Re: PeeWees Great Adventures, Pee's New Friend!!!

[sweetiepie9]

I'm SO glad you had a good time, Kaleen and Jeffrey, but I can just imagine Kaleen how exhausted you are, after all that excitement and then to come home to another treatment. So rest up and we'll all wait (very patiently) for you to get some energy to update us all on all the rest of the stuff you did while away. What an awesome gift for you two! And I know Michelle is a great person, it was so good of her to let us know you were still on our cruise, as you can tell, we worry about you! And love you! isn't PeeWee funny to be still waiting for Michelle to come in the door to visit and play with him, he is quite the unusual dragon in that way & I know Michelle loves him alot! So rest up, we'll bug you soon enough!
Deb

 

[beardie parents]

Hi Kayleen, I'm glad to read you had a great time on your cruise. I had a feeling you were on the cruise but we all can't help worrying about you. It's great about swimming with dolphins. I've always liked dolphins ever since watching the 1960's show 'Flipper'. He was always helping people when they were in trouble. Once, Flipper knew there was a severe storm coming and the boys warned every one but then they thought that the boys were wrong but then found a giant tidal wave was coming. Anyway, it must have been fascinating to swim with them and I'm glad that Cappy was such a help and blessing to you. They seem to be as smart as beardies are. :love5: Take care of yourself, even if we have to wait on updates.

 

[Dooter]

Kaleen, that's amazing about Cappy! I am a huge lover of cetaceans. It has been theorized that they have a part of their brain that we humans don't have, and they can sense and feel emotion in a way that we can't even conceive or understand. Its mind blowing, like they possess that elusive "6th sense" and if you've ever interacted with a whale or dolphin (such as you did with Cappy), you just KNOW they have this. They are incredibly smart and empathetic.

I had a very similar experience with a beluga whale! When I was first pregnant with my daughter (it was so early I didn't even know it yet! I think I was maybe 2 weeks into the pregnancy), Joe and I went to Seaworld (which, I now have huge issues with Seaworld after reading and learning about whales and dolphins, but I digress) and we did this thing where we got in full-on wetsuits and swam with the belugas. It was absolutely magical. There was one female beluga, Ruby, and I swear she KNEW I was pregnant. I didn't realize what she was doing at the time, but she got REALLY chatty both above and below the water when we were in the water with her, even the trainers were like "WOW she's got a lot to say to you guys!"

I'm so glad you and Jeffrey got to experience that!

 

[FranktheTank]

Yes Jeffrey and I really did have the time of our lives! We have videos and photos of us swimming and playing with Cappy the Dolphin which we are trying to upload off the disc they gave us, of course this is not a simple task! On the same day as the swim with Cappy we also got to go swim with sea turtles! We went to the Grand Cayman turtle farm, which rescues injured sea turtles and nurses them back to health, then releases them back in to protected waters. While the turtles are rehabilitating they try to acclimate them back in to the regular cycles of life a sea turtle goes through. They have a giant breeding pool where we saw sea turtles bigger than those cars the MIni Coopers! Their little well huge faces are so sweet, and their eyes are so curious too. They come right up to you and look right in to your eyes, sometimes they let you touch them sometimes they swim away right at the last second. Then we got to go in to the pools with the baby sea turtles and swim with them and pick them up and hold them. For whatever reason Jeffrey and I were one of the only people the babies would come around and allow us to touch them and hold them. On the property they also had a habitat for the blue iguanas, well of course we had to go check it out, but at the time they only had green iguanas, but these were not the green iguanas we see here in pet stores. These green iguanas were so bright and emerald, it was amazing. Again Jeffrey and I were the only people who they would sit still for and the babies climbed all over us! I absolutely fell in love with Grand Cayman, it's such a beautiful place to visit. I seriously want to go back and spend an entire week. The people are friendly, it's gorgeous, clean, safe, full of white sand beaches, and there are 5 star resorts everywhere!
I am still adjusting to being home and getting back in to the routine of treatment. unfortunately I've come down with a bad virus and right now I can't even talk, I lost my voice. I am glad it happened now and not while on the cruise. I am so run down and was looking forward to coming home refreshed and recharged, not sick and exhausted Well I will write more in a bit and tell you about our 3rd port Cozumel, Mexico. I really enjoyed Mexico, it was beautiful!

