Our Family is Growing!

Well, Camille and Caroline are getting taller, Ken is growing smaller, and I guess I'm not growing much in either direction now. But that's not what I mean. Yesterday, we found the long-awaited newest member of the Hagerman clan--a 6-week old boxer puppy still waiting for a name.

I read a fellow missionary's blogpost before moving here, about a time when their family dog protected the children from an attempted break-in. Mind you, we don't leave the kids home alone (don't get worried, grandmothers), but it stuck in my mind. And when we left behind our beloved Levi, we told the girls we'd try to find a new dog when we got "settled." The definition of that word has evolved to finally mean, once we moved into our own house. So renting counts, I reckon.

We picked him up yesterday, and I spent his first night totally awake, as he had diarrhea and vomiting every 15 minutes or so. When 7 AM finally rolled around, I found a veterinarian in town here and took him right in. It seems to be a reaction to the vaccination he received just before we took him on the 2-hour car ride home from the capital, or a combo of the medicine and the trip. Either way, he was quite dehydrated and running a strong fever. The vet gave him two injections, told us to buy some suero (sugary water mix like gatorade, basically), and we have been feeding him that through a syringe all day. He is coming around and the vet said this afternoon that he will probably be just fine. Prayers are appreciated, as we've already become attached to the little fella.

He doesn't look like much of a terror right now, but in the future we're sure he'll make a great guard dog for the home and the girls. We're deciding on names... please leave your vote!

Zeus, probably the family pick right now, but it changes often
Mate (MAH tay), for the popular tea here
Niko (NEE koe), a soft drink brand SIDENOTE: The Mortons named their female Simba, which is also a soft drink here, so the breeding possibilities make this name appealing...
Nacho, in honor of the movie all our neighbors now declare their favorite (Nacho Libre); not really "scary" sounding, but cute, huh?
Lugo, the president's last name. I thought this might be offensive, but I've mentioned it to a few Paraguayans who laughed, so maybe not...

Which do you like?

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