Scared Momma

Being a puppy mommy has been the best thing of my whole summer and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love my little (not so little anymore) boy so much and want to spoil him to the best of my abilities. But this also means that we are responsible for him in every since way and that adds a lot of worry to both J and I. We worry that he's eating too much/not enough. We worry that he's getting enough exercise. We worry that we're teaching him the things he needs to be a mature, happy, and well behaved addition to our family for many, many years.

And then we got home from our walk last night to find this on his leg.

It's bright red with thinning hair. It's about the size of a blueberry. It's completely solid but doesn't hurt him at all. First thing that pops into my head is that it's a tick; that somehow we missed the early signs and now it's dug its way into his foot but it seems odd for this area. Then I think maybe it's a puss filled cyst; but it's completely solid so that's out. Then I think maybe he got bit by something (which is the scariest option for me given that the people I nanny for just lost their dog to an unknown, potential bug bite); a spider or something else mean but it doesn't hurt him at all, we didn't notice him favoring this foot at all, and we didn't year him cry from the actual incident.

But literally, this scary thing seemed to come out of nowhere and extremely fast. I had just cut his nails the other day and know I would have noticed something that close to his toes. We were a little comforted that it wasn't bothering him but we were still insistent that we get it checked out, and ASAP. So early this morning and we were off to the vet.

Thank goodness, the doctor explained to us that, because of his age, it's most likely a histiocytoma: a benign skin growth that is most usually found in dogs under the age of 2 years old. They appear rapidly, typically don't bother the dog (unless their location is in an inconvenient place like their ears/face), pose no harm, and go away within a few months.

I bet the doctor could see our shoulders ease and hear both of us sigh a big breath of relief when she told us our boy was fine. The only way to definitively diagnose his growth as a histiocytoma (and not something more serious) is to take a biopsy so we paid the money and should know within 3 days. I am so happy that we hopefully have nothing to worry about with our baby. I still feel like I'm keeping a special eye on him and probably will until this thing is gone forever.

He was given a little bandage because of some bleeding when they did his biopsy. It wasn't anything serious, they just wanted to keep pressure on it until we got home. Even though I know I have nothing to worry about, I was still so sad to see his little foot all wrapped up. He tried to lick it a few times but did really good with his wrap and hasn't bothered the spot all day. I'm so proud of him.

But man, can I please have a healthy boy for the rest of his life? I can't imagine how I'd feel if it was a bigger deal than this relatively freaky small growth.

Love like crazy

There have been a handful of eventful (or at least eventful for me) things that have happened in the past few days so I thought I'd share. I'll probably bore most of you because, well, who cares about these things other than me? But I digress....

* I went to Starbucks this morning for my usual order of a grande, iced, non-fat, caramel macchiato. I paid and was sitting in my car wishing they would hurry up because I didn't feel like using my air conditioning to cool the world when the barista hands me a venti-said-drink. Feeling in an honest mood or thinking that I would have bad karma for the rest of the day, I said "umm I only paid for a grande." She smiled at me, said thank you, told me if it was her she would have taken it & run and then proceeded to make me the grande I was supposed to have. Then, handed me both drinks and said I was honest enough to deserve both. So I sit here drinking a venti latte and smile knowing there's a grande for tomorrow morning sitting in the fridge waiting for me. Honesty is the best policy I guess.

*School is starting in 5 days and I have to admit that this is the first fall semester I'm not even a little bit excited for. Usually I'm such a nerd that I'm ready to be back in the swing of classes and a routine but this semester.... not at all. Maybe that's because I was so busy and so stressed in the spring or maybe it's because we may or may not have NO AC in any building on campus! I sweat just thinking about that possibility. A water main on campus burst a few days ago and they are racing to get it fixed so they can restart the air conditioning. It's been close to 100 degrees every day for at least a week and isn't supposed to be cooling down anytime soon. Some classrooms are hot even with the ac blasting. Let's hope they get it fixed, ASAP, but at least before Monday.

