The Claw

Alright, alright. I've been telling some of you that I've got a killer of a story. I'll get to it in a bit, but in this post.

Lisette has managed to get even chubbier. That girl is round and rolley polley. Last week we ran out of purified water, and decided, since she's also eating baby food regularly now, to test her tolerance for tap. NOT a good idea. I was going aboslutely INSANE. That girl has got lungs, and highly emotional. Sunday night we couldn't take it anymore. She had been going to bed around, even after, midnight. We went and got more gas meds and purified water. I'm happy to report that she has been better behaved. I suppose its not a bad thing if she has to have purified water all her life. There could be worse things.

She sure loves Franklin, and her daddy. She wants to grab on to Franklin, to play with him. They sometimes have random laughing fits between them. Not sure who starts laughing first, but it goes on for a little bit, taking turns on laughing. We love it. Sometimes we join in on the laughter.

Franklin is turning into a momma's boy, and I'm thilled!! He gives hugs often, and loves his sister. He doesn't like her grabbing him; hair, shirt, arm, hand, face, pants. He'll grab her hand and push her away, not rough, but he tells her to "Top" (stop). Earlier today he randomly went up to her, grabbed her hand, opened her palm, and gave her a high five. Yep, that's my boy!! He sure is a bean pole though. We're still trying to get him to eat more than cereal, bread, and crackers.

So, I have rules that I have set up for certain things. Rules meant for me. That rule is; when bathing the cats always wash Osgood first. They have been getting more and more stinky, and it helps my allergies a little after they are clean. During the process of bathing them, my allergies are the worst, but the reward is great enough for me to deal. My other rule is have extra hands around. Stephen was gone working, and I was sick and tired of putting it off. Franklin was bugging me to get in the shower. (I never had to have a rule about kids because I always had extra hands around)

So Franklin and I get in. And who do I grab to be first? Rizzo. Broken rule #1. Rizzo had always been pretty good though, so I figured nothing tragic would occur. Boy I was wrong. He gets wet, and freaks out big time. I'm trying to pin him down. Unfortunately his back claws streak down Franklin back. Rizzo is pinned, and Franklin is heartbroken and terrified. How could his favorite kitty hurt him like that? So instead of just letting Rizzo go, I got Franklin to calm down a little, and then take a rag, and rub it on Rizzo. I need him to be ok with Rizzo now, not later. He starts laughing, and smiling. Good. Should have ended it there, but no.

I decide to actually wash him now. I get his front half, the non-lethal half, rubbed, and rinsed of cat shampoo. So he starts to struggle. I'm nervous he's going to get Franklin again, so I try to position myself differently. That moment was all that Rizzo needed. I never even noticed that he got my leg pretty good. I was too scared for Franklin. He already had 3 long gashes down his back. Franklin is backed up to the opposite side, and I didn't notice that either since I was pre-occupied by a thick claw stuck in my arm, and pretty deep. Yep, he got me, and dang good. His front half of his body was held by one hand on his neck. His back half was attached to my arm. I had to drop his front half to grab his back foot, and pull it out of my arm.

Maybe more than 5 seconds his claw was stuck. I'm not sure, but the blood sure gushed out for 10; lots. Then it just stopped, just as fast as it started. The vein collapsed, that was all I could think happened. It's happened before, in that same part of my arm with a failed IV insertion. Franklin hadn't been making any noise. I was so afraid he had been hurt, that I started freaking out that he wasn't crying, or yelling. Obviously Rizzo was long gone out of the shower. I called Stephen from in the shower, and then started to have a short panic attack. As I was frantically checking out Franklin, he was hugging me, and gave me a kiss. He was perfectly fine, aside from the original scratches Rizzo gave him.

I hear too often how people get rid of a pet because they hurt someone, especially a child. Most of the time its the owners fault. Owners know their own pet (at least they should) and should know how they react to different, and highly stressful, situations. Rizzo is an amazing cat, and always been a great friend, and companion to all of us, including Franklin. I know he doesn't handle stress all that well, and is also easily spooked. I'm fortunate that my vein collapsed so the gushing of blood only lasted a few seconds. Rizzo is still a good cat. He was cautious around me for a day, knowing he was sorry for what he did. I, too, am sorry that I broke my own rules, and put him and Franklin in that situation. Franklin still beats, and plays with him, and he continues to take it like a pro.

We're all doing well. We're praying for snow, and cold weather. I suppose for most of you we already have too much snow, and its too cold. Not for us, and not for Stephen's job. Utah needs way more snow/rain. We also have new callings in our ward. We hope Franklin doesn't care that we are no longer in Nursery, and Lisette will get better attention; not that she isnt' getting enough already.

We do have more videos. I will let you know when we have more posted!