"We grow neither better nor worse as we get old, but more like ourselves" - May Lamberton Becker

So last night I snapped this picture of Dolce sleeping on me and I realized I took one almost exactly the same about 5 months ago.  Once I started looking at the two picture together I could help but notice how much Miss Dolce has grown right before my very eyes and I didn't even notice it!
 


Big Dolce



Baby Dolce



 

Where does the time go?! I swear it was just yesterday that she was a whopping eight pounds and we were snuggled up together on the couch with room to spare!  Now clocking in at about forty pounds, I'm lucky if I can breathe when she sits on me, and the couch is certainly a much tighter squeeze. I mean I can't even fit her into my camera frame anymore let alone on the couch with me!  A couch which she now thinks she owns, as nightly she attempts to "push" me away from her with her feet so she can have more space, or maybe just get rid of me all together! But I don't care, I love her, so I'll take the abuse for that adorable face and the fantastic snuggles any day of the week! 

Apparently, we're are not a fan of...

So apparently we are not a fan of the curtain fixtures in mommy's house!  Well forget her! I like my curtain tie backs.  She literally spent the better part of the morning barking and growling at this thing.  And when I attempted to go over and "pet" it to show her it was ok and it wouldn't hurt us she jumped in front of me to protect me I guess. Took over an hour to finally convince her it was not a threat, thank god she finally realized it because we were at threat level red, and I for one was beginning to get worried!

Tough day in the City...

No car means no park for us...guess we'll being doing lots of walking and back yard playing this weekend!

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear." - Mark Twain

Well it took us a few months of practice and lots and lots of treats but we're finally not afraid of the vacuum! I was so excited I could have cried!  She was never THAT bad with it, just barked at it and chased it around the room, never tried to bite it or anything. But this day she just sat there and watched me and eventually was more focused on an itch then my vacuuming.  Next step, cut her nails without being nibbled and licked incessantly!

Downy...the Wonder Dog!

I am beginning to think we should have called her Downy, the Wonder Dog!

Literally daily we find her with some article of clothing that has either fallen on the floor, that she pulled off the bed ( usually because it's to be worn to work that day) or out  of the laundry basket.  As I was blow drying my hair this morning realizing it was awfully quiet and she hadn't come over to have me blow the hair dryer in her face yet.  I went looking for her and came upon this scene.  That is in fact Dolce on one of her beds surrounded by various articles of both mine and Kevin's clothing, to be exact: one pair of my pajama shorts, one of my socks, one of Kevin's dress socks and a pair of my underwear. Naturally she is chewing on my expensive lace underwear.  When I asked her what she thought she was doing she looked at me, whined and proceeded to drop my underwear.  Yea, she knows when she's busted, happens so often these days, but more so shes annoyed that I was about to take away her "toy".  And she could not have looked sadder when I took those clothes away. I don't know what her affinity is for fabrics, she just can't get enough of them, she'd much rather have an old sock then a chew toy or a tennis ball...such a weird little dog...ahhh Downy! 

Sometimes all a girl needs is a best friend...

Not much to say except this is the scene I walk into, pretty much daily.  Either they're napping together snoring away together or she's watching TV and "protecting" him while he sleeps (no seriously I walked over to them in the picture on the right and she was none too happy I was disturbing her).   These two have a very serious love affair.  And I know that I say this alot in my blogs but once Kevin is really gone for the whole season I dont know what she's going to do with herself.  She snuggles with me and other people but its not quite the same. Haha what are you gonna do, they're besties!

I'm a big kid now!

Well this one is well over due about 2 months or so ago Dolce started spending her alone time during the days out side her crate and in the kitchen!  The vet told us when she went one month without and accident that we should think about giving her more freedom.  So its pretty much been good. The first time out she had a small accident but never again.  I think for the most part she likes it.  She can look out the windows shes got her food and water dishes there and there's definitely more room for activities.  Its been pretty uneventful until about 2 or 3 weeks ago. I was swamped at work so I didn't get a chance to come home and play with her and take her out at lunch. I wasn't really worried I knew she could hold it.  Well when I got home I realized that wasn't the issue but the wall was.  Just at the corner of the wall in a tiny little spot on the molding she had started to nibble away.  Well I guess that's my punishment for not coming to see her!  We're in the process of experimenting with brain teaser toys and frozen peanut butter in her Kong to keep her busier during the day.  Ahhh the things we do for our babies!