Good Dog

Babies and dogs. Dogs and babies. It's a tricky combo, and I've volunteered with the rescue group for long enough to know that it's a combo that doesn't always work out. But it's a combo that we are determined to make work.

Let's start at the beginning. While pregnant, my wonderful friends at the library ordered this book for me to read:

Aww, look at the golden retriever on the cover!

I read the book while on bed rest. In fact, this was the scene in my bedroom as I read the section on how your dog should absolutely not be allowed on your bed:

Side note: This is also the last picture taken of me while pregnant. Yes, that's really my stomach. H-U-G-E! But how sad would I have been without my bed rest buddies?

Anyways, my point here is that I tried to prepare Bailey for the arrival of the babies. I even ordered a CD that plays baby sounds (crying, whining, talking, etc.) so that we could play it to get Bay used to the various noises that babies make. The first and only time we played the CD, Bailey could not have cared less. Brian and I, however, could only take a few minutes of the crying before the CD got turned off, never to be heard again.

So April 22nd arrived and so did our babies. As many of you know, I had a hard time in the hospital. When I say that I thought I was going to go crazy, I'm not just using the phrase "go crazy" as a figure of speech. I guess it was all the hormones, but I literally thought that I was going to have a mental breakdown. Looking back, I wonder why the nurses didn't transfer me directly to the psych ward!  I missed my home, my bed, and especially my dog.

Brian says that when we got home and I saw Bailey, I immediately changed. He says that my entire body seemed to relax. He says that I instantly seemed like me again.  I was a little nervous for her to meet the babies, but she did wonderful. They were sleeping in their co-sleeper and we led Bailey up to them and let her have a sniff. For the next few days, she tried to figure them out. Who, or what, were they? What were they doing in her house? And why weren't they leaving??

But even though she was confused, she seemed to feel like she had a job to do: keep an eye on those strange little creatures! When the babies were asleep, Bailey would constantly get up and walk over to them to check and make sure they were okay. Every time someone came over to the house, she would run around excitedly and then go straight to where the babies were--it was like she wanted to show whoever was there where the babies were. We even had to put a little step-stool next to the twins' co-sleeper so that Bailey could climb up on it to get a better look at them as they slept. Bailey has always been my faithful companion--whatever room I was in, Bailey was in too. But not anymore--her loyalty was now with Charlotte and Jensen. Looking through pics of the twins' first few months, you can often spot our first "baby" keeping an eye on her new family members.

"What the heck is this?"

"I suppose I'd better keep an eye on him...he's pretty small!"

Big Brother Sister is watching!

"I'd better see what she smells like today..."

 "Hey...is there room for me up there?"

I can't say that everything has been perfect between Bailey and her new brother and sister. She has barked and woken them up from their naps a few times. She's barked and scared the crap out of them a few times. She's nearly stepped on them a few times...in fact, she's even almost sat on them a few times. And if she could talk, I suspect she'd tell you that things aren't perfect for her either. Despite our best efforts, she doesn't get as much attention, or walks, or car rides, as she did pre-babies. But we're trying. I think she knows we still love her as much as ever. And don't tell the author of the book pictured above, but she'll always be welcome in her favorite spot in our bed.