Week 8

Welcome back and happy Tuesday!  We survived our first week with the puppy.  It's a bit harder this time around raising and training a puppy because we don't have the boys at home to help play with and distract her when we need to get other things done, but we have been able to establish a decent routine which helps. She's super smart too so she learns very quickly which makes training a lot easier.  Other than that is was another rainy week that at least ended with sunny spring like weather we should have with us for a few more days.

Take a look at how last week went:

Day 50- Monday, 2/19/24

We're starting the week with a whole lot of rain.  Today is Presidents' Day which is great because it means I have another day plus my remote day tomorrow home to continue adjusting to the pup and our new normal.  It was a perfect day for some great inside play and then nice long naps.

Day 51- Tuesday, 2/20/24

While working remote not only did I get more time with the pup but also more time with Rusty during my breaks.  He needs some extra attention as he's feeling a bit displaced.  Normally he would nap the day away downstairs in the office near me as I work but right now he feels more comfortable upstairs on Justin's bed further away from the puppy chaos.  I did eventually get him to join me in the office for a short bit and he seemed pretty happy about how that went so hopefully he'll get back more often soon.

Day 52- Wednesday, 2/21/24

Wednesday at work started with a lot of fog because of how wet and saturated our ground is.  Thankfully this burned off and we had sunshine for the afternoon plus are expecting more for the rest of the week.  This was my 1st day back at work away from Bailey so John was on puppy duty.  She was pretty depressed and missing me in the morning but got over it soon enough.  Just after I came home John had to leave for PT so it was my turn.  I had a 5pm zoom meeting I had to take on the floor sitting next to her but thankfully with a new toy introduced she did well keeping herself busy and out of trouble during my meeting.

Day 53- Thursday, 2/22/24

This blue sky and sunshine is so nice! We also have some of our trees sprouting new leaves for spring which is exciting to see.  Back inside we enjoyed refreshing drinks on National Margarita Day.

Day 54- Friday, 2/23/24

With the weather being nicer we've been able to let Bailey outside more.  She looks so small in the dog run that used to be Bella's and even more so in our greater expansive yard.  The yard is also showing more and more signs of life with some of our larger bushes blooming flowers.  I'll need to get out there and prune many of them soon.  They always grow out of control in the spring.  At least I've been on top of the weeds this year using Preen to prevent the seeds from  germinating.  Back inside just before dinner I was checking email when Rusty summonsed me to the couch for a cuddle.  So happy to see him initiate that again instead of just retreating alone upstairs.

Day 55- Saturday, 2/24/24

Look at me--I'm 8wks old now and settling in nicely with my new home.  I love to play hard with my toys and also nap a lot next to my favorite humans. Cheers to our first week!

Day 56- Sunday, 2/25/24

Rusty and Bailey have had a few good face-to-face contact moments.  She is intrigued but also a bit afraid of him.  He too is interested but unsure of how unpredictable she can be.  I'm sure once she's older and more mellow they will get a long just fine. This is our new normal--sitting on the floor together playing with Bailey long enough to wear her out so she can nap next to us.  Also meet Kalie!  Our neighbors right across the street adopted one of Bailey's sisters!!  She is a silver (diluted chocolate) lab and it will be so fun for them to have each other as playmates growing up.  We haven't actually met her yet but maybe next weekend once she's had a chance to settle in.

That's it!  Pretty much all about the puppy, but she is ruling our life right now so that's to be expected. Soon the boys will be home for spring break and they can help us wear her out.

Week 7

Welcome back and happy Tuesday!  Last week was a full week and I'm so glad it came with a 3-day weekend.  We have the new puppy now which so fun but also a lot of work to get her on a routine that also accommodates our schedules.  Thankfully they grow and learn fast.

Take a look at what else went on last week:

Day 43- Monday, 2/12/24

Today we had a nice spring like morning complete with a visit from Peter Rabbit right outside our lab window. Back at home our lower oven fan needed replaced.  It went out Friday but we couldn't get a part for it until today.  They sure don't make appliances like they used to.  This oven unit is only 5 yrs old and apparently this is a common problem with the bottom oven that was not a cheap fix.  It will most likely happen every 5 years and the worst part is when it goes out it also disables the top oven so there is no backup to cook with.  Ugh!

Day 44- Tuesday, 2/13/24

After remote work today John and I had and afternoon movie date as an early Valentine's activity so I dressed the part with my heart ring and new pink cord pants.  This film was a perfect romcom movie for the holiday.  It came out at the end of Dec (our puppy's birthdate actually) so I wasn't sure it would still be playing in theaters but they kept it in long enough to last through Valentine's Day.  We tried to go out to a nice diner as well but everything was booked even with it being the day before so In-N-Out our best bet.

