Hi, I'm Rudy. I'm a cute Toy Poodle who writes children's books. I live in Minnesota with Daddy, Mommy and my little brother Boomer! My big brothers Dito, Kirby and Dexter live in Heaven. I have learned so much from all my brothers, Mommy and Daddy too. Mommy and Daddy do programs for children and adults. They talk about me, blindness, transplants, living donors and many other things. I'm writing my little blog to share news and events that happen to my family and me. Hope you enjoy.
Where has the time gone? I can't believe it is August already. The only reason I know it is for sure, is because we celebrated my sixth birthday on Sunday.
Since it was my birthday, Ringo asked me if he could write the blog this time. I told him he's still too young and needs a little more experience, so he asked if he could write a few lines. I said, "Sure, give it a try. By the way, those 'lines' are called sentences." I'm always trying to teach the little one and groom him for the family business!
Without any further hesitation, here's little bro, Ringo!
Hello, everyone! I'm Ringo, Boomer's little brother. He said I could write a few sentences for the blog this time. I'm glad he asked because I want to tell you how great he is. Boomer! is an awesome big brother and continues to teach me many things every day.
This Sunday was Boomer's sixth birthday. All he wanted was a couple of special treats, which he shared with me. He also wanted to play Frisbee and lots of it! That Frisbee is his favorite play time activity. Usually I chase Boomer while he runs after the red disc. Once in a while Daddy throws it to me, but I am too little to catch it in my mouth like Boomer! I prefer to chase Boomer. He always pays attention to me, keeping track of where I am at all times.
My big brother watches over me, shares with me, teaches me, encourages me and loves me very much. The feeling is mutual :)
Happy Birthday, Boomer!
Love,
Little Bro, Ringo
P.S. Don't forget to read my writings with an English accent as I am quite British! Ta!
Even though the Fourth of July and Daddy's birthday are over, we still had some very important dates to celebrate!
On July 15, we reminisced about Mommy and Daddy's fabulous experience 5 years ago. That is the day they met many terrific people in New Jersey! They still keep in contact with many of them.
On July 16, we celebrated the 6th anniversary of Mommy and Daddy's transplant. That's right, Daddy gave Mommy one of his kidneys and saved her life! Isn't it wonderful that they are such a good match?
One year ago on July 17, we had a little guy join our family. We named him Ringo, or should I say, he chose the name, Ringo! He has been quite a blessing to our family - full of energy and character. He's a pretty good little brother, too!
Today (July 22nd) we will remember our older brother, Kirby. 6 years ago today, Kirby went to Heaven. He was Mommy and Daddy's first puppy and taught them a lot! He especially showed them how much they love puppies in their life and that opened the door for the rest of us! Thanks, Kirby! Brothers Dito, Dexter, Rudy, Ringo and me owe you, bro!
Here is a picture of my little brother, Ringo, smiling as usual! He is not quite ready to start writing yet, but he does add to the creative process!
Why are summers so busy? I asked myself that question after I heard Mommy and Daddy talking about the weekend ahead. Is it because the weather is nicer (around here, anyway) than in the winter? That might be partially true. In the summer, we spend more time outside playing. Daddy has to cut the grass in our yard so we can run around. There are always projects to do that can't be done when it's cold outside.
This year, Mommy and Daddy went on a vacation that lasted 8 whole days. Ringo and I had a long sleepover play-date with our friends! When they returned, Daddy had many photos to sort and organize. He likes to take photos!
We also had Daddy's birthday! His birthday is on July 5. When he was young, his Mom told him the whole country lit fireworks to celebrate his birthday. She said they did it the night before because they were so excited! So, with the holiday and Daddy's birthday, they saw many people (family and friends).
Next, they will be going on a paddleboat ride on a river. It sounds like a lot of fun! Next month, they are going to a concert at the Zoo. Even though it's at the Zoo, Ringo and I can't go - I think the animals would scare little Ringo and the noise would hurt our ears!
One of these days, I hope we will be able to catch up with some of the normal activities (maybe a rainy day) For now, I will feel lucky and enjoy the sunshine! Never a dull moment.
