What I have found myself complaining about WAY too much this month...

Jack.  Yep.  That dog of ours takes first place for the thing in my life that has driven me CRAZY this past month or so!!!  It all started with his running away when no one was looking one day.  The boys left for father/sons and everyone was worried sick about where he was or if he was even still alive. The little kids were sending prayers up like nobody's business that he would come home and be ok.

After a couple of days we noticed him sitting in the front yard at dusk.  He slunk around the corner of the house with his tail between his legs he was so ashamed, even though everyone was so excited to see him.  After that,  he couldn't get enough of his freedom.  He took to howling and whining all. night. long. Mostly when Shawn was gone. He doesn't listen to me when I tell him to be quiet - he only listens to Shawn and Caden.  But I noticed that if I hit the blinds he would be quiet, so I took to sleeping with an arsenal of shoes on my nightstand that I could chuck at the blinds whenever he started tuning up so that I wouldn't have to get out of bed every ten to fifteen minutes. Yes, that's how often he started tuning up again.  I was already having a hard enough time sleeping at this stage of pregnancy, and then with Jack adding to my sleeplessness, I was completely exhausted.  And enraged about that dog. And entertaining very violent thoughts...

Meanwhile, Jack managed to sneak away again after an enjoyable couple of hours swimming with the family:

Dare I to admit that after he didn't come back for a couple of days I hoped he was gone for good? Well, it doesn't matter, because just when my hopes were up, a neighbor called and said that Jack was at their house. If it was even possible, his nightly serenade got even worse!!

A beyond exhausted me, told Shawn on a phone conversation that we had while he was out of town, that I knew that I was going to be beyond furious if I had this baby and couldn't sleep at night when the baby was finally sleeping because of a stupid dog!! 

Shawn recognized a serious situation in a wife that needed serious placating and called back in a few minutes with the news that he had a surgery scheduled for Jack and a brand new shock collar purchased as well.  (his other had stopped working).  I was glad that he was taking steps to fix (no pun intended) this dog's problems, but in my mind I had decided that we needed to find him a new home.  I wasn't enthusiastic about spending even a dollar on him (let alone $250ish!!!!)

But anywhoo, this last week since he has had the surgery has been heavenly!  He hasn't made a single peep at night- do I dare to hope that that nightmare is over?! Last night I found myself saying something down-right sympathetic about him.  Perhaps he's gaining back some of my affection!? I think everyone's glad that they don't have to listen to me whinge about him anymore...