You guys. You guys. (Anyone reading anyway?) You are not forgotten.

But I have since gotten the puppy, and it is HARD!!!!!! I am so tired, and the only reason I have a chance to update now is because I’m at WORK! At 3:30am!!!!

Noli is wonderful. How could this precious angel not be?

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Well, being a big ol’ softy can come back to bite you in the ass. She was a delight Sunday night after we picked her up, and on Monday when my mother came to visit. But on Tuesday? Holy crap, demon puppy.

Demon Puppy?

Don’t get me wrong; she’s SMART. Almost immediately picked up on going on the paper. About 50% of the time she’ll go on her own. Already! It’s the potty training that worried me, but not anymore. It’s the Crate.

CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE.

She liked it at first. Slept in it perfectly Sunday and Monday night. But Tuesday night? NOPE. THAT THING IS SCARY IT IS EVIL AND WANTS TO EAT THE PUPPY OH NOES!!!!! Noli wouldn’t go in it. She’d scream in protest, at 2am. I feared the neighbors’ wrath (though I have since learned they can’t hear her…hurray!). Took her out, took her to the couch, slept with her on my chest. Got tired and annoyed of her waking up, tried to put her in the crate. POOP EVERYWHERE. Nooooooooo! The sheet would be the first in a long line of puppy-soiled linens.  I quickly noticed a pattern develop on Tuesday:

Wake up, pee, eat (maybe? she’s not a big eater), play, sleep.

This I could work with. I’m good with routine and schedules. But every single time I tried to bring her over to the crate, all hell and bowels would let loose. Noli just wouldn’t do it. I had to hold her until she fell asleep, then fussed when I tried to move. I got NOTHING done on Tuesday. Same on Wednesday, but include a pee-tastic trip to and from the vet as well (I was worried about her eating habits. Apparently she only likes the finest of cuisines already. Too bad the Palm wasn’t taking reservations.). The vet said she was manipulating me already. HOW DARE SHE!

Then came Wednesday night, where after a 5 minute crate session ended with MORE POOP!!!, she ended up sleeping in the bed with yours truly. Sigh. I didn’t expect to cave that quickly, but I was so tired. As peacefully as Noli slept, waking up only once to potty, I was up the entire time, worried that either 1. I would crush her, or 2. Alec would try to push me out of the bed, as he is prone to do, and in turn Noli would fall off. Neither happened; I was a stone fortress of Boyfriend Protection.

Thursday was much the same again, this time with a poo-tiful (ugh, I’m sorry I just wrote that) trip to the vet again. On Wednesday she dove headfirst into the A/D Dr. Ansede opened for her, on Thursday she was uninterested. (Cold soft food is not preferred, I guess???? Snobby puppy.) And I was terrified, because for the first time since we got her, I had to work and it’d be just Noli and the boyfriend. About the BF…did I ever mention he is the most AMAZING PERSON IN THE ENTIRE WORLD????  Noli wasn’t happy in the makeshift pen I made for her using a convenient hallway/babygate combo and the BF couldn’t stand her crying any more. He spent the ENTIRE night while I was at work getting Noli used to the crate. He got her to go in (with prompting), sit quietly, and then wait until he said OK to leave. OMGGGGGG she was so good for him. Spent almost the entire time napping. Woke up once and moved around a bit, didn’t fuss, then went back to sleep. I came home and she woke up…Boyfriend showed me how good she was and how to properly let her out. PERFECT. We had her pee and poop (though it was a bit hard getting her to poop – actually just catching her as she started and brought her to the paper. Practiced with the crate a bit, then put her in again for the night. It was lovely, just like the first two nights. It was a Reawakening. Or Reasleeping? Either way it was glorious.

Yesterday, Friday, we had to go visit our families  – they boyfriend to fix his parents computer and I to see my mother’s house renovations (well, I didn’t HAVE to go but certainly wanted to!). We packed up Noli in the TRAVEL BAG (OOOOOOOOOH OH NOES, she hates it there!!!) and got in the car for the 1.5 hour trip. And she slept the whole time!!! There and back! No screaming and crying, no accidents. The boyfriend had played with her around the travel bag (an Argo, btw…very cute but I wish I could see in it better!) while I was at work and got her liking it. Isn’t he the dreamiest?

Anyway, I’m here until 9:30 and he’s got work at 8. So it’ll be Noli’s first time alone, for two whole hours (TWO HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). I’m scared to death, but I trust the boyfriend more than anyone in the world, and I know he already adores the puppy (seriously, it’s so cute). He’ll wake up for her and take care of her and get her settled for her Independence Run. The food will be warmed and mixed. The toys will be strategically strewn about. The computer will play soothing classical. But no Wagner!!! I know what happens when you listen to Wagner.

I can’t believe it hasn’t even been a week yet! Phew!!!!!!

And before I forget!

I went to the previously mentioned Dr. Ansede twice in two days. For the silliest little things, and he’s been an absolute delight, as has his assistant Michelle. She called each morning after my visit to make sure Noli was doing okay, and did not (seem to) freak out when I called asking for feeding advice and started blubbering. Very warm people, very nice, small office. I think it’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship.