Nathaniel, Cierra, Castiel, Freya, Grrl; RIP GABRIEL

We never expected to get another dragon, but our neighbours next door wanted to give away Cleo, as he was called. We'd babysat him before, he's such a sweetheart. We nicknamed him Velcro because when he snuggles he never wants to go back to his viv, he hangs on as if he's made out of velcro.

So here he is. Today was his first day with us. He ate 13 supers and ate some squash, not bad for the first day he was here. He's only in a 30 gallon tank, which will be ok for now. He's 18" long but weighs only 200g. We figure he's probably 2 yrs old. Our neighbours rescued him last fall, they found him and a female (which they named Puff) on Craig's list. They were in a 30 gallon dirty tank, with sand and a huge log that took up 1/2 the space in the tank. Leo was at the bottom, he was sooooo skinny. He's gained weight, but never got the attention he deserved. I took some pics today, but will take more tomorrow. I think he remembers our place as didn't get stressed as I expected. No stress marks at all. When we let him run around the living room, he noticed our girls and immediate black beard, so his hormones are working!

He had a bath this morning, had a big poop, no smell, so not worried about parasites.

So here are a few pics, he's a yellow & dark gray, light gray colour.

Under the communal power sun in the living room:

Discovering there are girls in those tanks up above, he has a great black beard for such a skinny boy:

On the couch, he's got a pretty diamond pattern on his back:

Hope you enjoy
Deb and my six dragons :shock: :shock: :shock: :love5:

 

[KristineM]

I try SO hard not to chime in on this sort of stuff but I'm sorry...I can't hold back any longer.

In my own personal experience ONLY...with friends around me and family members having their FIRST baby. It's like...they feel the need to be "in control" and make sure everyone knows their "place" in the new baby's life. Which has always confused me. From the moment Hailey and Keegan were each born, I swear the grandparents have been a part of my kids' day to day lives. I welcome the help, the advice, the breaks. Heck, the grandparents have done it before!

I don't know too much about Tara but understanding that she MADE the choice to be a mom...SHE is the one who has a whole lot of growing up to do. When you become a mom...sorry...there's NO CHOICE. You jump in. Take action. She's clearly made it a very STRONG point to show she's mom and she's boss. So, how about acting like a mom and letting daddy go back to work?

Has she ever even taken care of Leo on her own for a day?! If she's "all nerves" well she should be grateful to have someone like you to happily help her, especially considering YOU are Leo's family and there's nothing better than a wonderful, loving, grandmother to help out and show you the ropes.

I think this situation bothers me so much because I'd give anything to have my own mom being a pain in my butt!

I'm sorry you're going through this. Sounds like someone needs to put her big girl underwear on and either jump on into motherhood or accept the help she's being offered.

Pheeeeewwww. Sorry for all that. I've been holding it in for PAGES!

 

[sweetiepie9]

Oh Kristine, you have a wonderful way with words, it's all the way I've been feeling since Leo was born & I was just mumbling to myself on my home from work about this whole Eric not going to work situation. I knew this was going to happen when Tara announced she was going to get pregnant and my comment "are you sure you're going to be able to handle a baby with your back the way it is" is the comment that caused her to snub me for a year. I think she really has something wrong with her. It's a very strange situation as she's not acting the way I did when I had Eric. Even though he was born 2 days after Christimas, back east in Montreal, and it was cold, he was bundled up when he was 6 wks old and taken to work for all my co-workers to see him and hold him. That was normal for me. I had him outside as often as I could and even though I went back to work when he was 5 mo old, it was the hardest thing I ever did.

So I appreciate your comments, honest, you & I think so much alike!

I don't know what's going to happen in the future but Eric will have to go back to work at the end of Oct as they can't live on 1/2 his salary, which is what he's getting on paternity leave, it's part of the unemployment program in Canada. Still not enough to live on when she's not earning anything (she hasn't worked in 3 yrs).

And another thing, with my family being in Vancouver, 3000 miles away, I would have done anything to have them closer, which is why, 4 years later, when I paid out all my ex's debts (yes, they were all in my name) I called my mom & said "I'm done here, Mom, can you send me a ticket" and a month later I was out here, best thing I ever did. Eric doesn't remember how difficult it was for me to raise him as I made it look very easy, but when I got here I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, so being with my family healed me right up!

