She's Legal!

Yesterday was Mia's final appointment of the year for her vaccinations, including the rabies shot.

She received a fancy, dandy tag with her vaccination information on it. But it's far too big to place on her collar. She's only 9.5 pounds and the extra weight might topple her over.

Another 1.5 pounds and she can begin her heartworm medication. The vet advised that starting it before then would be a waste of money, considering she'll gain weight quickly and there's a different dosage for 11 lbs. and up.

I also requested that her lady parts be examined because she'd developed a bit of a brown substance around her stuff. My husband and I have tried to clean it to no end, but nothing has worked. So, the vet informed me that Mia had a yeast infection. Poor thing! She's only 4 months old and is already experiencing womanly problems.

I was told to clean the area twice a day and apply an ointment for 5-7 days and it should clear up. It's probably our fault. We have bathed her a couple times since her arrival and fail to pay attention to her goods. We don't do that with Vito, but that's because he has an outie.

Oh, the vet also said that if the infection didn't go away, surgery may be needed. He says it's not common but that the skin is folding around her wee wee and if it doesn't shrink as she ages, then the surgery would remove the excess skin so the infections wouldn't continue. Yipe.

Last night, we cleaned dutifully and applied the ointment. My husband prefers to hold Mia rather than clean because as he puts it, "She's a lady!" and will begin singing the tune Tom Jones originated.

Vito was also seen. That was a chore, taking two unruly dogs to the vet. Vito went one way while Mia went another. There was a lot of frustration on my part.

He had to have a heartworm test so he could get his Heartguard medication, and I asked that his anal glands be expressed.

Anal glands, for those that don't know, are these pesky things on the inside of the bum that accumulate funkiness and cause dogs to do the butt-scoot boogie.

They produce a FOUL odor similar to rotting eggs anytime he toots. So, we have them cleaned as often as possible because we tire of having to cover our noses for the unforeseeable future.

I was advised, thankfully, that expressing these glands on our own would be a messy job and that it would be better to have a professional do it. And thank God, because when Vito is done, I only have to smell the aftermath. I can't imagine what smelling it firsthand would be like. They should use that as a torture device.

When I loaded the beasts into the car, I was overwhelmed by the remaining stank of Vito's bum. I took a tissue to his tush and tossed it immediately for fear of catching on fire or something.

So, all in all, everything checked out for my babies and now I can obtain a license for Mia Sofia now that she's had her rabies.

TTFN.

BTW...

If you're wondering why I put the pictures in different posts, it's because Google makes it impossible, for me anyway, to post a picture without ruining the formatting previously, or having a nifty 'undo' gadget available.

So this is how I had to do it.

Peace out.

Mamma Mia

Get a load of those ears!

Mia Sofia

Here she is taking a breather...

Mia and Daddy

Here's a picture of Mia Sofia and her daddy, napping.

Mia and Vito

Here's a picture of Mia Sofia with her big brother Vito Corleone.

Doesn't he look thrilled?

Almost forgot...

I almost forgot to add that on Friday, Mia and I went to the vet to have her next set of vaccinations administered.

She was a champ. Not a single peep when the long needle was pushed near her bum.

However, we had a little setback because her fecal test came back positive for Coccidia. Still! After two weeks of medication, we have to continue for another two weeks, which will hopefully cure her.

Also, on Saturday, my friend Ilu came by before we were to head out for a day of running errands.

I met her outside to let her know how it had to go down.

"Okay, so when you get in the house, don't pay any attention to Mia until you've given Vito like 15 seconds of your undivided attention."

"Okay."

"And don't make any hyper noises and get Vito all worked up."

"Okay."

Seconds after entering the house, Vito was all over her, his tail wagging excitedly.

As it is, Vito believes that all visitors to our home are strictly for him, and since his Tia Ilu was giving him so much love, he was very happy.

Then, she gently gave Mia some pets... trying hard to avoid the natural "Ooh ahh" response that a puppy demands.

They got along nicely and before any kidnapping attempts were made, we left the house.

I've also tried to avoid making lots of noise when I come home or leave the house. I'm trying to make sure Mia doesn't get separation anxiety.

But boy, that anxiety I was experiencing last week is virtually gone and my hubby is thrilled with the progress I've made.

Toot toot, beep beep!

