I Will Always Love You, Princess Cinderella., Thank goodness I emailed this to someone... Options

[leejaye]

Dear RaeRae, When I thought about getting another cat child I fully intended to get a rescue kitten, there are so many of them...I saw my new Purszival in a pet shop, the last place i wanted to get a kitten from, but that surge of feeling when I saw him, and then when he threw himself back on my shoulder, purring, outdid all my good moral intentions...our heart knows what it knows, I'm sure Cinders is there guiding every decision - there will never be another Cinders, just like there will never be another Mischief, but there are entirely new little souls just waiting to meet you, and again, I'm sure Cinders will play a role in guiding you to them...I'm so glad you got your scrap book, I'm sure you will have tears and smiles as you compile your memories, but making this creative memoir of your Cinders is such a positive, healing thing to do, it definitely needs to feature that big black butterfly your girl has sent you! I really hope it's getting a little easier for you, sending you some hugs today Leejaye PS I love weimaraners too!

[raerae777]

Hi all,

Thank you all for your kind responses. I'm still on the fence about what dog to get. I have kind of decided to leave it up to my parents as this dog will really be their dog since I will (hopefully) be moving out one day and since my dad is retired and home a lot. I know he wants another lab puppy; I can just tell. So I think that is probably what will happen. We have a few people that have lab puppies so I'm just sort of waiting on him to call them. I still feel some guilt about it though. Maybe once I see the puppies I won't though, I don't know. I guess one day when I have my own family I can rescue a few babies of my own. One of the people has a "white" lab which I've never heard of, could be interesting.

Anyway, I have been working on picking out pictures for Cinder's book. Man, it is hard to pick just a few!! I love them all! I finally got the front cover finished tonight and I think it looks pretty good. I'll post a pic of it soon and see what y'all think. I'm just trying to take my time on it and enjoy the memories. I have been a tiny bit weepy today looking through her puppy pictures and thinking of a new puppy in our house. I still miss her so much and feel that ache whenever I think of her.

Tomorrow (technically today I guess) will be three weeks...it still seems like it has been an eternity without her.

I miss you binky bear. Mama loves you.

Much love.

Cinder's Mama

[raerae777]

Well dad and I are going to look at puppies this evening. My mom is really wanting the white lab. She says after our first dog, Lady, passed she had dreams about a white lab and that has always stuck with her. So maybe this dog is supposed to be her dog who knows. I'm a little emotional right now. Just the anticipation is making me a little nervous I guess. My dad is talking about maybe getting a white and black one, we have plenty of room. So maybe this will work out. I will keep y'all updated. Thanks for being here as always.

Much love.

Cinder's Mama

[moon_beam]

"I'm still on the fence about what dog to get. I have kind of decided to leave it up to my parents as this dog will really be their dog since I will (hopefully) be moving out one day and since my dad is retired and home a lot. I still feel some guilt about it though. Maybe once I see the puppies I won't though, I don't know."

Hi, Rae, thank you so very much for sharing with us how you're doing. The uncertainty you are feeling is very normal. Although you will probably enjoy the company of the new youngsters, the bond that you will develop with them will be entirely different from the bond your mom and dad will have with them. And that's okay. This doesn't mean you won't care about them - - it just means that your relationship with them will be different.

I'm so glad you're finding some comfort working on your beloved Cinder's scrapbook. I will look forward to seeing the picture of the cover you have designed. I know what you mean when you say "I have been a tiny bit weepy today looking through her puppy pictures and thinking of a new puppy in our house. I still miss her so much and feel that ache whenever I think of her." I know as you look through the pictures you wonder how could the years pass so quickly - - just yesterday my Cinder did this, learned this, needed this - - and so on - - and the ache to have every moment of those years back again - - and more - - with her physically with you. This grief journey is a challenge adjusting to the "new normal" - - of transitioning our relationship to embrace their sweet Living Spirit when our arms ache to embrace their physical bodies. I assure you that no matter how much passes in your earthly journey that your beloved Cinder continues to share your earthly journey just as she always has and always will.

Rae, I hope your and your dad's visit with the puppies will find you coming home with a bundle of joy. Wish I could you send you pink and / or blue booties for the new family members as a "baby shower". I hope this trip will be a peaceful one for you, my friend. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, Rae, and will look forward to sharing your news.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

[raerae777]

Well what a night! We drove about 45 minutes to look at the pups. The guys were really nice and they had 6 puppies and mom and dad there and they also raise cattle. Anyways, we came home with two! A black boy and white/yellow girl. The boy is Axel (my mom's maiden name is Axelson and so she's always wanted a boy dog with this name) and we debated forever on the girl, but finally decided on Nala. Their mama was such a good mama! I have never seen a mama dog so attentive and tolerant of her puppies. She was a stray that someone dropped off in the owner's yard. They are pretty sure she is full blooded. They already owned a black male and well I guess they hooked up. The babies were born on father's day, June 19. The daddy was pretty wild still, but very sweet. The puppies are both super sweet and haven't messed in the house yet (knocking on wood). They are tuckered out now.

