Baby G. Update: Two Months

Tomorrow Baby G. will be two months old -- man, does time fly! In many ways it feels like he's only been with us for a few days and, yet, I can't really imagine my life without him now. With each passing week he's getting bigger, more alert, more expressive and definitely more fun. This weekend we discovered how much he liked sitting up against one of us, looking out at the world (surveying his domain, as we like to joke). His serious demeanor continues, and he still spends much of his awake time quietly watching everything and everyone.

This week Baby G. managed to find his hand...and he's currently obsessed! In fact, I've been having trouble getting it out of his mouth so I can feed him.

Another change over the past few weeks is how interested he is now in mobiles, toys, etc. He's getting pretty good at batting them and even grabbing the ring on that bird hanging in the foreground. Today I set up a mobile over his crib that plays Bach and Chopin and he was absolutely mesmerized...well, for 15 minutes or so until he got tired of it. But, hey, I figure 15 minutes is about the max attention span you could possible expect at his age!

Of course, the big milestone at two months is the first round of immunizations. I'm actually excited at the prospect of Baby G. getting his first round of shots tomorrow, as it means I'll be taking him out more without worrying so much over every passing sneeze or sniffle. At the end of the month, we're headed to Florida to visit Dave's family and while I don't relish the thought of loading all of Baby G.'s gear onto a plane, I am very much looking forward to seeing everyone (and getting out of the house!).

Tilda has adjusted well to having Baby G. around. Indeed, she's incredibly protective of him and treats him like a member of our pack.

Of course, she's still a puppy herself, which means she can sometimes be a bit overly enthusiastic. I figure once Baby G. is mobile, he'll more than get her back though.

Meet Matilda!

I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our family: Matilda, a 3.5 month old miniature dachshund!

After the loss of our dear Olivia in October, Dave and I thought long and hard about whether or not we wanted another dog, especially since we're expecting a baby in just a few short months. Ultimately, however, we decided that, if we did want another dog, it was "now or never," as the chaos that accompanies a newborn would inevitably delay getting another dog for several years and that the sooner we could get another dog and get her trained prior to the baby's arrival, the better. Yes, we've been warned that getting another dog (especially a puppy) would only add to our stress levels, but in truth we both felt like our house just wasn't complete without a canine companion and that, like children, the joy of having a dog far outweighs the negatives.

So we've brought home Matilda. While the process of house breaking her has been some serious work (and yes, both Dave and I have lost some sleep), we're well on our way to having a charming, well-trained pup by the time of Baby Boy Conn's arrival in early March. And, perhaps more importantly, she's done so much to keep our minds off of the loss of Olivia. It's been such a blessing to have a lovable, affectionate dog to come home to again. Of course, I'll always miss Olivia, always wish that she had been able to live to a ripe old age, but Matilda has already taught me that there's room in my heart for more than one dog.

P.S. - Stay turned next week for updates on both the status of the backyard makeover and the master bedroom makeover! A ton of progress has been made that I can't wait to share with y'all. In the meantime, happy weekend!

Olivia...

Unfortunately we had no choice but to let go of Olivia today, just five short days after she first became ill. We still don't know the cause (it might have been bacterial, fungal, or a toxin), but the effect was quite simply devastating -- her liver completely shut down, and no manner of drug nor treatment was going to bring it back. I'm still in a state of shock at this twist my life has taken in less than a week. But I suppose you never expect tragedies, nor can you ever prepare yourself for one.

Saying goodbye to her this morning was one of the harder things I have ever had to endure, but I know that in the end Dave and I made the right decision by ending her suffering rather than needlessly pursuing life-extending (but not life-enhancing) treatments. The process was made somewhat easier by a wonderfully supportive and incredibly gifted veterinarian and staff. I know they did all they could for her...and I was amazed to see them all in tears as well at the end. But then again, Olivia was (and I don't think I'm overstating things here) just about the cutest dog out there, with the personality to match. I wish I could have brought her home with me at the end of this ordeal, but I know that just wasn't meant to be.