-Kaleen

 

[sweetiepie9]

Hi Kaleen, I'm so glad you had such a good time on the cruise and if you had to get sick, at least it was at home, but what a letdown for you. I so enjoyed your adventures, aren't those animals just fascinating? And it doesn't surprise me that you and Jeffrey were the only ones they would approach, you have a special reptile gene that they can distinguish :lol: Makes perfect sense! Will be glad to hear about Mexico, but not until you feel better, which I hope you do soon. I'll bet PeeWee and the rest were glad you were home, though, even if he did keep looking for Michelle!

Take care and get better soon,
Deb

 

[Goonie]

For whatever reason Jeffrey and I were one of the only people the babies would come around and allow us to touch them and hold them. . . . Again Jeffrey and I were the only people who they would sit still for and the babies climbed all over us!

Uh, do you really need to ask that? Dogs and cats aren't the only animals who can sense 'good' people from bad, and obviously both you and Jeffrey were 'great' according to the sea turtles and iguanas.

Can't wait to see the wonderful pics and videos of your trip. I'm so glad that you were able to enjoy every minute of it, but too bad that you became ill as soon as you got home. The body and mind does wonders, huh?

 

[ineedtherain]

Good to read your posts now you're back! I'm glad you had such a wonderful time on your cruise - the stories of the turtles are so beautiful. I adore turtles, have done since I was 3 years old. They are such beautiful creatures!
More stories please! I hope you feel a whole lot better soon

 

[FranktheTank]

