Luke and Mel aren't the only ones to get a baby this week!

Not to steal your thunder or anything Luke and Mel, :) but I just wanted to post and let everyone know that Craig and I 'had' a baby this week too! It's a boy, his name is Romeo, and he is a baby gray squirrel! 

Wednesday I took the dogs out to do their morning business, and Guy decided to run away. Nice. So I ran through the side yard gate to go find him, but by the time I got to the front yard, he wasn't in sight. I called Craig to wake up and join the search party.

Before Craig got outside, I noticed a little baby squirrel trying to climb the tire of my car, and he kept falling down! I took a few steps toward him, he took a few steps toward me, then he ran to me, and I picked him up. I wrapped him in a Tshirt so I could hold him while we found Guy. Well, we found Guy 2 houses down, then I broke the news to Craig.

He couldn't believe what I was holding! He said, "We can't keep it." I told him that we had to do SOMETHING, because the poor thing didn't know the difference between a tire and a tree! He was obviously abandoned, and he hadn't learned to fear humans or animals yet, so he'd surely die!

Ok, so Craig said to bring him in, and that we'd take him to the Humane Society later. Craig went back to sleep.

I went to my computer to research where to go from here. I got in contact with a local wildlife rehabilitator who told me that it was 'really easy' to take care of a baby squirrel, and if I was up to it, she'd tell me what to do.

Long story short, he is about 8 weeks old, has only 2 small teeth on the bottom and should still be on his mother's milk. So I got him some Pedialyte and some Puppy Formula and I feed him with a little syringe, about one Tablespoon every 2-3 hours. As soon as his tail bushes out and he gets his teeth in he'll be ready for the wild. Until then, it looks like we're keeping him. We'll either rehab him for the wild, or perhaps give him to Saphara, Craig's youngest sister, who ironically had the same thing happen to her a few years back, and she kept the squirrel for a few years until it got out, ate something it shouldn't have, and sadly died. :( 

Craig has DEFINITELY warmed up to him. He is such a softie when it comes to baby animals! When he woke up for the day I told him I had named him Romeo, and he said, "I was thinking something really similar for his name!" So Craig...you say we're taking him to the Humane Society (who, by the way, doesn't take squirrels), but you were thinking of a name for him? Ok Craig. Just say it. He's the cutest little baby animal ever, huh?! 

Thats the story of our new baby!

Here are some pics/videos for your entertainment: