Look who's up on hands and knees!!! How did he learn that? I didn't teach him that one. How do babies know what muscles to develop and how to move? Is it all experimentation? I am just amazed. Luke is one enjoyable surprise after another.
We drove to Grand Forks in the darkness of Christmas morning and Ally sat in her dog bed, under a blanket on the back seat. Luke slept. We got the stroller, the baby, the dog, the diaper bag, the camera bag, the baby toys and blanket, the backpack and ourselves through security and onto the plane just fine. Ally got through the day like a champ...no complaints. In fact, she was a big hit with lots of the kids at the airport, and even some of the adults. Especially when she did her tricks.
We got to Los Angeles, waited and waited and finally got all of our luggage and the car seat, and then set out from the terminal to wait for the Hertz bus so we could go pick up our rental car. Of course it's pouring rain for the ten minutes we have to wait outside. Luckily we have an overhang. The bad part is that Ally is freaking out from all the traffic. She hates those air brakes and as soon as we walked out of the terminal someone put on the brakes - and so did she. She wiggled right out of her collar, turned around and ran back into the terminal! I thought for sure we'd lost her when I felt the leash dangling loosely behind me.
I whipped around and swooped her up just as she passed through the automatic doors, and thankfully there was a woman standing in front of the stroller who caught it before Luke rode serenely in front of a moving vehicle. I just about had a heart attack.
Whew.
We got to Lyons Parkway and stopped for a burger. Ally was so happy to be in the warm climate that even though the grass was wet, she went potty AND poop! I was so excited! I'd never been so excited for a dog to go potty and poop before.
When we got to my Mom's house everyone was in shock at how much weight Ally had lost. They all said she looked "like a holocaust dog". Then I felt just terrible. We weighed her and she had lost three pounds in six months. I had been trying to convince myself that she didn't look too bad, that maybe it was just the stress from having to go out in the cold, or the stress from having another person in the house. But when everyone's reactions were so strong I began to prepare myself for the worst: maybe she had leukemia and was going to die in a few months. We made a vet appointment right away.
In the meantime Ally laid in the sun by the sliding glass door and wagged her tail at Nelly (my little sister-dog). She ran in the yard and was swatted by Oleander (the cat) and barked at the neighbor's cow. Seeing her so happy made me realize that even if she didn't have leukemia or something equally as horrible, she belongs there in the sun, with another dog and a beautiful yard to run around in. I tried not to let myself hurt too much over losing her, and remind myself that she would be happier in California. But she was happy there, there was no denying it. She was happier than she'd been in a long time. She even chased a tennis ball!
The vet said that we wouldn't lose Ally anytime too soon. He seems to think it's a hormonal abnormality like Cushing's disease or hyperthyroidism (both of which can be treated). The tests haven't shown anything for sure yet, but it looks like we won't have to say our final good-byes for a long time. We did have to say good-bye to her on Saturday though. And that was hard.
Once again I tried not to think about it, but when we got home after a long day of traveling and there were no scurrying feet on the laminate floor coming to greet us I just couldn't help it. I started to cry and tell Derek all the wonderful things that I will miss about Ally, how much Luke loves her and how hard it will be to keep the floors clean in the kitchen without her around to lick them up. And just as I was about to launch into sobbing over her funny quirks and unique intelligence Derek spotted it. Another reminder of our tiny girl. My tears turned to, anger? disbelief? But I laughed as I followed his gaze to the living room floor and saw it.
My theory is that somewhere in all of the busyness of packing and getting out the door that morning, Ally had sneakily left behind a little message to remind us that she is happier and healthier in sunny California. For the last time, we came home to poop on the living room floor. It's hard to be sad after something like that.
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