Double-H

This was a good bonding weekend for Mia and me.

We spent a great amount of time lying on the couch watching tv. That is, when she's not busy attacking her big brother. Lately, she's taken to biting his pee pee and tail. I believe she thinks they're toys. Not so.

And now Vito is not shy about putting her in place. Especially if he has a treasured bone of sorts in his mouth.

Steve has taken to calling Mia "Double H" as in Heater-Hog.

She likes standing next to the heater in the livingroom and warming herself.

While I'm convinced that she's half Chihuahua (she makes these weird noises and shakes alot), Steve believes that we've brought an elephant into our home.

"She's a pacaderm!"

I don't know why he's come to this conclusion, but he's always commenting on her ears as being "radar dishes" and her stubby little legs and feet as being those of an elephant.

We did have a momentous weekend in that Mia hasn't had an accident in the house! She has actually learned where her potty area is! This is a wonderful development, I must say.

She's also gotten used to her "house" which is her crate. She's coming along nicely.

And that's about all I have to report on at this time.

Epiphany!

I've discovered why I'm having a hard time with our newest addition.

EVERYTIME, without fail, that she and Vito are around each other, homegirl starts growling and charging at Vito! She bites on his jowls or his tail and holds on for dear life.

Now he's taken to head butting her until she let's go. Then when I try to break it up, he thinks this is license for him to start up with her.

It never ends!

People have told me that they're playing, but I disagree.

They're trying to draw blood.

So, the good thing is that when I tell Vito to stop, he usually will, but Mia has yet to learn what the word STOP means.

They'll be apart for about 2 seconds before she lunges at him again and THEN the thing I hate most is that they insist on fighting between my legs!

I think I may invest in a miniature boxing ring.

Deuce Dropper

Went home at lunch for a brief visit with Mia.

She was all nice and quiet in her crate, and because I'd received instruction from Steve to try to get her to go potty, I took her out.

Mistake.

Within about 2 minutes of her being out of the crate, she dropped a deuce in front of my very eyes, right in the middle of the livingroom.

What the F??

And I'd just taken her over to her potty area, deliberately saying with emphasis, 'Go potty.'

Nope... she just hauls it and takes a dump where she deems fit.

So not cool.

I think I'll work on making dinner, doing laundry, cleaning the house, cleaning the gutters, doing homework, underwater basketweaving... ANYTHING to avoid being on potty patrol.

I'm getting gray just from thinking about it and I just dyed my hair!

Good grief!

Someone's in need of a serious ass-whoopin!

Okay, so I'm learning that yes, she's a puppy, blah blah blah, I need to be patient, blah blah blah... but still!!

Now I remember why I said I'd never get a puppy again after the trauma I went through when Vito was a puppy. Torture, I say, torture!

So, this little girl who is a little love bug and just likes to snuggle and sleep in your arms and be with you, has another personality all together.

She's... get this... she's a little bitch!

Homegirl gets her kicks by attacking my son!! My little ray of sunshine is being attacked by this size 7 shoe-sized little she-devil. She barks at him constantly and is always nipping at his tail like it's a toy.

I had to get all dog whisperer on her ass to let her know who's really in charge, but she's a little diva (Steve's words) and we don't have room for that.

I can't wait to get her into training and get her to her frenchie meetups so she'll learn proper socialization with other dogs... what's appropriate behavior, boundaries, etc.

Yesterday I purchased a handy little potty pad holder thing. It's made of sturdy plastic so that any poop or pee won't drip away. She's only had one accident since.

I believe she thinks that 'go potty' is actually 'water'. We'll have to get past that.

I think what helped with Vito's socialization was the training, meetups, and being occasionally boarded.

This week will be another set of vaccinations, which will put us one step closer to getting her outdoors. She has so much energy that I think exercise will help poop her out and make it easier for us to train her.

Vito's been incredibly patient with her, but when he's had enough of her antics and biting, he'll headbut her or grab her around her scruff. That pisses her off even more which sets off a whole new set of play/fighting.

Now, rather than yelling, I just stand between them. Vito feels my vibe of authority, but Mia still hasn't a clue.

She needs to check herself or another dog is going to wind up doing that for her and we don't want her getting hurt.

But I guess that's what happens in the animal kingdom?

Anxiety for Days

I'm feeling an extreme case of anxiety today.