So thanks again Kristine, I love that I have no much support on here, it's my GO TO place when something is wrong. I get great advice and excellent support and it all makes me feel so much better about myself.

I know Eric and Tara need to grow up and I'm hoping that as Leo gets older, they will. They need to for his sake.

Eric sent me pics last night & I'm going to try to move them here. They turned out great and Leo is smiling in one of them.

 

[KristineM]

Well, I'm really happy I didn't offend you with my honesty. I just don't get it. Hailey was born on December 24th and you can bet your bottom dollar I faught kicking and screaming to take her home on the 25th. It was Christmas Day. We had people to see and things to do...day old or not. My family was delighted and I was grateful for the help and suggestions from parents who did it all before me.

Yes, for Leo's sake...things will have to change. I hope it happens sooner rather than later.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Thanks Kristine, I always appreciate honesty, really!

So here are the latest pics of Leo, he's such a cutie!














Hope you like them!
They're small because they're from my son's iphone. When Tara takes the pictures form her cell, they come out much larger. I'll have to tell them that one day!

 

[zandi202]

He's so handsome!!!!

 

[morphmom]

That's an interesting point Kristine. :study: The idea that first time mom's need to feel in control. I was one of those moms. Not sure if it was because Annie was/is my first or if it was because she was born so sick but I sure as heck made sure to let everyone know that no one made a move around my baby without my say so! :roll: That being said... I still allowed everyone and anyone over to see Annie. I made my own mother sit on the sofa to hold her, but she could hold her when ever she liked. Maybe Terra needs to form a game plan? A way to have her control, but let in the love and advice. Just a thought :wink:
-Oh my gosh! What a cuite butt Leo is! And that smile!? Outta this world! Makes me question Annie being an only child! :lol:
-Just great to see him Deb!

 

[Goonie]

Wow, I can't believe how much he's grown! Those pics are just so precious!

OK, I'd been biting my tongue for awhile now, only because everyone had pretty much already said what I'd been fighting back, but . . . If she already knew that she had physical limitations, what in hell was she thinking in having a child?!?!?! Was she expecting Eric to stay home with her and Leo forever, taking care of everything?!?!?! What the heck is she planning on doing when Eric's paternity leave runs out and cannot be extended anymore? Cry like a spoiled brat until someone else takes over?!?!?! Eric needs to act like an almost 30-year-old man instead of a love-struck teenager.

 

[Esther19]

My opinion is that Tara was NOT thinking...except of herself. Wherein lies the problem. Eric has probably become so brainwashed by her trash talking over the years that he almost believes it. You're right on, Gina, he needs to put his big boy pants on and achieve some sort of normalcy in that house, and with his family.
I wonder if pics would have been forthcoming had Deb not given Eric a piece of her mind the other day.

Leo is a real cutie, Deb. Gonna have to fight off the girls starting in preschool. :wink:

 

[Tonja]

OMGosh is he adorable. He will have killer eyes when hes bigger. Hope you have a baseball bat at the ready, the girls will be swarming like bees to pollen. Hes already got a beautiful smile. Im glad Eric sent you some pictures! Eric and Tara will learn real fast the world will not put everything on hold for them, especially his job when paternity leave runs out!!!

New pics of Geico and Em are up!

 

[sweetiepie9]

Gina, Tonya, Holly and Esther, I agree with you all; that's why I asked her March/12 if she would be capable of caring for a baby with her back issues & for my pains, she cut me off for almost a year. When Eric starting lecturing me on Monday, I told him off & that was the end of the conversation. When he called me yesterday & I called him back, he just wanted to know who a couple of the emails I sent him belonged to, then I got the pictures, so nothing was said about Monday at all. So we'll see how it goes.

