My first baby came into my life in December of 1997. I had gone to Seattle for a visit and when I returned to Athens Aaron surprised me with the tiniest, sweetest puppy I had ever laid eyes on. I cried when Aaron told me she was mine! I had never had a pet of any significance (only hamsters, goldfish and for a short time a rabbit) so this was a very big deal for me. I had wanted a dog my entire life. She was about eight weeks old and it was similar to having a newborn. She would whine almost all night long in her bed which was next to mine, this eventually led to her sleeping on my chest at night. I think she liked feeling my heart beating.I took her everywhere with me, she was truly my best friend. She was there with me through my last year couple of years of college and earned the love of my roommates - Amy and Heather. She moved across the country with me after I graduated and she gained a companion in Hili when Aaron and I moved in together. She was understanding when I had to kick her out of our bed (she used to sleep at our feet UNDER the covers!) when Evan was born. She quietly took second place to Evan without showing any resentment. She was incredibly patient as Evan grew and during his terrible 2's and 3's would annoy the hell out of her. She comforted me when I lost my brother and always seemed to know when I was hurting and needed to cuddle. She was patient still when Ava was born and I was completely sleep deprived and stressed out and did not give her the same attention I once had.
She was very smart, very sweet and very spunky. Although she was small she would challenge dogs several times her size just to show them she was not afraid. She once chased two very large Siberian Huskies down a beach. She won over the affection of so many people (even people such as my mom who was not particularly fond of dogs!). We had developed a tradition when I moved to Seattle of having Sunday night dinner at my Dad and step-mom's house that lasted close to ten years and she would come with us every time. She used to curl up her lip showing some of her teeth when my dad sung 'Blue Christmas' to her, it was hilarious (sadly we never captured it on video)! She had her own special stash of treats and a bed at their house complete with toys and blankets. They would often take care of her when we went out of town and they were very attached to our sweet girl. She absolutely loved going to the farm and we took her there often. She especially loved riding in the Gator sniffing the air and feeling the breeze on her face.
A few days after Hili passed away Alex started having symptoms of a bladder infection. We took her to a vet on Camano Island and they determined she had bladder stones. We quickly had her operated on to remove the stones. That seemed to be the beginning of the end as she never got completely healthy after that. I was constantly back and forth to various vets (getting second, third and fourth opinions), she was on numerous medications that would help only temporarily. Very shortly after my last blog post I took her into the vet hoping to get her on another round of antibiotics. During that visit the vet noticed some swelling in her legs and after examining her I was told that she was very sick and would likely pass away within a few days. I was not at all prepared to hear those words. We had just lost Hili and I honestly always expected Alex to live years longer than Hili given their size difference (Jack Russell Terriers were known to live active lives even up until age 19). I was faced with one of the worst decisions I have had to make in my life, putting my friend and companion of almost 14 years to sleep.
In the following several days her health declined substantially and my decision became very clear; she was obviously suffering. Her legs had swollen so badly that she could barely walk and a large lump on her hip began to form. I was carrying her out to the yard in her final days to pee in the yard. After having another conversation with the vet I made the appointment to have her put to sleep a few days later. In her final days, I took pictures of her and the kids so they could remember her when they were older and I spent time with her alone giving her lots of pets and love. Up until the night before the appointment I was in denial of what was about to take place. On September 24th, we drove to Camano Island and gave Alex one final morning at the farm. It was a gorgeous day so we took her on a drive around the farm on the Gator. My Dad bought special treats for her at a dog bakery so he could spoil her one last time. He also had found a special place for her to be buried under a cherry tree near a beautiful clearing on the farm (which we call Richard's Meadow) and did the hard job of digging a grave for her. The kids stayed back at the farm while Aaron and I took her to a local vet. After she had passed Aaron and I brought her back to the farm to the spot my Dad had made for her and we said our goodbyes. We wrapped her in a blanket that my Nana had knit for me which Alex took a special liking to and made it her own.
It has been extremely difficult for me to write about this but I wanted to pay tribute to her. For some reason in the last few weeks I have felt her absence even more. I miss my sweet baby everyday. If there is a heaven I hope she is there playing catch with my brother and Hili.
