Long time no talk! We’ve been working our way through the end of my maternity leave, Jack starting daycare and my return to work and it’s been a doozy. In the midst of finding our new normal with Baby Jack, a lot of people have asked how Lola has been adjusting since we brought the babe home. The first few days were a little iffy on her part. She would just stare between him and me wondering why she had been replaced by this creature on my lap. It was almost as if she was expecting him to leave after a few days. Thankfully, her apprehension of Jack disappeared within the first few days.
Jack is now three months old and I can confidently say that Lola has been the best big sister. She gets up with us in the middle of the night, like clockwork. Once I sit in the rocker, I can hear her scurry out of bed and race behind me into the nursery. I don’t even have time to get situated with Jack before she’s claimed her spot on the rocker with us. She often falls right back asleep, but she is our shadow. Anytime Jack is super fussy and starts to cry, Lola will be the first to come up to me and simply stare between the two of us, you can almost see her asking “So, are you going to take care of that, or what?” Lola will jump on me, but she’s been so good to not crowd Jack’s personal space too much. She steals a kiss here and there when we are on the floor doing tummy time.
A few weeks before I went back to work, I took Lola in for her yearly check-up. We got the bad news that she needed to have some teeth removed. Come to find out once they had her under, she had to have a total of 9 teeth removed (boy, did I feel like a bad dog mama). Due to her breed and some of the toys that she loves, she has some bad teeth. I threw away a bunch of her old toys and thanks to Gordmans, I stocked up on a few soft toys (vet approved) that she loves.
Within minutes of taking these photos, she started to snuggle and nap with the whale squeaky toy, a success! She is the best ‘blog model’ because I don’t even have to pose her or tempt her with treats, she literally does this all on her own, it cracks me up. I also picked up a new bed for her, she gave her old one a run for her money that we had in her kennel (it was disgusting…it was time to replace it), so now we have a new one for her kennel and one for our living room. And yes – I do have a mural of my dog hanging on my wall. I’m that dog mom and there is NO shame in my game.
Lola is simply the best, as I type this post she is whining at me because she knows Jack has been put to bed which means it’s time for us to go to bed. The only time when we can master sleeping when the baby sleeps is right after I put Jack down for the night. I wondered how my love for my first ‘baby’ would change and while she definitely takes a back seat once and awhile for our human child, she’s simply the best and I can’t wait to celebrate her on National Pet Day!
In honor of one of our favorite ‘holidays,’ Gordmans is inviting guests to bring their pets (on a leash, of course) to their stores this Saturday, April 7th from noon to 3pm for a good time of shopping, giveaways, and the chance to donate to a great pet-related cause.
The first 50 guests to each store will receive a free pet scoop and reusable bag, while supplies last! You can also register in-store for an hourly gift card raffle! My favorite part is a representative from a local pet charity will make an appearance at your local store from noon to 3 pm to share information on adoptable pets (because, duh, adopt don’t shop!) and how to support the organization’s mission!
We have three locations in Des Moines – my local Gordmans (1400 22nd St, West Des Moines) you’ll be able to hear from the Animal Rescue League of Iowa. If not, head to their website to search for a local store near you to get in on all the National Pet Day love this Saturday! If you can’t make it in – no worries, you can donate throughout the entire month of April!
This post is sponsored by Gordmans. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting brands that make The Brunette One possible (and that love on Lola Bear)!
