Mama's Best Friends

This post is more for my own memory someday when I look back at my very first pet as know that he won't be with me forever :(  But others may find it interested as well!

Mr. Manny Pug is 7 years old today!!  Ofically a "senior" dog.  Born on May 17, 2005 and I brought him home on August 31, 2005  He came from a breeder in Kansas where his dad was "Big Bad Bahamut" and his mom was "Tequila Sunrise IV", however I found him as an 8 week old puppy in a pet store in a local mall right after I moved to Florida in July of 2005.  I am not sure why or how he ended up at a pet store but he came with breeders paperwork as well as vet paperwork as he has just been fixed prior to me bringing him home.  All I know is that I brought him home as a little puppy, discovered that he had kennel cough, helped get him healthy again and since then he has been spoiled rotten and loved everyday!!!  He is my oldest baby and I truly love him like he is one of my children

I have always wanted a pug...some say they are ugly, but I think they are cute.  They are loving, very funny, great with kids, love to snuggle and be near their owner, like to be outside but don't need an excessive amount of exercise.

Facts about Manny
This is Manny on two days after I brought him home, not sure who is more in love already.

He is a mama's boy, always has been but, he REALLY became attached to me when I was pregnant with Zane....at 10 weeks I had to quit my job and pretty much laid in bed all day everyday with hyperemesis and he was there with me being my snuggle buddy <3...he follows me around everywhere and even insists on sleeping in my bed UNDER the covers with me at night.

He is very sweet and protective of babies....now once you are old enough to start eating food he gets a little bolder...not mean....just bolder.

He thinks that anyone that comes to our house is there for him; to feed him, play with him; and snuggle him.

Favorite food:  French Fries...preferrably from Mcdonald's he's just like his mama.  2nd favorite food, chicken nuggets...again...just like his mama :)

Manny HATES to be wet...that's what trying to housebreak a puppy in a hurricane will do to you I guess.

He is a pug, that means ALWAYS hungry and will do just about ANYTHING to get some food.  Yes even be so bold as to push his siblings down and steal there food.  Gross as it sounds he has even tried to take food out my hand and mouth as I was trying to eat it....he's a dog, he doesn't care.

On that note Manny will eat just about anything except veggies....I mean, can you blame him???

He has severe allergies... go figure my human children don't but my canine child does....he is allergic to dust mites and storage mites which are damn near impossible to completely remove from your house so we are on a strict schedule of expensive medications, bathing every 10-14 days (remind you he hates being wet), because of his allergies and being a pug he is prone to yeast growing in his ear and facial wrinkles to we have meds for that as well.  Pugs also don't like being groomed so all of the bathing and cleaning is NOT a good time.

He is a BIG pug....he has a few extra pounds on him but he has always been bigger than breed standards and always will.....I think I know why his dad was named "Big Bad Bahamut"

There is no such thing as a cheap vet visit with this dog, but he is worth every penny I have ever spent on him!!

Laney is 1 Today!!!

April 18th, 2011

One year ago today at 5:45am I waddled into Mercy Medical Center North Iowa in Mason City to begin my induction with Laney. It was a pretty uneventful day while I waited for the pytocin and contractions to do their job, and at 4:24pm Laney Mae Munger arrived safely weighing 7lbs. 4.8oz and 20 1/4 in.

A year later she is a happy, smiley, giggly little girl unless you get between her and something she wants!! You will then endure screaming, pushing, shoving, and possibly some headbutting too. She is a girl who knows what she wants and won't stop until she gets it :) She is crusing all over and will often let go of a toy or piece of furniture to stand independently, so I will have a walking one-year-old soon I'm sure....she is much braving at this age than Zane was so it could be tomrrow that she starts walking or another month.

She likes to keep me on my toes like that!! She loves being read to, playing with toys, watching Bubble Guppies and Team UmiZoomi, following her brother around, and "playing" with Manny....in her head I'm sure she calls it playing-in Manny's head he calls it abuse.

I now have a new diet plan from her Metabolic Geneticist and Nurtritionist in Iowa City, so once the little bit of formula I have left it gone no more bottles for buggy. She will continue to need a high protein/high carb. snack right before bedtime and then they said after 8 hours to wake her feed her some milk and let her sleep again until her normal wake-up time and start our day with breakfast....I have to chuckle becuase it will take some training to get her to sleep 8 straight hours because since the day she was born she has been fed every 4 hours, so we will see how this next step goes on our "MCAD Journey."

Below is a picture from her birthday party we had on Sunday the 15th. It was a ladybug themed party and I'll have to post more pictures later when I get copies from all our family members.

Zane's 1 year portraits from January 2008
My 1 year portrait from May 1983

Kindergarten Round-Up Class of 2025

Well spring is here and that means one of many things, kindergarten round-up. On April 11th and 12th Zane went and spent two hours each day doing various activities and talking with the kindergarten teachers to assess his kindergarten readiness skills. He was VERY excited to be going to "big kid" school and is looking forward to the fall when "REAL" kindergarten starts. (his words, not mine)

It is a weird feeling to know that I have a child old enough to start elementary school. I'm a little sad and also excited for him. I think I am saddened most by the fact that I know in a blink of an eye I will be planning his High School Graduation Party. I try not to dwell on that and just cherish the time we have to spend together and memories for me to file away in the ol' memory bank <3. On the other hand I look forward to see the friends he'll make, adventures he'll have, and the things he'll learn on this journey called LIFE <3.

Another fun fact is that Z will be attending the same elementary school I went to in 1988!!

A Beetle, A Bug, and A Pug?????

Well I have several friends who have started blogs and I thought I would give it a try. I have family spread o ut all over the U.S. and I've tried different ways to stay in touch with everyone but never found a way that I felt really worked, so I'll give this a try!!!

As for the title of the blog, it's the nicknames of my three loves; my kids (For anyone that doesn't already no I consider my dog to be my oldest child, and the one who often gives me the most trouble!!!) I've decided to name the blog after them since they are the biggest part of my life, and are often the source of my funny stories and greatest joys. I hope all of the family enjoys reading my updates of the kids and how they are growing <3

Beetle: When Zane was about 2 my dad started calling him "Zeetle"...don't know why he just did, this then turned into "Zeetle Beetle" along with many other nicknames he has was well :)

Bug: When I was pregnant with Laney, we knew that we were having a girl and had already decided to name her Laney. One day while pregnant I started thinking about what nicknames we would call her once she arrived and thought "Laney-bug" since it sounded like ladybug so it stuck and it has now been shortened to "bug", "bugs", "buggy" and most recently "buggalooney" :)

Pug: Well, the dog is a pug, actually named Manny Pug Munger (yes he is registered with the AKC with that name......yep, I'm THAT lady!!!) He was my first baby born in May 2005 and I brought him home on July 31, 2005 and chose the name Manny. He also earned other nicknames such as; "Pug", "Puggy" "Puggers", "Manners", "Mannerton", "Manfred" along with some other choice names when he is in BIG TROUBLE!!!

So that's the basis for the blog, I will stop now as I am rambling!!!