*My car has been the target for many birds in the last few weeks so I decided it was time to give it a wash. The whole time I was there, while getting out of my car, paying, washing and leaving, I was being starred down by an older man in trashy/dirty clothes, holding a 40 oz of beer, just standing next to his car. Can you say creepy? It was not even 11 am and he was drinking which is creepy in itself not to mention the fact that he was obviously staring at a college age girl in the parking lot. I got in and out of that car wash as quick as I could.

*My puppy is no longer looking like a puppy but is starting to be more of a big boy dog now. He's lost his sweet smelling puppy breath which is the worst part for me. He's also grown these long and lean legs and stands taller every day. We've had to start brushing him every day because his fluffy "lamb fur" has started to shed and he has a big dog coat underneath. My little boy is not so little anymore either, I weighed him yesterday and he weighs 30 lbs now! Where did my sweet puppy go and who is this dog that's taken his place?

*I am currently in love with the song "Love like Crazy" by Lee Brice. If you're a country fan (or even if you aren't) and haven't heard this song, you must go listen to it now. Maybe it's because I've been with the BF for so long or maybe it's because we've started planning our life and future together but the lyrics of this song touch a special place in my heart and I can't stop listening to this song.

Be a best friend, tell the truth,

And overuse I love you

Go to work, do your best,

Don't outsmart your common sense

Never let your prayin' knees get lazy

And love like crazy

Bring it Along

Whether is a purse, backpack, bag, clutch, etc etc, we all have some means of taking the stuff with us that we need every day. There are some things that are the essentials and must always be with us. Then there are other items that will show up one week and disappear the next. I was inspired to do this post a few weeks ago by Faye @ Faye'sbook because she opened up her purse and showed us all what was inside. She then had her friends share what was in their bags and it turned into a fun way to learn about people and their personalities.

I also wanted to do this post because after this busy weekend (more on this later) I realized how many times I changed bags in three days and was surprised to see which stuff got left at home and which stuff was always taken with. It was interesting to see the changes when we were off to the beach with the bare minimum or out to dinner with our visitors. So here my friends are picture of the inside of my purse. These pictures were taken on a normal, every day running errands/walking the dog sort of day so you can see me in my natural state.

First off, I thought I'd change it up and actually take a picture of the bag I'm using right now. I, like a lot of ladies, frequently change out my purse. Either for different occasions, because I like a certain bag at the time, or because I need more/less room for the day. This Dakine mini-pack has been around since senior year of high school. It was the "in-thing" to wear Dakine back packs and carry your books and binders when I was a senior so this was a must have purchase. I still love it but definitely don't use it as much as back then. It is currently in use because it's a lot easier to carry the puppy and go on walks with this because you don't have to worry about it falling off your shoulder.

Now to the good stuff..... the inside. I must warn you that I have a lot of things in my purse but they all have their own purpose and I can't leave without them. I decided to take a few up-close pictures of certain parts of my "display" and will list everything in attendance.

Staring in the bottom-left corner and working clockwise

1. Wallet

2. Daily Planner

3. Stickey Notes and a Pen (definite essential for someone like me)

4. Blackberry

5. Sunglasses

6. Nook e-reader

7. Personal products*

8. Keys*

9. Ipod and headphones

10. Electronics* (in a Brighton gift bag)

11. Camera (not shown for obvious reasons)

Personal Products

1. Clean and Clear shine reducer

2. Johnson's 24 Hour Moisturizer lotion (love this stuff)

3. Trident Gum

4. DCT lip balm

5. Softlips lip balm

6. Tylenol/Advil/etc etc (you can never be sure when you'll need it)

Keys

1. Starbucks Mini card

2. Lobster bottle opener from Aruba

3. Homemade key charm (yes I felt like a girl scout making this)

Electronics

1. Digital camera card reader

2. Bluetooth (comes with 30 changeable patterns)

3. USB Flashdrive

4. Ipod voice recorder (perfect for recording class lectures)

So tell me, what do you take with you every day? I'd love to see pictures so please share!

