Elliot is here!

We picked the puppy up at eleven-thirty this morning. Learning the ins and outs of owning a puppy from the breeder, took an hour. By the time we left, I realized we were bringing home another newborn.

• We have to brush his teeth. Eventually, his baby teeth will fall out. We must make sure that they do fall out or else his adult teeth will begin to grow sideways. (Hey, that happened with Madison so we know all about that!)

• We have to feed him puppy food for the first year of his life. They recommended a certain brand which is what Elliot has been eating. If we change it, we have to introduce the new brand slowly, a little bit each day with his old food. (Sort of like introducing new foods into the girls' lives making sure they weren't allergic!)

• We have to crate train him. The crate offers him a sanctuary. Here, he will feel secure and it will bring him peace of mind. (Like a crib!) This will also help with training and prevent unwanted chewing. When he is put in his crate at night to sleep we are to ignore him when he cries for the first 5 to 10 minutes. (I still haven't gotten over Madison's sad little cries when we let her cry through the night)

• We have to take him to monthly doctor appointments. He has vaccinations each month and we have to watch for allergic reactions. (Yep, did this with both girls...still do)

• We have to trim his nails. Not only will this protect our floors, but keeping his nails short will protect him from infections due to snagging, cuts, etc.

• We have to teach him not to bite. No one wants a dog who bites others.

• We have to make sure he doesn't eat things off the floor/ground. If he does, he will vomit or have diarrhea. 

On and on and on it went, bringing back memories of bringing home my two babies. Of them as toddlers. Of the nights without sleep, the crying, the stress of protecting them from harm.

Today we brought home another baby. Lord help us all...