With getting married this year I have acquired two new playmates – Mookie and Smitty. They are both rather large size labs. Now most people would think they just belong in the backyard where they can run and play and work off all that crazy lab energy they have. But since becoming pregnant, these guys have become my two newest best friends. In fact, I’m pretty sure these guys sensed something was up far before I ever did. The book/movie Marley & Me was about the crazy life of their lab and all the hysterical messes he got into. But at the end of the book was this beautiful story about the incredible relationship with man’s best friend. While I don’t have any wacky stories of hilarious mishaps my dogs have gotten into, I do have two four-legged friends that have given me story after story of love, hope and support.
Since I’m on pretty much bed rest, my two new best friends spend all day with me. Now don’t get me wrong, they get their time to run and play outside. But for the most part, I have one flanked on either side of me at all times. They can tell when I’m upset (even if it’s just pregnancy hormones getting emotional at a Kleenex commercial) and are immediately in my face giving me kisses, or have their heads laying sweetly in my lap to remind me they still love me. When I have a seizure they are alert by my side in case there is anything I need (now if I can just train them to pour me a glass of water and grab my medicine…). When Baby G decides it is nap time for us, then it’s nap time for the dogs. They more than love to snooze with mamma. They don’t go to bed at night until I’m ready, so on those insomniac filled nights I have two best friends to watch Golden Girls with!! And as crazy as this one sounds, these guys will sit there with the most attentive ears and listen to me talk, cry, complain, vent, laugh – anything I need to get off my chest. Regardless of if I want it or not, they will give me their opinion on such matters. Even when I cook, I have two little sous chefs just waiting for me to drop something on the floor.
These guys never leave my side. With everyday, normal life you have good days and bad days. But with pregnancy, those days get magnified beyond imagination. It doesn’t matter if I am at my ugliest, my two guys are always happy to see me and be around me. And when I don’t love myself, they constantly remind me of how much they love me. I could be completely in the wrong, and they will take my side teaching me more about loyalty than just about anything else in this life has. These guys could be completely wiped out and ready to call it a night, but if I’m having a seizure or just can’t sleep, they will stay awake by my side until I finally fall asleep. When I move, they move.
Love, loyalty, support, hope, friendship. These guys depend on me for food, water and shelter. There is so much more I seem to depend on them for. Just as good as these guys have been to me, I know they will be this tenfold to my son. Who would have thought that in the time I need a friend most in my life, it’s my two dogs who have really stepped up to the plate.
Salt is Not the Spice of Life's Blog 
October 31, 2011 at 11:59 am |
Love this! My dog (Sadie – an 11 year old, 75 pound Golden Retriever) is by my side daily. She sleeps at night with her paw on my tummy. I think she’s excited about the baby too! Glad that you have two little helpers! 🙂