Olivia taught me so many things in the 3 short years I had her. She taught me how to take care of someone else, someone totally dependent on me. She taught me greater patience, especially in her puppy phase. She taught me to take joy in the simple things: food, sun...feathers. Beyond these lessons, she gave me so much joy and comfort. My hope is at the end she knew this, and that she knew how much she was loved -- not just by Dave and I, but by so many other family and friends.


I have often been accused of loving her overly much, but to quote my father "if you don't love 'em, what's the point?" And I have to agree. Despite the pain Dave and I are going through now, it's worth every second I got to spend with her. I had hoped to enjoy Olivia for years to come, but I know that I was lucky to have her, if only for a short while.

St. Francis of Assisi believed that all animals, and not just humans, have souls. Because all living things are an expression of God, to St. Francis, they were considered sacred and to be cared for. And I would like to think that's true. For we are all God's creatures, and His heart and His heavenly home have room for the lot of us. If that's the case, then I know for certain that Olivia is there now, playing with my childhood dog Gretel and in good hands until I can be with her again.

I used to joke that Olivia was the puppy of my dreams, the puppy of my heart. And she will be in my dreams and in my heart forever. I know that in time Dave and I will get another dachshund -- I'm just a dog (specifically, dachshund) lover. But no dog will ever replace her: she was, after all, my Olivsita, my Chub-buns, my baby.

Olivia Update

After a horrible day yesterday, when every sign pointed towards me having to say goodbye to Olivia today, we have received some very positive news this morning. Olivia has started to respond to treatments, her liver is recovering and, while we're not out of the woods yet, the vet is "cautiously optimistic".

I will still count it as a tremendous blessing if I get to take Olivia home after this ordeal, but this is the first real sign of hope that I've had since she fell sick on Saturday afternoon. And, for now, I'll cling to it. Many thanks for all your sweet comments and notes. I have been reminded how lucky I am to have such amazing friends, family, coworkers and blog readers.

In the interim, please continue to pray for Olivia's recovery. And of course for my cousin Patrick, who continues his fight in NICU after suffering serious head trauma during a terrible car accident two and a half weeks ago. A family friend has been sending around daily devotionals for Patrick (and for my cousin KB who is serving in Afghanistan as a surgeon). Today's was particularly poignant for me.

Psalm 23 is one of the most famous passages in the Bible, and its first 3 verses read as follows:

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases verse 3 in a way that really spoke to me today:

True to your word,

you let me catch my breath

and send me in the right direction.

 

I do not know yet whether we are past the storm or merely in its eye, but today I am grateful for this moment of calm to catch my breath and collect my thoughts.

Olivia...

Update (7pm): Many thanks for all the sweet messages and comments. We had to do a plasma transfusion today, but fortunately Olivia has responded very well to treatment so far and her vitals and behavior are both markedly better. We won't be out of the woods until tomorrow when we can do some more blood work, but this is a very hopeful development.

Please excuse the lack of postings this week. My darling dachsund Olivia has become suddenly and extremely ill. The vet is saying she is suffering from acute liver failure and now the job is to ascertain the cause (many of which are, thankfully, treatable). In the meantime though, to say I'm distracted (okay, distraught) right now is an immense understatement.

Olivia, reclining

Today I wanted to share with you all a recent watercolor my mother did of my dachshund Olivia. I think she did a wonderful job of capturing Olivia's personality (and, let's face it, her voluptuous figure). To give you a point of reference, the watercolor is based on this photograph that I took of Olivia a few weeks back in my office:

Of course, since both the artist and the subject are near and dear to my heart, this piece will have pride of place in my home once it's framed.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and, to all you mothers out there, happy (belated) Mother's Day. And to my own artistic mother: Happy Mother's Day, Moomie!

