I'm probably going to sound a lot more like a new mother than a pet owner but indulge me with this. Ryan and I made two promises to one another before getting married; one- we wouldn't buy a house our first year of marriage and two- we wouldn't adopt a puppy either. Well after only four months of marriage our desire to adopt a puppy far out weighed our will to resist it. That's when our "little hiking buddy," appeared on the Angels of Assisi's website. Nellie had been scheduled to be put to sleep at the pound when Angel's swept in to save her. Their description of her playful personality and an hour long one-on-one solidified my belief that she was meant to be our puppy. Nellie was somewhere between 9 months and a year when we brought her home.
Since bringing Nellie into our home, our life has had to change drastically to accommodate our growing puppy's needs. Today I thought I'd share just how our life has changed since that fateful February day Nellie stole our hearts.
1. My snooze button is no longer in use. Nellie is on a very different schedule than Ryan and I are. At 7am sharp when I'm still hugging my pillow Nellie is ready to pounce as her bladder has reached maximum capacity. Having a puppy has definitely changed our daily routine as we now have to squeeze in at least 4 potty breaks with our already hectic schedules. What we've learned from this: We are learning to be less selfish with our time and recognize the needs of others should sometimes outweigh our own.
2. Twelve hour marathons of fun are no longer possible. Just a few short months ago Ryan and I could walk out our door around noon on a Saturday afternoon and not come back until the early morning on Sunday. We now have another body to think about, and her care and happiness matter to our small nuclear family. What we've learned from this: We've had to learn how to better manage our time with friends and family, i.e. be adults about our weekend outings.
3. Saying no is a normal part of the vocabulary. I have a serious problem with saying no to people. I would rather take on 92 projects at once than tell someone I just don't have time for them. It breaks my heart to do so. With Nellie I've really had to put my foot down and say no a lot, which has translated into a little more bravery with others. I've actually said no at work, and I've even told friends no on occasion, but only when I'm really tired. This is a change indeed. What I've learned from this: No is sometimes okay for one's sanity.
4. Patience is a conscious choice not a learned reaction. I thought after two months with Nellie we would automatically have more patience with her chewing, teething, running, rambunctiousness. Nope. We are still so annoyed with her plastic addiction, and with other things she does (like sit on our laptops). We've really had to choose not to be mad at her and choose to realize she doesn't understand why it's not okay to do some of these things (like sit on our laptops). A less destructive behavior that still makes my skin crawl is her sensitive stomach, which often leads to throwing up. I have to clean that, no maid is going to come in behind me and clean up her messes. What we've learned: Patience is something you have to work at everyday, it's not something you learn once and it sticks with you forever.
5. Love really is unconditional. No matter how mad Nellie makes us one look into her eyes and we forget how to be mad at her (well maybe not always one look, but it never takes long). Conversely no matter how bad the punishment, or painful the accidental foot squish, Nellie is loyal and loving towards us. Nellie has shown us a glimpse of what it must have been like for our parents while we were growing up. What we've learned from this: We've learned how to love one another better through Nellie's love of us.
I never thought I would be one of those pet owners that considered their dog a real part of the family, I mean they're animals right? Wrong. Nellie is as much a part of our family as my brothers, cousins, and aunts. We love her so much and love learning from her. I'm so happy we broke that second promise to one another because she's made me appreciate Ryan and our family in a whole new way. big kiss, bekuh