I went and talked to Cinder about it before we left. I have been searching for that butterfly the past few days and haven't seen it. But sure enough, I saw a black butterfly flying through the air when we were looking at the puppies. I knew it was her. I still miss her so much. The babies sniffed her bed down and I told them all about Cinder. I have done a little more work on her book, but it is slow going. Probably because I am a perfectionist

Anyways, I'm including a pic of the cover of Cinder's book (her collar will act as a fastener for the book once it's finished) and of course a pic of Axel and Nala. Thank you to each and every one of you for your support and advice.

Much love.

Cinder's Mama

[Kristina]

I already told you this on FB but I am so glad you got two new babies!! I also love the fact that both of us received a sign from Cinder and Dixie while we were getting our new pups. It really shows that they want us to have new babies to love in our lives. I still say you are brave to have gotten two! Lily has both Aj and I completely exhausted.

I really love the cover of her book. You have done a fantastic job. I hope you will share some of the insides when it is complete.

I am looking forward to hearing about Axel and Nala. We can swap puppy stories. Lily also hasn't had an accident in the house either. I am pretty shocked at that actually.

I think Cinder and Dixie are very happy. I bet they are together watching us with our new puppies that they guided us to. Always thinking about you and your family. Sending all my love.

[Cheryl83]

Oh, my! I can't take all these cute puppies, it's making me want one so bad! They are both GORGEOUS, and I love their names. This must be such an exciting time for you, and I know your precious Cinder is just as happy and excited about her new brother and sister. Congratulations!

I love the idea about Cinder's book. I have a little memorial box for my Daisy, where I keep photographs, some of her toys that I still have, some fur clippings (she had A LOT of fur), and even things like vet bill receipts, etc. It really does help to get it out and have a look through it when I'm having a bad 'Missing Daisy Day.' I hope when your book is completed that it brings you the same comfort.

Rae, I wish you the best of luck with your new additions to the family, and please know that you and your family are in my thoughts.

Big hugs, Cheryl x

[cowboy]

I love the pic. They are so adorable. Im happy that cinder was able to give you a message. I keep looking for ones from cowboy. I think he is a bit more subtle and just guiding my heart. The book looks awesome and I cant wait to see more of it. I wish I had enough pics to make one for cowboy. Anyways axel and nala look like a great pair and im very happy for all of you.

[moon_beam]

Hi, Rae, thank you so very much for sharing with us how you're doing. I absolutely LOVE the cover to Cinder's scrapbook, and using her collar as the fastener when it's done - - how INGENIOUS!!! This scrapbook is YOUR love tribute to the love story you and Cinder shared during her earthly journey - - AND continue to share with her sweet Living Spirit always with you in your heart and memories - - always a heartbeat close to you. So, you just be as "perfectionist" as you want to be.

Thank you so much for sharing the adorable pictures of Axel and Nala. May your home be filled with the joy of these two little fur kids, and may they be a comfort to you as your beloved Cinder would like them to be.

I hope today is being kind to you, Rae. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, and look forward to knowing how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

[raerae777]

Thanks everyone. They are definitely a handful, I'm exhausted, but happy. We took them to get their first shots and dewormed today. They did well at the vet. Both actually fell asleep on the table. They both checked out perfectly and our vet just loved them. He gave us lots of advice on dealing with two dogs in the household.

Nala is feeling a little bad after her shot. Anyone else have experience with that? I don't remember Cinder getting sore. Nala was shaking and yelled when I picked her up. They're both sleeping now and shes stopped shaking. She ate her food though. I also gave them a bath. Nala wasn't too interested, but maybe because she was starting to feel bad. Axel didn't mind though. Hopefully Nala will be back to her self tomorrow.

Maybe I'll get some sleep tonight I wonder if Cinder is smiling and laughing with me watching me chase these babies around. I hope she is.

I hope everyone is doing well.

Much love.

Cinder's Mama

[cowboy]

Hey Rae. Yeah I think I remember my vet telling me once the shots might make cowboy feel bad but I might just be imagining it. Probably just call the vet tommorow and double check that though. I know with the heartworm meds you give every month theres the symptoms to watch for part. Im glad they did good to. Have a good night.

[furface]

Hey there,
The cover of your book looks amazing, a really wonderful testimony to cinders and the impact she had on your life. The photo at the start of the thread with the two of you is also great, what a lovely photo of a perfect memory.
The pups are very cute! Cheeky little faces! Let us know how the pups are after their shots.

[moon_beam]

Hi, Rae, thank you so much for sharing with us how you, Axel, and Nala are doing. As cowboy has mentioned, some furkids do have a mild reaction to the vaccinations. Nala may be more sensitive than Axel. I will never forget when my Samson got his first shots - - oh how he screamed in the vet's office for about 15 minutes afterward. I felt so bad for the vet, but more so for my Samson. He finally setled down and we were able to go home. The reactions are usually over within 24 hours. Keep a watch on her, though, and if she shows prolonged lethargy, vomitting, or other symptoms that concern you, you may want to call your vet and /or check with the ER vet if needed.

I'm sure your beloved Cinder is smiling and approving of Axel and Nala coming into your hearts and home. Your beloved Cinder knows she has her own very special place in your heart forever, and she is forever a heartbeat close to you.

Thank you so much for sharing your beloved Cinder with us, Rae, and now the new members of your home, Axel and Nala. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, Rae, and look forward to knowing how you are doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

[nurse2b013]

Rae, how cute Axel and Nala are! Enjoy every moment with your new little loves...Cinder is watching over you, probably laughing while she watches you play with the silly little puppies!

The scrapbook looks fabulous! I wish I were creative like that...

Congrats again on the puppies! They will keep you busy for sure!

Jodi

[raerae777]

Well have we been busy!! The puppies are doing well and Nala got right over her initial reaction to her shot. She is sleeping in my bed now and Axel is in my parents' room. We are separating them some so they don't become so dependent on each other.

After looking up info on sibling puppies, I'm worried about what we've gotten ourselves into. Most of the info is negative and people recommend not doing it because the dogs become so bonded with each other that they don't behave well or listen to their owners. I don't think any of us will be able to give up one of the puppies so we are going to have to work extra hard on separating and training and bonding with these two. We take them out to potty separately and try to feed them separately. We took Nala for a car ride by herself and left Axel at home with my mom. She cried and eventually laid down and slept. Mom said Axel was fine and didn't cry so maybe she was just scared. After reading all this negative info, I've become anxious and worried about how everything will turn out. Does anyone have any experience with sibling puppies?

I've been pretty emotional tonight and missing Cinder terribly. I just wish I could have her back. Just thinking of her makes me cry instantly. Maybe it's just a bad day. I hope I feel more optimistic about the puppies tomorrow. I do love them and want them to be the best dogs that they possibly can be.

Thanks for listening my friends. I hope everyone is doing well.

Much love.

Cinder's Mama

[Cheryl83]

Hi Rae,

I have a friend who's currently trying to decide whether or not to adopt sibling pups (she's always had 2 dogs, but recently lost them both within 8 months of each other, both from age-related problems). I was helping her do some research, and thought this article was helpful:

http://canidaepetfood.blogspot.com/2010/01...itter-mate.html

I think it sounds like you're already doing everything right (separating them of a night, during feeding, etc.) but it is important that a member of your 2-legged family clearly establishes themselves as a dominant pack leader.

Good luck and keep us updated. You and your family are in my thoughts.

Cheryl x

[moon_beam]

Hi, Rae, thank you so much for sharing with us how you, and little Axel and Nala are doing. I'm so glad to know that little Nala has recovered from the "vaccination doldrums". This is very good news.

The only experience I have with sibling furkids are Noah and his sister Abbygayle. There was a beautiful relationship between those two that I did not want to break up. Abbygayle was totally dependent upon Noah for survival before they were rescued, and Noah continued to be her caregiver until she joined the angels 17 months ago at the tender age of 6 years and 10 months from cancer.

My best advice - - and remember you get what you pay for - - is to do the research which can be very helpful, and adjust it according to the physical and emotional needs of Axel and Nala. Remember that if they were in the wild with their cousins they would be in a family "pack" sharing in everything at the same time - - eating, sleeping, hunting, etc.. This is part of their genetics and source of their emotional and physical development. And as Cheryl has so aptly noted in her note to you - - you and / or your mom or dad need to define who is Axel's and Nala's "pack leader." This will be necessary in order to help them develop their "good dog manners" with their training.

I hope you know your beloved Cinder is smiling on you and is very proud of you for taking on the challenge of TWO little furkids at one time. It's like having TWINS!!! Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, and look forward to knowing how you and little Axel and Nala are doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

[raerae777]

Hi everyone,

I hope everyone is doing well today. Things are about the same. I've talked to more people that have had litter mates and had success with it so I feel a little better. I guess reading on the internet can sometimes put things into your mind that aren't always going to be true although I did find some good tips. I have felt a little less anxious, but I still worry about training them. We have decided to do a puppy training class. I asked around and found a good place close to home. We called today and they suggested just bringing one dog and applying the training to the other, otherwise they will be too distracted if they were together. Unfortunately, the class doesn't start until Sept 12 and is on Monday nights so I won't be able to go because of my classes. My dad will go and hopefully remember everything. We decided he will take Axel because we think he will be the hardest to train. They've been really itchy the past few days and we're not sure why. I gave them a bath and put Frontline on them a day after like their vet said. Maybe it was the shampoo.

