Puppy Pictures Friday

Since things around here are pretty slow and boring while we're waiting for Baby B, we may as well post adorable puppy pictures, yes? When I was going through the recent pictures, they all seem to revolve around napping and sleeping. Wonder where they they're learning that from?

The faces of two puppies earrrrly in the morning who are patiently waiting for their "yummy breakfast". Clem's eyes are pure desperation and Dixie's ears look like she has some mad bedhead.

After last week's bed fiasco, I finally busted out the new "throne" I got for Clem several weeks ago. When I originally brought the bed out, she freaked out at it and wouldn't stop barking. (You show that bed, Clem. You tell it.) But now, I think she's overcome her fear of the bed and seems to be enjoying it just fine. Thank you Costco for a cheap bed that my dog doesn't feel the need to attack.

But speaking of attacking beds, I texted Rich this picture one morning with the caption: "Daddeeee, I put my bed in a bed!" She's such a nester/lover and I kinda don't blame her for this genius idea. But how she dragged this out of her kennel and on to the bed, I don't know.

 

Dixie modeling a Halloween costume - specifically a hot pink fairy costume. Let's just say she was highly unimpressed and this one was promptly returned to the store. Next year, girls, next year...

Puppy Pictures Friday

Most weeks I have a plethora of pictures to choose from (because I need a life other than taking pictures of my dogs?) but this week there are a total of three. It was pretty busy around here with Mr. B finishing up a bunch of projects before he headed off to Spain and Mama H. came to visit. So, sadly, C&D were shamefully neglected in the photo department. (Let's be honest, they don't know what I'm doing anyways and could care less.)

I'm not sure what things are like around your house on Sunday afternoons but most weeks ours are pretty lazy. Sure, there were a million things to get done, and consequently Mr. B was up till midnight finishing his to-do list, but how could I deprive him of his Sunday afternoon nap, especially when C&D joined for extra cuddles.

I especially love the "hat over face" technique to block out the light

rather than just closing the blinds.

 

And while I'm on the sleeping theme, I managed to snap this picture of my little hound girl when she was napping. Excuse the extreme close up, but she was essentially RIGHT in front of my face. All I could see was snout, snout, snout. Have I mentioned that girlfriend loves to sleep? I'm curious to see how this trend progresses as she ages because she can be pretty mellow now at 7 months. What will happen at 7 years? 

 

OMG can you get any closer to me?

 

And finally, I visited a local kennel/breeder/dog trainer this week about getting tweedledee and tweedledumb enrolled in some more training lessons. The man was an absolute freakin GENIUS, by the way. C&D are pretty good, but with the baby on the way, and also noting that sometimes when it's just the three of us at home they could care LESS about what I want them to do, I think it's best we invest in some higher edu-ma-kation. But anyways... 

 

I was telling the gentleman about how they sometimes take ages to eat their dinner - obviously my girls are NOT heffers and do NOT scarf down their food. He explained that I might be feeding too much because it goes against their wild instinct to eat like there's no tomorrow because now they know where they're next meal is coming from. (Um, duh. Why didn't I think of that?) Well, lo and behold, I reduced their portion sizes, and here's the result. This was taken at 3 minutes to 5pm.

 

Clemmie wants some DINNER. Napping in front of the water bowl/food container?

You are joking, right?

 

And before any of you go calling the SPCA because you think I'm starving my dogs, please don't worry, they're still getting plenty of food. I'm just making sure they know who's the boss. And it's clearly working because they're eating in one sitting now and have magically gotten back to their old routine of anticipating meals rather than being flippant about when dinner is coming. Win for me.

 

Happy weekend friends!

 

 



Happy Anniversary!

September 27 is a special day around these parts. Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband!

Four years ago, we said our I do's and made a promise that no matter what life threw at us, we'd walk the journey side by side.

We were honored that people had come - literally - from all over the world to celebrate with us

 

Pretty sure this face was because I'd dropped the rosary the priest had just blessed.