Daddy and Mommy went on a fabulous trip to Washington, D.C. this month. While they were gone, Ringo and I had an extended sleepover at the home of our friend, Jennifer. We also had a fabulous time! Every day we had at least 5 to 7 furry friends and human friends to play with us. I made sure I spent at least one night with each of the humans in their beds, so no one felt left out.
Daddy had not been to our nations capitol before, so they wanted to be sure they saw as much as they could. Mommy planned a full itinerary for them including visits with family and friends!
The first day was an exploration trip to find out how to use the Metro (the train system in the D.C. area). They flew in mid-afternoon and Mommy's brother (John) picked them up at the airport. The traffic in D.C. is a lot busier than where we live!
Mommy said it was so nice seeing Uncle John again. I know how she feels. When my brother, Ringo is away from me, I miss him, too!
Mommy and Daddy never used a train before, so it was quite an aducation. They looked up the routes they would need each day and became real experts at something called the "Blue Line." The list of adventures included breakfast with our Senator (Al Franken). They got to say "Hello" and have their picture taken with him, but then he was off to vote on something.
After the Capitol tour, they walked outside and saw the capitol on the outside, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court and several sculptures. Daddy took many pictures (at least 750 of them)!
Later that day, they had dinner with Uncle John and his family. I found out I have two human cousins named Lauren and Jake!
Day two, Mommy and Daddy went to Arlington National Cemetery. They took a trolley around the cemetery because it is very big.
That afternoon, they went to cousin Lauren's graduation at Constitution Hall. All the graduates looked very nice, especially Lauren! When the ceremony was over they all went out to eat at a place with cheesecake! As you can tell, I love food!
A tour of the White House was scheduled for the next day. The First family was out of town, so they didn't get to meet Bo the dog :( Daddy said there were many rooms. He didn't get to take pictures because cameras weren't allowed inside. When the tour was over, they could take photos with their phones outside.
When Mommy and Daddy returned to the hotel, Mommy's friend, Stacy and her husband (Bill) were there. It is so funny that Mommy has a friend named Stacy because that is Mommy's other name, too! They hadn't seen each other for four years, so it was a wonderful reunion! After many hugs in the lobby, they went to the Botanical Gardens to see and smell the flowers. Then they went to a fabulous dinner at a two story restaurant on Backlick Road.
The next day they tackled the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. It was a big place with lots of interesting stuff! Daddy and Bill took many photos, while Mommy and the other Stacy walked around and met many people. For some reason, people liked talking to the Stacys! It was so nice of Mommy's friend to push her around in a wheelchair - because of Mommy's foot, she is not able to walk more than 30 minutes at a time. Mommy can hardly wait until it is healed completely! After the museum, they had an Italian meal that was very tasty and filling!
That night, they hung out at the hotel bar while a storm went raging through the area! It was a nasty storm and a little bit scary! Stacy and Bill had to leave the next morning to go back to work.
The last two full days, Mommy and Daddy had a boat cruise on the Potomoc river where they could see Georgetown and all the memorials/monuments lit up at night. It was beautiful! On board, they had a nice meal and a band played awesome music.
The final day, they took a guided tour to make sure they caught all the memorials (Vietnam War, Marine Corp, Jefferson, Lincoln, Korean, WWII, etc.) It was very hot, so we appreciated the AC. They met Uncle John for dinner and one more hug. The next day, they took the shuttle to the airport and flew home to Ringo and me! I'll admit, it was nice to see them again - we were all smiles!
Love,
Boomer the Mellow Yellow Lab
P.S. Here's a little slideshow Daddy made of their trip - just the highlights for now...
On June 1, Mommy and Daddy celebrated their 30th Wedding Anniversary. Being a puppy, I really don't know how much 30 is, but I am sure it's a lot. I am five and Ringo is 1, that adds up to six. I started counting on all my toes and got stuck. I guess I will have to admit I don't know 30, so it has to be very big.
As I rested in the sunniest spot of our big back yard, it dawned on me. What if Mommy and Daddy had never met? What would have happened? There would be no Waibel family, there would be no Waibel family puppies. No big brothers like Kirby, Dito, Dexter and Rudy! No little bro Ringo or ME! The thought of this really scared me. Ringo must have known I was deep in thought, because just at that moment, he pounced on me. Sneak attack! The little guy doesn't get me often, but this time I'm glad he did.
