creamsicles

it's 1 a.m. and we are awake.

eating popsicles.

tomorrow I will call the landlord to fix our AC.

The Checklist

When I was 16 years old, I made a list of everything I wanted in my future husband (come on girls, you all know you had one, too). Currently, this list is in my high school journal in a box somewhere in my mom's basement, but I remember a few things on it:

is a returned missionary who can marry me in an LDS temple (check)

makes me laugh (check)

sings to me (check)

is gentlemanly and respectful (check)

will be a good father to my children (check)

There were several other criteria, and I'm pretty sure Micah's met them all- and then some. He's a better husband than I will ever deserve, and a better father to my baby than I could ever have hoped for.

for example:

The night we brought Madison home from the hospital
I peeked in the bedroom while brushing my teeth
and he was leaning over the little bassinet,
reading scriptures to our 9-day old.

He makes the goofiest sounds and faces
just to get her smiling.

He's the only person who can get her
to sleep during church.

As soon as he walks in the door from work
he scoops her up and dances around the living room,
singing to her while she giggles
really, really hard.

Every once in a while,
I still catch him staring at her while she sleeps,
absolutely amazed.

He tries every day to be the best dad he can be.

Happy Father's Day, Love!

Well, maybe someday.

I guess I'm not really cut out to train a puppy. At least not right now.

The Dog has gone to live with my brother Doug, who can give this little guy the time, attention and training he deserves. Doug loves dogs, has a huge backyard, and isn't OCD about his house. He doesn't have a new baby at home, and he goes traipsing all over the desert and mountains on a regular basis.
A much more conducive lifestyle for this little puppy.

I hope it's because I'm wise enough to recognize when something is too overwhelming for me, not just because I need (yes, for my sanity) to have a clean house, or because I'm slightly neurotic about smells.

I think it's really because I don't want anything taking away the precious time I have with my baby right now. And because I don't feel right keeping a teething puppy in a house that doesn't belong to us. And because I know this dog will be much, much happier with Doug.

See?

He's so happy. And not peeing on my carpet.

AND Doug now has an adventuring buddy. Win-win-win.

puppy regret

The Dog (still unnamed) tried to climb in bed with me last night.

This morning, he woke up when Micah did (5am), then woke up the baby, then did his business all over her bedroom floor.

He then proceeded to chew the paint off the walls.

After Madison was fed and the mess cleaned up, I took the Dog outside to play.

Apparently the patchy grass in our backyard is very wet in the mornings...

After the Dog and I were both thoroughly covered in mud, I picked him up and hauled him into the bathtub, where I tried to gently wash off his paws.

Apparently the Dog doesn't like water.

And I am thinking I really have no desire to have a dog right now...