Bella-girl is happily modeling the new rug in our master bedroom.
It’s the perfect compliment to our Carolina-blue walls, and I may or may not have squealed with delight at its glorious golden color!
Bella + Molly
We’ve got a new member of the clan…Molly!
My mom generously bought us this fancy-schmancy doodad as a new parent gift. With 2 dogs in her own home, she knows what it’s like to be losing the war against indoor dog hair. But thanks to Molly 1.0, she can at least win a battle or two.
So after a long afternoon yesterday of furniture rearranging, nursery planning, and baby registering, we broke out Molly 2.0 and let her run! I seriously can’t tell you how thrilled I am to watch the Bella Bunnies (dog hair clumps) run for their lives when she comes around!
Obviously we had to have a little mini-behavior session when Molly started up. As with any loud, new gadget, Bella started barking and eyeing Molly with her suspicious glare. My husband immediately gave her the command to stop and instead threw Squeaker (her red Kong ball) around to give her something else to focus on.
While it’s all cute and funny to watch a brand new puppy hop around and attack a vacuum, it’s not very cute to have an adult dog afraid of anything that makes a smidgen of noise. We allowed Bella to do her little puppy bark-dance when we first got her because we couldn’t resist the hilarious commotion. But, after a time or two, we started intentionally distracting her with obedience training (and treat-rewards) when we ran the vacuum.
These days, since we’ve generally moved away from food-rewards, we just pretend like nothing is wrong and throw Squeaker around during noisy household times.
Sometimes my husband still lets her get away with the bark-dance when I’m not home…shameful!
Today I ran Molly without much fanfare from Bella. She gave Molly the ole’ stink-eye every now and then – especially when Molly got too close to Squeaker – but it was an otherwise good run for the clan.
Things My Mother Taught Me
Today I got to celebrate Mother’s Day (my first!) with my loving Mom, my sweet husband, my unborn son, and this cutie who is almost 1 year old!
As you can imagine, the thought of impending motherhood is weighing heavily on my mind. My mom used to always tell me that as hard as you try to not make the same mistakes as your own parents, you’ll find yourself making your own kind of mistakes. My mom – she’s a wise one.
Some of the other gems my mother has taught me…
You can never have enough measuring cups for baking.
When bad things happen, don’t blame God.
They can take away everything you have, but they can never take away your education.
The ability to make a really good homemade pie crust is an essential life skill.
Travel when you can. Good memories help you get through the tough times.
Love her!
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And Another Tree Bites the Dust!
I applaud you kid…
…you’re now 2-1 in the fight against mom and dad’s baby trees.
I’m pretty sure Lowes’ return policy does not include “annihilation by Shepherd.”
Excellent.
Changing a Dog’s Life
Dogs come into our lives and change us forever…
…but sometimes, we get the chance to change their lives too.
For some dogs this might mean fostering or adoption. For others it’s simply giving them a healthy and safe home with lots of exercise and a place in our “pack.”
And on rare occasions, a dog literally gets a new lease on life.
Meet Nakio, the first dog to receive four prosthetic legs!
Crying yet?
Time for a sweet pic of my husband’s first love…
….unfortunately he had to put her down shortly before we met.
She had hurt her leg pretty badly when she was only 11 I think. The vet told my husband that the only real option they had was a repair surgery, but it had no guarantee of fixing her completely or taking away her pain. Given that it was also very expensive, my husband decided to put her down rather than go through a surgery that would probably still leave her in a lot of pain. It tore him to pieces as she was his little girl.
My best friend from college – who is in vet school and has worked with vets her whole life – asked him a few years ago why he didn’t have the leg amputated. Apparently the vet never presented that option!
Takeaway message: always get a 2nd opinion if needed….with your own health – and with that of your dog’s!
Time for the tissues!
Black & White Sunday
The cuddle factor is just. too. much.
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Baby + Dog
So now that we’ve spilled the beans, let’s talk about the whole baby + dog thing.
We’ve started reading some things online (thanks, Pinterest!) about how to make the transition easier on everyone. Some of the most common suggestions I’ve read:
Slowly begin decreasing how much attention you give the dog. I’m not sure how well this is going to work out for our needy little turkey – especially given her high exercise and training needs. Supposedly this helps a little in the early months when all of a sudden the dog is an afterthought in a house focused on an infant. In my mind, the jury is still out on how well this works. Bella doesn’t take too well to being ignored.
Begin taking the dog on walks with the stroller (using a doll for the baby). Mom and stroller (baby) go first. Dad and the dog bring up the rear. The idea is to begin teaching the dog that the baby comes first in the pack.
Before introducing the dog to the baby, let the dog sniff a blanket or piece of the baby’s clothing. I’m sure this has something to do with the way a dog’s brain learns new scents, but I’m not entirely sure of the psychology.
Find a family member or friend willing to “borrow” the dog for a few weeks after delivery. <<——- This is my own advice, and something my in-laws have generously offered to do! Bella will get her much needed exercise, and my husband and I can bond with the baby for a few weeks while we figure out a routine.
When visitors come to see the baby at the house, make sure they also greet the dog. The idea is to still acknowledge the dog as an important member of the pack, even if he/she is not the most important member anymore.
Never leave the baby alone with the dog. Bella is super-sweet and loves people, but she can be a bit of a spazz. The baby’s safety is not worth the risk.
We’re a Little Bit Crazy…
We’re a little bit crazy…
Image copyright: Whitney Lee Photography
And our dog is absolutely bonkers…
So you can imagine that life is about to get a whole lot more whackadoodle…
It’s true! Everything is about to change!
As you can imagine, I’ve got lots on my mind these days when it comes to the whole baby + dog thing.
Stay tuned. I think it should turn out to be more interesting than Bella in underpants.
Water baby
We were supposed to get a wee bit of rain yesterday, but I forgot about the weather forecast when I put the kid outside for some quality time in the yard.
Needless to say, I got a text from my husband a few hours later saying he’d been lying in bed listening to the rain when he heard Bella scratching at the back door and making a very unique whining sound. He leaped out of bed and opened the back door to find her completely soaked and scrambling to get inside. The rain was pouring into our covered patio – sideways! My poor baby!
I imagine she was just as pitiful as she was during her first bath…
Black & White Sunday
“Someone destroyed the Japanese plum tree daddy’s been growing for 2 whole years??? That’s terrible!”
This photo was taken in October when the kid was only 4.5 months old. Potted plants now live on the front porch…
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