Thursday, July 15, 2010

The Curly Duo are getting a little brother

Of the two-legged variety.  I'm 20 weeks pregnant.  So, in early December, we'll be bringing home a new sibling for Lucky and Indy.

A lot of people ask if the dogs know...  To a certain extent, any answer I give is an anthropomorphism of them - I honestly have no clue what they're thinking.  But, if I were to guess by their behavior, yes, they do know.  Lucky has known probably since the beginning.  He's been much more courteous and affectionate, snuggling against me at night, even spooning (he makes the best maternity pillow on the planet).  Indy clued in much later, but in recent weeks has stopped making flying leaps onto my belly first thing in the morning - instead she jumps up by my legs and then very carefully walks up the bed and lays down right beside me.

The next couple months I'll probably be talking a lot about preparing them for the impending arrival.  Lucky we've socialized around children of all ages since he was a baby and he is, quite honestly, awesome with them.  Indy seems to be ok with kids, though startles easily at strange noises and wasn't too keen on my 3-year-old niece and nephew "chasing" her to try and pet her.  So we have a bit more work with her, which we'll apply to Lucky as well (extra training never hurt anyone).

First step will be getting the nursery set up, with the crib and the bouncy seat and anything that moves or makes noise.  There are cds you can buy of baby sounds - which may or may not do anything, depending on your dog, books by the dozen on the topic and a myriad of advice ranging from excellent to appalling.  I've been giving advice and pointers on this topic to friends for several years now, so I'll review a few of my favorites, along with a few "Don't buy this. ever." warnings.

Of obvious concern to us is how Lucky will react to this new added stress in his life, especially with the general added stress of the holidays in the mix.  So, in addition to being sleep-deprived parents to a newborn, we'll have to keep a close eye on him as well to make sure that things are all well with his equilibrium and medication.

Things are going to get interesting in the Curly Dog household.  Stay tuned!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Well, if anyone is up to this challenge, it's you and E. You guys will be great parents to four legged and two legged alike! Good luck over the next few months!

Stefanie said...

Congrats!!! Kids aren't so different from dogs...and we already know how well you take care of your furry kids!!