#mousebaby

[bansheeofthedead-blog]

Itzel mouse 🖤

[svanhildlovely]

Once upon a time, when Svanhild still scampered across the earth, I had some extra shiny orange yarn and made it into a Rapunzel braid. I meant to do a cute photoshoot with glossy Svanhild peeking out of the window with "her" orange braid trailing out, but as a mouse she was uncooperative and definitely had a mind of her own. "Princesses don't need rescuing, mummy, they go adventuring themselves!!" She was right, of course. 🙊😂🐁🍊👑 #SvanhildMousie #BabyHilda #sillymousie #sillymama #mousebaby #adventuring #adventuringprincess

[svanhildlovely]

The lovely old lady herself, at one of her favorite pastimes: woodchippering. She still has shown no need for her pain meds. She falters not, exuding grace even in the infirmities of old age and terminality. What breaks my heart most is how much more scraggled her fur has become in her recent decline: Ghirardelli, in all his exuberance for (over)grooming, is doing the best he knows to care for and comfort Amalthea in her dying. And Amalthea, despite this meaning that her fur is being pulled out bit by bit, accepts this loving care of her. Because love. Because Amalthea is "not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle's compass come; [She] alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom." And that, I think, is more bravery than I'll ever have. #AmaltheaMousie #endoflifecare #mousebabies #mousebaby #mousiemama #cancer

[svanhildlovely]

Sweet Amalthea has cancer. It will probably be terminal within a few weeks. We visited the vet yesterday and came home with some pain medication. Amalthea is feeling so much better. Funny thing is, I haven't given her any meds yet. I like to think that she is feeling relief at being 'seen' in this life phase. Or maybe it's that she appreciates the heater being cranked up again, energy bill be damned. Maybe her mummying instinct makes her will stronger than most. I don't really know; her sudden rallying baffles me. But I do know that she will have the nicest, tastiest treats a mousie could ask for, as long as she has the desire the eat them. You were one of my first 'pookie princesses', Amalthea, and you will always have a special spot in my heart. <3 #AmaltheaMousie #mousebaby #endoflifecare #love

[svanhildlovely]

I bought some Yesterday's News kitty litter today to sprinkle in the corners -- the girls seem to like self-regulating their business there, so I thought I'd make it a mini litterbox-type deal with mouse-safe absorbent litter. I don't think Cosette has quite caught on to the purpose of the News, though. 😂😂😂 #sillymousie #CosetteMousie #Squintina #mousebaby #cleanmousie

[mockingbirdmomma]

So, I wasn't on Tumblr at the time, but I've mentioned before that I had a complicated pregnancy with Mouse. Due to weight loss and lack of nutrients, Hyperemesis Gravidarum can result in things like slow growth, pre-term birth, brain damage and blood sugar issues in the baby. Luckily my OB did everything possible to minimize all that, and I wasn't induced until Mouse was 36 weeks gestation and showed no growth for two weeks.

I  had my vaginal birth with delayed cord clamp and immediate breastfeeding and the first half hour after Mouse was born was perfect. Then his blood sugar suddenly crashed and he was rushed to the NICU. He had IV's and special formula and he still had a rough time that first week, losing nearly a pound the first three days. Specialists drove in from the Children's Hospital over an hour away because he was considered too fragile to move by helicopter and most of them managed to be more frightening than helpful, from a parent's point of view. All the NICU nurses but one were wonderfully helpful and very reassuring.

Finally he was gaining weight and the IV was removed for a day without his glucose dropping. We were sent home after a week with him wearing preemie sized clothing (Which it would take an entire month for him to grow into newborn size) and with cases of special high calorie formula (which he only drank for three more days, preferring breast as soon as it was always on offer.)

Mouse just turned two years old. He's still on the small size, but developmentally he's on track and the only problem possibly linked to his difficult early start are all his food allergies. I just look at photos of how tiny he was at first and I'm amazed we were allowed to take him home at all.

He never cried in the hospital, not even while having IV's put in and blood drawn every few hours for testing. He just protested with a soft whimper, and it was a shock when he suddenly let out his first real wail at about a month old. It was too late by then though, his nickname as "Mouse" stuck because, according to his older brother the first time they met and he protested being placed in Fox's arms, "He squeaks just like a mouse!"