Personal Touch

It is far too hot outside today, 95+, to do anything that requires leaving the air conditioning and iced tea of my apartment. (Okay maybe that's a lie since I might go run a few errands, but we'll just forget about that.)

With that said, I've seen this post idea circulating through the blog world and (shame, I know) I can't actually remember specifically where I found the questions/post. I'd written them down because I knew I wanted to play along and silly me, I assumed I'd remember where I got them. So if it was you, please tell me and I'll make sure to give credit where credit is due.

The game involves showing the world, aka your readers, what your handwriting looks like. I think it's very fun to see how people's print/scribble/cursive/etc etc fits with their personality and life style. And I find it super intriguing that those same 26 letters we all learn the same way in kindergarten evolve into something very unique over the years. So here are the questions and here is my writing.....

1. Name and Blog Title

2. Right or Left Handed

3. Favorite Letters to Write

4. Least Favorite Letters to Write

5. Write: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog"

6. In Caps: CRAB, HUMOR, KALEIDOSCOPE, PAJAMAS, GAZILLION

7. Favorite Song Lyrics

8. Tag 7 People

9. Anything Else

In case you can't read what I've written and/or if you want the links to these awesome bloggers that I've tagged, here you are.....

Tiffany @ Will Work for Makeup

Amanda @ 20 Something and Loving it

Meg @ [Life of Meg]

Amanda @ Amanda + Don

Faye @ Faye'sbook

Tiffany @ The Apple Doesn't Fall Far

Rachel @ Simple Little Joys

Like I said before, I love seeing personal handwriting so I really want to see anyone and everyone's who decides to play along. (Even if you're not tagged, please play!) Shoot me a comment with a link to your post so I can see what you've written.

Have a good hump day and I hope everyone is enjoying the last few days/weeks of summer.

Ahh Mondays

Today is Monday which means I will most likely do nothing productive today. The boyfriend always hassles me that I don't do much on any day but hey, I frankly don't care. School is starting sooner than I'd like and I'll be plenty busy then.

On today's list...

1. Dealt with some cranky, crabby, crying girls this morning at work. I never thought a four and two year old could have such a bad case of the Mondays. Proved me wrong. It took a good "breathe in, breath out" for me to not send the little one to school in her pajamas and pee-filled diaper. Hopefully tomorrow goes more smoothly. *Fingers crossed*

2. I've made some good progress on my newest read, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but I've neglected my Nook for the past few days and I plan on doing some more reading this afternoon.

3. I want to watch this movie. We've had it rented from Blockbuster thru the mail for way too long and BF is clearly not interested in seeing it since he said, "oh I thought you watched that already" just last night. I think it looks good, I'll make sure to let you know if you must must must see it, or if you shouldn't bother.

4. Of course I'm playing along with Mingle Monday over at [Life of Meg] and I highly suggest anyone interested in finding new blogs to read and new followers for their own blog go check it out.

5. I may or may not give into my craving for a Carmel Frap from the good 'ol Bucks this afternoon. I have to say that I'm very proud of myself for not going through the super convenient, want to go every day, drive thru Starbucks up the street from our new apartment every morning. I haven't even been once! I know, I'm proud too. But, it's been a while and Fraps are always perfect for hot afternoon pick-me-ups.

6. If you remember from a while ago, I did a post about my newest, fav summer nail polish color and I think it's time for me to use it again. Ooo, I can paint my toes and watch a movie at the same time. Who says I can't check things off my To-Do list today!

7. And of course, I'll spend the majority of the day playing with, snuggling, feeding, loving, and watching this little guy. There's nothing quite like puppy love is there?

What are your Monday to-do's?

Outfit of the Day

Does it count that this is not what I'm actually wearing today? But this is my blog so I can do an Outfit of the Day in hindsight if I so please. :-) Who cares that as I type I could use a shower and clean clothes more than anything... Oops

Summer months, most specifically warm months make my trips to volunteer for Hospice a little more difficult. I have to wear something that will give a good impression to anyone about what Sharp is about (aka not jeans an a t-shirt) and something that is completely, 100% covered up (not that I'm a girl all about to put her boobs in anyone's personal space but sometimes a tank can be too low) all the while being comfortable and allowing me to do just about anything while I'm there (like watering flowers, turning patients, chasing after toddlers, etc etc). Basically what this all boils down to is that I don't have many outfits that fit all these criteria while it's 80+ degrees outside.

