hi again

Sorry, I have been dealing with other things and haven't been out here.  It has been 2 months now that I have been home with E, and things are going much better than I had hoped.  I haven't lost my patience, or felt overwhelmed, or really experienced any depression for the past 2 months.  Yay!

E is walking now!  She started with just a couple of steps, then one day she made it like 5-6 steps, and the day after that, she was everywhere!  She continues to be the happiest kid around, smiling and giggling most of the time.  Even when she is cranky, it is in short little bursts between smiling and laughing.

We are having some trouble with our beagle, Charlie, though.  He has had problems with his back now and then, and last week he couldn't finish the walk he was on with my husband and the baby.  G had to call his dad to pick up Charlie, since I wasn't home and he couldn't exactly carry a 30 lb dog while pushing the stroller.  He is better now, but he has also peed in the house twice in the past week, which is very unusual for him.  The first time was when I was out of town.  He was home alone all day, then when G came home from work, he was home for a couple of hours but then went out for the rest of the night.  Charlie peed on G's shoes.  I thought he was punishing G for leaving him alone.

Yesterday, E was annoying Charlie again.  She just wants to be near him and it bugs him to no end.  He growls and grumbles and moves from one hiding spot to the next, but she always follows him.  I am working on this with her, but it is a struggle.  So, I finally let Charlie out of the living room and send him to his bed upstairs.  He usually loves it up there, he can look out the window over the side yard and curl up in his comforter.  Well, I don't know if he was showing his annoyance at E or what, but when I took her up to bed a little while later, he had peed in her room.  Yuck!

I think it is just his way of expressing his jealousy, but yesterday someone mentioned Cushing's Disease to me, so now I am worried about that.  He was just at the vet and they said he was fine, but I'm sure G didn't mention him peeing in the house.  He does have to go back for another shot in 2 weeks, so I'll talk to them about it then.  I hope he is ok.  We have only had him for a little over 2 years, but it will break my heart when something happens to him.