And dare I say it... regret.

I felt like this (from what I can remember) when we got Vito, but since all of these emotions are flooding back, it's brand new again.

I should add that I'm a stresser by nature. It's just how I do.

But, I can't help but feel a little overwhelmed.

I have been so used to having Vito as the center of my universe, that I feel slighted now.

Like, I actually feel guilty when I give Mia attention because I don't want Vito to get hurt. I know that's all in my head, because I'm fairly certain that dogs don't feel jealously... they're more territorial, than anything.

And then I'm looking at Vito's baby pictures and his halloween pictures and holiday pictures and I think... will people still love him the same? Or will he be day old news while the puppy takes over the spotlight?

I told my husband last night that I don't think I'm ready for the puppy thing. I told him that I feel like my time with Vito has been taken away from me... way to quickly for my taste.

I've talked to friends about my feelings on this, and they say it will all work out and that Vito knows he's still my sunshine.

I hope he does.

I just wish I could get rid of my guilt.

My Main Man

I've mentioned my baby, Vito, often in this blog, so I thought it would be appropriate to give you a gander at his gorgeousness.









What's not to love??

Breakdown and Breakthrough

Tired again.

Left work early yesterday so I could potentially catch up on sleep and get a few things done around the house. Neither happened.

I picked up Mia and we dashed over to Petsmart where I wandered aimlessly like an idiot for about 1/2 an hour trying to decide on an appropriate play pen.

Because of our living situation, Vito has to go potty in an outdoor pen because if not, he'll head for the hills.

So, in order to get Mia to learn the potty is for outside, I bought a pen for her.

It's still sitting in my trunk.

I also bought her a little teeny bed (she's so small!) and some wet nap things so I could clean her feet after she inevitably walks through her pee.

When we got home, I got her to eat lunch, and of course, she took a shit and piss where she wasn't supposed to. Steve came home once and we fussed at each other.

We disagree on how we shall raise this little girl in terms of training.

I took the reigns with Vito on training and because I have such a strong connection with him, I'm apprehensive of getting too, too close to little Mia. Not because I don't love her or anything... she's a doll! But because I want to be certain that Vito knows he's still my #1.

That being said, we (Mia, Vito and I) relaxed on the couch and they played a little.

Finally, Vito is starting to put Mia in her place. She's a fiesty little thing and tends to bark/yap (I thought Frenchie's weren't barkers??) at him and he just takes it. Now he's putting her in check.

Last night when he was chewing on a bone and she ran over to check it out, he growled at her and then she didn't dare go near him. It was good.

So, before Steve got home from work, I started cleaning up the living room and kitchen area. She's finally braved entry into the kitchen, and I don't want her eating any fallen scraps on the floor.

I crated both Mia and Vito while I vacuumed and was sure to praise them both for being good babies.

Then, somehow we were able to put Mia in her house and of course she cried a little, but then we kept making passes through the livingroom so she'd know that because she was in her house, didn't mean that we were ditching her.

At one point, she even went and lied down on her blankie and bed. I was very proud.

And, she went through the night without screaming bloody murder.

We also moved her food and potty area into the kitchen. We've still had a couple mishaps, but I'm happy to report that she took a dump in the appropriate potty place.

We'll see if I can maintain my sanity for the remainder of the day.

I'm not cut out for puppies.

But thankfully, my husband and Vito are.

The French Bulldog Has Landed

I am so flippin tired.

Okay, so, Thursday was HELL. The flight bringing Mia and Ellen (puppy nanny) to San Jose was delayed, so she wound up getting on the flight for San Francisco instead which would bring her to the Bay Area at approximately the same time the San Jose flight would have. She didn't want to take any chances.

However, the time-saving flight was delayed 2 hours after boarding. So Ellen told me she'd probably be at the San Jose airport around 9pm. Then it was 10pm.

Long story short... we didn't get Mia til about 11pm.

It was raining like a son of a bitch and I had mere moments to get Mia from Ellen so she would be able to take the shuttle to her house.

They were waiting curbside, as I pulled up, and I saw little Mia wrapped in a pink blankie, her little head peering under the hoodie. In a word: adorable.

Within seconds of me taking Mia, she was smothering me with kisses. This was new for me, since Vito always did everything he could to avoid kissy contact. But Mia, was obviously a well adjusted pup.

