Thursday, August 15, 2013

Pets and Babies

To some people, pets are just that, pets. To some people, pets are their everything. To us, our pets are family and prior to having children, they were spoiled rotten and still are, but it is true that now that we have kids, especially now that we have 2 kids, they are a bit neglected. So this post is dedicated to my dogs...

We have 2 awesome dogs, boston terriers. Oreo, the alpha and 8 year old female that has been through so many changes I don't even know how she has survived. First Allan, then Otis, then Gianna and now Miles, what happen to just mommy and me is what I know she is thinking. She is very protective, sometimes a B!, very sweet, doesn't like big dogs (long story), is very maternal and instinctive, very smart, and beautiful! We had a bit of a hard time with Oreo once we decided to bring Otis into the picture. He has had several cuts and they still have their fair share of fights, but now they are lovable brother and sister about 90% of the time. The other 10 she would like nothing to do with him. 

Oreo holds a very special place in my heart. Several years ago, when I was about 20 years old I had just moved into my own apartment and was very scheduled. School, work, gym, home, bed by 10:30. Well apparently, there was a man watching my schedule and while I was walking her before bed, he came into my apartment through my front door and onto my balcony into the water heater closet right by my bedroom wall where he waited for me to turn off my TV and go to sleep and 10 minutes later proceeded into my apartment. This particular night was unlike any other. Oreo was very on guard and would not lay down, she was pacing and acting very strange, so I proceeded to turn my alarm on which I never did, because she was making me nervous. Thank God for her instincts, she saved my life! When the guy came in my alarm went off and he ran straight out. The police came and would not take finger prints, because "nothing happened to me." We later found out there was a rape in the building 2 weeks prior. Wow! 

Before we had Gianna I was very nervous how Oreo would handle a baby being in the house. Sometimes, I am still nervous. She has tried to snip at other children and has now had 2 scares with Gianna, but has never bitten her or hurt her thank god. To me, she is family and so whatever we need to do to figure out how to get this family to co-exist is what we will do. That means sometimes gating her off into the other side of the house or letting her relax upstairs on her own, that is what we do and yes, she is now on doggy prozac in hopes it will ease some of her anxiety. 

Otis, the most loving little guy you will ever meet, timid, active, loves everyone and everything. He can be somewhat careless, jumping on the couch barely missing baby, but he means no harm EVER! He is the greatest dog to have around children and wouldn't hurt a fly. When he was a year old, he had 3 leg surgeries and $8,000 yes 8 THOUSAND dollars later he is running around like a mad man! It was a rough patch, but again, he is family!

The point of this post is that while yes, we don't take our dogs to the park like we used to and sometimes their nails may be a little too long, we still love them like family after having children. They still sleep with us, they still have Christmas stockings, they still get birthday celebrations and now they are just loved by 2 additional people whose love will only continue to grow for them! I wish we would do a better job of bathing them and taking them out, but it is hard, it is hard just getting out the door with 2 kids, let alone 2 kids and 2 dogs. 





2 comments:

  1. Our dog will be nine this Fall and he s been with my husband and I pretty much since the beginning. My husband got him as a Christmas present to me our first Christmas, and they really are a part of your family. Thank God for your dog that night with the intruder.

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  2. I wish we could have gotten a dog before our first baby (due in November) that's good that Oreo has been good with Gianna, I think it's easier some what when the dog is already in the home before baby is to adjust sometimes.

    Xoxo
    Petchie
    http://psblogbook.blogspot.com/

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