Introducing Hank

My dad and his beautiful bride, Kelly, recently adopted a puppy.  His name is Hank.  I happen to think he's absolutely adorable.  He turned 10 weeks old on Friday the 4th.  I got to meet him yesterday for the first time.  Here are just a few pictures of the cuteness.

For the record, I've had puppy fever since I was 16 years old.  That's a LOT of years to really, really want something.  But so far, my life just hasn't been one that would be fair to a dog.  And until that changes, I'll simply have to make do with soaking up the puppy kisses from other peoples' dogs.

I'll be seeing hank again in about a week, so you can expect more photos soon. 

Have Kittens.

I know, I know, we're too busy to be fostering.  And yet... there are FOUR two week old kittens in our bedroom right now.  Two tiny bottles in our fridge.  And a container of Clavomox.  And we are remembering how much we love doing this.

First, I want to introduce Chaileh (HIGH-yeh) - the name is derived from the Hebrew word for "alive."  Chaileh did not survive.  Her mom had distemper while pregnant, and of the six kittens, three ended up with cerebral hypoplasia.  One died within the first week.  Chaileh did okay, and then we got called to go get her because she was fading fast.  We brought her home, filled her with fluids, put her on and under heat and she still shivered, and gave her as much antibiotic as her tiny body possibly could have handled... but it wasn't enough.  When it became clear she was dying, I did give her some pain medication so it didn't hurt.  THIS is why I don't hesitate to tell people - SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS.

This is Kiryoku.  His name means "Inner Strength."  Of our four remaining kittens, he was in the worst shape when he arrived.  Very passive, very weak.  Didn't have any interest in eating.  Could barely lift his head.  No hair on his chest or throat.  But he's a whole other kitten after just 48 hours.  Still looks silly with the missing hair, but is doing well over all.  We call him Yoku.

This is Tabibito.  His name means "Voyager" and boy, he sure is.  He's into EVERYTHING.  Has to see, has to touch, has to smell, taste... If we thought we could possibly add a 5th cat to our own permanent menagerie, he would probably never leave our home.  BUT, we can't.

We call him Tabi (TAH-bee).

This is Kaminari.  His name means "Thunder."  In the picture, he looks a little big gray and not all that cute.  In reality, he is stunning.  Jet-black, gorgeous baby boy.  Although he did pee all over the bed tonight.  Not his fault - we didn't make sure his bladder was empty before we let him wander.  He's got spunk, and out of all of them, seems the healthiest.  He jumps - or tries, anyway.  He can barely walk, but he launches his tiny self into the air, and usually either gets hung up on whatever he's trying to jump over or falls on his face.  Doesn't bother him a bit.  He likes to put his front paws on faces and lick noses, and he sucks his thumb while he sleeps.  I have GOT to find a way to photograph that fact.

We call him Nari (NAH-ree).

This sweet little girl is Kohtamashii.  Her name means "Fire Spirit" or, as we in America would say, "spitfire."  She is, too.  She's very intense.  She also is the crankiest of all of them.  Sadly, she also has hypoplasia, but not to the degree the other two did.  She's just got some of the classic signs - the head wobble, a bit of muscle weakness, lack of coordnation, and her feet don't really do what she wants a lot of the time.  But she will be able to walk, maybe even manage a clumsy run.  She can never be an outside cat, so it's a good thing she's already got an inside home lined up.  We call her Kohta.

I Might Be In Love...

with this perfect little boy...

His parents let us call him our nephew.  When I hold him in my arms, his warmth, his softness, his perfectly formed face and super-fine hair, the way he smells, the way he puckers his face just like his mommy and the way his features are shaped just like his daddy... the feel of his heart beating against my chest, his breath rising and falling against me... I am in heaven.  Or as close as it comes this side of earth.  Little Israel James... Tia and Tio love you so very, very much.

Springtime.

It's springtime once again. And with it being spring, there are baby animals being born everywhere.

We got our first two fosters in last night. Perfect timing really, as I'll be laid up for a while following emergency surgery on my leg yesterday.

Anyway, we have no names yet - suggestions are definitely welcome! Today is their third day of life, at most. Might only be their second. They are robust and healthy, but they still have spongy umbilical cords attached and eyes sealed shut, so we know they're quite young. We feed them with impossibly tiny bottles. They eat every 90-120 minutes around the clock, which is somewhat exhausting but oh so worth it. In a week, it will be every 120-180, and then every 3-4 hours, and before we know it they will be feeding themselves.

Here are just a couple pictures - name away folks! (Leave your suggestions as comments please). I will endeavor to produce more pictures for you... later. When I am less medicated. :)

From Whence I Came...

Because of an assignment for my creative writing course, I am creating a blog. The thing I don't know is whether it will remain when the class is through...

The low-down is that I am a 23 year old Christian married to the greatest man I know. I am a photographer, an artist, a Martial Arts enthusiast, and the home of many ideas. I harbor inside a vast storehouse of experiences, some of which have helped, some have hurt, and all have contributed in the making of me.

In the apartment we are renting, we house 3 cats, 2 hamsters, 2 mice, 2 frogs, 2 salamanders, and a gecko. A low pet count for us.

Lastly, I hate introducing myself.