So when I got up this am & handled Titan, I noticed that whatever this skin thing is was now covering his whole tummy and had moved to his right side. I freaked out & put him in a Betadine bath & called the vet right away. I got a message tonight to drop him off at the vet tomorrow morning and pick him up tomorrow afternoon, they have a tank for him and would be doing some tests. I was so grateful, but have no $, not sure what all this is going to cost, I'm also waiting for an order from Tracie with a different anti-biotic cream that is less than 1/2 the price of the one I was getting from the vet; in the meanwhile I got paid today so can probably pay for some of the vet, then I see the vet again on Oct 12 for another follow up. He'll probably be put on shots again, but I am so worried that it's Yellow Fungus, as I don't know what it looks like when it starts. What he has is just light brown blotches, but they're travelling again. Anyway, I'll know more tomorrow afternoon, I'll be going straight there from my physio apt and cancelled the chiro apt I had at 9a tomorrow, as he's much more important than my back right now. I asked for an apt at 9a next Saturday instead, I can get through a week on painkillers.

And yes, I agree, Eric and Tara sure made a beautiful baby boy. He looks a lot like Tara and has Eric's eyes, but that could change as he gets older. Either way, he'll be like my brother David and have girls chasing him from kindergarten onwards (he never went to pre-school, there wasn't any such thing back then :lol: he's 49 now, my how time flies :lol: )

Thanks everyone, for being so supportive, I honestly don't know what I'd do without you

 

[CountofCasualty]

Gosh, Titan! How terrifying. I'll be thinking of you both. I love little(er...big?) Titan! He is such a sweetie...

And you know my opinions on Tara and Eric well enough by now. :lol:

As for their baby Leo, he is a cutie and what adorable smiles he makes.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Hi Jolene, yes they did make a beautiful baby, I just love him. And I'll let you know about Titan tomorrow afternoon when I get back, fingers crossed it is a skin infection and NOT Yellow Fungus.

 

[CountofCasualty]

Any news on Titan, Deb?

 

[hoopyscoop]

Eeep, I haven’t posted here in awhile, but I have been reading!

First off, I’m really sorry about how Tara and Eric have been treating you since Leo was born.
I’m not good with words, but I (like everyone) think they need to seriously grow up.

Second off, LEO IS SO CUTE!! :love5: Babies are so cute! Especially him!

Third off, I’ve been thinking about Titan all day and checking back every few hours/mins. I REALLY hope that it’s not yellow fungus.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Hi everyone, was out until past 3p, then had to lie down for awhile. Titan is back on injections for the skin problem. The vet said it's not fungus, but I might have a biopsy done at the end of Oct when I take him back, just to be on the safe side. He doesn't look anything like Dino, a dragon who's owner was Sue, they fought Yellow Fungus for over a year and it came back again & Dino had to be put down, so I want to make sure. Otherwise it's Betadine on his skin lesions & spots every day, injections every 3 days as before & I have an anti-bacterial gel on it's way from Tracie. So between the 3 he'll hopefully recover, but we might have to continue with the same thing in November, too. I'll see on Oct 26 when I take him back. But he's ok, just very sleepy and he's lost weight again, he's down 50 grams, but as he was 580g when this started, he can lose more without a problem. I'll start feeding him myself soon, if he doesn't start eating on his own, and he'll get acidophilus every day he doesn't get the injection. I'm so hoping he'll get over this, whatever it is, my vet has yet to figure out what's causing it all to begin with.

And thanks, Hoopy, I so agree they both need to grow up, but I don't see that happening any time soon. I'm just glad I got to see Leo on Monday and got those pics of him, he's a beautiful baby, so at least they got something right :lol: I have to just live my life & not keep worrying about Leo, hopefully, though, they'll decide to include me in their lives anyway, even if I'm not what they want me to be. I'm not changing for anyone, if my family and friends like me the way I am, then Eric and Tara will have to accept me, too. And that's my last word on the subject :lol:

My boys are all starting to get really sleepy, Leo's in his hide again & Rubio was in there Thursday, then he decided to sleep on his bed last night (it's on top of his hide), which is where he goes when he wants to bromate, but he needs to empty his digestive system, so it's time to buy some fresh canned pumpkin and start pumping it into him. He loves the stuff, so it won't be an issue :mrgreen:

So I'm off to bed, have a busy day tomorrow and have a movie to watch. Thanks for checking in!