Goodbye, Will

Tuesday afternoon (June 24) we said goodbye to our second four-legged son (Buster was our first) and longtime friend, Will.

Over the past months, Will began to deteriorate. About two weeks before his passing, one of his eyes began to bulge, and he became even more disoriented (he's been mostly blind for a while now). We took him for rounds of evaluation with our vet, and then with a veterinary opthomologist. He was put on a heavy cycle of drugs to control the bleeding in his eye (which is why it was bulging) and manage the pain. A week before his death, the vet opthomologist gave us two choices - remove his eye immediately, or increase his pain medications and remove it the following week. Not sure that we should put Will through this surgery at all, we opted for the latter to buy us more time for decision-making and began thinking that it was perhaps time to say goodbye.

In the following week, Will began to deteriorate even further - becoming very lethargic and disoriented. While it was sad to see, it also gave us more confidence that we were making the right decision. We also found a very large tumor on his side - which my Dad later diagnosed as a type of cancer - which ultimately was what was killing him (and causing the bulging eye - a symptom we were looking at as a root cause).

Will's death was certainly painful and sad. Not only were we mourning Will's deteriorating health - but also in a way, it felt like saying goodbye to a strong link back to who Mark and I were as a young married couple early in our adult lives.

We fostered Will soon after we lost Buster (who died unexpectedly (also from a tumor) in the middle of the night). I remember getting to know this new dog with some reservation because he wasn't our Buster. We didn't even intend to adopt him - simply foster him for the rescue society. We wanted another dog to distract us from the pain of losing Buster. But he quickly grew on us, and we decided we had to keep him.

Will was with us in Starke as we were trying to make our way in the world - while I studying engineering, and Mark auditioned for "the big job." He was part of our celebrations and tears through those ups and downs of getting further and further in the audition rounds - but not quite making it.

He kept Mark company while I spent two semesters away interning at Disney World. He kept me company during my last semester of school when Mark moved to Houston to begin his symphony job.

He got my apartment infested with ticks. Oh, the ticks.

He was with us as we moved into our first purchased home. He rolled around in the backyard in glee, and explored the house to Mark's and our delight as we would comment "look, he likes it!" He ate dog biscuits while we drank wine in our empty house after closing.

He remained patient and undemanding as we brought home our new baby, who consumed all our time, energy and focus - so much that even remembering to feed and let Will out seemed like a struggle. He did not hold a grudge when I snapped at him so many times for getting underfoot or begging just a little too much at the dinner table.

He was a good dog.

In our grief, I am also made aware of the intense beauty in life. Exactly how this connection is made, I am not sure. But I know there was beauty in his passing, even if it was hard.

There was beauty that he held on until my parents' visit. To provide us with support, to also say goodbye to a Granddog they so loved.

There was beauty that he had enough energy for one last family walk around the block. A walk that helped us say goodbye. That allowed each of us to hold his leash, to pat him with encouragement when he lay down to rest. That allowed us to watch Benjamin watch him walking one last time.

There was beauty that he was still interested enough in food to eat a piece of cheesecake at Benjamin's belated family birthday celebration.

There was beauty that I heard him get up from where he had laid all day in the living room to try to make his way to our bedroom to sleep with us during his last night.

There was beauty that my dad found the tumor on his side, and assured us that we were making the right decision to not operate on his eye.

There was beauty that our very cold, unpersonable veterinarian agreed to give my dad the medicine to euthanize Will, so we could do it privately at home.

There was beauty that my training course got out two hours early on the evening we decided to say goodbye, so that I could make it home in time to spend some time with Will, say goodbye and then get Will's body to the vet before they closed at six.

There was beauty that Benjamin took an unusually long nap that afternoon at just the right time, so we could all be focused on Will and saying goodbye.

There was beauty in sitting out in the grass surround by my family as Will rested his head against Mark to go to sleep for the final time.

Rest in peace, Willy Boy. You are a good dog. We miss you.

New Pictures!

Mark updated our Picasa site (link to the right) with pictures from the last few months. Enjoy!

Ben's One Year Update, Long Overdue

At long last, an update on our lives over the last few months.

We now have a walking, talking little boy! What a change from the newborn we brought home one year ago. Below are some photo highlights from the last few months:

Over the past few months, we have enjoyed many visits with family and friends. The first was an afternoon with Great Aunties Tita & Elisabeth!

Later in the month, we travelled to Dallas to visit The Other Griffiths and help cousin Nathan celebrate his first birthday!

Nathan likes our present! (A Gertie ball)

Benjamin helps Nathan check out his new gifts.

Benjamin teaches Nathan and Josh how to rake their fingernails on the air conditioner intake.

And the party!

Nathan really devoured his cake! He ate the whole slice!

