My New Little Addition

Today marks one week since I brought my new puppy home! I've decided to call her Molly.

Here we are on the car ride home!

Shauna went in with me to pick her up. The teenage girl in the family carried her to me and she already had her little tail wagging as fast as it could and she immediately wanted to lick my face. (Puppies are the best!) She stayed at the breeder's 5 days longer than her siblings so I could make it to Melissa's wedding, and during that time they went ahead and separated her from her mama. That must have been hard on her but I do think it made our transition easier! She seemed to understand almost right away that this was her new home.

Checking out her new bed on the first night!

She didn't whine or cry or look for her mama--instead almost right away she accepted me as her new mama! She didn't even cry at all her first night--she whined for less than a minute, and then went to sleep and slept through the whole night in her new kennel.

She stays close to me. If I go out of her sight, she cries. If she can't get to me, she cries. (Every time I take a bath, she spends the whole time crying and trying to jump in the tub!) If I don't pay attention to her (like when I'm doing my hair in the morning) she cries. It's adorable and hard to keep up with at the same time. We're working on it. This morning while I did my hair, she just played with her toys at my feet. Progress!

Molly has two speeds. Running around playing with everything she can find, or passed out on my lap. There isn't really an in-between!

Enjoying her squeaky toys. It's hard to see, but she's got two stacked up here!

She's a brave little girl. She conquered stairs almost right away. She's a pro at running up stairs, but going down stairs is really hard--but she doesn't let that stop her. She'll run down the stairs, grunting and growling with determination with every step. She loves running underneath our furniture--the couches, the ottoman, the beds, my nightstand. It won't be long before she's too big to do that anymore. I think that's her dachshund burrowing instinct. :) They were bred to chase badgers down their holes.

She LOVES snow. Max used to hate it (probably cuz the poor little guy had no fur!) but she loves to run and play in it and dig in it.

I mean, she's afraid of some things. She hates loud noises, which so far include vacuums, hair dryers, the ice maker in the fridge, and my stomach growling.

She's much more vocal than Max used to be! When he was a puppy, he hardly made noise, except whining now and then. Molly is not afraid to whine, growl, grunt, or bark when it's appropriate. She likes to let us know what she is thinking!

We are still getting to know each other, but I love her already. It's great having a dog in the house again! And I'm happy she seems to understand she is my dog. :)

Melissa's wedding!

Congratulations to the newlyweds!

A post shared by Shelece McAllister (@coolshelece) on Feb 17, 2017 at 4:12pm PST

Today I had the chance to visit Payson Utah so I could be there for Melissa's wedding! I was so grateful that I was able to make it. Melissa's dress was gorgeous and perfectly Melissa. I didn't get to speak to her new husband much, but from the little I did, he reminded me a lot of her. They both seemed incandescently happy and I'm excited for them to start their new lives together.

There is something unspeakably beautiful about weddings... in particular that moment when the couple officially becomes man and wife for the rest of eternity. I wish I had words to describe it. I always get super sappy at that moment because there is so much joy in the room, and for just an instant, I feel like I'm glimpsing the couple's bright eternal future and all the possibilities ahead for them.

Melissa has had to wait so long for her happy ending and I'm glad it's finally here! It gives me hope for my future too.

Puppy Countdown: One Week

A photo posted by Shelece McAllister (@coolshelece) on Feb 11, 2017 at 9:06pm PST

I think I'm getting a little too excited. :) Only one more week! Right now I'm thinking I'll call her Molly or Mimi, which is funny because those were the first two names I considered and then I brainstormed a huge list, but this is what stuck.

Call It Puppy Love

Tonight I met my new best friend.

Hayley ventured with me down near Fort Carson to see that litter of dachshund puppies. I knew there was 1 boy and 2 girls, but I hadn't seen any pictures or anything. I was delighted to discover they are longhaired dachshunds--very pretty little animals, and supposed to be the sweetest of the dachshund variations because of the spaniel in their blood.

The little boy was a beautiful brown color with other colors mixed in (brindle, I think it's called?), and then there were two little black girl puppies, one with a splash of white on her chest and one that was solid black. Hayley and I sat on the couch as the puppies came into the room. I scooped up the little boy and she scooped up one of the girls. The little girl left behind ran around our feet whining until I scooped her up too (which took me about 2 seconds, don't worry!).

It's hard to get a good pic of puppies because they move so much!!

I asked some questions about the puppies' personalities. They said the boy was very playful and so was one of the girls, but the smallest girl was mild like her dad. Guess which one I immediately was the most interested in? :) Of course the two girls looked so similar, I'm not sure the one I picked in the end was the one they were talking about.

The sellers left to give us some privacy. We set the puppies on the ground and played with them. The little boy wasn't much interested in us. He was running around the room exploring on his own, a very independent puppy but perhaps not the cuddly lovebug I am looking for. The two sisters took turns climbing into my lap and Hayley's lap. One sister was a little more hyperactive than the other (the girl with the splash of white). The solid black puppy was more content to just cuddle with me, although she did run around and play with the others.

It was SO hard to pick. I think I spent half an hour watching them and feeling hopelessly smitten with them all. But in the end, I decided on my little cuddle buddy.

While I was filling out the paper work, the seller started to put them away, but then she brought back my puppy and put her in my arms. "I'll let you say goodbye." So I snuggled her for a minute and it really started sinking in... she's going to be mine. If she lives as long as Max, she'll be in my life until my mid-forties. I told her, "I'm gonna be your best friend!" And it will be true.

She was born on December 18, and she'll be ready to come home with me around Valentine's Day. I am planning on picking her up on February 19, after I get back from my trip to Melissa's wedding.

I've missed having a dog so much! I'm excited to have that in my life again. Now, I just need to decide what to name her...

One Step Closer

I'm going tomorrow night!

We'll see how this goes. Maybe I'll snap back to my senses at some point... but after just missing out on lovely little Molly I jumped on this ad like a crazy lady.

I tell myself I'm just going to check them out but let's be real... once I see those sweet little puppy faces I'll be a goner. I'll keep you posted!

Puppy Dreams

Confession: I almost got a puppy today.

I've been watching the Humane Society and Craigslist pages for weeks, even though I know I should wait until I've got my own place and I'm in a more stable position.

Well, last night someone posted an adorable little dachshund puppy named Molly. They said that she was really sweet and friendly with everyone. They couldn't keep her because they already had a German Shepherd and their landlord told them they could only have one dog.

Just look at that sweet little face!

I got as far as emailing AND texting to ask if I could come see her, knowing full well that if I did, I'd bring her home. They said, "Hey, yeah." And then I hesitated.

I kept reminding myself that if I got Molly and she lived as long as Max, I'd have her well into my forties, and who knows what would happen during that time? What if my husband or kids ended up being allergic? Or what if the guy I'm going to marry already has a dog that doesn't get along with her? My life is so busy, I asked myself if I really had time for a puppy.

While I was struggling with all this for about an hour, the ad disappeared off Craigslist, and I realized I'd missed my shot. I still texted asking when a good time would be, and the woman said she'd been adopted by a loving elderly couple. I was pretty disappointed and a little bit mad at myself, but... to be fair, I don't think it would have made a difference if I texted back earlier. I was planning on going to see her after work, and that couple would have beat me!

It's a tough dog market in Colorado Springs! Dogs get snatched up from the Humane Society in a few days, the rescues I'm following seem to get slammed with applicants for a lot of their dogs, and Craigslist turns over fast...

But, this is all for the best. I'm really not in a good place to get a dog!

I think I am officially banning myself from looking at dogs anymore. I'm at the brink of caving in.

Disney New Year's Resolution

This seems about right. :) What's yours?