We have noticed for some time now that Nia is ALWAYS congested at our apartment. We tried switching her to soy formula, which seemed to comfort her in terms of gassiness, but did nothing for the stuffy nose. Nick wondered if she could possibly have a cat allergy. I hoped and prayed she didn't: Valencia is Nathan's best friend. However, a couple nights ago, Valencia slept next to Nia in her crib. In the morning, Nia woke up swollen, splotchy, and losing her voice. Nick and I briefly discussed the situation. There was a little debate (very little), and we decided we loved Nia more than the cat. Valencia was just our foster cat, so we were able to take her back to the shelter with no problem, but now we have a problem at home.
"Where mow-mow?" Nathan can't find his cat. He literally played with the cat all day long. This leaves us in a pickle. We can't get another cat, obviously, but Nathan does best when he has an animal to run and play with. At the shelter we had seen some DARLING puppies, but I was very hesitant to bring one home. They were of a breed that I wasn't terribly familiar with, and until I was sure I would keep a dog permanently, I didn't want to invest in one. It would be too hard on Nathan to give up another best friend. It turns out Catahoula dogs (the puppy breed) can be high energy and difficult to train. Good thing we didn't get one.
After spending some time and energy researching what kind of dogs are less 'allergenic', most kid-friendly, easiest to train, etc., we had significantly narrowed down the list of options. Spaniels, it turns out, are pretty ideal for our needs. And so (here we go again) later today we are going to go and meet a black Springer Spaniel pup. Springer Spaniels come in either lighter or darker colored varieties. For reasons that I don't understand, the darker varieties are less energetic. Sounds good to me!
I thought the cat was perfect. Totally independent. Easy to care for. Wonderful with Nathan. However, it was not to be. I felt bad for the cat. I felt bad for myself. I felt REALLY bad for Nathan. I guess a new 'best friend' may be his birthday gift this year. I have mixed feelings about the additional responsibility of a dog--but, us parents will go out of our way to make our little children smile. Mommy loves you, Nathan!
Nathan Paul
10/10/2005
Nia Madelynn
08/27/2007
Lottie Caroline
11/03/2008
Liam Calvin
03/25/2010
Nixon Kyle
10/16/2014
2 comments:
I'm not a huge animal fan, but I really thought Valencia was a cutie and I got great photos of her when we were with you ... but Nia is by far more important! So, a dog for our little man, Nathan. I bet he will really like a small variety. Looking forward to seeing pictures! :)
P.S. Thanks for the autumn painting! We have it on our frig!
I am sorry to hear that Nia is allergic to cats and that Nathan has lost his little friend. A dog will hopefully cheer him up. Post some pictures when the new member arrives.
Post a Comment