Bonding moments.

     I am really loving this whole process and how my family is all in.  They are all just as full of joy as I am about Leroy joining our family.  I'm not certain they are truly prepared for what is to come when he does come home.  Should be an interesting story.

     We had another visit today.  This was our first daytime visit so the puppies were all sitting up and waiting for us.  They are more vocal and playful now.  They sniff, growl, bark and even wag their tails.  One of them already loves chewing on shoes!


I pity the fool who gets to take this guy home!

     Leroy is a different kind of puppy.  While some of them are starting to playfully nip at eachother Leroy will nudge instead.  He just plows through the puppy pile, tossing his weight around, always looking for the closest food dish.  He tries so hard to sit around and play but a couple of feet of walking and a lifted paw to play brings him to his limit.  He is down and asleep before we can say "Oh look!  He is .....playing." 

     I am really amazed at how fast this guy is growing.  I thought my children grew fast but this is just magic.  Here is a pic from the last visit and tonight's visit:

     Ok folks.  I just checked and this is only 4 days of growth!!!  Panic is setting in.  I can't breathe.   It isn't even subtle.  Its like BAM!  Here I am!  Look at my head!  Leroy, seriously, how can we miss it!  It is huge!.  

BREATHE!!!

     You know how it is said that the dog and it's owner resemble eachother?  I don't know who exactly says that but take a peek at the next pictures.

Do you see the resemblance?  They both have the same markings on their chins.  (Sorry McHottie, I had to.)

I tried to squeeze harder but I couldn't.

At the rate he is growing I think by the next visit Leroy will be as big as this kid.

Mark this moment in history, folks.  This child is BONDING with the puppy.  She even told me in the car on the way home that it was so "weired" but she actually likes this puppy. 

   
     And there you have it.  Oh wait.  I have another child but she was busy bonding with someone elses puppy because that is how she rolls.  She didn't want the other puppies to feel left out. 

Mathieu

     I really think Mathieu and Leroy have bonded in a way only a dog and his best friend can.  Leroy is not the kind of puppy that will snuggle very much because he is hungry.  We are talking hungry all the time.  ALL.  THE.  TIME.  That is because he is growing so fast.  If you look at my last post you can see a big difference already and it has only been 5 days.  The last time we visited, as well as this time, Leroy made his way over to Mathieu and snuggled.  Unfortunately, these kind of snuggly moments are few with a dog this size but for now I think it is important for both of them to enjoy it while they can.  

I can't get over how big his head is!  Not Mathieu's head; Leroy's.  Look at it!

Leroy's eyes really glow like that, too. ;)  He is a magical puppy.

Yet Another Visit...

      PUPPIES!!!

     Goodness, I get way too excited about these puppies.  We planned yesterday that I would take the kids to see them today.  I did everything in my power to change my mind but I could not stop thinking about them.  I am worse than a kid who was told they are going to Disney!  

     I think they have doubled in size since our last meeting.  And from pictures I have seen of other puppies they are going to again by next week.  These guys were born April 1st so they are currently 3 weeks. 

     Isn't he lovely?  

    

     It looks like his fur is lightening up a little.  I just love how his ears flop and will stay that way.  I must have a "thing" for dog ears.  Have you seem Meggie's?  Of course not!  Let me go find a good picture.....

Now THOSE are great dog ears!  But they don't flop.

Ever.

Never ever.

They are like titanium.  Well, not really.  More like light cardstock.  Or felt that already has sticky stuff on the back of it which makes it harder than felt without the sticky stuff.

(Sorry about that.)

     While all the other puppies look the same (actually, they all have slight differences but I don't care about the other puppies; just mine) Leroy has a combination of markings that makes it easier to point him out from his siblings.  He has a half white nose and his right paw has more white fur than his left.

     So there you have it.  The idea of having a small horse for a pet in the house is getting more real by the day.  I am trying to purge "stuff" that has been collected over the years to give him more room to roam and just be.  I am excited to welcome his type of companionship into our family as I have been told he will probably be quite lazy.

I think he will just fit right in then. ;)

Pictures.

     The first picture is Jethro, the father.  He is the English Mastiff and this picture pretty much sums up his temperament.  The second picture is of the momma, Lucy, and out of the two puppies gorging in the middle, Leroy is the one on the right.  We are going for another meeting tomorrow with the kids and I will be sure to take more pictures then. 

Another meeting...

    Yesterday I went to see the puppies again.  Seriously, I think they have doubled in size.  Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures.  Leroy is already a part of this family and after the events of the day I had to go just to be sure all was well.  It is part of my nature to take care of my husband, my children and even the family pets as they are just as much part of the threads that hold us all together.

     I spent most of that afternoon watching the events at the Boston Marathon unfold.  As with most people watching, my heart was filled with sadness and anger for all those affected.  I can only hope that those affected are surrounded by those they love as they try to make sense of the trauma and are able to move forward with some sense of peace.

      The next time I go see him I will take pictures...maybe ;) 

Leroy Jenkins!!!

     It is official!  The puppy has been picked and Leroy is his name.  I am so full of child-like excitement and joy I am having a hard time keeping my cool.  I didn't sleep at all last night as the excitement from the meeting was just too much for me to process.  All day today I would randomly shout out the word "PUPPIES!" whether it was at the gym this morning, while I was amongst other people at the supermarket, or even in the presence of all the squirrels during the marathon Springtime pooper-scooping session.   We currently have a 6 yr. old lab/shepherd mutt named Meggie, hence the reason for the scooping session.

     Normally we just scoop with a grocery bag but with the pending newcomer I thought I would be fancy and purchase a pooper-scooper.  I guess a seasons worth of poop was too much for this new tool as it broke just as I was finished.  Well, poop.

PUPPIES!!!

     Last night McHottie and the children also came along to meet the PUPPIES!!!  We had the chance to hold them which was awesome.  The one I was holding did what all PUPPIES!!! do and started sucking on my finger.  From that point on it was over.  My heart melted and I was hooked.  He said "mama" and I died.  The end. 

Seriously....

     After my funeral we went home and Meggie gave us all a complete sniff-down.  She really is a great guard-like dog.  I say guard-like because she can make a lot of noise but confront her and she hides.  The shih tsu next door scares the shitsu right out of her.  It makes her feel like she is working for her keep and she does her job well.

PUPPIES!!!

     I suppose I should mention that the puppy is a Saint Bernard/English Mastiff cross, affectionately known as a Saint Bermastiff.  It has the potential to weigh 200 lbs+!  Did I also mention we have two 8yr. old cats named Oreo and Monsieur?  I think the combination of all these pets in one house, all vying for my undivided attention should be a great source of entertainment.

     So begins a new and, I expect, exciting adventure in our lives.  I hope you check in from time to time as I tell you stories about love and heartache, joy and frustration, happiness and anger and everything in between.  Disclaimer; I make terrible spelling mistakes sometimes but I totally make up for it in content.