I didn't want to think about what might have been if Mommy and Daddy hadn't met a million years ago. I believe thirty has to be close to a million because they are both giant numbers.
In honor of the anniversary, Daddy made a fabulous slide show full of pictures from all their years together. He even included music that really fits the life they have lived and what is to come. The music is by one of their favorite artists, Gavin DeGraw. I hope you enjoy!
Just when Mommy was making real "strides" with her foot physical therapy, we had to take a step back.
On May 5, Mommy wasn't feeling well and had extreme pain in her abdomen. She was barely able to take her transplant meds that morning, but figured a little rest would help her feel better. Ringo and I watched her all morning, she didn't move much.
When Daddy came home at lunch to check on us, Mommy tried to take a sip of tea. What came next was intense! I won't share too much information, but I have never seen that shade of green or that much stuff come out of anyone before. That's right, Mommy threw up and it was a lot! Daddy was worried, as were Ringo and I. Mommy said she would be fine after a little more rest. She hadn't eaten or had anything to drink all day. She told Daddy to go back to work, she would be fine.
A couple hours later, explosion number two. This time, Mommy threw up even more! She was so dehydrated, her muscles were cramping up and she could barely hold herself up. She was able to call Daddy and ask him to come right home. She knew she needed to go to the hospital.
Daddy got home in record speed, helped Mommy into the car and off they went to the hospital.
When Mommy and Daddy got to the ER, they took Mommy's blood pressure. It was dangerously low, so they took her right back and gave her IV fluids, nausea meds and something for pain. After a CT and blood work, they determined it was an obstruction of the small intestine and some pancreas inflammation.
Mommy was in the hospital for five and a half days. For the first two days, she couldn't eat or drink anything. On day three, she had liquids and then moved to soft food. She got sick, so Mommy had to go back to liquids. On day five, she tried soft food again. It was mashed potatoes, her favorite! That was good enough to let her come home the next day!
On Sunday, May 10, Mommy came home just in time to celebrate Mother's Day with us! Ringo and I had a card for her and we even worked at a little dance to say "We missed you, welcome back!" I jumped up to give her a kiss, while Ringo did circles around me. After my kiss, Ringo jumped up and gave Mommy more kisses while I did circles - wagging my tail. It has been a slow, but steady recovery. Mommy has to work on stretching her stomach back to its normal size, again. She is still doing her foot therapy and hasn't thrown up since the hospital!
I guess this is life, two steps forward and then one step back. It's kind of like a health cha cha. It's a good thing Mommy likes to dance!
I can not believe April is over! When the weather is nice, does the time fly quicker? It has been a wonderful Spring for us in Minnesota. We are due, the last few springs were non-existent! I heard on the news that the lilacs are going to blossom sometime between May 7 and 12. Lilacs are the real sign of spring! My family loves their scent, so we are looking forward to them.
Mommy and Daddy participated in a book and media sale at the First Presbyterian Church in South St. Paul. It was to support some missionaries. They always enjoy helping important causes. We don't have a lot of money, so donating the proceeds from book sales is a way we can help.
On April 24, we celebrated Rudy's 11th birthday. Even though he is in heaven, we know he watches over us. He can see us singing "Happy Birthday" to him and I'm sure that makes him happy!
Our book sales have been steady and we are very grateful for it. We had a book order every week last month. We're keeping our fingers and paws crossed that it continues.
Ringo and I had a play date at our friend, Jennifer's house. Mommy and Daddy went to our human cousin Emily's wedding. Furry cousins weren't invited. We had a good time at our play date and Mommy and Daddy enjoyed the wedding. We were all very tired at the end of the day. We played a lot at Jennifer's house!
Mommy is still going to PT for her foot. It is healing, but not
completely healed yet. The doctor wants her to take it slow. Mommy is
disappointed by that, but she understands. She was told at her last
appointment that the healing process could take at least 6 - 12 months,
if there are no setbacks. So, we go slow! Happy May, everyone! Hope
you have some fun in the sun!
