Waiting for autumn like . . .

A Boy and His Bunny

This was the first time our baby boy met Olive. It was only five days after he was born and it was the first time I had seen Olive since I went into labor. I was so happy to see her again and incredibly excited to introduce her to her brother. When I placed Olive down next to our son, she was a little confused at first. She sniffed him and hopped away. I scooped Olive up once more and the next thing I knew, this happened. Another sniff and a lick. These photos still make my heart melt into a puddle.

Olive still loves to hop up to wherever he is to nuzzle him. It's seriously, so cute!

Olive & the Christmas Tree

My sweet little baby girl. This is our fourth christmas together! <3

Happy Three Years! It's Olive's 'Gotcha Day'.

Three years ago today, I visited Gainesville Rabbit Rescue looking to adopt. I had seen one bunny on their adoption site and when I got there he wasn't available. So I spent almost an hour doing a meet and greet with a couple bunnies. The first one I met glared at me from a corner and thumped the entire time. The other ones weren't a good fit either. Then Kathy, the loving owner of GRR, told me about "Roxanne". She was a rescue from a hoarder house situation in Georgia. The white spotted bunny was almost a year old and actually had babies already. I was shown the sweet, pretty little girl and decided to get into the bunny pen with her to see if we connected at all.

I remember sitting on the floor of that bunny pen hoping that this bunny would choose me. She hopped around the pen, hopped up to me and I petted her for a while. Kathy then suggested that I pick "Roxanne" up and see how it went. Sure enough, this little bun trusted me enough to let me hold her in my arms. Megan captured the moment too, and I still cherish it to this day. It was our first time together after all. You can see it below...

Then Megan placed the pet carrier in the pen and the next thing I see is the bunny hopping into the pet carrier. She decided that we were meant to be. It was then that "Roxanne" became Olive. And our lives would change forever. It's funny how us humans think that we're the ones that rescue these sweet creatures, and yes - in a way we do, but this bunny has truly changed my life. I love you Olive, we're so lucky to have you in our family.

Want more photos & posts about this sassy little fluffer buns, head over here.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Olive Gooseberry

Olive truly is the perfect model. And what better way to celebrate Fall and Halloween than taking photos of a cute, fluffy bunny with a pumpkin? Granted these are from last year, but I'll surely be taking more once Alex & I get some pumpkins this weekend.

Olive's First Sleepover

On Saturday afternoon I took Olive over to my mom's house for her first sleepover. After the whole honeymoon bunny-fiasco, where Olive had a bout of stasis and we had to catch an early flight home, Alex & I decided we needed another way. Because we really want to start going on longer trips.

During our honeymoon we left Olive at our place alone and had Megan feed her and visit her for a few hours. We figured that it didn't work as well because once Megan left, Olive was alone and felt neglected. So, with a two-day trip coming up in a few weeks, we thought it would be best to do a trial run of her spending the night at my parents.

And I'm happy to report that it worked! In fact, the photo above was taken after she wore herself out from running around their living room like crazy. Olive was such a champ with the sleepover and I honestly think that my mom was more nervous than Olive was.

She a great car rider too! I'm just so proud of her. Way to go, Olive!

Happy Two Years! It's Olive's 'Gotcha Day'.

Happy Gotcha Day to our furry little girl!

We've had Olive for two years now and I can't even begin to imagine what our lives would be like without her in it. We love you, little fluffer buns.

Olive: A Furry Little Update v.2

I'm pretty sure I've done a blog post with this same title before, but I'm just going to roll with it here.  For the most part, Olive is a cage free bun. She has the freedom to explore our room, and as much as we try to encourage her to leave our bedroom on her own free will, she doesn't Mainly because her little paws have a hard time moving around on the linoleum floor. But whenever we are home, even if we are in our bedroom or not, Olive's cage door is always left open. The majority of the time I'll scoop her up and bring her into the living room with us. Despite her having that same freedom when we are home, we always close her cage door whenever we aren't. Even though our room is heavily bunny-proofed, I still worry that she'll get hurt somehow. So it goes without saying that we would even close her cage door whenever we'd go to bed too...

