Two Surgeries... in Two Days... is TOO MUCH!

OK... I don't mean to complain...OK - maybe I do. What a crazy couple of days! First of all... 2 weeks ago today we came home from the Funeral Home to find Sunny covered in blood. Dog fight...lost her collar...apparently lost the battle... and had the pink stitches to prove it. Then, last night before the kids and I sat down at the table - I decided it was too muddy for the dogs on the dogpen. (First mistake...) So I left them up on the deck with the gates closed, while we were eating dinner. (Second mistake...) When Tim pulled in the drive-way... the thought very briefly flashed in my head that they would start to jump - and someone would catch one of Sunny's stitches (that SHOULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED ALREADY...third mistake)... so I started to get up. That's when I heard the snarling, snapping and general gnashing of teeth. (Have I mentioned that we have 9 dogs???) I grabbed the first thing I could get my hands on - which is the bell pull on the back door...threw open the door and found Sunny laying down on the deck with two of the black dogs with their teeth firmly embedded in her skin. I began screaming and beating them with the bell pull...it has some really big brass bells on it - believe me it hurts. (THIS part of the story reminds me of Mom and the McDonalds cheeseburgers...and Jodi being abducted by the man leaning in the car window...) But it didn't even phase the dogs! (Making yet my fourth mistake... what was I thinking going in the midst of 700 pounds of dogs with BELLS????) By this time, Tim had gotten out of the car and realized what was going on - and jumped the rail - and, NO LIE - once his boots hit the deck - dogs scattered. The BIG DOG was home. ;) As you can imagine... more blood...more wounds... and yes.... we knew there would be more stitches. I called Dr. Tritsch - and he met Tim at the vet clinic. The "stitches" turned into surgery and a drainage tube to prevent infection. LOVELY. (See for yourself... photos included...) Top that off with the fact that Tim was supposed to be working, so when he got home at 11pm... he still had to finish working. Then - it was off to bed sometime after 1am... to get up at 5:30 this morning! So..... 6:20 am we (the whole family...) leave the house to head for Lexington and Dr. Ray's office. Poor little McCaleb... he had no idea what was in store for him. They were absolutely WONDERFUL at Dr. Ray's office. I can't say enough good things about them! McCaleb got through with his surgery...(the boy-thing... so no photos of THAT will be posted...) and truly the only time he cried then or cries now is when he has to go potty. BLESS HIS HEART! He is such a trooper. I feel like a heel... but he has handled this all like a big man! He was giggling and laughing when they took him away from me to go back for surgery - and never cried a tear. Then when I went back to see him in recovery - he was nestled in Ms. Lana's arms getting lots of loves and cuddles. He never cried a tear - until he had to "go". Then he was ready to GET OUT OF THERE. He didn't cry on the way home... which really surprised me. (He is still only so-so about his car seat.) He was such a big boy! Mamoo came over and rocked him to sleep...which was wonderful for Mommy... and all in all he really hasn't complained much at all. He is such a sweet little baby...and they are so helpless at this age...and so trusting. It makes me wonder HOW IN THE WORLD Mom and Daddy were able to stand all those surgeries with Jodi. This was so minor in the great scheme of things - and yet my heart was breaking for him. (still is...) I can't even remember how many surgeries Jodi had been through before she was 5... but what is scarier still... is that I don't remember her being home, much. I remember her in various hospitals... or her at home one day - going to bed... and waking up in someone else's house because she had to go to the hospital in the middle of the night. Then there was the bicycle incident... and the broken leg...I DO remember her being home for that. :) Parents have to get their strength from God. (Philippians 4:13) I don't know how else we get through the tough things without Him.