Dachshund Bookends at any Budget

As a bibliophile and a dachshund owner (and lover), I am naturally drawn to just about any pair of dachshund bookends. But even if a wiener dog hasn't stolen your heart and/or taken over your home, these bookends bring a nice dose of levity to your decor: As your book collection grows, so too does Fido. Above is a shot of my own pair of dachshund bookends (a Christmas present from my sister-in-law) framing my small collection of Penguin Classics in my office. [By the way, I'm trying to decide what color to paint out the back of the bookshelf -- any suggestions?] Update: I received a number of inquiries regarding the bookshelf itself. I got it from Overstock a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, this particular style is no longer available, but the companion pieces (smaller shelves, medicine cabinet, linen tower, etc.) can be viewed HERE. It's actually marketed as a bath cabinet, but I think it works equally well elsewhere, don't you?

If you're in the market for your own set of playful bookends, there are dachshund bookends at just about every price point:

Source list: 1. Platinum: Dachshund bookends - brown (acrylic, $265) available at Barney's. 2. Gold: Dachshund bookends (stonewear and wood, $150) available at Jonathan Adler. 3. ATM: Jonathan Adler Dachshund bookends (white resin, $39.95) available at Barnes & Noble.

Who wore it better?

One of my favorite features in all those gossip magazines is the old-standby "Who Wore it Better"? Not only am I consistently amazed at how the same dress can look completely different on two different women, but I love to see how different people accessorize the same dress or blouse to make it suit their own tastes and style. I initially bought this darling pink winter holiday coat for my Christmas cards (the idea was to have a posed picture of Olivia in said coat underneath the Christmas tree...we'll see if she cooperates next week). My mother though, couldn't resist trying it on her own dachshund Beatrice and taking pictures of both dogs decked out in their holiday duds. {Oh and, if you're interested, I purchased the outfit here.}

So what do you think? Who wore it better? While my mom posed the same question earlier this week on her blog, Olivia was a bit disappointed by the obviously biased results. Ever the princess, she has demanded a new vote -- this time, with votes polled anonymously (so no pressure!).

And while we're on the subject of dressing up canines, what are your thoughts on the matter? Cute or cruel? I don't as a habit dress Olivia -- I figure she's cute enough on her own. But I can't deny the temptation has been there whenever I spy a particularly cute doggie sweater. If the weather in Houston were cold enough to justify the price tag, I'm not sure I could resist getting Olivia this for the holiday season.

But back to the matter at hand: --

poll by twiigs.com

"From Crate...to Great"

Gigi, all grown up courtesy of Kelley Lynne Photography

So we are back again with another animal related post. I think I am starting to turn into one of those weird people that doesn't have any kids and talks about their pets as if they are children. I also think the stories about my pets are hilarious and I'm usually met with a sigh and a blank stare from Heather at this point. And that makes me love telling her THAT much more. Bahahahaha....

I was going through my ginormous stack of magazines and catalogs tonight and came across In the Company of Dogs. Have you seen this catalog, my dear readers? Pet accessories have come a long way; I was so impressed that I had to share.

Look at these crates:

Seriously? The crate that I have is basically a dog jail. This is beautiful!

What about these fancy gates:

How about these fabulous bowls?

Or for our more traditional clients:

And we cannot forget our clients who love modernism and clean lines:

What? Topiaries? O.K., now maybe they've gone too far

I could go on and on forever, but even I realize I'm beginning to cross the line. You have to admit, pet accessories have come a LONG way from the cardboard box in the garage. And I promise the next blog will have nothing pet related. Did I tell you what Gigi did last night.....???

A doxie by Jonathan Adler = Love at First Sight

Should a certain husband still be on the look out for a birthday present for his devoted wife, might I ever so subtly suggest that this might just be the perfect gift? You'll find it here -- and if you order now, you just might get it in time for said devoted wife's birthday. There. Was that (un)subtle enough?

For those of you who AREN'T my husband, I still highly recommend checking out the latest and greatest on Adler's website. His new salt & pepper shakers are beyond adorable. At $48 a set, they're a great option for birthdays, hostess gifts -- or just a treat for yourself. I find the Garden of Eden set (shown above) particularly tempting. Other offerings include napkin rings (the owl is my favorite, though the $18 a pop price tag is a little silly), place card holders (be still my heart, more dachshunds, but again, $28 apiece is ludicrous), and a whole lot more lacquer.

Happy shopping!