Towards the end of last year Olive started to develop an annoying habit of violently shaking her cage door at six in the morning - like a furry, little convict wanting out of the cell. We couldn't figure out why either. At first I thought it was due to the time change and that maybe she just wanted her breakfast earlier than normal. So I'd comply and feed her at 6:00, instead of 7:00. However, I started to notice that she would only eat for a little bit and then automatically hop into bed with us. So, after a week or two of her rattling her cage door like a mad bun, Alex & I made the executive decision to let Olive roam free at night.

And it's been the best decision we've made. It makes all three of us very happy too. And yes, Olive loves to explore but the moment we turn out the lights she tends to settle down. The first night we left her cage door open she hopped into bed next to me and cuddle with me for a long time. So, that's become "our thing". Every morning when she feels like it, she'll hop into bed and cuddle with me. It is the sweetest thing ever. Even if she does have a tendency to start licking my face, I'll gladly take that over having to get out of bed to open that damn door. ;)

Olive & the Chamomile Flowers

Little Miss Olive Gooseberry has a slight obsession with chamomile flowers - I'm always happy to oblige.

Olive Conquered GI Stasis

This past weekend was terrible.

On Saturday morning Olive started to show the beginning signs of GI Stasis. I initially noticed that something was different when she didn't eagerly greet me in the morning when I scooped out her breakfast pellets. She was acting somewhat antisocial, and even though some days she doesn't come out of her cage for hours, I knew something was different. She was acting strange and so unlike herself. She wasn't eating and I didn't really notice her pooping either.

I already knew about GI Stasis, so I spent most of the day trying to feed Olive anything I could think of - mint, basil, chamomile flowers, etc. She barely ate them and I could tell that she was miserable. By the time Alex got home from work I voiced my concerns. We tried feeding her a few more times and at around 10pm we decided to call her vet. They told us to syringe feed her pineapple juice so Alex & I went to the store and brought home a pineapple that Alex cut up and somehow managed to get enough juice from it. We fed it to Olive and I still wasn't convinced. I called the vet back and got the address of the closest emergency vet.

Alex & I drove an hour to the ER and got there at midnight. I was frantic and in tears - fearing the worst. I knew how quickly this condition could progress and, if left untreated, it could end in death. I was beside myself - so nervous that I wouldn't even let Alex drive because I had to feel as though I was in control of at least something. Once we got there the vet immediately saw Olive. They weighed her, asked about her symptoms and tried to take her temperature - which was unsuccessful because Olive jumped off of the table and into my arms. It was at that moment that I started balling. I had never seen her that scared. I looked at Alex and all I saw was worry.

They took her in the back and I was crying and shaking so hard that I didn't know what to do with myself. Olive had GI stasis and I just wanted her to be okay, to make it through - because I didn't know what I would do without her. Alex was great at consoling me, holding me and staying positive. I needed it too. I needed his logic. The doctor came back in an hour later. She had given Olive Sub-q fluids on the back of her neck for hydration and syringe fed her Critical Care. She then told us that we had two options: We could leave her there over night for more Sub-q fluids and syringe feedings or we could take her home and syringe feed her ourselves - every six hours.

I was so scared in that moment. I didn't know if I had it in me to properly take care of her. I left the decision up to Alex and he decided it would be best if we took her home. He pointed out that leaving her in a strange place would only make things worse. She wasn't dehydrated (she was still drinking and peeing), so another round of Sub-q fluids wasn't necessary. She needed us and we could figure out the right way to do things - especially with directions from the vet.

We took Olive home and at 8am the next day we syringe fed her the Critical Care. She hated it. The mix was too thick for the syringe (no matter how much water we added to it) and we had to press down too hard in order to get anything out and into her mouth. But after a few feedings, she started to recover - she was pooping and eating a few things here and there. Monday afternoon we gave her the last syringe feeding, since she had eaten some pellets and had steadily been consuming hay. We figured that continuing to give her the Critical Care ever six hours was simply prolonging everything. We felt as though the Critical Care was leaving her too full to consume anything else. On Monday she slowly ate her small scoop of pellets and salad.

Once Tuesday morning rolled around Olive eagerly greeted me outside of her cage when I went to feed her the pellets. She ate dinner that night and even hopped into bed with us for some much needed cuddle time. I'm glad to say that she's recovered from the ordeal and I am incredibly relieved. I really don't know what I would do with out that bun of mine and I am over the moon because she is finally okay.

Dear Olive, Happy Birthday!

My sweet bunny, you are around two years old today. This is only a guesstimate, because you were around 11 months old when I adopted you on June 22, 2015. I know this isn't a proper birthday, but it is your first birthday with me. I know you can't read these words, let alone understand English, but just know that I love you and I will always take care of you. All of the kisses on the head that I give you, the night time cuddling, the squishy hugs you get while I'm lying on the floor with you and all of the never-ending head rubs means that you are mine - and I am yours.

Happy first birthday (with me). I love you, little girl.

Olive's Getting A Rabbitat

A few days ago Alex & I decided that it was time to get Olive a new rabbitat. The cage I initially bought for her, which was over a year ago, has reached it's maximum potential. It's not that there's anything wrong with it; I just feel as though it's too small. Olive hasn't grown by any means - I think she might have gained a half a pound - but I know that a 28 inch long cage isn't really cutting it because recently she has spent most of her time outside of her cage, lying on the floor next to our bed.

So we ordered her a puppy playpen that we're going to turn into a 24 inch wide by 78-inch long rectangular cage. Which means A LOT more room for that little bun. I'm getting pretty excited too. I've decided I'm going to keep the base of her current cage so it placed inside one end of her new cage. It will hold her litter box and there is enough room for her food to go in there as well. Besides, I think if she lost her perch & hidey hutch she would be pretty bummed. I think I'll also be placing her "sublimation chamber" at the other end of the new cage. It's essentially a mesh pop-up laundry basket with sheets stuffed inside it. She loves digging in there and it's funny to see her wear herself out afterward.

As for now, we're trying to decide what to place on top of the new cage, because it is only 24 inches high and her furry little butt can jump higher than that. I was going to get a 30-inch high playpen, but then it wouldn't be able to fit under the desk we have and we wanted the desk to act as a partial cover in the middle of the cage. However, it will leave the two ends exposed. Perhaps pieces of wood or fabric? I mean I could risk it and leave it exposed, but Olive is a major klutz. She's fallen off the bed, off her hidey hutch - while she was sleeping - and managed to get trapped in between her cage and the wall. There's no way I trust her. Haha.

I will most likely take photos of her new rabbitat once the pen arrives.

If you have any suggestions as to what to place on top of the two exposed ends, please leave a comment below!

My (Crazy) Little Family

Not too long ago Alex & I attempted to take a family photo. You know - me, Alex and Olive - and honestly it was slightly frustrating because Olive WOULD NOT SIT STILL. I mean what was I really expecting? When that girl isn't lounging, she's a hyper little thing.

I remember feeling so defeated with the way the photos turned out - I couldn't find a good one out of the bunch. But last night I opened up the photos and fell in love with them. Yes, they aren't perfect - I mean Olive is flying out of my arms in one of them, but I can't get enough of the photos now. They show how our crazy little family truly is: flying bun and all!

I'll cherish these photos for years to come.

Something Magical

Last night Olive fell asleep on me for the first time ever. Her furry, little body nestled between my chest and my arm – her head resting on the edge of my shoulder. I watched as her tiny nose slowed down to a few movements every few seconds, her eyes getting heavy as her breathing mimicked a small child’s while entranced in a deep sleep. There’s something magical about having a bunny fall asleep on you. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that it takes them so long to trust anyone, always on guard for a threat to appear at any given moment. And last night, she made me feel incredibly special. Here was this four pound rabbit that I’ve let into my life, taken care of and given her a safe place to grow, and there she was trusting me with her safety. That says a lot, especially coming from a rabbit. Thank you for always making me feel special, Olive, I love you.

Through the Lens: Olive, Up Close & Personal

I don't think I'll ever get over how precious this furry, little girl is. She really is the sweetest, sassiest creature I know. I love everything about her - even if she can be antisocial at times.
We're similar that way...

Through the Lens: Olive Conquers the Bed

I might have gotten a little carried away with taking photos of Olive this morning, but I'm glad I did because as I was editing these I realized that I haven't really taken a proper photo shoot of just Olive.  Expect a few more to come...

