Meet Your Furry Friends

Dear Baby Bug-

I think you've waited long enough- it's time for me to tell you about the other living things that will be greeting you when you come home from the hospital. You see, Mommy and Daddy already have a couple of "children" but they are a little furrier than you will be. Their names are Rudy and Zoey and they are our (and soon to be your!) puppies. Even though they're not really puppies, that's what Daddy and I call them. I want to tell you a little about your furry brother and sister, because they are going to be just as much a part of your lives as we are. I hope that you love them as much as we do- it may take a while, but I know they will love you right back!

Your oldest brother is named Rudy and he is five years old. He will be six when you arrive in this world and if you can believe it, that will be (if my math is correct) 42 in dog years! I know that's really confusing, and we'll help you to understand that when you're older. Rudy was Mommy's first baby and he was a gift from your Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Rand for my graduation from grad school. Although Rudy is tiny (only 4 pounds!) he makes up for it in attitude. He won't eat his food out of the dish; we have to put it on the floor in just the right way for him to nibble on it. He loves dog treats but won't eat them right away when you give one to him. He has to carry it around with him for about ten minutes before he finds a nice quiet place to enjoy it. One of my favorite things about Rudy is that he's a mama's boy- you can find him every night curled up next to me while I'm watching TV. Right now he is wearing a little sweatshirt because Daddy thinks it's too cold for him. We call it his Grandpa Walter sweater because your Great Grandpa has a sweatshirt almost identical to it. Rudy doesn't seem to mind wearing clothes and no matter how grumbly he is, he's still our little buddy.

Your furry sister is named Zoey and she is a lot bigger than Rudy. I think Zoey weighs in at about 12 pounds and she is what Daddy likes to call a "tomboy." Zoey will plow through anything in her path to get what she wants and she doesn't care who or what it is. Unfortunately, a lot of times she is running over poor little Rudy. Zoey was a gift to Mommy from Daddy for Christmas four years ago. Daddy surprised Mommy right before Christmas with this little furry bundle who quickly grew up to be Zoey. Zoey is almost four years old and even though she can be a bully, she is the cuddliest dog I have ever known. You're probably going to hear Zoey more than you'll see her at first- she is always barking at other dogs or people on the street. She loves to play and snuggle, and she will be a great companion for you to play with. We know that you will love to play with her just as much as we do.

Now Bug, you have to know that if these furry friends don't warm up to you right away you can't be sad. They have had our undivided attention for years now and they may be a little bit upset that you are coming into the picture. I think they can kind of tell that something is up already, but that will be nothing compared to how they feel when you arrive. You just have to be sure to be nice to them- no pulling their hair or squishing them- and they should be ready to play with you in no time. Mommy and Daddy will make sure that everyone gets along and I can't wait for all of our babies to be together in a few short months!!