Okay still working on converting the disks so we can upload all the pics and videos from the trip. Soo our 3rd and final port on the cruise was Cozumel Mexico. Absolutely beautiful!! White sand beaches, beautiful plants,flowers, friendly people, we felt really safe here too. Our excursion in Mexico was really fun but really did a number on me physically. I am glad we did it the last day too because it would've ruined the whole trip. Anyway we rented X-rail two seater vehicles and went off roading in the jungle. We saw beautiful wildlife, we got our picture taken holding a baby alligator!!! He was about the size of Walter and just as sweet, he wrapped his little fingers around my pointer finger and just totally relaxed in Jeffrey's arms. The guys were laughing because the alligator was so comfortable with us, they called us the Lizard Whisperers! hahahah. During our off roading tour we stopped at Jade Caverns which is full of Mayan history, we had to hike down in to the cave where there was a 65 mile deep sink hole which connected to the ocean. The only way in was to jump down in to it and then swim for a while until we got to a hill and had to climb up out of it. The water was freezing, and it smelled like sulfur but it's supposed to be amazing for your skin. I didn't jump far enough out and cut my foot up pretty bad on the rocks, but it was all worth it. Also on our tour we had to go full speed off a jump and through 2-3 giant mud pits! At the end we were covered head to toe in mud!! The X-rail vehicles were really fast too, you get going pretty fast out there. Had I known it was going to be so bumpy and fast I might not have done it, but I am really glad I got to experience it. The pictures are really funny because we had to wear helmets goggles and a bandana around our mouths. Jeffrey really had fun driving too, he took the turns at full speed and really got his moneys worth on those mud pits!! Like I said my body took a beating and the next day was all day at sea for the last day of the cruise and I literally spent the entire day in the hot tub and pool. The next morning we docked at port back in New Orleans and had one more night there before our flight home the next morning. Well it happened to be the first day of Mardi Gras. We had to be young and par take in the partying, it was pretty mild during the day. Except for the grown man projectile vomiting in the street well before noon :roll: After a long nap Jeffrey and I went to Bourbon Street at 9:00pm to experience that.. It was interesting to say the least For the most part everyone was in party mode and super friendly. Unfortunately there was a hells angles biker convention going on that night and the later it got the more rowdy and drunk they got. They started out polite and easy going, then they slowly started taking over all the bars and hang outs on Bourbon Street, after the second fight in a row Jeffrey and I decided it was time to go. We were back at the hotel by 10:30pm. We like to have a good time but that was a bit much for us, maybe if I was 10 years younger I would've been okay, but watching people destroy themselves just wasn't that funny.. I was really nervous with the bikers too because they kept hitting on me and almost separating Jeffrey and I even though I was latched on to him. Then right as we were making our way out of the crowd a big biker came towards me and said some in appropriate things and I said no thank you not interested I'm here with my fiance. He didn't get the point and Jeffrey stepped in front of me and told him again. That's when I saw his buddies start to walk over, so I literally pushed Jeffrey and we fell through the crowd and a big fight broke out right as I pushed him passed those guys :shock: Mardi Gras is safer in numbers I think. If we were there with our giant group of friends no one would've bothered us. I wouldn't say not to go, just keep your wits about you!
Another place on our trip I haven't mentioned is Jamaica. I was really disappointed and I won't ever go back. The actual place is beautiful and the ocean is breath taking, but the people just suck. From the second we stepped off the boat till the time we left Jeffrey and I got harassed non stop by hagglers beggers and drug dealers. No joke, we didn't go 5 steps without being acosted. At times it was frightening because they don't ask and go away when you say no, they follow you and bother you just trying to get something out of you. Jeffrey got haggled by a swindler out of $20. Our tour guide tried to get it back but they couldn't find the guy.. Just when we thought we were safe on a private beach, Jeffrey and I were swimming in the ocean and a drug dealer literally popped up out of the water and offered us drugs?! He came out of the ocean?!! We were talking about our experience at dinner that night on the ship and our waiter told us that every cruise at least 10 people get arrested in Jamaica for buying drugs. It's a scam, the dealers work with the police and arrest you as soon as you buy it. The country is broke so they make thousands off tourists trying to get out of jail. Sure enough the next day a man and his wife in our group that swam with Dolphins, their cousin got arrested the day before and was still in Jamaica for drugs. I mean how dumb do you have to be.. If it's something you wouldn't do at home why would you do it in another country where it's illegal too!
Okay I have some pictures of PeeWee and the gang to post too, I'll probably do that tomorrow. I'm kinda worried about PeeWee, he's okay and healthy but I don't think he's going to grow any more. He hasn't shed or grown in a few months. He hasn't gone in to a shed or anything. He's eating normal and pooping normal too, his energy is great, he's always happy, no stress marks unless he's taking in more heat. I'm thinking him being the runt kinda stunted his growth. Will he be okay or will this cause problems for his organs and such? I wouldn't mind if he stayed the size he is, but if it's going to hurt him in anyway I'd be devastated. I always thought cause he's named PeeWee he's going to be like 23 inches long and 800grams. Maybe he'll have another growth spurt, but I don't think so. I really think he's all done. Even Chloe still goes through sheds, So does Sunny. But little PeeWee hasn't since late October early November...

-Kaleen

 

[sweetiepie9]

Hi Kaleen,
I'm so very glad you had a great time on your cruise, it sure sounds like the cruise of a lifetime and except for Mardi Gras and Jamaica it sounds like you had a wonderful time, both of you. I was able to visualize alot of it, just with your writing! I know you were exhausted when you got home, but well worth the effort, right? I hope you're feeling a bit better now, and I know your animals were all glad to see you. I think Michelle enjoyed herself taking care of your crew, it's great that you have someone like that, just like I have Jake and his mom Cami to take care of things for me.

