Are you living in your everyday, or are you living for the weekends?
It is our daily lives that make up who we are, and our everyday moments that make this life worth living. Find the beauty in your ordinary. Take some photos and build some memories. We remember the big things, but the little things are everything.
A Thursday in February. Valentine’s Day//
Until next time,
Jamie out.
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December
Blue update—4 months old!
In the past month, Blue has continued to grow and learn, we took her on her very first walk, and she had a couple vet visits.
Our girl Blue is still a puppy and it is hard to remember that sometimes! She is growing so much and learning every day. I have to remind myself that if I am consistent, she will get it—right from wrong, how to behave, etc. The occasional accidents still happen inside and I just have to remain consistent in reminding her where it is appropriate and how to ask to go outside. Comparing her now to her tiny self at eight weeks old is crazy, even though I know she still has a lot more growing to do. She has come such a long way!
We had two vet visits in her fourth month where she got her rabies vaccine and lyme vaccine. Poor thing was super sore and sleepy after her rabies vaccine and we had to warn all of our New Years Eve guests to be gentle when petting her. Her next vet visit finished up her shots and we opted to go for the lyme vaccine as well because we plan on camping and hiking with her.
Riding in the car is still one of her least favorite things. We are trying to associate it with positive destinations and take her to my parents’ or my sister’s regularly. She gets extra love, snuggles, and play time at their houses and you can tell she is growing attached to my family.
She isn’t napping as much as she used to and is still a little needy when she is awake. I often find it difficult to get things done at home when she is awake because she wants to play or snuggle and be involved in some way. Chores are easier—it’s when I sit down to write or edit that she gets bored. Luckily, the day after she turned four months old we put in a fence (watch out for our next update!) and this has gotten a lot better because she can run and explore outside.
Her very first walk was adorable. It seemed a little overwhelming for her, with all of the smells, noises, cars, and people. Once we got home, though, it was obvious that she ultimately had a great time and we’re excited to go on a lot more walks in the future.
At the end of the month Blue began teething. One day I looked down and one of her front teeth was HUGE compared to the rest of her mouth. It. Was. Adorable. She began chewing on her toys in earnest and it seems to me that teething must be an awful business because there was hardly a time when she was awake when she wasn’t chewing something. So far she is doing great and only chewing on the things she is supposed to chew on. Knock on wood!
Over the next month we plan on more walks, getting acquainted with the outdoors, and lots of social time with other dogs. We are looking into obedience training and got her a big girl collar in preparation for her next growth spurt.
Until next time,
Jamie out
Blue update #3—3 Months Old!
Our girl Blue is three months old, growing like her life depends on it, and loves spending time with us and her toys.
Blue turned three months old on her 13 week birthday! She has changed so much since we brought her home just a few weeks ago. She weighs over twenty-five pounds now and her paws are ginormous. She got her rabies shot and has only one set of shots left in her puppy vaccines.
Around week thirteen, she began to become a little more aware. She recognized that things can be scary, or that she can get hurt, or that some things are unknown. She would get nervous and distrusting of things she didn’t know or understand, and if there was a loud startling noise, she reacted more dramatically than she would have just a week before.
Blue has gotten better since then and is growing in confidence in her own home and den. She got too big to ride on my lap in the car, so she is relearning about car rides by riding in the back and isn’t the biggest fan. She started playing with my sister’s dog, a five year old chocolate lab named Coco, and has so much fun with her in her fenced backyard. Coco is really good with her, being gentle enough but still having fun rough housing and being pups together.
She is growing like a crazy pup! She is super playful, but her eyes will suddenly droop and she absolutely must take a nap. The other day when we were wrapping presents, she couldn’t sleep through the noise so she went to our bedroom to take a nap by herself. That’s the first time she has done that! She always loves being underfoot or napping with her head on our feet.
We are excited to start taking her on walks, to dog parks, and to keep teaching her more things. She loves sitting and laying down, and her new chew toys she got for Christmas are her favorite toys still. She loves her big fluffy bed, but isn’t so sure about baths or being brushed. The last time I had to give her medicine, she did great and ate the whole thing.
Over the next month we expect her to continue growing quickly and hope that we can accomplish more leash training. We hope to get her a fenced backyard ASAP so that she can explore and enjoy, as well as become comfortable outside on her own.
Until next time,
Jamie out.
If you didn’t know we got a puppy, go read this blog post ASAP!
Being a puppy mom has been incredibly hard and incredibly rewarding at the same time. Blue is a smart cookie. I can tell when she’s just ignoring me, or when she’s sneaking off to do something she knows is naughty. But I also rejoice with her as she begins to get it. As she begins to ask to go outside so that she can “go potty” and as she obeys when we say “come” and “sit.” I am so surprised that at nine weeks old she knows so much. Obviously there is still a lot to learn, for BOTH of us.
Her first week here was hard on all of us. We coddled her a lot at night and she struggled to sleep. We got up with her seven or eight times one night. She learned that crying would be rewarded, so in her second week here we had to try to unlearn that. We all lost some more sleep. But we are confident it is what is best in the long run. We want her to be comfortable and confident when she is home alone and when she is sleeping at night.
It was our intention to not crate her, however after having her for a week we caved and got a crate. She went in voluntarily on the first night to go to sleep, but after that it got a little harder. She is attached to the stuff IN her crate—like her blankies—but she isn’t so keen on the crate itself. As her fur mama I know that she is safe in her own little den while I am gone, and I have peace of mind that my home isn’t being destroyed while I am at the grocery store. And I am certain that she will grow to love her place once she realizes it isn’t a punishment and she isn’t lonely.
Potty training is no joke. We are finding a better routine and schedule that we can all adhere to, but as our days are never the same as one another, that can prove challenging. After four or five days of training she asked to go outside. A week after we got her she asked us three times in one night to let her out. This is where I feel the rewarding aspect of training—to finally see results of hard work.
She is super smart and Will loves putting her brain to work to train her and then practice things they have learned. We got her a puzzle ball we can put treats in to help her work her brain also. A tired puppy is a good puppy, and even though she is very high energy, tiring out her brain is just as important as tiring out her little body.
Or not so little body. Two days after we got her I took her to the vet and they weighed her at 10.8 pounds. By the end of week 9, she weighed a little over 13 pounds. She is going to be too big to pick up and carry in no time so I am enjoying the lap snuggles while I can.
With full disclosure and honestly, we did not enjoy our first week with Blue. We were very sleep deprived and potty training proved to be very stressful. Once we got the crate, things began to improve and I started to get attached. We made a plan for taking her out at night that would negate some of her crying and got us all on a better schedule.
We are so excited to watch her grow, to learn with her, and to be the best fur parents we can to this little ball of energy. Stay tuned for the perils and pleasures of puppy ownership as I take you along for the sometimes bumpy ride over the next several months. There is so much that we will all learn and experience.
Do you have any puppy advice for me? The biggest one right now is how to make her happy with her crate and cut down on the crying. Please leave any knowledge in the comments below! If you enjoyed this post, please give it a like and don’t forget to subscribe to join the family if you haven’t already.
Until next time,
Jamie out.
WamiesWorld 