Day 45- Wednesday, 2/14/24

Happy Valentine's Day to us!  We stayed in and celebrated on this cold rainy day with warm comfort food, bubbly, and ice-cream cake.

Day 46- Thursday, 2/15/24

This week has been colder and rainier than expected so warm coffee this morning to get me through paperwork was a must and then it was all about yummy leftover pizza to warm me up back at home for dinner tonight.  We'll get a weather break tomorrow and early Saturday but then another atmospheric river roles in to hit the state again.  Thankfully we don't live on the coast where they really get slammed and many mudslides are happening.

Day 47- Friday, 2/16/24

Sunshine for today and I've noticed in our neighborhood and on campus more and more blooming trees are popping up.  Spring is upon us.  Back at home Rusty and I are spending some good snuggle time together before the puppy rocks our world.  Not sure how he'll take it but I know for awhile he will not feel comfortable sitting on my lap in this main room where she will mostly be.  I just need to make an effort to give him enough attention where he will feel comfortable once she's here.

Day 48- Saturday, 2/17/24

Here she is!  Meet Bailey the newest member of our family.  She is super sweet, super mouthy, plays super hard, takes many power naps, plus pees and poops more than you can imagine.  She bonded right to us which is great but now we need to work on her being ok with being alone for blocks of time in her pen so we can get others things done. There will be an adjustment period for sure.

Day 49- Sunday, 2/18/24

It's hard to get pictures of her when she's not asleep because then she is always on the move so most turn out blurry, but I did get a couple good ones today.  She did pretty well sleeping last night but is pretty messy so I need to give myself more time in the morning to clean up after her before leaving for work this coming week. Thankfully John is home while I'm at work and then when I get home he's off to PT so we'll be tag teaming puppy care midweek. Rusty pretty much stays away but is curious and will check in on her when she is napping.  I made sure to give him some lap time in our office area which is a place he likes to hang out that Bailey can't get to so that works well for now.

All done.  Check back next week to see how we're managing life with this sweet pup.  I can tell you after just 2 days I'm exhausted but as we get to know each other better and learn to get things done while she naps it will feel less and less like work and more like a seamless part of our life.

Week 6

Happy Tuesday and welcome back!  I was hoping last week would mean less rain but we still had at least a few days of heavy rain on and off.  Thankfully it looks like sunshine for a solid week now.  We can use a good dry out.  Otherwise it was a slow week last week at home with just some puppy prep and then a lot of project juggling at work.  The hamsters are back which always makes for busier times.

Here are last week's pictures:

Day 36- Monday, 2/5/24

The skies are still angry here and dumping even more rain but at least no more wind which is much appreciated.  Back at home while coming in through the front door after checking mail I found this very wet leaf just perfectly pasted to our entry walkway.

Day 37- Tuesday, 2/6/24

Over the weekend I order some things from Amazon to prep for our puppy who will be coming next week and it all arrived today.  We also have to prep Rusty for her arrival by getting him used to having her things around and used to eating in a more secure place where she can't bother him or steal his food.

Day 38- Wednesday, 2/7/24

Wednesday at work was a busy day but after feeding my cultures I was able to show them off to a visiting veterinary student from Colorado who is doing a wildlife externship here this month. Back at home the sun has finally started to shin and I was able to remember to put up my heart wreath in prep for Valentine's Day--only 1 more week away.

Day 39- Thursday, 2/8/24

The sunshine has been amazing lately and so much so that things are starting to come into bloom.  I was pleasantly surprised by this one bush in our backyard and I also like seeing the light come into the house and creating different shadows here and there.  Thankfully gone are the grey gloomy skies for now anyway and at least through the weekend.

Day 40- Friday, 2/9/24

On these sunny days it's nice at work when I have something in another building to pick up or drop off and can enjoy the walk outside to soak up all the goodness of the sun.  This bush back at home out front is soaking up that sun too and blooming these pretty delicate flowers. It feels like spring now.  TGIF so I can enjoy the good weather even more.

Day 41- Saturday, 2/10/24

Rusty likes slow start Saturdays and is enjoying a head-plant nap on my lab as the sun is just starting to rise.  He's not too sure about this whole puppy thing.  We have been getting him used to some changes and her stuff plus brought home even more stuff today which should be the last of it until she starts to grow out of things.  We'll just have to keep reassuring the cat and making sure he has safe places to escape to when need be. 

Day 42- Sunday, 2/11/24

Today of course was all about football especially since the 49ers are playing in the Super Bowl.  John and Tyler were super excited and cheered to the first touchdown by the Niners.  They had a great 1st half and held out to into overtime for the 2nd half but just couldn't bring home the win so it was a sad ending for us.  At least it was a good match up and not a blow out for any one team. There's always next year.

That's it! See you next week where you'll get to meet our new furry family member.