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

These are our two cats, Subito (Latin for "suddenly", age 6) and Clio (named for the Greek Muse of History, age 2.5). While they may look innocent, don't be fooled by the sweet picture. In fact, in recent weeks they've conspired to wreck havoc on my house and turn it in to one giant scratching post. What's more frustrating is that they both have excellent taste. Mats and posts specifically designed for their scratching pleasure are deliberately ignored in favor of the really good stuff: the sofa, the chair I just got recovered, the good Oriental rug. Weekly nail clippings have only encouraged them to resharpen freshly clipped claws as quickly as possible to resume their destructive behaivor.

I'm at my wits' end and now turn to you, gentle readers, for advice. Any ideas short of declawing (which is particularly cruel at their ages, I think)? How do you keep your pets off furniture and your cats from scratching your house to bits? Please help!

Dachshund Wallpaper

As I've noted on this blog before, I just can't get enough of dachshund decor -- after all, it even alliterates! And fortunately for me, neither can the Germans. German company sb 2designers has come out with reuseable and allegedly easy-to-apply wallpaper featuring my favorite four-legged animal in, among other available colorways, an eye-searing fuschia and pink combination.

Individual strips of wallpaper are sold separately and can be arranged to form alternating stripes (as shown above) or a solid wall (as shown below). For the decorator looking for a more subtle (well, relatively, anyway) look, a more subdued palette of cream and white is available:

I'm honestly tempted by this picture. How cute would this wallpaper be in a powder room? Or as liner for drawers or shelves? In addition to the two colorways shown above, the Haufenweise pattern is also available in fuschia/gray, citron/white, and lime/white (the latter two would each make rather entertaining feature walls in a child's bedroom or nursery). Prices start at 36 Euros per strip, plus applicable VAT and postage, and custom orders are possible. I would highly recommend surfing around on s2b's website: not only are their other patterns amusing, but their English translations are hilarious.

I'm reluctant to point this out, because I am somewhat serious when I say I love this wallpaper, but sb 2designers offers the following as a coordinating pattern to its Haufenwise wallpaper:

If you can't make it out, here's a close-up of the pattern in the gray/fuschia colorway:

Yes, that's dog poop. For your wall. Seriously. This may just be so bad, it's great. Thoughts?

Via the always adorable Dachshund Love.

Un chien à la mode? Oui!

If Olivia and I had our druthers (and an unlimited budget with which to spend on her), we would stock up on the new spring collection from Louisdog (and available for sale online at Ritzy Rover), a Korean company with a modern and distinctly French take on canine paraphernalia. In particular, I love their liberal use of gray stripes (oui! oui!) and dusty pinks and purples. Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Olivia would be too cute for words in that necklace/collar as well. Unfortunately, with chew toys at $9.99 a pop, outfits starting at $46.99 and dog beds averaging over $100, Olivia will have to make do with playing un modèle virtuel for now. Ah well, a pup can dream, can't she?

My Family

Here's a shot of my husband Dave with our pets (Subito in his lap, Clio trying to break free in his arms, and Olivia in her favorite spot -- just about anyone's shoulders). I know I'm horribly biased, but aren't they all just the cutest?

Subi Two-Toes

I thought I'd go ahead and formally introduce our pets. First up is our eldest, Subito* (Subi for short, aka Fatness or Fatty, rapper name "Subi Two-Toes"), our 5-year old red (yes red, not orange) tabby cat.

Here's a shot of Subi as a kitten -- freakin' adorable, eh? But, alas, I didn't get to meet her until she was 2-years old, full grown, and already obese. She's my red headed step child. Here's how she wound up with us: Subi's "real mom" was Dave's ex, who found Subi in the parking lot at work when Subi was just a few weeks old, warming herself via car exhaust. When Dave and his ex split up a year or so later, they each took one of their cats with them. Subi's unnatural attachment to Dave pretty much necessitated that she go with him. In fact, I'm fairly certain my husband is the only person Subi actually loves, let alone likes. Prior to my arrival on the scene, it was just Dave and Subi -- and I suspect Subi sorely misses those days. Can't you tell? She's giving me 'da stink eye:

Her favorite spot in the entire house is sitting on his chest, staring at him. I call it creepy; Dave calls it sweet -- I suppose it all depends on whether or not you're a cat person. I am, quite honestly, not (was that obvious?). And yet, despite my prediliction to dislike cats, Subi manages to charm even me on occassion. Even I can't resist this:

Next week: our forgotten middle "child" Clio.