 

You know how they say the day flies by? I think this is one of the few moments I really remember

 

Two years in, we decided there was no better way to celebrate a wedding anniversary than to purchase your first home together. It'd been a long time coming. We signed our lives away on a million dotted lines and I smiled each time I dated the papers 9/27. It was meant to be and a special day indeed. I'm pretty sure once we had the keys to the house, we popped a bottle of champagne and drank it out of plastic cups sitting on the floor. Not quite the fancy candlelit dinner most would celebrate with, but then again, if you know us, we're not necessarily your conventional couple.   

 

And last year, it was the first anniversary of The Anniversary Home. We celebrated by reminiscing on how much we'd accomplished together in the house. We'd spent a year focusing so much on the physical home - all the blood, sweat and tears (and there were plenty of tears) were certainly worth it - but only learned in hindsight that we were really investing so much in us. The house had become a physical metaphor for what we'd built in our relationship and what we hoped for as husband and wife.

 

But little did you all know that on this day last year, Rich was living in another state, starting a new job, and I was tasked with selling The Anniversary Home. Talk about a 180. It wasn't an easy decision, but as we've reflected on all the changes this past year, we know wholeheartedly, without a shadow of doubt, we made the right decision.

 

So, once again, we spent last night reflecting on everything we'd accomplished together this year:

 

Mr. B started a fantastic new job and is loving it

 

Survived - even thrived - while living apart for 3 months

 

SOLD The Anniversary Home and made out pretty well considering the circumstances

 

Made our way to a new town, met new friends and established a new life

 

BOUGHT a new home

 

Found out we'd be welcoming Baby B in 2012

 

And adopted these two precious puppies

 

2012 has been good to us and we're grateful for the many blessings we've received this past year.

 

So how will we celebrate this year? Like I said, we're not your typical couple. Today, Mr. B is off to Spain for a boys golfing weekend. I told you I'm a GOOD wife - but all jokes aside - he's more than deserving of some R&R and it's the Kinsale Cup for goodness sakes! And on this side of the pond, Mama H. and I will spend the weekend working on the nursery, resting at home (hello swollen ankles!) and being generally entertained by Clemmie and Dixie. I really wouldn't have it any other way.

 

Happy Anniversary Mr. B. I can't wait for what the next year has in store for us...

 

 

 

 





Puppy Pictures Friday

I think I've mentioned before that I've started taking C&D to the neighborhood tennis courts early in the morning / late at night for some exercise. Some days, it's just easier to let them run around the courts and chase the ball/frisbee/each other rather than do a full walk with both of them. (BTW, I still have yet to be "caught" but had a couple near misses this week! It's difficult to be stealth when two puppies haven't quite mastered quiet! and bark at every squirrel, bird and leaf that blows by.)

Clemmie's idea of a perfect Saturday morning

 

Homegirl loves her some fetch. She really only brings the ball back about 50% of the time, but as long as she's running around I don't mind.

Side note: This picture was taken approximately 2.8 seconds (no exaggeration) before I dropped my first of the season Starbucks Pumpkin Latte. Granted, it was the end of the cup, but it spilled everywhere, and that was annoying. The only redeeming thing? C&D licked it all up and LOVE pumpkin spice. Their faces were pure ecstasy.

And I guess I can blame their behavior for the rest of the week on that caffeine hit they had on Saturday morning....Oh, Clemmie and Dixie. What am I going to do with you? I swear that you're well behaved when Rich is around and then intentionally raise hell when he's out of town just to get on my nerves. I have photo evidence...

Exhibit A: The first real shoe catastrophy

Clementine. I am not happy.

 

Yall, the pictures don't do it justice. Thanks to diptic and this collage, I had to cut off about three quarters of the scattering of black foam around the bedroom. Thank goodness this casualty was only an old pair of Reef's, but seriously, not cool sweetheart. Of course, she'd never think of laying a paw on Rich's shoes. Nope. Just mine.