As for PeeWee, he's only 7 mo old, so still has over a year for growing, so I wouldn't worry. As long as he's healthy, happy, pooping and driving you nuts, then he's ok. Some dragons just don't grow big and he had a really slow start. Didi is only 17" long and 430g and he was only 300g when I got him in July 2010 and he was already 4 years old, so it happens. If he grows more, fine, if he doesn't get any bigger (but I think he will), then fine. If you're really concerned get some blood work done at the vet, but I really don't think there would be anything wrong with his organs. Didi is fine and he'll be 7 yrs old this year. He's still the smallest and lightest of all my guys, but he's healthy, happy, he just loses weight really easily and I always have to get after him to eat, but as long as he doesn't get under 400g, I'm content. He's still my diva and snuggle bum! And gets really upset when I don't let him out to explore the living room. I had to take the ramp apart as had a digital box installed on my TV in the living room (due to cable changes), boy was he in a snit when I didn't put it back together the same day. So I've sort of put together a bunch of cushions that he can sit on and he spends his time out exploring all the ramp pieces that haven't been put together yet. :lol:

Rubio, Lonzo and Leo are going to the vet in the am, Rubio because he won't eat since he woke up, Lonzo for his lung and Leo because his teeth are black & just want to make sure it's staining and not mouth rot. So when I get some more $ together then Didi and Gabriel will go for wellness checks, too. I'm glad I have a good vet who doesn't charge alot and also charges 1/2 price for more than one animal, but 3 is the max I can handle in one visit! I put them in gym bags with shoeboxes in the bottom, let them warm up really well, then wrap them in their blankies, then in the bags they go and the bags get closed, then they stay quiet in the car. Can you imagine 3 dragons running around the inside of the car, fighting, while I'm trying to drive 20 min to the vet? :lol: Now what would a policeman say when he stopped me for erratic driving? :lol:

So stay well and I'm so looking forward to any pics you can post. I finally got a new battery for my camera, so can take pics again, haven't done that for a week or so. I also took a pic of Gabriel's "bumps" on his tail to show someone here how to sex their dragon. Take a look when you have a chance, they are huge :shock: Explains all his energy, I think, he got out of the living room twice in the time you were gone, plus he learned how to climb the sofa, so time to cut his nails!
Take care
Deb

 

[wmwelch]

Kaleen don't worry about Peewee not shedding for a while, he and Sinclair are the same age, and I don't recall Sinclair shedding in a while, but I typically weigh him once or twice a week, and he continues to gain weight just not as rapidly as he used to. Nevertheless he is about 17 inches long and 380 grams. So I bet that Peewee has made weight gains as well.

Also Sinclair has sleepy days (sort of a semi-brumation), where he gets up in the morning, eats a little and basks, then climbs under his log, the next day he is usually wide awake. The colder the day the more likely he is to do this. Even with all this, he continues to steadily add on weight, so sooner or later he will shed again, and so will Peewee.

Wendy

 

[FranktheTank]

Deb and Wendy-
Thank you so much for telling me that. I feel a lot better, and yes PeeWee is totally healthy and happy. Jeffrey agrees spending the money to run bloodwork isn't worth it unless there's actually something going on.. I just wouldn't want to put him through any undue stress. We kind of had a wild Sunday today. Well it was fun and wild for us :lol: :lol: Today we gave everyone, all 9 of our babies, play time for at least an hour and then some all by themselves. We were up early with nothing really going on so we figured why not. Frank had a lot of fun trying to impress Sunny and Chloe, but both girls were not impressed. Chloe did wave a few times but then she literally turned her back on him :mrgreen: That's my girl, I taught her not to give it up so easy :wink: We don't want any hussies in this house! :lol: :lol: Sunny was zipping all over the house, she got stuck a few times :roll: trying to climb up the wall :dontknow: Silly Sunny. She also ran underneath Walters giant house, eventually she came out. I think Sunny thinks she's a male, She does everything a male does it's weird. We've actually checked under her tail dozens of times just to be certain she's our chubby princess, not prince! I know for certain she will never be able to mate, I won't allow her to. Sunny is a dominant female and very aggressive towards other beardies male and female, so much so that I fear she would kill the male before he got close to her. I mean she tries to kill her own reflection, it's wild :shock: Chloe had a nice romp about the house as well. Mostly she just wanted to sit with Jeffrey and I on the couch and relax. Then she decided to go visit PeeWee her buddie. Chloe spent a good half hour trying to figure out how to get in to PeeWees cage to play with him. It was so sweet they kept licking one another through the glass and then looking over at me with the saddest little faces :lol: So we let Chloe and PeeWee play together for a few minutes. PeeWee gets too excited after a bit and he gets all rambunctious and hyper and starts jumping around it's so funny. It's too much for Chloe when he gets like that, so we let PeeWee get his energy out for a while. After about a half hour he curled up inside the blanket and took a little snooze. He's sleeping next to me right now, he looks like a little angle. Oh I love that little PeeWee. After that it was Walters turn for playtime, the temperature wasn't too bad today, and Walter was begging to go outside so Jeffrey took him. While they were outside it started to rain, and Walter was in heaven. He stretched out on the rocks and just enjoyed the weather for a bit. When he was ready he came in and had some dinner and a long bath. Then we let Ronald and Lulu our geckos play for a minute, they were not too thrilled so we didn't keep em out too long. Our uros Doug and Daisy came out and ran around together too! I'm telling ya it was a big family day today. The beardies are the only ones who get to come out everyday so it was nice to let everyone have our full attention for a while. We decided to turn the guest bedroom in to the reptile room. This way when we have one of the babies out for Playtime the others won't be head bobbing and causing a disturbance. If we don't like having the beardies in their we can always move them back out to the living room. We have the spare tv in their so I'll still leave it on for them during the day when we are not home, and when we are one of them will always be out with me!! Well that's it from me, still working on the pictures. I promise they are coming soon..