I exchanged cash with Ellen and Mia and I went on home. I snuggled her close while I drove home. She continued to give kisses and was comfortable in my hands. P.S., don't drive and kiss. Because of the rain, my vision was impaired, especially because I wasn't paying much attention to the road ahead.

But we made it home safely.

"We're home, Mia," I cooed. She was so trusting, it almost made me cry. Pathetic.

I walked through the door and called for Steve.

"Here's your daughter," I told Steve as he walked into the livingroom, Vito trailing close behind.

And Mr. Tough-Guy turned into a new daddy again. He carefully took Mia from my arms and cradled her close. It was a wonderful moment.

We'd planned to have Mia and Vito meet in a neutral area, but because it was so late, I said screw it. And thankfully, Vito took to Mia easily. He's such a good big brother.

Because Mia hadn't eaten in approximately 6 hours, we gave her her first dinner at home, which she gobbled down.

Her first night is a blur, but to fast-forward to Friday, I'd taken the day off to begin the bonding process. The morning was pretty eventful. I took Vito to get groomed, brought Mia to work so she could meet and greet. She was a hit. She got the standard response. "Awwwww!" And there was a crowd admiring her. As she was passed around to my fellow dog people, she had no problem giving kisses to each person she met.

After, we went to the vet, where she was given a clean bill of health, save for the coccidia which I knew about prior to her arrival. We got new antibiotics and went home.

Oh, and then I had to pick up Vito from the groomers.

The only time I had to myself was when I went to Petsmart to stock up on more puppy supplies.

I was so tired. I hadn't had proper sleep, only getting about 5 hours her first night home.

It was pretty much the same sleep pattern for the rest of the weekend, including today.

Which leads me to now.

And that thing I'd said when Vito was a puppy... well I remember why I said it, because I WANT A REFUND!!!

I am SO not into potty training. I think that right now that's my only major gripe.

On the other hand, she is SUCH a doll. I mean, she's well-adjusted and Steve's already calling her a diva. I told him there was only room for one diva in this house and that title was already spoken for.

Within moments of meeting Vito, she was barking at him, her little butt in the air, wanting to play. I think she takes him for a new papa.

I think what's making the whole process even more exhausting is we're pulling double-duty. Not only are we trying to get Mia on a food/play/potty schedule; we are giving extra attention to Vito so he doesn't feel slighted by this new creature in our home.

I'm at work today, but don't expect to be fully awake until about 3 or 4 this afternoon.

Steve and I will be taking turns going home throughout the day to give her lunch and potty breaks.

She's already had several accidents. I hate accidents.

At least babies can take a shit in their diaper, whereas a puppy will take a shit anywhere.

I think I was jipped on this whole puppy thing.

Why is it that the brain seems to forget or block out the bad memories of a previous event, leading you to believe, it's not so bad.

Well, it's bad.

And I hate potty training.

And I'm tired.

Frenchie Countdown!

The countdown has finally begun!

And I should be hearing from Mary shortly, telling me that she delivered Mia to Ellen (puppy nanny) for her flight to Cali.

Ellen is taking a flight into San Francisco and then taking a shuttle to San Jose where I'll meet her at the airport to pick up the goods. Feels like a covert operation or something.

And while, I was feeling anxious yesterday, right now (if I don't really think about it) I'm doing groovy.

Steve and I have found a plan that should work for all parties involved, in the introduction of Vito to Mia.

After I pick Mia up, I'm taking her to our local Petsmart where Steve and Vito will meet us. I believe this will fulfill all requirements of the new dog meeting the old dog policy. Plus, I still have to pick up a few things for Mia that I forgot.

Would you look at that? I'm a bad mommy already!

Yippy!

I'm so excited, I could just spit!

I believe Mia is ACTUALLY going to be on a flight tomorrow to good old California!

As of now, she, accompanied by the puppy nanny, will arrive at 7pm.

That zen and calm feeling I had earlier in the week has officially gone bye-bye.

I'm getting panicky again.

Coccidia

What the H is this nasty sounding word?

Mary (breeder) informed me Tuesday that Mia was having loose stool, went to the vet and was diagnosed with this odd word. She has to take antibiotics for 14 days.

Thankfully it's administered with a syringe. We have a hell of a time giving Vito his antibiotics when he's sick, and we're running low on peanut butter.

