Poor Jeddy

Jesse spent the day at the vet clinic today. He was sedated for x-rays and blood work. They don't think it's bone, which means it's muscular. He just has to rest, take lots of pain relief tablets and try not to move until it heals. We went to pick him up and as we walked in, we heard this horrible, loud, groan/moan/quiver. I don't know how else to describe it. Steve described it as a howling dog in misery. We joked that that dog didn't sound like he was doing so well, only to be told that it was Jesse:( Turns out he had a really bad reaction to the drugs (Valium) they sedated him with. The vet has only ever seen one other dog react this way in 12 years. That's the only reason she even knew what was happening to Jesse. They had to keep him completely covered in towels or else he'd totally freak out. It was really sad. Really hard to see him like that. He has to spend the night at the vet, sleep off the drugs and should be much better tomorrow. I work in the morning but Steve will pick him up as soon as they open. I miss him a lot and hope that he's feeling better. Poor little guy, he's had a rough few days since Christmas. Hopefully, things turn around for him for the new year. This is a picture that Steve snapped with his iPhone. This is the only way he would stay still and not hurt himself. Sigh. Ah, Jeddy, get better soon! xo

More Jesse Update

Yesterday, Jesse seemed to be doing much better, so Steve and I left him for a few hours to sleep and heal and we went to a movie. Upon our return, we were thrilled to have Jesse meet us at the door, tail wagging, something he hasn't done in a few days. Jesse was so excited to see us come home that he instantly went into what we refer to as a "tear", running around the house with a smile on his face. We were very happy to see the old Jesse shining through, but instantly tried to calm him, as we didn't want him to overdue it. Too late. Jesse let out a cry, slowed down and hasn't moved fast since. He seems, to me, to be in worse shape than ever. He's back to just standing with his head hanging low and yipes at the slightest touch. Thankfully, businesses are back to normal hours and I've called first thing this morning for a vet appointment. The vet has asked that we don't feed him in case he needs to be sedated. My heart is breaking watching him in so much pain. We feel hopeful that it is something that can heal, as he was making so much progress. Seriously, one should NEVER Google symptoms if they are already worried. NEVER EVER. EVER. I'm off to give Jes a little doggie massage and acupressure (if he'll let me touch him today), as it has seemed to help his poor tense little body relax a bit in the last few days. Again, I'll keep you posted...

Jesse Update

Jesse had a pretty rough day yesterday. So did we. Jes whimpered and cried for about 12 hours straight. Seriously. We're not sure if it was from the pain or the effects of the drugs the vet gave him but either way, Steve and I were very worried about him. We called the emergency vet and debated whether the 3 hour wait would be worth going back in. In the end, we just kept a close eye on him and hoped he would improve. Thankfully, while he definitely isn't 100% this morning, he seems better. He's moving more a bit faster and more comfortably, the crying has stopped, with the exception of the occasional whimper and he even managed a scratch and a head shake this morning. Although, he still doesn't turn his head to the left, he's definitely better than yesterday. We'll be taking him into the regular vet tomorrow morning for a check-up and possibly x-rays. This photo was snapped at the emergency vet yesterday morning. Jes pretty much stood just like that for the entire day yesterday, as laying down seemed too painful. Poor puppy. It's really hard to see them like that. The worst part was that Jesse acted terrified of us and avoided us like the plague. I think he was just scared we would try to touch him and make his pain worse, but it was really upsetting for us! I'm still worried but relieved to see some improvement!

Boxing Day evening stroll at the beach...

Steve and I took a walk at the beach last night with Jesse. It was beautiful and very peaceful. We joked that while we may not hear snow crunch underfoot, we did hear shells crunching as we walked:)

We had a really nice time together, the three of us. Sadly, I feel like a bad Mommy this morning. Jesse has seemed...off...the last few days and while he seemed just like his old self while we were at the beach, we noticed that once we got home, he seemed worse than ever. He was moving slowly, not wanting to climb stairs, whimpering and crying at the slightest touch and avoiding being near us. We ended up taking him to an emergency vet this morning and it turns out he has a very sore neck. He can't even turn his head to the left. The vet gave him 2 needles in the neck to help ease the pain and pain relief tablets that he will take twice a day until Tuesday, when we can take him for x-rays. We're hoping it's muscular and not anything with his spinal cord. I think he may have pushed it too hard at the beach and made whatever has been bothering him worse. For now, he's pretty drugged and finally able to lay down and get comfortable. We're sticking close to home and keeping a close eye on him. Fingers crossed he starts to get better in the next couple days. I'll be sure to keep you posted!

Dog Bed

I sewed a new cover for Jesse's bed with some fabric I brought back from Canada. Warning: Using a sewing machine while under the influence of a fairly large glass of red wine is not a good idea. I made a couple of silly mistakes because I just wasn't thinking but Jes doesn't seem to mind! I think he likes it. It's pretty snuggly and much more comfy than his store bought cover. Never mind the fact that Jesse is really in need of a brush! I'll let him relax a bit of his bed before I whip out the brush and scissors and torture him for hours.

Our Christmas Day

We decided to take it easy this Christmas and not make any plans that involved being anywhere on a schedule and I'm so glad we did! It's been wonderful! Christmas morning was the first day in weeks that I slept in and didn't either wake up to an alarm or feel like I should get up to get stuff done. It was bliss!

