Jazzy

When I was 6 months pregnant with Gianna, Rick got this great idea to get a dog. Ive never been opposed to getting a dog but being 6 months pregnant, in March where there was still snow on the ground & trying to potty train an 8 week old puppy wasn't exactly my idea of fun. In fact, for months I made the joke he was trying to get me admitted into the loony bin.... a 17 month old, 6 months pregnant, and a puppy. Yikes. Needless to say, I was the one who found this farm with 9 female Golden Retrievers. We ventured out on the late afternoon of March 8th (Happy Birthday Daddy!) to *look* at the puppies. Seriously though, who could say no to that sweet little face. Surely, not a woman who was 6 months pregnant. We came home with a puppy and named her Jasmine. Ava wasn't able to say Jasmine so we nicknamed her Jazzy and haven't called her anything different since.

Moving on.... she did great adjusting until her first vet visit when I was told she had heart worms and to be careful (humans can get them, too.. ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww!) I cried. Me being the crazy pregnant woman that I am, called the pediatrician asking how I would know if my 17 month old had worms then followed by a call to the OB asking if a pregnant woman got worms what could happen. That was just the start of my downward twirl. She was treated at the vet for worms but it wasn't until Rick was out that evening that everything came crashing down. She was pooping worms all over! At first I didn't realize what it was but then as I got my rubber gloves on and paper towel ready, the poop, aka worms, were wiggling all over. O.M.G. I about died.. I didn't stop crying for a couple of days! I had to get up multiple times a night to let her out and to stand outside (IN MARCH) for her to do her business and pick it up right away due to the already mentioned worms. It was seriously awful. I had this hyper, worm pooping, chewing on everything puppy that I resented. We were this "-" close to getting rid of her.. just giving her back to the owner and not asking for a refund. I kept thinking in my head, "Everyone warned us not to do this, what were we thinking?!"

Now, a year later, I'm so glad we didn't give her back. I couldn't imagine our life.. my girls life, without this important member of our family. Sure, she still knows how to get under my skin with the occasional eating of random crayons found (btw, what is it with her loving to eat crayons?!) and the crazy amount of excitement she gives when we have visitors but this right here, is why I love her:

She puts up with my crazy 2 year old and not so nice 8 month old baby. She doesn't even mind when Gianna practically pulls her ears off and pulls each whiskers one by one. Gianna loves Jazzy licking her feet. Its actually the cutest thing to watch. Gianna puts her foot by her mouth, Jazzy licks it, Gianna quickly pulls away laughing hysterically and repeat. The other morning Ava woke up at an hour I really dislike seeing the clock say and I told her she could go quietly play until the rest of us had to get up. Not long after, Rick had to get up for work where he found Ava laying on the floor with Jazzy petting her in front of Gianna's closed bedroom door. Apparently, they were both patiently waiting for Gianna to wake!

To all those who swore adding this puppy to our family was a "really bad idea", I am proving you wrong! She loves us and we love her. I will admit the timing of getting her probably wasn't the best but really is their ever a perfect time for anything? Nahhh.