Our newest family member...

NO not another child...just yet! One is certainly enough at this point. We spontaneously went out and got a fur baby 3 weeks ago, a rescue dog. We called her Neyla (which means 'fulfilled wish').

 

We adopted her a week before Valentine's Day from a 'no kill' dog farm here in Scottsdale. She was on the 'E' list when Carrie rescued her just 2 weeks before we got her. I found her on the Humane Society website and we decided on a whim to go and see her.  Honestly, had we not chose her before we got there, we definitely would have after. She had the greatest tempermant of all the pups. We wheeled the stroller in and Neyla immediately came over and sniffed Blaze. I placed his little hand on the edge of the stroller and she leaned over and gave him a few licks then sat very purposefully next to him. In that moment she became ours!!! She even laid on my feet as I completed the paperwork to bring her home with us.

Neyla is a one year old, tri-color (white, gray and black) blue merle Catahoula Leopard Dog with ice blue eyes. Our Frankie girl was the same breed and so we thought we couldn't go wrong. And we were right...she has fit right into our little family and she will be a great companion for Blaze in the years to come.  She is full of puppy energy and loves to sneak things away with her... like our shoes, Blaze's socks and pretty much anything else she can get her teeth on. So far we have had only 2 casualties, my work shoes (it was time for a new pair anyway) and one of Blaze's little stuffed toys. Not too bad for a pound puppy.

From the moment we got her home she made it her home too and within hours was curled up on the couch asleep.  She sleeps in the bed between us every night and greets us with a big smile (yes a smile, she lifts her lip and shows her front teeth when she is really excited).  She used her doggy door right away and seems to really enjoy her big backyard...certainly no farm, but she doesn't have to share with anyone else.  She is such a joy to have around.  Our home just wasn't the same since we lost our 4-legged Frankie girl in August.  Neyla has so many similarities as Frankie (Gerry says she may just be Frankie reincarnated), but she also has a very different personality in many ways too.  She has helped to fill that void that has been sadly missing in our home since Frankie passed.  She certainly has not replaced our Frankie girl, but she is a wonderful addition to our little family.

 

 

We even took her into our local groomer and got her a pedicure (well just a cut and grinding no polish).  She is learning to walk well on a leash and next month we are taking her to a personal trainer here in Mesa to get her some real doggy training.  So much is new to her...the back seat of the truck, the vacuum, the pet store, etc.  It is fun watching her explore her new surroundings.  She has already figured out that if she nudges her electronic feeder with her nose she gets a little treat.  We can't put anything past her.  Even our wonderful Nanny is loving having her around during the day while we are at work.  Grandma and Papa took an immediate liking to her too, who wouldn't???  She is a real sweetheart.

 Now, if I can just keep her away from my shoes...

Belly Giggles with Grandma...

Our happy, happy boy!

Well, that is until he gets startled at the end but he still continued to giggle. Mommy had to put the camera down since she and Grandma were laughing too hard!

5 months and counting...

Just a few photos of our little man.

  

 Mom's Prince

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

All this fun tuckers a guy out

  

 Watching TV with Daddy

  

  

 Fun with Dad

  

 I am not a fan of socks

  

 More fun = tired boy

 

 Fun with Papa

  

 I am such a little squirmer 

  

 Visiting Daddy at his Fire Station

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

A great big CONGRATULATIONS to Gerry on his promotion to Engineer.  Only 2 out of the 15 Firefighters that applied were chosen after months of testing. 

WAY TO GO FIREFIGHTER DADDY!  

We are so very proud of you.

Blaze is truly growing leaps and bounds daily.  He officially starts his Parent and Tot swim classes tomorrow night.  We are probably more excited then he is!  That goes for just about everything we are doing with him right now...

I think we may see some teeth very soon as he is slightly Mr.Cranky Pants lately and chews and bites down on just about everything, not to mention the endless drooling.  Poor little fella.

So many changes are happening almost daily...

Blaze's hair is growing and really filling in now.

He can now touch the ground flat footed in his jumperoo.

Aunt Tracy will be happy to know that he has officially graduated from his 'straight jacket' (aka swaddler).  He had been getting out of it and so we figured we would let him go free.  Thankfully he is STILL sleeping through the night even without it.

He is eating great!  He is into Stage 2 Gerbers and really enjoys Earth's Best brand the most.  He is a huge fan of the apple-blueberries and most all other fruits.  So far no real dislikes and will even eat the chicken as long as it is in with sweet potatoes, corn or another veggie.

I recently ordered some baby sign language DVD's online and have started playing them for him.  I am learning so many signs and hoping he will learn too when he is able to.  Gerry remembers a lot of the signs from his childhood as well.  His Uncle who lived across the street was deaf and they communicated with sign language.

Blaze loves to be upside down and would probably stay like that for hours if we didn't turn him right side up.  He watches TV upside down, he likes to be carried around upside down and he plays and kicks him self right side up when lying on our laps.  He is way too funny.

Lastly, a big shout out to our fellow blogger friends Neils and Alexander on the birth of their twins and also to the many SI clients who have had babies born (Stan and his wife, Todd and Alper) and those who have just received the great news of positive pregnancies or are about to begin their journey of cycling or soon to be picking up their little ones.  Things are very, very busy in Mumbai right now and we couldn't be happier for everyone.  It feels like yesterday that we were there in all of their shoes...with anticipation, nervousness, excitement, stress, exhaustion, and pure bliss!