 

Exhibit B: The Brand New Stick of Butter Gone Missing

 

Someone has some 'splainin to do

 

Our little countersurfer has gotten really good these past few weeks and seems to think the waterbottle spray in the face is worth any treat she can find. I put out a new stick of butter (in a place I knew she couldn't reach I thought was a safe spot) but lo and behold, when I realized it was just a little too quiet, I managed to wrangle this out of Dixie's mouth before she could eat the entire darn thing. Not cool girlfriend.

 

Exhibit C: Filthy Dogs on the Newly Made Bed

 

It rained, and rained, and rained here this week. Like, I'm talking 5 inches of rain in two days type of storms. We decided to brave the muddy dog park and I'm glad we did. There were tons of muddy, restless dogs who had a blast running through all the puddles, including C&D. They were so happy, and that made me happy. Until I realized the extent of their filthiness. I gave them a quick rinse at the park but I planned on getting them in the bath IMMEDIATELY when we got home. No sooner do I turn my back for one second, do I find this treat....

 

Yall just HAD to get on the bed, right? But look at those tired faces! Success.

 

Oh. No. You. Didn't. (Oh yes we did.) It was about this point I realized that my large preggo body probably shouldn't even be attempting to bathe them on my own for fear of slipping or hurting myself. (See, I am a responsible mother!) I bribed them into their kennels with treats and ignored every pathetic whine/huff through the night to join me in bed.

 

Exhibit D: Best Behavior When Dad's Back from Business Trips

 

Dixie cuddled up with the fluffy duvet + t-shirts. Wonder where she learned this?

 

Throw in an early morning barf on the family room rug and a hiss fit over dinner time, and of course, all was well by the time Rich returned home from his trip. Dixie was so happy her Dad was back she not only had to sleep right between his legs but with his t-shirts too. Furthermore, she was not going to get out of bed in the morning. Not to potty, not for breakfast. And really, when she's passed out in this comfy position, who can blame her?

 







Puppy Pictures Friday

These girls give new meaning to the term "lazy Sunday". Our Labor Day weekend was fairly quiet - busy in the sense we did a bunch of chores and watched a ton of football - and Clemmie & Dixie were thrilled to just hang out.

 

Sunday morning routine: nap in the kennel while we're at church and then sunbathe on the deck once we're home. You wouldn't believe this is AFTER a few hours napping?

And what's a girl to do when she's done sunbathing? Give Mama's new sofa throw cushions a test drive. Do you approve Dixie? Cause you don't look very comfortable...

 

And then the rain came. Thanks a bunch Isaac. No seriously. I love being couped up in the house for days on end with two puppies who are b.o.r.e.d. It rained Sunday afternoon, Monday and Tuesday and I was so desperate for an escape, I took them to the local tennis courts and let 'em run free. Highly illegal - given the "No Dogs on Common Grounds" signs everywhere (our town can be kinda uppity) - but totally worth it. What a rebel I am. (Sidenote: Must fence in yard ASAP.)

 

Clemmie loves her some fetch. She'll fetch, and usually drop it at your feet, for a good 30 min sesh.

Dixie, on the other hand, meehhhhh. She could care less. She'd rather chase birds and sniff weeds.



 

Thank you!

Wow yall. Thanks for all your awesome, lovely, supportive comments about the baby and the new house. We feel very blessed. 2012 is certainly shaping up to be an exciting year for us.

For now, I need a TGIF in the house because this has been a longggg week. Even though I'm not working full-time these days, I have found myself busier than ever. Between MBA classes and all the - what I call - personal admin that needs to be attended to when moving/buying a home, well, I'm exhausted. I suppose part of that could be contributed to Baby B. Thanks Baby B.

We're keeping this weekend fairly low-key since next weekend we have a visit from Whitney! Friday evening we're headed downtown for dinner with Rich's colleague and his girlfriend, which I'm looking forward to. (Hello fancy mocktails for me!)