An Ode to Olive

On December 22 I will have had Olive for six months. SIX MONTHS! I really can't believe it. I remember when Megan & I drove her home, Olive nestled soundly on top of the blue blanket that rested in Megan's lap. It's been six months since I brought her home and so much has changed since I adopted her. I remember feeling incredibly scared later that night, not knowing what I had gotten myself into - swearing there was no way I'd be able to provide for this bunny, to make her feel safe and happy. I was terrified. And I know what you're thinking, that I sound like a mother who had just brought her child home for the first time and you're right because Olive is my baby. Something shifted within my heart when I saw her at the Gainesville Rabbit Rescue. I was nervous to pick her up and hoping she would like me enough to want to come home with me. Next thing I know she's crawling into the pet carrier I had brought for her. She was ready to go home and with me no less!

Over the past six months I have watched Olive's personality flourish and I am so glad to have such a sweet, affectionate bunny. Every once in awhile I think about how her life was before she was rescued by GRR and it brings a grateful tear to me eye knowing that Kathy and her incredible staff was there to save her from that hoarder house in Georgia. While on the other hand, it makes me so sad to think that Olive was ever alone, scared or neglected. But things are good for her now and I can tell by the way she cuddles with Alex & I and the way in which she does her "happy bunny dance/hop" across the floor.

Through the Lens: DandO

The other day I took some photos of Olive & I. I love the way they turned out and I want to frame each one.

Olive: A Furry Little Update

Olive is officially a year old. I can't believe that it was only a few months ago when I was taking her home, her cute bunny self riding in Megan's lap on top of a blue fuzzy blanket for two whole hours. I know this sounds like some blog post about a baby, when Olive is only a bunny, but I guess that's what happens when you become a pet owner. I've watched Olive grow into her environment. The shy and nervous bunny I brought home is now comfortable in her own fur. She loves berries of all kinds, cilantro, spinach, carrots and celery. She can jump from the floor to my bed in a single bound and will sometimes let me cradle her like a baby if she is in the right mood. Oh, and she loves to groom you as if you were a rabbit as well. It's funny to watch her explore her surroundings freely, it's even funnier for her to assume that everything that is around her belongs to her and her alone. It's okay though, because it essentially is!

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw the aftermath of me giving her a carrot. I've given her carrots before, but for some reason this one carrot in particular turned her whole mouth into a orange mess. It even stained her little paws! She looked as if she had just eaten a whole bag of cheesy poofs. Needless to say it was the most adorable thing ever.

I look forward to many more years with this ball of fur and I cannot wait to see how her personality grows even more. I will always cherish our snuggle times, especially when I think I am done petting her and she shoves her head under my hand for just a few more pets. I really can't picture my life without her in it and I hope she feels the same way about me.

Bunny Woes

When I first brought Olive home I was stricken with anxiety. I finally had a bunny, she was perfect in every way, and somehow I couldn't get over the fear that in someway I wasn't going to be the best bunny momma to her. Once Olive and I made it back home I decided to spend some snuggle time with her on the couch while I watched Gossip Girl, even though she had just spent the last two hours sitting in Megan's lap during the car ride back home! Needless to say, Olive is an excellent "cuddler" she will sit there with her feet to my chest and her head under my chin and let me pet her endlessly.

After our snuggle session I put her in her cage for a little bit so she could adjust to her new home. An hour or so later, I set up a little playpen against the back of our couch. I made it out of huge cardboard boxes that I connected together - since I couldn't find a metal pen anywhere. I put down Olive's blue blanket and plopped her in, along with a few toys. She instantly explored the confinement of her pen, searching for a way out and refused to play with any of her toys. I was a little heartbroken, and I think that is when my anxiety started.

My panic was tied to the realization that I knew nothing about what the hell I had just gotten myself into. I thought she hated it, that she didn't want to be in her new home and that all she wanted to do was run away from me. So I cried to Megan for a few minutes and luckily she knew the right things to say, "She had a huge day." "She's getting used to the new place and needs time to settle in." "You'll be fine." And she was right.

The next morning, instead of setting up a circular play pen for her, I decided to utilize the hallway we have in the back of our house. I closed all the doors in the hallways, put up the cardboard barrier, put down her blanket, along with a little cardboard box for her to play with. I threw in some of her wooden toys, a toilet paper roll filled with timothy hay, and one of her bell balls. However, we have now moved Olive's play area from that hallway to our giant kitchen. And I think all three of us, my husband included, are better for it. It's so nice to watch Olive jump into, and over, her boxes and preen herself as she lounges around. And as a result I'm feeling a lot less panicked then I was last week.

I cannot wait to see how her amazing personality changes once she is fully settled in to her new environment.