Sure I have lots of sun dresses and skirts but those are checked off the list of possibilities. I also own corduroy pants but again, checked off, along with all my dress pants because of the weather. I have a few long pairs of professional looking shorts but I feel like I wear them every time I'm there. And then I remembered I had these fun capri pants so this is what I threw together.

White Polo: Hollister

Gray Plaid Capri: Old Navy

Black Loafers: MIA

Black Belt: I honestly have no idea

Jewelry

Essentials (aka always worn): Fossil Watch, Claddagh Ring & Brighton Ring

Others: Silver hoop earrings and Cookie Lee Heart Link Bracelet

What would you wear to look professional and still functional?

Currently [v1]

I am...

*confused.... as to why I had a dream last night where I was a nanny for the Duggar Family (yes that family on TLC that has 19 kids... or maybe it's 20 now?) And while I was there Amber (the partly-crazy, always-yelling teen from the MTV show Teen Mom) came by for some "advice on how to be a better mom" and how to convince her chubbs of a fiance to let her have four more kids. Weirdest dream I've had in a long time. Maybe it's a sign that I watch these shows too often?

*obsessed.... with this lotion recently. I have had this same bottle since senior year of high school and yes, I have a problem finishing beauty products. But I recently dug to the back of the cabinet under the sink and was pleasantly surprised and have been using it every day since. It's almost done too!

*wishing.... I owned a staple gun. Or someone I knew owned a staple gun. I got in an odd mood this afternoon and want to reupholster our chairs at our kitchen table. They're very plain and also very spotted. They could use a new finish but sadly, I'm not about to go buy a gun just for this.

*contemplating.... getting a new coffee cup, specifically one that isn't Christmas related. Yes, I love my annual Starbucks mugs that I've collected over the years but I sometimes feel silly using them in August. I have a few other mugs that aren't holiday-ish but they're too small (aka tall sized instead of grande.) I may have to check out the clearance supplies at the Bucks next time I'm there.

*delighted.... that I was able to find a pair of brown, strappy, 3-inch heals at Target last week for.... drum roll please..... $4.95! I know, I know, what an absolute steal! Originally they were $25 so needless to say, they were in my basket and out the door with no second thought. I've been needing a pair of brown heals for a while now but never wanted to spend the money for full priced shoes.

*sad.... that I spent more time than usual to get ready this morning (which included trying new things for my make-up and curling my hair) but had no where to go. Sure I took the pup out to potty and I stopped by Big Lots but I can bet the lady at the register didn't appreciate my curls. But hey, I had the time during the usual 10 am nap and wanted to be put together. At least I thought I looked good even if no one else noticed.

*in love.... like L. O. V. E. lurve with this little guy. He's been the perfect puppy lately. Finally starting to get the hang of housebreaking, loves to cuddle when he's not too hot, and is walking on a leash and up the stairs like a champ now. Did I mention he's already starting to lose his puppy size and shape and starting to look like a little dog already? Brought him home two weeks ago and he was 14 lbs. Today he was 23 lbs! Why must he grow so quickly?

*surprised.... that the lack of dishwasher in our new apartment hasn't been as big of a deal as I thought it would be. My feelings may or may not change once school starts and I have more to do every day so the dishes will have more opportunity to pile up but for now, no biggie. Do the dishes throughout the day and then once after dinner and we have a clean counter. However, I am partly retarded when it comes to the actual washing part and it never fails that I end up getting water either on my shirt, shorts, counter, floor or all of the above. You'd think I've never touched a sponge in my life.

Colorado Girls

I've been fortunate enough to come in contact with a handful of followers that, like me, are from the good old Colorado. The BF showed me this video spoof of Katy Perry's California Gurls and frankly, I think it's pretty dang funny. Growing up in CO makes you really appreciate the places in this video.

