If you are a loyal blog follower, you know that we consider Winnie to be one of our children. She was actually our first baby, and Mark and I devoted much of our pre-child married years to Winnie. We took her to Doggy Day Care, attended Friday night "Yappy Hour" specifically for puppy socialization, she has collars and scarves for every season/holiday, etc.
It was our great joy and relief that Winnie adjusted so well to having a little brother when Luke was born. She was gentle and sweet with Luke as an infant, and still tolerates her brother's rough housing, climbing on her, and pulling on her tail with unlimited patience.
Best friends.
Our nieces all adore Winnie as well, and look forward to seeing their furry cousin when we visit. They have all snuck into Winnie's crate to snuggle, love to pet and chase her, and give her LOTS of affection and love.
Alexis tells people: "I don't like dogs, but I LOVE Winnie!"
Maya used to refer to Winnie as her "big brudda".
Lauren peeks out from inside Winnie's crate.
Upon Leah's arrival, Winnie seamlessly adjusted to having yet another tiny being in our home that required us to divert attention from our furry child. Winnie's walks are less frequent these days, her belly rubs are given absent-mindedly as we attend to our human children's more immediate needs, and her parents don't give her nearly the amount of 1 on 1 time that she deserves. But one thing remains unchanged: We love Winnie and trust her with our human children without question. She is concerned when we can't calm Leah, just as she was when Luke cried as a baby. I joke that I can leave Leah and Winnie alone on the bed together, but can't trust Luke with his baby sister without close supervision. Winnie is our sweet, furry girl who gives our family unconditional love. I think about Luke and Leah, who have never known life without Winnie, as she was one of the first things that they responded to and recognized. And I know that their lives are incredibly rich for having Winnie as their loving canine sister.
3 comments:
What a dear, precious blog....totally worthy of that dear precious dog! We're ALL richer for having Winnie in our family! Love, Bean
AND Winnie is incredibly fortunate to have such a loving family! Great pics! Love, Gammie and Pops Davies
Your blog brought tears to my eyes because it was so true. I felt like this with both our dogs when both girls arrived 2 years apart. Dogs are the most wonderful creatures God has given us and we are so blessed to have them in our lives. You will never have as much unconditional love as you will from our sweet, dear canine friends. They truly are a gift!
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