I have felt a little less emotional today thinking of Cinder. It amazes me how emotional I've been the past couple days. I felt as if I was back to day one . I think I was holding some of my feelings in because I'm bad about that. And then they all came out at once. Nala climbed in Cinder's bed last night and mom and I told her the story of Cinder. Saturday, I found some old parts of rawhide that she had never chewed up and dad told me to throw them away. I said okay, but as I walked with them to the trash can, I lost it. Mom asked me what was wrong and I said through my tears "I just hate throwing her stuff away." So she told me not to. I kept one of the bones and put it in my closet. It's just hard. I wonder if we will always call her bed "Cinder's bed" or her toy bucket "Cinder's bucket." I feel bad if I don't. Axel and Nala have their own toys with a few of Cinder's old ones that we didn't bury with her. I hope she's happy that they can play with them and climb all over her bed. Mom said she would be very pleased. I still feel on the verge of tears when I think of her. Mom cried talking about her last night too so I guess I'm normal. I miss her so much and would give anything to have her big self back in my arms slobbering on my face and pawing my hands when she didn't want me to stop rubbing on her.

As always, thank you all for your kind words and advice.

Much love.

Cinder's Mama

[moon_beam]

""I just hate throwing her stuff away." So she told me not to."

Hi, Rae, thank you so very much for sharing with us how you are doing, and for sharing little Axel and Nala with us.

Your mom has given you wonderful comforting advice. There is no reason on the face of this earth that you need to dispose of any of Cinder's things until such time as when / if you are ever ready to do so. Perhaps your dad was concerned about Axel and Nala finding the bones and perhaps choking on them in some way, which may be way he instructed you to throw them away. Your decision to put them in your closet will enable you to keep this physical memory of your beloved Cinder as well as keep potential temptation / danger from Axel and Nala.

Puppy classes for Axel is a wonderful idea, and rest assured that Axel will assist his sister in learning what he learns in school. I will look forward to knowing how he and Nala do with learning their "good dog manners."

"Axel and Nala have their own toys with a few of Cinder's old ones that we didn't bury with her. I hope she's happy that they can play with them and climb all over her bed. Mom said she would be very pleased."

Again, your mom has given you very comforting encouragement. I, too, believe that your beloved Cinder is very glad that her brother and sister are finding enjoyment with some of her toys. First of all, they have her scent on them - - so they are learning about their big sister who is watching over them from her heavenly home. This reinforces what you tell them about her - - so your beloved Cinder is a part of them. This is a very wonderful thing, Rae, and I hope in time this will bring you comfort.

Rae, I hope you will have a very peaceful evening filled with your beloved Cinder's sweet Living Spirit to comfort and cheer you, along with the company of Axel and Nala. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, Rae, and look forward to knowing how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

[raerae777]

Well today has been exhausting. I stayed with the puppies during the day while my dad golfed. They were pretty good. Their wrestling is getting a little rough though, not sure what we should do about it. I put them in their kennels because I had to go to physical therapy. They stayed in there for a little more than an hour until my dad got home and he said they weren't even crying just asleep. So that's encouraging.

Tonight was a pretty bad night for me. They seem to play really hard in the evening and I guess I just got frustrated and emotional again. I talked to my mom about it and told her I wasn't sure we should have gotten two. She told me to give it some time, that all puppies are bad. And I know that, Cinder was terrible. I just don't quite know why I'm feeling this way. We discussed giving one away, but I don't think I could do that either. Mom told me that my heart is aching for Cinder and that one thing I'm going to have to get past is that Axel and Nala are not going to be my Cinder. And I know that too, but I guess it's good for me to actually hear it from someone else. She told me I would bond with them in some way, just not anything like Cinder and I, I'll never get that back and I guess that's why I feel so sad. We also talked about how my mom didn't really and truly bond with Cinder until I went off to college (and my dad and brother were working nights), when she was about 8 or 9. I just hope I can get all my feelings sorted out soon, I hate feeling this way. I don't want to be without the puppies, but I also want us to do everything right so they are not two unruly dogs together. I've read so many horror stories of people getting 2 puppies at once. But maybe they weren't training them well, who knows.

Anyway, I'm including a picture of more of Cinder's book. The pocket on the right top holds a piece of a paper I wrote in 6th grade. It describes my happiest moment as the day I got Cinder. I found it in one of my mom's drawers after Cinder had passed and it made me cry, so I wanted to include it in her book. The bottom right is my mom and Cinder and at the top is of course me and Cinder. I hope to be able to work on it some more tomorrow and Friday. As always, thank you all for listening and caring.

To my Cinderella, mama loves and misses you everyday. You'll always be my #1 girl and best, best friend. I love you, Stinky.

Much love to you all,

Cinder's Mama