-Kaleen

 

[beardie parents]

Hi Kayleen

I'm glad you had a good day yesterday.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Now that sounds like a GREAT day for everyone and Walter got to be in the rain, I take it he likes that! PeeWee is a nut, and so is Sunny the way they run around and Sunny getting stuck a few times must have been hilarious for you. I like doing that, too, when I have a day off with nothing else to do, which is very rare. So glad you had a good day and how are you feeling? Hopefully better. Will be great to see the pics when you can manage it.

 

[Goonie]

What a fun family day you had! You and Jeffrey must've been on cloud 9 having been able to play with all of your babies.
I'm so glad to hear that Chloe and PeeWee are still best buds. How sweet

 

[FranktheTank]

I am truly sorry I haven't posted his new pictures yet, and photos from our trip. I am back in the hospital dealing with the breast cancer in my right breast again. It's been a trying ordeal and I am exhausted. Please bare with me and know that I would love to just sit down and post as many pictures as possible, but I literally haven't had a spare few hours to do so. Also with all my frustration I fear a fight with Photobucket may result in my throwing the computer through the window :dontknow: :shock: So all in all I will post pictures just as soon as I am able. PeeWee and his brothers and sisters are all doing exceptionally well. PeeWee, Sunny, and Chloe have been extra attentive and affectionate since this started. All they want is to be with me, the other day I fell asleep with PeeWee stuffed in side my shirt and tucked under my bra strap on the left and Chloe curled up on my tummy towards the right. Jeffrey said the 3 of us were there for a good 2 hours! So they know I don't feel well and are totally in tune with my lack of energy. At this very moment PeeWee is tucked under my armpit with his head laying on my left boob. Every once in a while he licks my chest and does a little comfy butt wiggle :love5: :laughing6: He's such a sweetie!! The other surprise is Mr Walter! He has been so cuddly and loveable during this, he knows I don't feel well and all he wants is to sit in my lap with his tail wrapped around my arm and snooze. Yesterday after treatment I sat with him on my tummy for a couple hours and rubbed his back. If I stopped he would jump up and look at me like, "Oh no Mom, are you okay. Why did you stop, are you feeling okay?" :roll: :lol: I eventually fell asleep with him on my lap and Jeffrey said he buried his head in to my chest and wouldn't let him come near me. It's like he knew I needed rest so he wouldn't let Jeffrey disturb me. I am telling you anyone who says reptiles have no emotion and don't love is dead wrong. My babies know I'm sick and there's something wrong, and their instinct is to coddle and take care of me. All they want is to make me better and keep me safe. I couldn't be more in love with them. Okay it's off to bed with me, so pictures are coming I promise promise promise. I may make Jeffrey post them for me!

-Kaleen