FEARRRR This!

How sad (and funny :-) is this picture? My MIL thinks I should send it to one of those 'name this caption' contest...hehehhe.

In so many words, Red, our cat got loose in the back yard (basically on one acre with trees and high grass) for three days. After numerous searches, he was nowhere to be found.

We left food on the deck in hopes he would be drawn to the kitchen light and stop by for a morsel. We knew he was still back there, since we set up a wireless camera out by the food bowl and on the second night he did visit around midnight. Luckily, on the third night, when he came up (he only comes up at night since he's a scary cat---even loud voices freak him out), Eric spotted and was able to nab him.

Poor, poor thing. In just three nights, he basically got his a## kicked---he is very much a house cat! Some animal, prob another cat, bit the behind out of his hiney. The vet cleaned him up and prescribed some antibiotics. And the Elizabethan collar since he would lick and clean the wounds, which made it fester more. Two weeks later, the wounds have healed nicely. Now it no longer looks like he's been molested ... hehehehe, sorry.

As for Vienna, she has torticollis. Which basically means she has the tendency to tilt (left) and turn (right) her head. This is probably due to the fact she was twin A, lying on the bottom in the womb. Without too much room, her head was prob squished badly (not to mention, have you seen the size of her sister who was on top :-)

Vienna sees a PT for stretches to keep her neck muscles from getting too tight (in bad cases, the cure is neck surgery to relax the muscles). And since she turns to the right, even in sleep, she has two flat spots in the back of her head--- not very pretty at all. In extreme cases, if the head is too flat, it can hinder brain development and size.

Since, she's a small girl (even in head size) and since insurance was going to pay for it all, we opted for her to have the helmet (no, that isnt a $3,000 bike helmet)---- and I tend to lean 'proactive vs reactive' philosophy or help now vs too little too late. The helmet basically allows her to grow where needed, to round out her head.

Amazingly, in just about two weeks, there is already some difference. Since she started at 6mos, she has to wear it for 2 1/2 months--23 hours a day, taken off only for baths. (Baby heads fuse in about a year, after that, it is not treatable---otherwise, just hope hair will cover it all AND dont look too closely!) It doesnt bother her at all, almost like wearing a shirt---it weighs only 6oz. We cant wait to see her pretty, round head in 2 months!

Bye now from our two space cadets!