new addition

We have a new addition in our house! Don't you dare think it's another baby. Delaney got a Hamster.

Greg & I had a dog named Charlie. We got him 3 years before Delaney was born. He lived with us until the babies came home from the NICU. With all the babies health & breathing problems, we didn't feel that having Charlie around was the best for them. Greg's sister Heather took Charlie in for us. The plan was to take him for a year and then go from there. Well a year has come and it's still not a good idea to have him around. The kids still have issues, especially Ryan. Heather is gonna keep him a bit longer. Plus Charlie has a girlfriend now, so he may never come home again. Anyway, Delaney still talks about Charlie everyday, she always asks me if I remember how he used to sleep at the foot of her bed at night, or If I remember how he used to clean her crumbs off the floor, and on and on. She misses Charlie, but I tell ya her allergies have been so much better since he's been gone. She hardly ever has any issues now.

The past few months Delaney has been begging for a Hamster. Everyone that knows me knows how much I am against having a rat in the house. Well she finally broke me. Greg & I stopped in a pet store yesterday, just to look, and they had a teddy bear hamster in just the colors that Delaney wanted. Brown & Black and a bit of orange. So today Greg & I took her to get a Hamster. We had bought the cages at a yard sale about a month ago, and had them hid in the garage. She is so happy. I've never seen her this excited about anything.

When we brought him home, I sat on my knees with the box and opened it just enough that the babies could see inside. Ryan started yelling Rat-Rat. (I have to add that his favorite stuffed animal is a stuffed mouse Delaney got at Ikea) He wanted that Rat. Ava peeked inside and tried to dive in the box, my lil wuss Dylan backed up and wanted nothing to do with it.

While Greg was getting the cage set up, Delaney & I put him in the ball so the kids could have a look at him, VERY BAD IDEA!!! Dylan ran and grabbed the ball picked it up yelled ball and dropped it before I could get to him. All 3 babies were chasing after the ball Ava was laughing, Dylan was yelling ball, and Ryan was yelling Rat-Ball-Rat-Ball. It was crazy!!!

The poor rat is now all set up in his new home, high up on Delaney's dresser, where the lil ones can't get to him. It took Delaney about 2 hours to finally name him....so introducing

Mr. Leroy Tominson Hill,

but we'll call him Hammy, Ham or Hambone for short.

At least that's what Delaney says today, we'll see what is is tomorrow.