August 2014- a low point

August started out bad and just got worse.  The month started with our thirteen year old cat, Noelle, not eating.   She had been diagnosed with diabetes in January and then on insulin.  She was doing GREAT.  She gained some weight back and suddenly became so playful.  She was like a kitten again. Then all of a sudden she didn't want to eat.  We had to closely monitor her because you can not give insulin to a cat who hasn't eaten.  Noelle, nicknamed No No was really Sophia's cat.   No No loved Sophia.  They slept together every night.  We brought her to the vet and they did some tests but nothing showed up.  They sent us home with some fluids and we gave them to her daily.  She started eating a little better and we were cautiously optimistic.  We kept her in Sophia's room so we knew how much she was (or was not eating)  She hid under the bed at times but came out when we came into room to get some loving.

On August 12th the rug was pulled out from under me.  My mother passed away suddenly.  I had spoken to her three times that day, the last time at 6:00 PM.  She had even gone shopping that day.  I tried calling her at nine on my way out to meet a friend for a quick drink and she didn't answer the phone.  I didn't think much of it, figuring she was in the bathroom.  But when I tried calling at 10:00 PM and didn't get an answer I knew something was wrong.  We talk every night, faithfully, at 10:00.  I was hoping she just feel asleep and the phone was off the hook but when I could not reach her after repeated tries I texted my brother to see if he had spoken to her.  He had not.  I called one of her friends to check on her and she was found on the kitchen floor, right next to the place where she sits.  The paramedics said it was likely something like a heart attack, something really sudden.  It pains me to think she was alone.  It pains me not to talk to her every day.  I miss her something fierce.  Days aren't the same when I can't talk to her or have her beat me at Words with Friends.

My mom

We went to her services and had a petsitter watch the animals.  The guy watching the dogs contacted us to let us know Boba ate the pills I laid out in plastic bags for Kae.  Thankfully Boba was fine.  The petsitter watching the cats let us know Noelle was not eating but didn't seem to be in pain.  Steve got home a day before Sophia and I did.  He said that Noelle did not look good.  When Sophia and I got home on Tuesday night we saw the change in her.  We put Noelle down the next day.  The vet feels that is was some type of intestinal cancer.

Sophia lost her grandmother and best friend in just eight days.  It was very difficult on all of us.  I am thankful for all the times Sophia and I visited my mother.  Steve would come up every Christmas but Sophia and I went up every fall, spring and summer.  Our most recent visit was less than a month before she passed.  Here are photos of the day we were leaving from our July trip.  Our last photos with her.

We had to turn things around.  A little over a week after we lost No No we let Sophia pick out a kitten.  We went to three stores that had rescue cats before she fell in love with a brown, four month old tabby.  She named him Mr. Twinkletoes.  He is bringing much laughter into our home.  Our resident cat, Shadow, isn't thrilled to have the bundle of energy running around but I am sure in time things will improve.  Our older dog, Kae, loves him.  She whimpers at the top of the steps wanting to play with him. Boba is too full of energy and we haven't introduced them yet.  We don't think Boba would hurt him on purpose but he is pretty rough.

Mr. Twinkletoes is filling in for No No

Sophia started 3rd grade.  She loves her teacher and is off to a good start.

Steve, Sophia and I went to the county fair at the beginning of the month.  Sophia and I joined her friend Katlyn at the state fair at the end of the month.  Sophia rode a mechanical bull for 28 seconds.  The record that day was 29.  Pretty impressive.

On August 14th we "celebrated" family day.  It was hard to celebrate just losing my mother but we went to the science museum and then had Chinese food for dinner and desert at the Melting Pot.  I can't believe have been a family for nine years.

My mother meeting Sophia in 2006

 Lets hope for a happier September.