Today is my fur-baby’s first birthday!
When we made the decision to get a puppy, we didn’t know what would transpire over the coming weeks. Piper Roo was born a few weeks after my mother-in-law passed away and just a couple of weeks before my dad passed as well. To say she was born during a tumultuous time would be an understatement. But by the time she was old enough to come home with us, we were more than ready to open our home and hearts to her.
Having only ever had cats, I can now say in retrospect and without malevolence that I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. I mean I had two kids, right? How hard could it be?
What I realize now is that getting a puppy is a lot like having your first baby. Initially, everyone tells you how great it’s going to be. How easy training will come to you both. You’ll bond right away, they say. Potty training? Just a couple of weeks and you’re golden! I had that glow of expectation and images of cuddles in bed dancing in my head.
Not so much.
Turns out, it’s not until after the puppy arrives that you start getting the whole picture.
At one-year of age, we’re still potty training (though thankfully it’s getting better…. fingers crossed). She’s chewed our kitchen millwork, gotten herself electrocuted by nibbling on my lighted mirror (she’s fine – the mirror didn’t make it), pulled out the lining of our box spring mattress and hid inside. That’s just a few things that come to mind. Oh wait…. She’s peed in our bed and the kid’s beds. Multiple times.
Yet despite all that, nothing can diminish the love she’s brought into our lives.
In the morning, she’s the first to give me a hello kiss. When I walk in the door, it’s like she’s won the lottery (or in this case, got a really big steak). If I’m sick, she sits on my legs to make sure I stay down and rest. She’s taught our kids responsibility and has my husband wrapped around her little paw.
So – Piper Roo – have a very, very happy birthday. With so many unexpected things happening in 2017, you were definitely the highlight.
What to keep up with with Piper Roo’s antics? Follow her on Instagram!