Thursday

So, officially, the puppy nanny (Ellen) will be bringing Mia on Thursday. That's if God doesn't try to torture me any longer.

Pisser

Ain't that a bitch.

So, I found out today, that the 'puppy nanny' can't bring Mia tomorrow and he told our breeder that the next time he'd be in our neck in the woods wouldn't be until Feb. 5th!

Surprisingly, I kept calm when learning this bit of news. The breeder was very apologetic and I didn't want to make her feel worse.

It seems as though another puppy nanny may be available to bring Mia to us either this coming Wednesday or Thursday.

But wanna know what else is a pisser?

I start up school again ON Wednesday night. That means if Mia were to come in on Wednesday, not only would I not be able to pick her up from the airport; I wouldn't be able to spend time with her on her first night home. :(

So I'm kinda hoping that the puppy nanny will hook us up and bring her on Thursday rather than Wednesday.

Well, that's my gripe for now. I just can't believe how serene and zen I'm being about all this.

Will wonders never cease?

Damn you storm! Damn you!!!

After saying how I liked this crappy weather and you have to go and screw me!

It appears as though Mia will NOT be arriving tomorrow. I just learned from Mary (the breeder) that the puppy nanny will not be able to fly Mia in because the flights have been cancelled!!

I'm blue now.

Poor me.

Introducing...

Mia Sofia...

Concerned...

There is a wicked storm brewing here in Cali and I am wondering if this will affect the airlines and whether or not Mia will arrive safely.

Normally, I'm quite fond of 'gloomy' weather which to me is a breath of fresh air, but at this time, I have to wonder.

Hm

Okay, so now, I'm FINALLY getting excited about Mia's arrival.

Just a short while ago, I got this information from the breeder... and it made me smile:

Everything looks great, I'm getting her bag packed and she's excited. She loves to talk, last night she was at the edge of the pool and I was talking to her saying "I love you" and the more I said it the more it seemed like she was trying to say it back. I know that sounds crazy, but I have about 3 Frenchies that sound just like they are saying something. She is the cutest thing and I know you are going to just love her.

Wouldn't you smile too??

Now, I really feel like an expectant mommy. :)

This past weekend, I was good and didn't go into a shopping rage, but managed to keep restraint when it came to pulling out my diminishing wallet.

Steve got Vito's baby crate out of storage, which is what Mia will use until she gets too big. A disturbing thought, though... when I was at Target (aka Xanadu), I saw pugs listed as 'toy' dogs and french bulldogs as 'small'. This could pose a problemo. Vito's a little hefty for his breed, but being dominated by a 'bigger' sister could be a blow to his ego. Oh well, I'll burn that bridge when I get to it.

So, yea, since we already have the crate, we are using a blanket we already have for her and have already set them up in the living room so Vito can get used to the idea. I only had to buy spray for cleaning messes up and her name tag. Ahhh... Mia Sofia... so exotic, no?

We STILL have potty pads from Vito's baby days, so that'll come in handy, and we also have oodles of toys he's turned his nose up at. The breeder is sending over some food with her along with some handy dandy coupons to assist in what will surely be a large grocery bill for puppy food.

Yike.

I'm not awake yet.

So, it's like, what 8am, and I have no intention of waking up.

I prefer to stay sleepy so I don't spazz over stupid stuff, which is exactly what I did yesterday.

That poor breeder... I've put her through the ringer, that's for sure, but she still, surprisingly, has patience with me.

I finally told her yesterday that she should just ignore me because I tend to flip out over things... the little hamster wheel in my brain goes into overdrive when I'm stressed and that's exactly how I've been feeling.

This morning I woke up thinking, 'Oh my God, now we can't go anywhere!'

I remember how traumatic it was for me when we got Vito... Steve just kept telling me 'he's a puppy' and I was like, shut it, but he was right. And I swore upside down and sideways that I'd never get a puppy again, and here I am! WTF?!

Vito's finally at the point in his life where he can chill by himself for a while without supervision. In fact, he's probably better behaved alone than I am... but nonetheless. Now we'll be back at square one and I shall go loony again.

I can recall a little ditty I used to say ALOT shortly after we'd acquired Vito: 'I WANT A REFUND!'

Steve's definitely better equipped to handle these things... always trying to assure me that everything will work out and that we're a team and la la la.