__________________

* - Subito is a Latin adverb that means "suddenly". Alas for Subi, the name has proven to be ironic. Subito is perhaps the slowest cat ever. She has a stunted tail that prevents her from having very good balance and, as a result, she moves at a snail's pace to keep from toppling over.

Dachshunds: The New Trend in Home Decor?

I suspect I am going to be accused of trying to initiate this trend for my own benefit. After all, I did turn some old Ikea mirrors into decorative omages to my own dachshund for my entryway (see here); however, I have noticed a growing number of chic dachshund-related home accessories on the market. Could dachshunds becoming a part of the continuing trend of animals in home decor?

Dachshund Coat rack (from Rose and Radishes):



Happy Hot Dog Clock (from Naked Decor):
Happy Hot Dog Pillow (also from Naked Decor):

Dachshund Lamp (from Willow):

What I think is most notable about all of these items is their very explicit references to pop art. Perhaps they all took their cue from Andy Warhol's Portrait of Maurice?

In addition to being an nice change of pace from the organic or mid century styles employed in most "animal decor" recently, I think drawing upon inspiration from pop art is particularly appropriate for the subject matter. After all, a core tenant of the movement was the elevation of the everyday to the status of art. Pop art is also typically associated with an irreverence that befits the dachshund's personality and bearing. Using dachshund imagery in home decor similarly takes any space down a notch and imbues it with an often much needed dose of humor.

Introductory Matters

Hi. I'm Averill and this is my first blog. Since I've been keeping a journal since the sixth grade, I figure this is one New Year's resolution I may actually end up keeping.

First up: a little bit about me. I'm a twentysomething lawyer with a large energy company in Houston, Texas. I have a husband (an engineer with a large oil field services company), two cats (that I'm allergic to), and a miniature dachshund named Olivia whom I am often accused of being completely obsessed with.

But wouldn't you be obsessed with something this cute?

I thought as much. Moving on. As an undergraduate I majored in Classical Civilization and my favorite poet was Catullus (and not just because his poems were short, relatively easy to translate and typically bawdy). His shortest poem is actually only two lines and is the inspiration for this little blog's name:

Odi et amo. quare id faciam, fortasse requiris?
Nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior.

This roughly translates as follows:

I hate and I love. Why do I do it, perhaps you ask?
I don't know, but I feel it happening to me and I am tormented.

A wee bit dramatic? Yes of course, but at the age of 19 it seemed like Catullus was reaching through nearly 2,000 years of history and speaking directly to me in that way that only teenagers can be self-centered enough to believe that they are the first to experience love and loss. I chose to name my blog after this poem because the central theme (if you can call it that) of this blog will be to discuss all the people, places, and things that both hate and love (typically not at the same time, but sometimes a girl is that torn).

In any case, I used to think that blogs were just a forum for intellectual masturbation. Of course, that was long before I'd ever bothered to read any. When I left my demanding job at a large law firm last July, I found myself with significantly more time on my hands. After tiring of limiting my web surfing to shopping or "news" sites, I stumbled upon the first blog I ever got hooked on (Elements of Style). A few days later, I'd exhausted its archives and began branching out to other blogs (Urban Grace, Making it Lovely, In(side) the Loop, and Door Sixteen being my favorites). Within a month, I was visiting a dozen blogs during my breakfast and lunch breaks. I was hooked.

Once you start reading blogs regularly, I think it's inevitable that you want to start your own. Not that you think you can do it better. Just that you start wanting to put your ideas out there, too. It seems unfair to expect others to share their opinions, their advice -- even their lives -- without being willing to reciprocate.

And so, here I am. I'll do my best to keep things interesting, fresh and fun.