WE'RE PARENTS!

... to a furry, four-legged, 60 lb. baby!

Yes, you read it right. Eric and I have adopted a wonderful pup. Technically we're fostering her until next Saturday, but then she will officially be ours!

Eric and I have been together for almost five and a half years now, and married for almost eight months (?!). Very shortly after we first met, we knew we were meant to be together. Even through all the hard times and separations and long distance dating, we knew. Besides the fact that we had a lot of fun together, got along well, and loved each other's families, we had a ton in common, including our vision of what "family" meant for us in the future. We were never quite sure if that included children, but it definitely included animals.

I grew up with cats, but Eric is very allergic, and so is Kristin, so there was a wicked internal battle: husband/bf4avlt vs. cats. In the end, the humans won (but it was a close race!). It was either reptiles or dogs, and we already have plenty of scaly-skinned friends outside in Florida.

Our friends, Tara and Jeff, have been fostering dogs for awhile. When they posted a picture of their most recent foster, it felt like she was meant to be with me. That sounds really stupid, seeing as I knew nothing about her, but I just felt this really strong pull to this dog. We decided to check her out on a whim last weekend. Here is what we found out about her that day:

- Her name is Princess. Unfortunate, but true.
- She is 2.5 years old and had lived with a good family for her whole life.
- When her family moved, they could not keep her, so they surrendered her to A Second Chance Puppies and Kittens Rescue. This rescue has no shelter and only fosters. So she has never been in a shelter.
- She is up to date on shots, microchipped, and in wonderful health.
- She is well-trained: no couches or bed, no chewing, can sit, stay, come, and give paw when commanded.
- She is well-groomed.
- She LOVES belly rubs.
- Eric is not allergic at all! She barely sheds, and he had no stuffy nose or itchiness from touching her.

We spent some more time with her a few days later, and she just sat by us the entire time. She was great with the other dogs that Tara and Jeff own, and completely ignored their cats.

Basically, this was a match made in heaven.

Now that our pup is in her new home, we needed to help her out with that name. She really does act like a Princess, and we wanted her to adjust quickly to her new name, so it was only fitting to name her after a princess. We couldn't just go with any princess though. Princess Nymeria of the Rhoynar, warrior-queen. She may as well be a direwolf. Go read up on A Song of Ice and Fire if you haven't already. Great books ;)

Dogs are a lot of responsibility. I know enough about having children to understand that pets and kids are two different things, but having a dog is like having a toddler for 15 years. They need constant supervision, entertainment, potty care, proper training (manners!), medical and dental attention, baths, grooming, and exercise. Most of all, they need love. You might have plenty of friends and fun things to do, but YOU are all your dog has. You are their world, just like parents are the world of a child. We felt like we were finally ready for this responsibility.

We are happy to welcome a new best friend in to our lives. Here's to yet another adventure!

Life Update

Once again, I've gone nearly a month without writing. Usually, I write when I'm upset, sad, stressed, whatever. Writing has always been my outlet. You would think I'd be writing constantly, with everything that has happened this past month.

The truth is that I just haven't wanted to write. Writing means I need to think about what has been happening. My brain is so jumbled and overwhelmed that I would rather just not sort through it all. When I finally have the time to write, I instead choose to browse Facebook or catch up on Perez Hilton. Did you know that Kate Middleton is rumored to be going in to labor some time in the next 15 days?! I DIDN'T, BUT I SHOULD HAVE. Don't judge me. We all have our vices, and celebrity gossip is mine, along with any cheese-flavored snacks, cursing like a sailor, and tropical drinks...

Anyway, Eric and I ended up closing on a house, which is where all the overwhelmingness has come from. Our deal went very smoothly, and it was STILL incredibly stressful, so I can't imagine what most people go through when buying a house. Not to mention how sick you feel signing away your savings for a place you've spent maybe 30 minutes max in. It's not like you're allowed a trial week to make sure everything is as good as it seems. You make the biggest purchase of your life off a first impression, basically. How crazy is that?

So, we bought this townhome, and it is wonderful. It is perfect for us right now. Three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a kitchen, a living room, and an enclosed patio. All we need! I was bummed about not having a yard at first, but then I realized I still have a huge patio, and I don't need to mow a lawn ;) We have had a few surprises appliance-wise, but nothing major so far (knock on wood).

What overwhelmed me is that we had planned to move over the course of the two months we had left in our lease. Instead, we had friends visiting the weekend after we closed on the house. We really wanted them to be able to stay in our new place, so we just up and moved like five days after we got the keys. Five days to thoroughly clean, pack, organize, recruit helpers, and move EVERYTHING. Then unpack everything that same day, so we could be ready for visitors. Then make a list of all the shit we didn't realize we needed, and go out and get it ASAP.

Good lord, it was stressful, but well worth it in the end to have a bunch of the guys here for a few days! What a weekend. My 27th birthday weekend! Filled with sun, sand, alcohol, and a couple paramedics, but overall a great time! Ugh, I wish everyone would just move here. It felt so nice to have the crew together again.

Over the past few weeks, I have become an obsessive list-maker, as we are still completely disorganized here and need a bunch of things. And then I lose the lists. Completely unhelpful, but it makes me feel productive when I make lists. If I could only find them to check off the things I accomplish...

And that, my friends, is basically what I have been up to. A lot of attempted organizing, cleaning, and tying up loose ends... when I am not changing diapers and running away from the Bear Forest with Rainbow Dash the pegasus to get to the Crystal Land on a raft (four-year-olds have such imagination!).

Soon, this will feel like home. Once we get decorating, I will probably be doing some home decor posts :)