He says all the right things in his hopes to stop my madness, and it works for about 2 minutes, and then I go coo-koo again.

So... the 26th our little girl will arrive via a puppy nanny. He's supposed to call me when he lands in SJ and we'll meet up.

And now that that's all squared away... what do I start worrying about next? How am I going to introduce Vito and Mia, his new sister? Then after that, I start thinking about the introduction to the cats, and then, oh no, what about the crate/potty training, and now you can see how a girl can drive herself bonkers.

I guess I'll try to work a little today. Even though I really don't want to.

Oh what the hell... might as well give it a go.

Coo Koo!

I think I'm giving myself an ulcer.

Breathe...

My poor, poor husband.

I had a mini-meltdown earlier and Steve gave me that slap in the face I was hoping for. Not literally... don't call the police. For real... don't.

Now, I've been whining all day about being stressed out (as I mentioned in my previous post) to anyone that would listen, and although they were helpful, I didn't really calm down until I talked to Steve.

I was trying to be a good wife and not burden him with BS before an important meeting he has at work this afternoon, but, perhaps I'm not THAT good of a wife.

Here's my email to him:

On another note, and TRUST ME when I say that I’m not trying to stress you out… but, what the F were we thinking getting a puppy????

I’m soooo close to telling the breeder to take her deposit and run and just forgetting the whole thing, but I need your opinion… can we do this? You and I are an amazing team, and set aside the cost, we’ve raised a puppy and I know we can do it again, but back to the money… what were we thinking?!?!

Now, he's a mature (sometimes) human being and rather than play the email game, he just called me back and essentially, told me to get a grip. This isn't verbatim, but he basically said that there would never be a 'right' time to extend our family, and that we would make things work out with the money and that we'd just tighten our belts for a while, and that we've been wanting to get another baby for years now and that this was the time. Plus, he said we weren't going to lose our damn deposit.

Bear with me, when I express my frustrations, for they are not those of a sane, well-adjusted human being, but from a nutty chick with a brain that goes on overdrive for everything but work.

That reminds me... I should get back to work.

Holy Moses!

I've officially lost it!

I woke up this morning with such extreme anxiety over this whole puppy thing.

I thought, holy frijoles, here I have just sent a deposit for a dog I've never seen in person to a person I've never met!

What the hell did you do?!

And then I'm all freaking out over the fact that we already have the joy of our lives (Vito) and how's he gonna feel having this strange lookin creature come invade his space??

There are five factors that are contributing to my insanity:

1. The cost - puppies are NOT cheap, especially if purchased from a reputable/responsible breeder. The reason being that French Bulldogs, like Pugs, have to be born via cesarean because of their big ole heads;
2. Purchasing the puppy from a breeder who may not be local (as in our case, the breeder is in Texas) and not being able to see said puppy before it's arrival;
3. The puppy is being shipped with a puppy nanny (who knew?) and may or may not arrive. What if we're being duped and paying all this money and the puppy nanny doesn't show? Then we're SOL!
4. Provided that #3 doesn't occur, bringing a puppy into our structured household is gonna throw everything into upheaval! Vito has his/our routine down pat and gets 95% of our attention/love/energy (the other 5% goes to our two cats who could give a rats ass about us).
5. Getting a puppy is like a full time job in that you have to establish law and order, and oh God, the potty training! I believe this is where I shall have to admit myself to the loony bin because I hated the process when we got Vito and I swore I'd never get a puppy again.

What was I thinking? So, anyone who knows me knows that Steve and I got married in October and that was an experience in itself. I had a blog where I wrote/vented about everything I went through and that wasn't pretty.

Can you imagine the lengthy blogs that I'll be posting on this?

This morning, I thought, screw it, lose your flippin deposit and move on. But what would happen in a couple of months when I would wish that I had that puppy?

I sent the breeder an email this morning which went as follows:

Mary,

I woke up completely stressed out this morning, thinking about the puppy. It occurred to me that after days of constant emailing, soon after I made the deposit, the communication stopped. I understand that you're probably busy, but, I hope you understand from my point of view how this can be a bit stressful. After all, I just sent $500 dollars to someone I don't know for a puppy I haven't seen in person.

I need more information on the puppy nanny and delivery so I can plan accordingly for time off of work, if necessary, and when to schedule her first vet visit.