We woke up to gray skies and a temperature of only 13 degrees Christmas morning. It was great! It felt like Nova Scotia a few weeks ago when I was there. I have to say, the cooler temps in Melbourne have definitely helped with my Christmas spirit! We spent the rest of the day moving slowly and going with the flow. Here's a little of what we did...

We called our families to wish them a Merry Christmas and went on the web cam with Steve's Mom and brother.

Steve was bummed that our Christmas tree didn't have as many presents under it as the one at Steve's Mom's place! Did ya notice those gifts?!?

I made us a special Christmas morning breakfast, complete with eggnog and real Canadian maple syrup!

Once we lounged around the house in our PJs, played a little on Steve's new PS3, and took our time getting ready, we headed to the Botanical Gardens for a walk with Jesse. It was really nice, lots of families celebrating the day in the park. That's pretty common in Australia, to celebrate birthdays and holidays with picnics or bbqs in the park. Aussies definitely know how to take advantage of their warmer climate!

We are very lucky to only live about a 5 minute walk to the gardens. They are really beautiful! Or as Steve said about this one particular part of the park...it's almost enchanting!

After our walk, we decided to head downtown for lunch and a gingerbread latte. These little birds were looking for some Christmas day treats!

Go on little birdie...you can do it! I dare you!

There ya go! Yum..Japanese food...totally worth the risk, don't ya think?:)

I really enjoyed my last Christmas latte of the season and my fruit mince tart! Did I also mention that I'm a wee bit obsessed with fruit mince tarts? I need a recipe for them for next year!

After a nap, I prepared us a little Christmas day picnic for our living room floor. It was really cozy and delicious, if I do say so myself! We both pigged out while watching "Elf" on TV.

I've really enjoyed myself this Christmas. It was so nice to go home to visit my family only weeks before and really helped me soak up every minute of this beautiful holiday without having to waste energy feeling homesick, like I have the last couple of years! It was the perfect balance between my Aussie and Canadian life!

I hope with all my heart that everyone reading this had a perfectly wonderful holiday too! xo

Our Christmas Eve

Steve is such a big faker. I'm not sure who was more excited about presents this year, Me, Steve or Jesse. Steve was like a little kid! We couldn't wait any longer, so we opened our gifts on Christmas Eve! If you know us, you know that this was pretty impressive for us. We usually can't wait until Christmas to open our presents to each other!

Naughty or nice...? Depends on the day, I reckon;)

Jesse *loves* his stocking! Every year, as soon as it gets unpacked, he starts getting excited!

This present was from Nanny D. He really liked it!

Ahhhh...Bummmmm Rubbbbbbbs.

Steve made us our traditional seafood chowder and I made my Mom's biscuits recipe. Yummy!

Blink. Blink.

Steve surprised me with an Iphone in my stocking...a pink one at that!!!

Um, Steve. I think those might be for me.

There you go. That's more like it.

Steve loved the Canada running shirt from his Mama!

After dinner, presents and a movie, we skyped with our friends in Brisbane. Merry Christmas Guys and a big special Merry Christmas to our friends and family in Canada too!!! xo

Merry Christmas to All...

...and to all a good night! Christmas Eve is finally here and it's just as wonderful as I imagined it would be! We've feasted on seafood chowder and biscuits, drank wine and opened presents. We've snuggled and watched "Bad Santa" and sang along to Christmas tunes. We've laughed at Jesse opening gifts and yelled at Jesse for opening ours. It's perfect. I hope your Christmas Eve is every bit as magical! Miss you all and thinking of you lots! xo

Thanks!

A big special thanks to all our wonderful family and friends who have sent us Christmas cards. It's always so exciting to find one in the mailbox at the end of the day! Only one more sleep to Christmas Eve! I just have to wrap Jesse's presents and we're all set to celebrate! Hope everyone else out there is ready too!

Only 2 more sleeps..

..until the most magical eve of the year!

It's Christmas time in the city! LaLaLa!!!

Our very pretty tree. I wish you could scratch and sniff it through your computer! It smells amazing.

So, you can't get eggnog lattes in Melbourne. Not even at Starbucks. However, you can get gingerbread lattes and they are just as good! Steve and I had one on Friday and Saturday. I'll definitely need at least 2 more before Christmas is over!

I've really fallen in love with Melbourne but experiencing it during the holiday season has really stolen my heart. The energy downtown on the weekend was electric. Everyone was hustling and bustling and the decorations were beautiful. I don't think you could have been downtown this past weekend and not felt at least a little festive!

A very big tree! It's interactive and sings to you and tells you stories when you place your hand in certain places.

A very big tree all lit up!

I did some of my Christmas baking on the weekend, under the very watchful eye of my little helper...

See that little face peeking up at the cookies? xo

Steve and I bought and wrapped each other's stocking stuffers and I can hardly wait to open mine! Oh the excitement! We also watched a couple of Christmas movies and I made a wreath. Not sure if you know this about me but, I'm slightly obsessed with wreaths. I love wreaths on front doors and I think a wreath on a person's front door says a lot about them! This one was inspired by this chick's wreath and is hanging on my kitchen door.

I'm thinking I might make more cookie dough later tonight but we'll see how it goes. I'm recovering from a very late night on Friday (I didn't get home until 4 am!) and another late night (well late for a school night!) last night. I'll have more to share about all that later, so stayed tuned!

Only 3 more sleeps until Christmas Eve! My favorite day of the year!