Quick Update

Due to sketchy internet connections on my computer at the apartment, a delightful visit from Atlanta from farmor and farfar (John and Judy), an ever busy little one year old, and vet visits and medication for a sick pup, we have fallen WAY behind on our blog!

We had a quick trip to Copenhagen in the middle of October, just before John and Judy arrived to celebrate Kitty's birthday (and my birthday, and Andrews... and Halloween... and Christmas:)  Copenhagen was cloudy- as is all of Scandinavia these days, but really really cool- more on that trip later.

After had two glorious (for the most part glorious, there was a very rough patch in the middle where almost everyone fell ill) weeks of rediscovering Stockholm with John and Judy, Andrew and I now have our hands quite full with taking care of our sick doggie.

Little Laska concerned us with some weird red spots- a bug bite looking mark on his chest, and a little bleeding wound under his eye. Vet visits are quite expensive here (pet insurance is mandatory for most animals, we are realizing why!) so before we made an appointment, I walked him to the nearby office/pet boutique store so the worker could have a look. She wasn't overly concerned, and suggested just waiting, that if more spots appeared, or they didn't go away, we should make an appointment, but for now it could just be a scrape or a non threatening bug bite.

 The next morning, Laska was openly bleeding from multiple lesions on his face. We went to the vet asap and learned that Laska has a disease called "collie nose" (unofficial term) common in dogs with little pigment on their nose/face area. untreated, these lesions never heal and can turn into cancer- scary! He had about five little spots on his face (ranging from the size of a pencil eraser to the size of a penny) that were swollen and raw, oozing and bleeding- yuck! He is being treated with topical cream and antibiotics, as well as condemned to wearing a cone for ten days. Our hearts are just broken for him!

Our established routine is a bit disturbed now, as dog park is not an option while he heals, and our small apartment is made even more uncomfortable for Laska as he has a gigantic cone around his neck, barring normal movement... and he has to be on constant surveillance to insure that he doesn't damage the healing on his face.

This unfortunate situation, combined with the dreary dark Swedish fall is making for a rather somber November. Just last night we were brainstorming about ways to make the days more cheery (the sun now sets at about 3:30) So far we have come up with 1.Make sure we exercise. 2. Drink lots of wine. We are open for suggestions and prayers and well wishes from everyone!

Happily our darling little one year old is unaltered by the lack of sunshine. She is happy, healthy, and busy as ever! Her latest game is pretending to eat things. A game that is alarming for Mommy and Daddy quite often as we are constantly checking if she is ACTUALLY putting this in her mouth and chewing, or just pretending. Most often she is pretending. And she is very generous, she 'feeds' Mommy, Daddy, and Laska her pretend treats all the time, and giggles away as we join in her game. All the fake food must be giving her lots of energy, because she is wants to walk everywhere! Getting places occurs at a much slower pace these days, as little girl insist on holding our hands and putzing her own self forward one wobbly foot at a time. Andrew and I have just accepted the fact that we will officially always be late to everything- and our lower backs will always be hurting. Small price to pay for the joy on Kateri's face with each and every little step.

We love everyone back home, and are really starting to miss you all!!