Cecilia

To which she responded:

Hi Cecilia,I completely understand how you feel, I'm just waiting for George to call me back with his schedule, I called and left a message on his cell phone last night. He is suppose to be trying to see if he can get her on a flight before the 24th, I know how hard it is to wait. Mia is doing fine and we are in the process of the worming, she's still a little chatty Kathy, wanting all the attention. So please don't stress out, just as soon as George calls me I will email you. I can't make her Vet appointment either until I know when she is set to fly.Mary

God needs to send me a serious sign... a bolt of lightening; a nice slap in the face; anything!

On the other hand, if we DO get this puppy, we pretty much have everything we need from when Vito was a puppy, including the crate.

Calgon... oh, you know how it goes.

Sold!

As I write this, my stomach is in knots, churning like butter. I feel like I'm going to vomit and it's all because of a dog.

After I hit 'send' I immediately had buyer's remorse. I mean, what kind of idiot buys a dog online? And, a dog they've never seen in person!

All signs point to me... I'm the idiot.

But I've been here before.

Almost 5 years ago, I purchased a pug puppy online from a breeder in Oklahoma. Because it was so long ago, I couldn't tell you exactly what made me do it, but I believe I just had a wild hair you know where.

My husband (boyfriend at the time) and I had been contemplating an addition to our boring family, and I made our decision to go ahead. I did all the research on various breeds, but when I came to the 'pug', I was hooked.

This is very similar to how it went down with getting a new dog. I was adamant about getting another pug since we're so in love with Vito, but when I came across this new, odd-looking breed, I was smitten.

The French Bulldog - the reason why I liked the looks of this breed is it looked like a pug (smashed face and all) except it has these funky ears, similar to a bat's. What's not to love?

During my research on this breed, I found that they're very similar to pugs, in more ways than looks. They sneeze, snore, and fart, which are Vito's favorite pastimes. Another similarity is that they can't tolerate extreme weather conditions and this fits in perfectly with my own likes/dislikes, since I hibernate during the summer.

Steve... well, forget about it. As soon as he saw the frenchie, that's all he could talk about. We'd be relaxing at home on the couches, and he'd be all, 'Tweetie!' I look at him, and he has his hands like ears on top of his head.

So, after our wedding last year, we knew that our next progression as a family would be to add a legitimate child to our family tree.

I've been researching various breeders throughout the country, knowing what to look for and what to avoid. I came across and have been corresponding with a nice lady in Texas and when she showed me pics of her newest litter, I saw 'Minnie Me's Girl' and I was sprung!

We've been emailing day and night for the past week, and just yesterday, I put a deposit down for the 6 and a 1/2 week old pup. She'll be done cooking in about a week, at which time she can join our happy, yet dysfunctional, family.

She shall be delivered via a puppy nanny. Who knew such people existed? But good thing, since our pup won't be relegated to cargo which can be a scary experience for a pup who's just left her mom and siblings.

I shant be including any information about the cost or breeder of our puppy because should anyone read this and want to get a pup, you should really find a breeder that suits your needs/budget. We just happened to locate a person I feel good about. And God-willing, everything will work out, or there will be some serious shit hitting the fan.

Our primary concern, of course, is Vito. He's almost 5 and I have to wonder how he'll take to having a new sister. I think I'm overreacting more than necessary, but that's how I roll. Last thing I want is for him to feel like he's second fiddle to this new creature, but Steve and I know that we have enough love to accommodate both dogs and more.

Besides, if Vito's uncle (Hunter) is ever over, he never gets possessive. If anything he's like, 'Thank God there's someone else here to get these people off my back!'

The name - I first wanted to name her Sofia. After all, she'll be a Latina. But then I thought, well Francesca's a really cute name, so then it was Francesca and even the breeder said she'd start calling her that name. All emails following that decision referred to the pup as Francesca. But Steve wasn't too enthused with the name. Then yesterday, after we paid our deposit, the name 'Mia' came to mind.

Mia was my in-laws deceased cat's name who was a doll, and I thought that it'd be nice to honor her. Then 'Mia Sofia' came to mind. So dag nabbit, that's the kid's name come hell or high water. The breeder probably thinks I have multiple personalities since I change the name every other day.

So, that's that. Puppy hell, here we come!