A glimpse into the life of Heather, Barney, Lindsay, and Emery Boisvert.
WOW! Barney and I went out twice yesterday without the girlie! First, Jerry and Dodo watched Lindsay while Barney and I went out to Walmart and Costco together to grab a few things. Then, I fed her and put her to bed around 9:30, and Barney and I went out to see Shrek 2! At a movie theater! By ourselves! It was great! Felt so strange not to have her there, but we really enjoyed ourselves. Thanks again Memere and Pepere!
Oh, don’t forget to go check out the new pics.
You know what the best thing in the world is?
Right before putting your little girl to bed, having her snuggle herself into your neck, look up at you and sleepily smile, and then snuggle back in before you have to put her in her crib.
You know what the hardest thing in the world is?
Putting her in her crib and closing the door. 
…..So continues the sad, sad saga of Heather selling or adopting out her animals….
I realized just the other day that I’ve never really kept an animal that completely belonged to me. Follow my disconnected rambling for a moment if you will……the first animal that was completely mine, not my family’s, was my horse Cassie, which I bought myself and supported myself, making her my sole responsibility. I had to sell Cassie when I moved to Portland to go to school, which isn’t giving her up for adoption, but as close as you get in the horse world.
Next, I had two sugar gliders, which I had to sell (to a very nice home mind you) when we moved into a no-pet-apartment in Bellingham. Due to the same reason, I had to give up my crazy little cat, Frodo, who was luckily taken in by my best friends in Portland, so I still get to see him.
And on a more recent note, I had to give up my poor little cat, Pippin, because he was being constantly attacked by a nasty orange feral cat in our neighborhood, we couldn’t afford the compounding vet bills, and we couldn’t bring him in the house because he went to the bathroom everywhere. We also found out he was probably deaf, because I’m told most white kitties are, and that would explain why he never moved when we were backing into the driveway, while Merry did, and also why he was constantly being snuck up on and attacked while he had his back turned, eating. I gave him up for adoption to a nice no-kill shelter in the area, and I’m really hoping he finds a home where some old lady or the like, has time to give him the love and patience he needs to be able to stay inside and be content doing so.
We still have our other cat, Merry, but that damn orange cat has started trying to attack him as well. I set out a live trap for him last night and was so excited when we caught him around 3am, but he is so huge and strong that he managed to lift the spring door on the trap and escape! He’s a monster! I really want to catch him so that I can take him to the pound and prevent Merry from becoming his new scratching post! I doubt he’ll be dumb enough to get caught in the trap again, but I’m going to try anyway, and secure the door once he’s inside this time if I can. I’ll keep everyone updated on whether I catch that devil cat or not.
Cross your fingers.
So……I think the new decision is not to move from our present residence until we find a great job for Barney in Portland. I was really gung-ho to move into a new house before next winter, but I think we’re just gonna have to suffer through another winter of wet, streaming windows again so that, if a great job does come up in Portland, we won’t have just moved into a new house here, thereby negating the opportunity to leave state. Whew, that was a long sentence. So, everyone who wants us to move back to Oregon,…..keep your eyes peeled for an awesome new job for Barney. And it’s gonna have to really be something to get him to leave the great job he has here, let me tell you. 
Lindsay went and got another four shots in her legs today. I made Barney go with us for moral support, and so that he could hold her while she screamed her poor head off, and give me an emotional break for once. The munchkin now weighs 18 pounds, is 27 inches long, and in the 110% for her age! What a whopper! We will only be able to use her little car seat for another week, and then it’s time for the big girl seat, which we can’t take out and carry her around in. 
Ah, those easy days are gone. She’s now also getting so close to rolling over that I can’t leave her alone in high precarious places anymore, because she certainly doesn’t just lay there these days! She’s turned into a real wiggler. The days of having to chase her around non-stop are fast approaching I’m afraid.
I’m sitting here in wonder, realizing that today is the first Mothers Day ever where I am not just celebrating my own mother, and all of the other amazing women in my life, but also being celebrated myself! I think back just five years to when I swore I was never having children and my mother just patiently smiled and said, “things change, don’t ever say never….” and it brings a sheepish smile to my face. Here I am now, just a few years later, and I can’t imagine how much more empty my life would be without Lindsay in it. That precious smile, the happy squeak that greets me each morning from the crib when she finally sees me, the look of joy on Barney’s face when she smiles or giggles at him, the mischevious smile that appears on her face after I HEAR the warning sounds of an explosion coming from her chair….. I love it all so much I can’t imagine my life without it. It makes me appreciate my own mother in new ways, and realize how much I have been truly loved my entire life.
I recently heard the phrase that goes something like, “having a child means wearing your heart outside your body”, and it’s so true. That little bundle of joy who is now growing so fast it makes my head spin, will always make my breath catch in my throat when she smiles that glorious smile at me.