Bye Bye Baby

I haven't written since April because in May, my sweet Baby passed away. I felt like my next entry should be about her but I could not bring myself to write.

I guess it was the death of one of my co-workers real son, that made feel like it was time. While Baby was not human, she was my baby. She lived to be almost 21. For a majority of those years, it was just the two of us.

When I got Baby, I also got her brother, Buddy. Of course, those were not their first names. I got the brother and sister from my friend, Ann. Baby had been named Vincent because her face looked a lot like the "Beast" in the TV show Beauty and the Beast. (obviously, attorneys -- my friend and her husband -- do not know much about anatomy since Baby was a girl). Since Baby was named Vincent, I named Buddy, Catherine after the "human" in the show. Needless to say we had the sexes reversed. Thus, the renaming of Baby and Buddy.

Buddy died when he was about 3. When I had left for work, I could not find Buddy. When I came home, I was even more worried. My neighbor found him in her yard. Not sure if it was rat poisoning or a car that got him. I was supposed to go to a fundraiser for Norm Rice but was too sad. Baby and I sat on the couch and mourned Buddy.

I used to sleep with my door closed with the cats on the other side of the door. Although I am not sure that was always a good idea, with two cats, they would chase each other all over the house (over my head). One morning I got up and the planter that had been on the stair bannister was in the middle of the stairs where they had knocked it over.

That night, Baby cried at my bedroom door until I opened the door. That was just about the last time I ever closed any doors in my house. The final time I closed my door was when I left for the weekend, not knowing Baby was under my bed...

Yep, I got home to a very hungry, angry cat and of course, some mess to clean up -- all my fault!

She would wake me up in the morning, keep me company each morning and stop me from playing Zuma until late in the night. She was usually pretty good about letting me work at the computer until she would hear those marbles hitting each other (no matter how low I had the volume!) she would start meowing. Those of you who heard her meow, you know it is NOT to be ignored.

I still miss her and think of her each day. I still sometimes try to get up real quiet so I can do some cleaning on the first floor before she hears me and starts calling for me to come upstairs and feed her and hold her. My blood pressure is up a bit, I wonder if it is because I do know have my sweet Baby to cuddle with each day.

The decision to finally put her to sleep was the hardest decision I have had to make in a very long time. I am very grateful to my sister, Judy, she drove me to the vet so I could hold Baby in my arms. I just could not put her in her travel box. She hated it and it felt too much like putting her in a coffin.

I hope you get to eat all the tuna you want and play with lots of toys.

I love and miss you, Baby.