Saturday morning we're off to check out some estate sales. (Remind me to tell yall about the auction house we found here. I think it gives Brown Bros a run for its money!) We have a bunch of errands to run and then we're playing a quick 9-hole round of Twilight golf on Saturday afternoon to take advantage of this beautiful weather. Well, the weather and to take our new clubs out to play. Yes, Mr. B and I treated ourselves to new sets of golf clubs when we sold TAH. (The thinking behind that was that we'd actually have some spare time to enjoy a round of golf!)

Sunday is church, long walk through the park and probably a movie-nap on the sofa. Oh, the sofa! I must update yall on that too....Recurring theme here: I owe yall some updates!

Enjoy your weekend!
K xo

Meet my new puppy

Yes, it's a small little stuffed animal that says April

My favorite Christmas present was this little stuffed animal. You're probably thinking "Wow, she didn't really strike me as the stuffed animal type" and "Wow, Mr. B could do a littttle bit better".

But this lil' pup is big news. I've wanted to get a dog since, well, the beginning of time. I grew up with two little munchkin babies (yes, there's a heck of a lot of baby dog talk around my parents house) and I just feel incomplete without a little friend following me around the house. So what the heck was stopping me?

Mr. B.

To give him credit, it's not that he hasn't wanted one too. I know in his heart of hearts he wants one just as much (maybe more?) as I do, but he's got this annoying little responsible/uber-practical/freakishly patient streak in him that I could never crack.

When we were living in London, there was definitely no way we could get a dog. Scratch that, we could, but that would have been a disaster. There was a time we considered setting up a rent-a-puppy service so other young professionals like us could get our puppy fixes on the weekends. (Yes, it was a bad idea, but you can't blame me.)

When we moved back to the States to PA, it seemed a lot more feasible. We rented a beautiful cottage in the woods on the river which was PERFECT for pups. But we were smart enough to realize that our crazy schedules, and especially my crazy commute, made it impossible to give the little thing all the attention it deserved. Even on my weakest days, I knew it wouldn't be fair on either the dog or us to try to make it work there. On my best days, I made a pretty good argument for why we should get one. (Mr. B told me that I needed to prepare a one-pager proposal on the costs/benefits/operations plan for getting a dog. And I did. And this was a good two years before that stupid Microsoft commerical where the kid makes his parents a powerpoint to get a dog. I'm considering a cease and desist letter for that one because I did it first!)

And then with The Anniversary Home, it was always...we'll do it after the kitchen....we still need to install a fence....we still have those crazy commutes....And then bam. We found out we were moving and now it's been a total of 7 years waiting for a dog.

So when I opened the little gift bag with this thing inside, I was super confused. (And full disclosure: slightly disappointed because I couldn't put two and two together. Seriously honey? A stuffed animal. You're so in the dog house...no pun intended.)

Mr. B had to coach me through it:

Mr. B: Do you get it?

Me: No. Why did you get me a stuffed animal?

Mr. B: What kind of stuffed animal is it?

Me: A bear?

Mr. B: Try again Kate

Me: A dog?

Mr B: Yes.

Me: So why is it wearing an April t-shirt?

Mr. B: Well, what happens in April?

Me: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

You see, right now, we're living in a corporate, furnished apartment until we find our own place (either another rental or our own home once we sell, whichever comes first) and we can't have pets with the furnished lease. So we move in to our next place in APRIL. He's finally committed to getting a dog in April.

And because I know you'll have lots of questions:

What kind? I have no idea. I firmly believe in shelter / rescue dogs and couldn't ever see myself getting a dog from a breeder. That said, I'm sorta picky about the shedding issue so the breeds I prefer aren't exactly your typical rescue dog. I'm going to have to find a happy medium.

Names? People, I've had 7 years to think about this. But I'm not telling you yet!

Who's going to walk/feed/take care of the dog? Mr. B.

Who will spoil the dog and be the dog's favorite? Me, of course.

Kidding about those last two. Well, maybe not so much....