Our first baby weighed in at 12 lbs. He was a wrinkly, slobbery, needy little guy who turned the world, as we knew it, upside down. He was the dumbest - and best thing - we had ever done.
My husband, (then boyfriend) stood frozen in the doorway of his apartment, staring at the bundle cuddled in my lap. When asked what he was thinking, all he could say was, "We're in charge of a life." I chuckled at his dazed, nervous expression and planted a kiss on the wet nose peering curiously up at me. "Well, that's what you get when you buy a dog."
Fast forward six years. The nurse places our minute-old daughter in my arms and her dad kisses my forehead, then hers. Winking gently, his poor tired face lit up in awe, he whispers, "We're in charge of a life." What an awesome, overwhelming truth. Well, that's what you get when you have a baby, I smile to myself. We have a baby...
All pet owners will tell you that their furry companions are, indeed, part of the family. Our bulldog is an intimate part of our life story as a couple and as a family. He tumbled his way into our hearts on his oversize, awkward puppy feet, wagging his whole bottom in time with his uncontainable joy for everything from cookies, to walks, to a bone, to the squirrel scampering through the yard. There was something so endearing about his snoring, so lovable about his protruding belly and the twitch of his non-existent stump of a tail. He played hard and slept hard and lay down matter-of-factly in the middle of a walk when he decided he was too tired to go on. (I can't tell you how many cars have stopped to laugh at a grown woman held hostage by an upside-down-in-a-neighbor's-yard-lolling-tongue-non-walker). It's funny to us that a bulldog would be a mascot for anyone, as there is nothing fierce about our boy. The runt of his litter, this 110lb lover sees himself as a lap dog and claims as much of the couch as we do. He loves with all that he has and greets everyone with unrestrained excitement. Our dog can't have enough friends.
When we brought our daughter home from the hospital, his world changed. All of a sudden, his "mama" had something else to keep her attention. A bassinet was in his sleep spot. There were strange noises and smells and new schedules. And then there was that crying that never, ever stopped. What was a dog to do?
Over time, our little girl and our canine boy have become fast friends. He pads his way into the nursery each morning to watch her emerge from her crib and clicks his way down the hall as we put her to bed at night. He races to the front door and waits eagerly for her to be strapped into the stroller when it's time for a walk. He prances proudly and protectively beside her as he leads the way down the street. She coos at him while she sits in her swing, gurgles and waves her hands as he watches her bound away in her jumperoo. She's started to reach for him as she sits in our laps and bursts into a delighted smile when he enters the room. Soon, I'll be watching her toddle after him, bouncing brown pigtails and uncertain feet, anxious to play with her friend.
This Halloween we made a matched T-shirt/onsesie set that read "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" in reference to the Seuss-inspired nicknames we've given the pair. Posing the two of them together against the couch, I had to smile at their interactions. He, the gentle giant, sat patiently while she, the wide-eyed babe, gazed adoringly up at him. (He has to be amazingly huge from her perspective - he's like her personal pony!). They are true buds. I can't help but think of the things in store for the two of them in the years ahead...
My husband and I are convinced that our dog knew I was expecting before I did. She used to kick enthusiastically in response to his presence. They have been connected since before they met and I love the part of our story they are writing together. Life with Thing 1 and Thing 2 will never be dull.
Tonight, as I slide into bed, I will delight in the sounds of my home. With our big boy snoring in the bathroom and our little girl sighing across the hall, the nighttime surround sound of our family is the only lullaby I'll need.
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