The three Griffith boys:

In early April, I took Benjamin to the Children's Museum. He had been once when he was just 6 weeks old. He was able to play a lot more this time. :)

It was really special for me, because it marked the beginning of actually being able to do fun stuff together, instead of just toting my baby around with me while I ran errands, etc. Our visit was brief, so that we could get home in time for a nap, but we had fun in the toddler room, buying a few presents in the gift shop, and then eating lunch together in the atrium while we watched all the other kids pass by. I hope we'll enjoy many more fun activities together in the coming months.




Later in the month, we celebrated my 30th Birthday! We had a little celebration, just the three of us. Kept it simple in anticipation of Ben's first birthday just around the corner.




I think Benjamin would have made a very pretty little girl! :) Ben seems to think so too - although, Mark wasn't quite as pleased with this look.

Then, Gramma & Grandaddy Griffith came for a brief visit! We invited the grandparents in for the pre-bedtime naked rolling time (which has really turned into naked running around his bedroom time). Benjamin decided to read a book with Gramma. Fortunately for Gramma, he made it through the book with no accidents!

Early May, Benjamin got his first ear infection. Poor guy! He was very miserable, but still sweet and much cuddlier than usual. We tried our best to keep him comfortable until the antibiotics kicked in.

In mid-May (honorary) Auntie Melissa & Uncle Ryan came to visit us for their Babymoon! We had great fun catching up, going out and overwhelming them with baby information (they are expecting triplets!)

Ryan tries out the ride-on toy we picked up for Benjamin at our local children's consignment shop.

And we celebrated Mark's 34th birthday!

Early in our visit, Melissa offered me a "tasty homemade cookie" that she had brought along. I was way too suspicious, and refused to eat it. Poor, innocent Mark on the other hand, dug right in. Here is his reaction after being told that he is eating a gourmet dog biscuit.

Mark and Ryan took an early morning bike ride to Downtown (20 miles round trip I think?). No one was on the roads (it was Sunday) and they apparently had the whole city to themselves. Sounds like it was an incredible experience!

We went to Caninos & a local Mexican pastry store and got an assortment of fruit and Mexican pastries. Here, Ryan is offering some pastries to Benjamin.

The end of May/beginning of June Grandma Susan came for a brief visit on her way home from a conference.

During her visit, we took Ben to get his first haircut! Here's the before picture with Grandma.

Benjamin dealt with the experience very well. It helped to have the paci and to get to sit on Dad's lap for it.

The final look! Ben seems to like it!

In June, The Other Griffiths (Uncle Dan, Aunt Robyn & Cousins Josh & Nathan) and Aunt Sarah all came out to help us celebrate Ben's first birthday! They were all such a huge help (thanks, you guys!) in getting ready for the party and helping to keep things going. We had about 35 people attend! (Unfortunately, I did not get any good pictures of the whole group - just individual snapshots)
But before the party began we had a few days of fun visits to catch up, and see how all three Griffith boys have grown!

"Who are these guys?"

Ben and Josh enjoy some time in the play area together while Nathan naps.

Aunt Sarah is fun!

Who knew a salad spinner could be so entertaining?! I think this was the driest salad we've ever had!

Benjamin and Cousin Nathan are big pointers!

Look at Nathan's balance on this scooter! He even held on tight and let me push him around the living room on it! Benjamin too? Nope. I tried to, but he insisted on having his feet on the ground.

And now, it's party time!

Check out Ben's "One Year" shirt!

I thought it might be a blowout, because we said the party would start at 4:00, but our first guest did not arrive until after 4:30! And then everyone arrived all at once! Here's uncle Dan and Benjamin waiting for festivities to begin:

And time for the Birthday cake! We held off on giving Benjamin any true sweets (cookies, cake, etc) in anticipation of that first bite of cake.

It was quite fun to have a room full of our family and friends singing Happy Birthday to Ben. I do think he was a bit overwhelmed by the whole experience, though.

He wasn't entirely sure he liked it...
It took a little coaxing from Mark to even try it. "Is this really food? My food is usually cut up for me!"

He did take a few bites - but he wasn't totally convinced that this is something that he wanted a whole lot of.

And before too long, it was time to GET OUT of the high chair!

After the party was over, we took the opportunity to take family pictures with Aunt Sarah, and the Other Griffiths in our front yard

And finally, Ben's latest accomplishment - walking! I don't remember the exact day he took his "first step", but in the last couple of weeks, he's gone from a tentative step here and there to bolting across the room!

Now, let's see what Ben's second year brings! While we definitely have the feeling of "Whew, we made it!" through the first year of Ben's life, I'm sure we'll be sentimental of his baby days as he begins his journey through toddlerhood.