The Cat, The Stomach Bug and The Brother

The Cat: This is my cat Silas. I love him dearly. You wouldn't know it because he has taken a definite backseat since the girls have joined the family. So even though he doesn't get much blog time, know that I do love him. He was my first "baby." Shay and I picked him out, or he picked us out really, at the humane society a week after we moved to Dothan. He was precious and really stuck out in a room full of cats because he BEGGED for attention. Shay was hesitant because he seemed so needy but I was in love. Best part, he was on sale for $40 because he had already been neutered. He quickly became my best friend. I made him come home every night and sleep right next to me. He did that of course until Mary Selwyn was born, then he got the boot. Poor Si.

Last week when we finally returned home Silas had a lovely surprise for us. I guess while we were gone he ran into a bit of trouble and came home with many wounds all over his body. I'm going to be graphic when I tell you that there was a piece of fat hanging out of an opened wound on his leg. It was a huge opened wound. Something really jacked him up in several places. I won't post pictures because I'm afraid no one will ever read my blog again. Anyway we had to make a decision....would we take him to the vet and spend close to $500 on a cat or try and let it heal. Well it was kind of an easy decision since I don't have $500 to spend on my cat. I felt so guilty and sick to my stomach about not being able to help him but we were going to have to give it some chance to heal on it's own.

My very sweet friend Mandy had brought Luke over to play and decided she needed to take a look at this cat I'd been telling her all about. She felt sure he needed a trip to the vet but decided that if he couldn't go to the vet we should at least give him so antibiotics to help with infection. So she not only arranged for him to get the medicine but she picked it up and brought it to us along with some canned cat food. Silas was very thankful and I'm positive he wishes Mandy was his mom and not me anymore. I am happy to report that by some miracle Silas is doing awesome. The medicine must have really helped and his wounds are almost completely healed. Do not ask me what happened to the piece hanging out of his leg....it is gone and I don't need to know how. He even jumped over the fence which proves he is all better. After all the stress and worry, Silas is back to his old self, down a few cat lives I'm sure but better. I'm very relieved. It was very traumatic for me.

The Stomach Bug: In the midst of the cat drama my family somehow caught a stomach bug. It hit Shay all of the sudden on Thursday night and he was in the bed for the next 48 hours. Both girls got a touch of it also, which was no fun. We had to cancel a cook out we had planned and it really put a damper on our whole weekend. I am the only lucky one that did not get sick, knock on wood. I think the Lord knew if Mama got sick we would all be in trouble. I'm thankful I didn't get sick and that what we had was very short lived. Again, our sweet friend Mandy brought us this yummy dessert.....no one was too sick to eat this chocolate creation. It was divine. I actually think that is what did the trick because everyone feels much better now. We are very thankful for all of the kindness Mandy showed us this past week. She is an awesome friend!!

This picture does not do it justice.

The Brother: Finally, my mom and my grandmother brought my brother Taylor to visit me on Tuesday. I don't think I've talked about him since my post over a year ago when he joined the army. Well the time has come. Soon he will be deploying to Iraq for a whole year. A WHOLE YEAR!!! I can't believe it....it is such a long time. Tuesday is the last time I will see him for A WHOLE YEAR!! I'm excited, scared and nervous for him. I've never gone so long without seeing him and it is going to be a tough year with him across the world. We will especially miss him during the holidays. Please keep him in your thoughts and pray for a safe return....in a whole year!! Can you tell I think this is a really long time? Luckily I will be able to communicate with him and I have a web cam so hopefully he will be able to see the girls. Mary Selwyn loves her Uncle Tay Tay and her Uncle Bad. Guess Uncle Bad will have to do double duty with Uncle Tay Tay being gone. It was a sad good-bye for me...not so much for him but I cried after he left. It's not good-bye I know and I can't wait to see him again. I guess my baby brother isn't a baby anymore, wonder when that happened?