So with that said.... This is for you CO ladies.

*For those of you not from CO, I hope you can at least enjoy this a little. And if not, I'm sorry.*

Life of a Pup

My first week home could not have gone better! Mommy and daddy are taking such good care of me. I'm a happy puppy, even at the vet for the first time. Everyone there loves me and thinks I'm so cuddly... and big already.

I weigh 20.2 lbs at 10 weeks.

A couple of my toes have pink spots. Mommy thinks they're adorable but I don't even know I have toes.

I'm starting to learn how to walk on my leash. We've been making good progress but too much pulling and I'm otta here. I do enjoy our evening walks though and I'm meeting lots of new friends.

If only it wasn't summer time though because I'm always too warm. Even with the air conditioning on I sometimes pant and love to lay where it's coolest. Daddy had a good idea to give me a frozen washcloth and I absolutely love them. I hear the freezer open and the cracking of the towel and I'm wagging my tail like crazy. Anything to cool me down.

This is how I like to sleep and lay whenever I'm in my crate, or anytime for that

matter. I even flop around on my back when I'm playing with my toys and wrestling with dad. But it never fails that this is how I'll be when I nap; on the wood, carpet or bed. Ahh the life.

I really want to be big enough to play at the dog beach because I love being in the water. Even if that means trying to swim in my water bowl or in the bath tub with daddy. Plus, like everything else I do right now, the water keeps me cool.

I can't wait to explore more things, grow even bigger and start learning more tricks. But for now I eat my food, go out to potty, play with my toys and nap nap NAP! I'm not much to brag but can you believe I sleep through the night already? I love my family and I know they love me too.

GTKY Sunday

Hello good readers, I hope everyone is having a good Sunday. For us it means trying to get a little extra sleep time since Ollie is set on his schedule and doesn't understand sleeping in on weekends. Otherwise the list for today looks like 1) lots and lots of laundry, I hate when it becomes such a huge pile. 2) Cleaning our apartment and putting everything away. 3) Paying my AMCAS fees and hopefully officially sending my medical school application out. Let me tell you, there's never been such a scary "Submit Application" button in my whole life! Can't someone else push it for me?! and 4) Watching Shark Week.... anyone else excited?

But for now, I'm going to play "Getting to Know You" with Keely @ MannLand5 so here we go....

1. If you were to win an award today, what would it be for?

Greatest Puppy Mommy? Sure, I'd take that :-)

2. What is your shoe style?

Usually anything comfortable, flip flops/moccasins/tennis shoes but that's mostly because of my life style. I'm not big on sporting 4 inch heals when walking across campus or taking Ollie for a walk. But I'd secretly love to be one of those girls.

3. Does your car reflect your personality?

Ummm yeah I guess. I love that it's red, it's pretty small and was cheap!

4. If you could take over someone's body for a day... whose would you choose?

Sadly enough, I'd have to say Kim Kardashian..... don't judge me. I think her and her sisters are very pretty (and yes, very dramatic I know) and I'd love to have her body and her gorgeous dark hair. That would be included right?

5. Love or be loved?

Don't they go hand in hand?

6. If you were on death row, what last meal would you choose?

This is definitely a tough one since I'm such a fat kid when it comes to food... but it would probably be between Chicken Parmesan from Olive Garden including the salad and as many breadsticks as I could eat OR Crab legs with caesar salad, clam chowder, and sourdough bread. Both with a glass or bottle of white wine please.

7. Have you been on vacation this summer, if so where?

I've been fortunate enough to have a pretty free summer for the most part so I've been able to spend some time back in good old Colorado with my family and friends as well as our family vacation to Antigua! Vacations are what summer is all about.

8. What is your favorite food related guilty pleasure?

Dessert. Anything in that category. Ask BF how many times we've walked through the grocery store and I've wanted Oreos, Ben and Jerry's AND the ever-so-tempting pieces of chocolate cake starring at me by the bakery. A second on your lips, a life on your hips? Nahhh