It's been a while since I put a post up it has felt that life has been so busy but really nothing too exciting has happenned in the last month... until 2 days ago. I guess most people will remember it as tax day I will remember it as something completely different. About 6 months ago I started working with an African Serval that had been retired for 3 years. He was retired after attacking a trainer at my work. Well we started the long slow process of turning him into a working cat again. It took a lot of time and a lot of patience but he was doing so well we actually had gotten him back into even being a show animal.
Here is a picture of myself and Massai about a week ago, just out for a stroll through the park. He has been doing so great and made such progress with no signs of aggression. Well 2 days ago I got Maasai out for a routine show performance and about 30 seconds before we were to go out on stage he decided to jump me. He jumped all the way onto me and wrapped his legs around me like I was a tree, he then bite into the right side of my stomach about 3 inches above my right hip. I was able to throw the leash to my back up who helped pull him off of me and we got him back into the enclosure before she looked at me and said you need to go inside and get medical attention- you just got bit! I went inside and called the medic and remained totally calm until I sat down and realized that a cat had just bit into my stomach and I didnt feel the baby moving at all. Then came the prayers and the tears.
The medic pulled up my shirt and there were 4 punctions where his canines had went in to my side. He cleaned it up for me and got me over to the ER at the hospital just a few minutes away. I called Jacob on the way and by the time I got into a room to be checked Jacob had made the drive there and was able to be with me the whole time. The doctor there cleaned up the punctures even more and that was much more painful because she had to flush out the wound which requires fluid being squirted down into the puntures. She looked over the rest of my body and found scratches on the top of my stomach my back and on both legs where he had wrapped himself around me, I didnt feel any of those because all I was thinking about was the baby. I told them I would calm down as soon as I could hear the baby and at first she couldnt find a heart beat because mine was beating so loudly, she eventually found it but they wanted me to go up and be monitored to make sure I wasnt having any contractions and the baby was ok. I cant even tell you how happy I was when after a few minutes of that the doctor looked at me and said "your baby is perfect"
It was very aweet 5 of our friends came straight from work to check on me, here is a picture of them waiting for all the monitors to be turned on. My phone was full from texts and phone calls from friends at work and I appriciate all the thoughts and prayers that were with us that night.
I am overwhelmed with thankfullness for the way the situation turned out. There are so many things that could have gone wrong and been so much worse. I am on antibiotics to prevent a possible infection and I am extremely sore but other than that the bite and scratches are just annoying and uncomfortable. I have a few days off of work and needless to say I am done with cats until after the baby is born. Looking back on the situation I am sure the serval was going after my meat pouch or else had smelled the other serval on me that I had taken out just an hour before. Thank you for your continued prayers I just keep giving the situation to God it's hard to feel like you put yourself in a compromising situation for your baby but I know in my heart God had his hand of protection over us. Israel it feels like hasnt stopped moving since we got home 2 nights ago- im sure in protest of all this excitement in his young life! We are going to put some pictures in his baby book someday- how many kids are bitten by a serval before they are even born!
The day before the wedding Jennifer took her 3 bridesmaids to get manicures and pedicures- it was so fun to be pampered and feel like a girl- it doesnt happen to often for us in the zoo world:)
Jacob came from work and made it for part of the reception, here we are me and my huge 7 month pregnant self and my honey- one thing i definately learned in this wedding is that maternity dresses really arent flattering!
Here is a side picture of the belly at 7 months(29 weeks:)
Jennifer and her girls- Kim and I are both friends of Jennifers from the park and the other bridesmaid is Misty her sister in law- Misty is actually 8 months pregnant so I wasnt the only one:) I wish Jennifer and Dylan all the best and hope they enjoy their next 2 weeks in Florida:)
