Here are the ways Okie-doodle helped me get ready for a baby.
1. My heart bloomed when I saw Okie.
This helped me because I honestly did not know what that kind of consuming love would feel like. It's overwhelming. I felt the same way with Nylabear, for sure, but I think I would have been an emotional disaster if it weren't for Okie. I was prepared to have my heart grow for Nyla!
2. I did all my psycho-mom stuff with Okie.
Every little thing with Okie as a puppy sent me to the vet. She had an itch, we went to the vet. She started to sneeze, we went to the vet. She didn't poop four times a day, we were definitely at the vet. If she stayed over at someone's house, I would call a million times to see how she was. Yes, I was that worried about my dog. I feel like with Nyla, I know she's being taken care of and that I don't need to psycho-out like I did with Okie. Whew!
3. She helped me learn patience.
Nothing builds patience like standing out in the snow in the middle of the night waiting for a puppy to go poop.
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| I'm not ready yet. |
4. Middle of the night feedings are a breeze thanks to Okie.
Okie-doodle really prepped me for being up in the middle of the night. For the first three to four weeks of Okie being home with us, we were up multiple times a night, carrying her out to go to the bathroom. Sometimes she would go back to sleep immediately, sometimes she would want to stay up and play. That sounds familiar right about now...
5. I have more trust in my family because of Okie.
This isn't to say that I didn't trust my family before. But it is one thing to trust them with your life, but with someone else's? It's a scary/stressful situation leaving your children with someone else, even if it is your own mother. It's also super emotional. The first time we left Okie with my in-laws for us to go to Oklahoma, I cried the entire way to the airport, which was over an hour away. I mean I ugly-cried. But Paul helped reinforce to me that I need to trust that others can take just as good, if not better, care of Okie while I'm gone. The same goes with Nyla. Except for when I leave her with my family now, I don't have that freakout. I have Okie-doodle to thank for that, teaching me that it's okay to let go a little bit!
6. I built my arm muscles with Okie.
Shamefully, I used to carry Okie around like a baby when she was a pup. If you would have seen how adorable and fluffy she was, you would have done it, too!
7. My sense of responsibility was heightened.
Before Okie, I had no sense of home-responsibility. Paul and I were newlyweds and had nothing to tie us down to our home. We could pick up and go anywhere we wanted at the drop of a hat. That all changed with Okie. The same thing happened again with Nyla. I think our Okie-dokie helped me be a more responsible person, taking into consideration someone other than myself!
8. I can now deal with other being's bodily functions.
There's just something about barf and poop that is heinous, unless it's someone close to you. Okie taught me that you know what, sometimes animals get sick. The first time Okie barfed, it was disgusting. But we just cleaned it up, even though it was gross. When Okie got a little bug in her tummy, she pooped all over our floor. On the floor, in the carpet, on the rugs, all the way to the bath where we cleaned her. But instead of feeling totally grossed out, I cried my eyes out because my Okie-doodle was sick. The same goes with my Nylabear. As gross as it is when she spits up or blows out her diaper, I am not as revolted as I thought I would be. I just want to take care of her. I have Okie to thank for that maternal instinct.
Oh Okie-doodle, I just adore you. You and Nylabear are my girls and I can't even imagine our lives without you two.
THIS IS REALLY SPECIAL! You should publish it....and not just in a Blog! I think besides being a Mother, you have found another calling....that of author.....I could read a book written by you!
ReplyDeleteLove, Diana, Alan AND KOLA!