, we will just have to adjust our lifestyle a little. Here's a little info I found online about the disease. Everyone get your red ribbon and put it on for Lola.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is part of the same family of viruses (lentiviruses) as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Essentially, FIV affects a cat's T cells, the white blood cells that are essential in staving off infections. As in the human variety, FIV attacks the cat's immune system, weakening it and leaving the cat prone to a variety of illnesses and infections. First identified in 1986, FIV is found not only in domestic house cats, but is also found in cats in the wild, including tigers, lions, leopards, bobcats, cheetahs, and pumas.

The FIV virus is most often found in blood, saliva, and other fluids, and the most common means of transmission is through bite wounds. The rate of the disease is higher in male cats, most likely because more males than females are left free to roam and fight with other cats. There are some instances where the disease is transmitted sexually, and the disease can be passed from an infected mother cat to its kittens.

Symptoms

An infected cat can live with FIV for years before displaying any symptoms. The disease progresses through three stages, as follows:

Stage 1 - When a cat is infected with FIV, the virus immediately spreads into the lymph nodes. During this stage, the T cells begin to be compromised, and while a healthy cat is still able to stave off disease, some cats develop a slight fever, diarrhea, or even anemia. These symptoms are not usually chronic and may go completely undetected.
Stage 2 - During this stage, the disease is essentially dormant, and a cat will display no symptoms.
Stage 3 - In humans, this stage is generally recognized as Acquired Immune Deficiency or full-blown AIDS. For cats, stage 3 can be just as devastating. The immune system is no longer able to fend off disease, and the cat is prone to all kinds of infections, including the following:
Skin diseases, including rashes, abscesses, dry skin, hair loss, and matted fur
Infections, including infections of the gums, mouth, and teeth
Gastrointestinal problems, including chronic diarrhea, weight loss
Anemia
Behavioral changes, including dementia
Seizures
Eye problems, including cataracts, conjunctivitis, glaucoma, and inflammation of the cornea
Difficulty breathing
Diagnosis

A veterinarian can diagnose FIV through a blood test that measures the actual antibodies to the disease that are present in the cat's blood. A test is recommended if a cat displays any other symptoms, or when a new cat joins the family. Kittens should also be tested.

Treatment

There is no cure for FIV, and treatment involves managing the diseases that are caused by the infection. An infected cat should be kept indoors, preventing contact with other cats and also keeping it from exposure to disease or other types of injury. There are some vaccines on the market that were developed to help protect an at-risk cat from becoming infected, and some of the same drugs that are used in humans, including AZT and alpha interferon, have been used on cats in studies. Bone marrow transplants can also be effective in raising the level of white blood cells in cats.

just a thought...

I think I know why I am in a great mood today...
I have been calling myself 30 weeks pregnant for about 2 weeks now. Today it is official! I am 30 weeks pregnant! I have to stop rounding up, it makes time move so slowly. I have been counting down till I am full term at 37 weeks, instead of my actual due date at 40 weeks. Only 7 weeks to do, that is crazy! I have to get ready, pack my bags and get her room done. Holy Cow!!!

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BELLY PIC...

What a great evening! I helped Draven with a paper he had due. We had 30 minutes to finish it and we got it all done! After that we headed for church to eat dinner and Draven had choir practice. The dinner was so good! It was a very simple meal, but oh so yummy! Chris and I planned to go to our first birthing class, but I got the time wrong. We were going to miss most of it, so we headed back to church. He was very disappointed to see us. He thought his Uncle Jay, Aunt Jenn, Brooke and Kate were going to pick him up. He pouted most of the evening. Once we got home, Chris and I laid in bed and watch Project Runway. During commercials we were entertained by our daughters acrobatics. She was moving my belly and making us laugh. Doesn't get much better than that. Our kitty, Lola isn't feeling well. She kept us up part of the night with breathing problems. Looks like we are taking her to the vet today. Even though we were up part of the night with her, I slept pretty well. Now it is morning and back to work. Very quiet here, as usual in the early morning. Maybe it is the weather, but something has put me in a great mood. Maybe it is the anticipation of winter weather this weekend. We will see!

UGH.

I just got back from my doc appt. Feeling depressed. I gained 6 pounds in 3 weeks. That is so scary. That puts me up to almost normal. 16 pounds total for the whole pregnancy. Of course, these couple of months you gain a pound a week on average. That means I am bound to gain at least another 10 pounds before she gets here. Dr. Reisig did say she sounded great and had a strong heart beat of 144. She is now apx. 3 1/2 pounds and 17" long. Doc also said that she is going to be a mellow baby since she doesn't kick hard. I also discussed my hip problem. She said it is a sciatic nerve and I need to wear a maternity belt. Now that's hot. She also said that going to an acupressurist is a good idea along with maternity massage. I think I am just getting a little tired of being pregnant. It is almost over.

TUESDAY NIGHT BELLY AND CHRISTMAS PICS

Last night we all watched Rudolf. Funny that the three of us love that movie so much. It has to be one of my holiday favorites. After it was over I went to bed and fell asleep by 9. Maybe even earlier. I had dreams last night about my hip pain or maybe my hip just hurt all night and I thought it was a dream. I go to Dr. Reisig today and I am going to talk to her about it. The more research I do online, the more I discover that there is nothing you can do. I think acupressure is going to be my best bet. Lo has a doc she is referring me to, I just need to make the time and go. Can't complain if I don't do anything about it, right? My doc appt is at 10:30. Any guesses on weight gain? Draven said 4 1/2 pounds, I say 3 pounds. I feel like I am walking around with a sand bag tied to my waist. Bending over is not as easy as it used to be. I will update when I get back.
The Christmas tree has grown with Draven. We started off decorating in just teddy bears, then he wanted to add other animals. Now it is animals and nutcrackers. He started his nutcracker collection last year, but only has a few. Most of them are ornaments. I wonder what baby girl Henry will want to add over the years. Yes, she is back to being the baby with no name.

Our stocking hung by the chimney with care.

I don't look much bigger, but I feel much bigger!

catch up...

I haven't blogged in a few days so I am going to try to sum up the past 4 days in one blog.
Ok, friday night...
Draven and I went out to Coits for a date night. Came home and watched a movie then fell asleep.
Saturday we saw some fabulous Christmas lights. They are set to music, so cool!!! We had Lo, Al and Rusty over to watch the big game. We cooked out brats and they were fantastic. Draven had cotillion that night so he missed the game and brats. There was a lot of screaming so it was probably a good thing he missed it. Sunday we went and got our tree. We got most of the decorating done and it looks great. Need to take some pics. Sunday night and most of the weekend my hip ached. It has gotten to the point it puts me in tears. Couldn't sleep worth a flip Sunday night, so I took Monday off to rest. Monday night Draven had his first guitar program. They sounded great. It was standing room only, so my hip took a beating. Thinking about going to a doctor to see what they can do. I need to do something, it is only getting worse. I have a doc appt tomorrow and I will ask her what she recommends. She thinks everything is just normal pregnancy pain. She is wrong about this one.
Friday night belly picture.

Al helping Draven get ready for Cotillion.

Our tree.


Lola helping unpack christmas decorations.

My sunday night belly picture.

I couldn't see him, so I had a hard time getting any pictures.

Draven was very pleased to see Jose, Greg, Mike and Sarah all show up.