"For whom the bell tolls . . . "

We're worried about Kody.

For the last few months, he's been limping, and even from the first, Keith noticed that he didn't sit correctly. He'd kind of slump to one side and then eventually slide into a laying position every time he was told to sit. In the last few weeks, the limping has gotten really bad, and we're suspecting hip dysplasia. Keith thinks we may have to put him down, since we don't have the kind of money it takes for surgery.

Now, if Keith had suggested such a thing a while back, I would have gladly said, "Where do I sign?!!"

But I have to say, Kody has grown on me. For all of the poop, pee and vomit, for all of the dog hair caught up in the vacuum and steam cleaner, for all of the dog farts (and, boy, does he make some doozies!), for all the arguments about whose turn it is to pick up the poop, and for all the general dog smell (especially when he gets wet) . . . . he's still awfully cute and sweet. I cried yesterday when Keith told me that we'd probably have to put him down. Fortunately, no one saw me, since I broke down while doing dishes, except Kade who came in from playing outside to get a drink of water. (Little kids never notice a bawling mother -- I think it's how children don't get scarred for life having a mother going through the hormones of pregnancy and parenthood!)

Then, today, I went searching on the Internet and saw that it's quite common for large breed dogs to have limping problems at Kody's age. They grow too fast for their bones to keep up with them. So, to help him, we are to feed him less protein, not allow him to jump up (to keep strain off his hind leg joints), and not let him get fat. He still needs to exercise to strengthen all of his muscles, and, if he's in pain, he should take Ibuprofen! Eventually, we do need to take him to a vet and find out more about his condition, but for now I've got some hope that we won't have to put him down after all. We'll know more after Christmas when we can afford to take him to the vet.

Meanwhile, Kody is blissfully unaware of any tides of change in his life.

I stayed home from church yesterday with Keva when she woke up vomiting. Fortunately, she just needed a little rest, so it was just Kody and me hanging out in the family room. At first, Kody thought that he was being abandoned once again to those "holy roller" church kids going off to church AGAIN! The nerve of them! I watched as he sat in the hallway, staring at the closed door, hearing the van engine turn on in the garage, hearing the van pull away, and the reverberating death knell of the garage door coming down, signaling his doom at being left Home Alone once again.

Then, I said, "Kody!" and he turned around and looked at me in complete surprise and bounded over to me in utter joy and abandon! At least one family member had not left him and it was The One. The One who makes sure someone feeds him. The One who makes sure someone takes him out to go potty. Once he settled down, he made himself comfortable around my feet and we watched TV together with complete contentment.

So, you see, Kody can't be put down. I love him!