Have you ever heard of a cat with diabetes? Well me either...until my cat was diagnosed with it!

Our poor little Pepsi had been throwing up for quite a while but we just thought he had a weak stomach. But over the last few months, we've noticed that he has gradually been losing weight and seems very lethargic. So we took him into the vet a few weeks ago and they did a complete blood profile on him and found out that he has developed Type II Diabetes! Can you believe it? It caught me totally off guard but I just assumed we could give him the daily pills like some humans take when they are first diagnosed....not quite! Instead I have been having to inject him twice a day with insulin shots, monitor his diet and eventually will have to test his blood glucose by pricking his ear! The vet shaved half of his back to make it easier for me to lift up the skin to give the daily shots. Benz told him "I like your haircut, Pepsi. You look sharp!" It's getting easier each day and he's responding well and has already decreased his shot amount but man...it's hard to add this to the list of all the other things I have to do each day! He is worth it for sure; we call him our "nurse" since he always comes and cuddles up next to us whenever we are sick or down and out....he is a family member, for sure! This disease is VERY expensive...for a little tiny bottle of insulin it's $100!! And that doesn't include the special diet, needles, glucose monitoring supplies, and MAJOR vet bills. But the good news is, he's responding well and cats can go into remission, so let's keep our fingers crossed that by the time I head back to New Orleans next month things are much improved!

So many firsts for our precious "Boost"

Boston is growing and changing right before our very eyes...every day seems to be something new to discover and he is reaching his "first" milestones left and right! We can hardly believe our little precious baby boy is 9 months old, has 4 teeth and is 23 pounds! Here are a list of some recent "firsts":

3/4/09--clearly said "DaDa" and a vague "Mama"; lots of babbling! starting to cut top two front teeth

3/7/09--sat up independently for 10 minutes!

3/16/09--both top teeth have poked through & he's able to sit by himself most of the time without toppling over

3/17/09--said "HI" to Ms. Jamie while sitting on the floor at the front desk at Oxford while Mommy was working!

3/21/09--first time to go on a run with Babe in the jogging stroller

3/25/09--last time to nurse Boston :(

3/24/09--drinks from a sippy cup the first time

3/26/09--very first kicks and pushes; beginning of crawling

3/28/09--first time swimming with Babe & Benz at Oxford

3/29/09--Boston can stand up for 20 seconds by holding on to something!

4/5/09--first snow cone and first time in a baby swing (at Esther Short Park)

4/9/09--FIRST TIME TO CRAWL!!!!

Benz says the funniest things Feb-April '09

We've been soooo busy lately that it's been hard for me to keep up with my blogging but here is a treat. Hope you enjoy the cute & funny things that have slipped out of Benz's mouth in the last few months:

2-19-09: while having dinner at the table: "Mama, I'm gonna wait for you in heaven, OK?" Then a few minutes later..."Mama, when you grow up and I have babies, I want you to be a Grandma".

3/6/09: Benz was telling me: "Mama remember when I used to play with pots and pans when I was a baby? And I replied "I sure do!!" And he turned to Boston and said "you 'member that too little boy?" And I told Benz, "well Boston wasn't born yet..." Benz snaps back: "I know but he could see me playing from up in heaven. He was waitin' for God to send him down to our family."

3/22/09--Benz decided he wanted to play "church" last night. We were hooked up to Skype (video conferencing on the computer) with Gma & Gpa P... Father Brawley started reading the Berenstain Bears bible and then we sang a song. The next part of the Mass was shaking hands for the sign of peace and then we passed a basket to collect money for the church. And then Benz had prepared communion (oyster crackers) and announced that he would be serving beer and wine at Mass! I explained it was just wine and why we celebrate with wine and he seemed disappointed by not serving beer too! After Communion, it was time for one more story and then a song and Mass had ended....and now for Benz's favorite part of all---THE DONUTS :)

3/29/09--Benz took a donut home from Church. I expected him to eat it in the car but he decided to save it so he could have juice with it at home. When we were walking through the door, he said "Welcome to our home, donut." Then he sat down to eat it and said, "Welcome to my tummy, donut!"

3/27/09--Benz has been earning money for over 5 weeks now and is working towards getting a tow truck he had his eye on. We finally decided to stop giving into his every whim and are trying to help him to learn the value of money. He is doing chores and also earns money for listening in certain situations where it is normally extra hard. He's done a great job and tonight FINALLY earned his long-awaited beloved tow truck!!! He was sooooo very proud of himself, as were we and he is playing with it extra gently and seems to realize that he wants this one to last a while since it took so long to earn!

3/29/09--Here's a classic: "Mama, I don't want more beans. I'm tired of tooting."