two weeks of charity

It’s hard to believe it’s been two weeks. Two crazy weeks without posts, two crazy weeks of readjusting my sleep schedule and work schedule. Two weeks of learning to function around the house differently and get laundry done and worrying about whether there is enough water. Two weeks of panicking whether I  closed the gate or where the cats are or how long it has been since the last meal.

On April 23rd, the Man and I fell in love with her picture on line, and filled out an adoption application to Lulu’s Rescue. On the 24th, they called us for a phone interview, then called our friends for references. On the morning of the 25th, we were told she was ours. Her name was Charity.

We had been planning for a puppy for a while. I scoured CraigsList for dog crates and baby gates and an outside fencing system while the Man scoured the internet, talking to rescues, and sending me profiles. We knew we wanted a puppy if possible because of the cats. What we didn’t expect was a Labrador and Grreat Dane mix with the most soulful eyes and spotted belly and intelligence that will get us in trouble down the line.

On the 27th, my stomach in knots, we drove to New Jersey to pick her up. The entire time I panicked, wondering what would happen if she didn’t love me as much as I was already in love with her. What if the cats hated us for bringing her into our home? What if she didn’t like the food I had bought? What if she was horrible in the car and couldn’t go places with us?

We didn’t have to worry about any of that. From the minute the Man picked her up in his arms, I knew I had nothing to worry about other than what we were changing her name to. The first three nights having her, I was terrified I would never sleep again. She cried in her crate (duh, she’s a puppy) but the Man pulled out his sleeping mat and laid on the floor next to the crate for three nights. On night four, I was picky and wanted to sleep in the bed with my husband, and lo and behold, after 20 minutes, silence.

And in the two whirlwind weeks since, she has been on multiple car rides, we’ve gone to visit the Man for his dinner breaks and she was “big girl on campus”, greeting all the students and generally being delightful. She was the prime attraction at our yard sale just a week after getting her, with no annoying barking or unnecessary jumping on all the people that came to great her. And this past weekend she went on her longest car ride yet, all the way to Long Island, to visit Grandma for Mother’s Day (and got spoiled). She doesn’t beg when you eat dinner, she doesn’t pull on the leash, and best of all, she gives the sweetest kisses in the world.

Now I’m becoming a bit of a morning person but that’s okay. And I’m starting to take an evening nap (she does, so I have to right?) which is totally fine too. I just know, considering she’s already put on 3 pounds since we got her, that I need to cherish this time where I can still scoop her up in my arms and have her nap on my chest.

So, my dear readers, please welcome our 13 week old, 16 pound (and growing… fast!) Abigail Charity. You can call her Abby for short.