(L: Riley, R: Murphy)
The Khichi household has been in a bit of minor turmoil the last few weeks. Pregnancy, battery lights going on while driving, and questionable heat smack dab in the middle of winter... these things have kept us busy for sure. But on top of that, a sick dog has been the topic of most conversations, and the greatest financial burden.
Is it even fair to call it a burden? As though any "inconvenience" our dogs would evoke upon us could ever be considered as such. We signed up for this: a minimum of 15 years of middle-of-the-night walks, the unknown disasters we return home to after a day at work, and the accidents due to us coming home a few minutes too late. But with these burdens come endless kisses, daily "Neel, look at [insert dog name here]!' comments, snuggles in bed, sweet faces, elated greets at the door, unlimited Instagram photo ops, and a never-ending love. But I digress...
Our poor Riley has some sort of stomach sickness that has been ailing him for two weeks now. Several vet visits and credit card swipes later, we wait on biopsy results to determine the exact cause. In the meantime, we continue to treat him like the King he is (his name, after all, is Riley Raja) and give extra smooches and affirmation that he will be better soon. And while we do that, his best buddy and brother, Murphy is sharing in the love and snuggles, as you can see above.
In addition, we encountered a little sadness of our own in regard to Babies Khichi, as we now can use the singular term. Baby A is doing exceedingly well, while Baby B has ceased to grow. There was always this fear, as Baby B seemed to spend his or her first and only weeks of life struggling to play catch-up to Baby A. But it was a fear we expected to triumph, only to discover we did not. It appears that this occurrence is quite common and even has a term: Vanishing Twin Syndrome. We were initially very sad, but quickly came to realize that there was still so much to be thankful for and look forward to. For one, I am still pregnant. Exactly 9 weeks and 1 day today, as a matter of fact. Baby is 1.5 inches long, and is being compared to a prune, without the wrinkles.
So we move on. The excitement grows with each sickness I encounter, and as the "bump" starts to show, we realize the reality of what our life will become in just eight months. Daddy has already started to dream about her (we are convinced it is a girl, but will be happy with any sex), and soon we can finally be truly public about her impending arrival.
In the meantime, I will continue to eat to my heart's content, snuggle on the couch with my two doggies, find myself totally up-to-date with my television watching, and giggle with Husband about the baby in my belly.
All in all, life is good.
