March 27, 2013

My week with Annie


Ok, technically eight, going on nine days, but I couldn't help taking the inspiration for this brief post's title from the similarly named 2011 film about Marilyn Monroe.

As I sit here in the early hours of the morning typing this (while perched on a stack of pillows in our en suite bathroom - a quiet little respite from the boundlessly curious and playful new pet in our midst), I am completely dog tired. This is only fitting given that reason for most of my exhaustion (above and beyond the usual severe fatigue I battle due to my chronic health problems) is our darling Miss Annie.

It's been a long time - perhaps more than a year - since the last time six days passed between posts here. Such was the case however, between this and my previous blog entry, in which I introduced you all to cuter-than-a-million buttons Annie. She is a joy and handful, a constant learning experience and a blessing beyond measure, and I am honestly still a touch in awe of the fact that we really do have a dog of our own at long last.

Much as we'd hoped (and planned, in a general sense) to get a dog for years, the actual act of bringing Annie into our lives happened on the spur of the moment, with no time to prepare. Though I'd always imagined getting a dog would prove challenging for me (from a health stand point), even I was caught off guard a bit by just how much these rambunctious, busy, activity filled days of early puppyhood would knock out of me.

Days - not "a day" - but multiple days are passing between when it seems I have even a brief moment to make it onto the computer, which is in rather stark contrast with the fact that, since early 2012, it's been rare for more than 48 hours to pass without me powering up the ol' laptop at least once.

Lest it seems like I'm bemoaning these past few days, let me assure you that I'm not. Though I do regret that I've missed keeping abreast with all of your blogs and the others I follow via my feedreader (as well as connecting with you through social media sites), I wouldn’t trade this wondrous time with Annie for all the doughnuts in Canada!

This period has been a jumble of emotions, energy levels, new beginnings, and - snuggled together on the couch with the puppy – the late night watching of several fascinating (and wildly diverse) documentaries on Netflix, as a way to unwind after days that felt as though they possessed far more than 24 hours


{Plenty of affection - much like that given by this lovely 1950s stewardess towards the puppy she's holding - and vital bonding time has been the order of the day of late, both directed towards, and received from, our wonderful new dog. Image source.}


I know that for the next few weeks in particular, as Annie continues to grow (and especially prior to her next round of shots after which she can safely start going outside and coming in contact with other dogs, which means we - lacking a yard of our own - can safely begin exercising and potty training her outdoors), my usual computer time will likely be slashed.

That said, this morning, after close to nine days of almost no time spent online, I'm hitting the proverbial reset button, marking all unread feeds read, and (temporarily) streamlining my usual online activities in the hopes that I'll be better able to keep up with blog post writing here, feed reading/blog visiting, and to a much lesser extent, social media.

I suspect some days will be easier than others on that front, but I'll give it my best shot for sure - adorable puppy very much in tow every step of the way. And speaking of Annie, I truly want to thank each and every one of you who commented on my introduction post about her last week, as well as to all those who sent congrats and happy (and insightful) words my way via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and email.

As the week barrels on, you'll be seeing other posts from me here (some of which were written earlier this month, prior to Annie's arrival) and I'll aim to visit each of you on a more regular basis again. I know I've not been out of the loop for very long, but I derive such joy from visiting and commenting on your blogs, that I miss it dearly when such is not possible even for a short amount of time.

As the night's gorgeous full moon is knocked from the horizon by a pale late March sunrise, and I try to blink away my exhaustion (I haven't slept yet tonight) just long enough to type these last few words, I can hear Annie going at it with one of her plush dog toys downstairs.

Her sweet little tail is thumping the floor, a youthful bark of enthusiasm directed at her plaything breaks the still morning air every now and then, and I cannot help be filled with such an immense sense of happiness that it feels like I could fit the whole world in the span of my smile - or at least just as big a puppy toy as Annie can get in her mouth. :)

33 comments:

  1. I am so very happy for you! These puppy days will pass far too quickly....enjoy every minute! The internet isn't going anywhere :)

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  2. Oh honey! Congratulations again on your little puppy love. There is nothing in this world quite as wonderful as waking up to a snuggly warm puppy who has jammed herself between you and the hubby. I can't wait to have the time and the landlord's permission to get a fuzzy munchkin kid. I find dog energy to be so relaxing, earthy and grounding. On a particularly challenging day a dog can make you realize that sitting and staying, or rolling in the grass is exactly what one needs to chill out. They take life as it comes and teach us the very valuable lesson of "dog time."

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  3. Congratulations on your puppy! Our lives are so much more enriched since our wonderful companion has made his way into our hearts. In fact, I cannot imagine what it was like before him! He is four years old now, though still very much behaves as a pup. In the fall, we will be adding another family member to our home, a friend for him. If I could have my way, I would probably fill my house with dogs! This one will also be a puppy, and I am sure she will very much be a mischief maker.
    You are in for quite the rewarding experience! I wish you the best of luck and look forward to hearing all sorts of stories! If you would like tips or help at any point, please do not hesitate to ask...we sought plenty of resources when raising our pup (though...he's a shiba and they are quite the handful!). You can never have too much advice!! :)

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    1. Thank you very much, honey. I completely agree, one can never have too much good advice on hand when raising a puppy for the first time. Tony and I have already commented to each other that, in all likelihood, one (probably distant) day when we get a second/our next dog, raising that pup will likely seem a whole (!) lot easier because we'll have some first hand (paw? :) ) experience under our belts.

      Thanks again (for both your comments today), I certainly won't hesitate to pick your brain about dogs at any time.

      Big hugs & tons of puppy kisses from Annie,
      ♥ Jessica

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  4. wish you and tony and the little annie a happy easter!!!!!!!!

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  5. I'm sure that as the days continue Annie will grow more accustomed to everything, as will you! I look forward to seeing some adorable pictures of you two, just like this wonderful vintage picture!

    xoxo
    -Janey

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  6. Jessica, don't fret or worry about posting. Most of your readers will understand that bring any new life into a home be it a baby, kitten, puppy, etc will always through people for a loop. Remember to take it easy and not stress yourself. You don't need to be getting sick or so tired you can't do anything.

    I would watch out for her teething period. Some dogs can be very destructive without realizing it. My husband's uncle has a 6 month old Retriever that has eaten countless pairs of shoes, branches and is now working on eating a wood chair.

    Are you two going to fix her? I've hear that fixing animals will actually mellow them out. For Ridley, it made him a lot more territorial. He doesn't make but he doesn't let any cats into *his* backyard. It's really cute.

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    1. Thank you very, very much, sweet girl. I'm trying to pace myself for sure - each day is a new learning experience, but a very wonderful one at that, and I'm sure that in a few weeks I'll have worked out a great work/puppy balance. :)

      Absolutely, we'll be getting her spayed when she's a little older (she could be already, but we want to let her enjoy puppyhood for a bit longer before she goes under the knife). We got Stella (our cat) spayed early on and didn't find it affected her personality at all, so hopefully the same will be true of Annie, too (I think that male pets tend to be affected more by being fixed). That is cute about Ridley - I can just picture him keeping the neighbourhood kitties at bay. :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  7. So lovely to hear how much joy Annie is bringing you. I don't know about you, but I find having something new to focus on always help my chronic illness to feel a bit better, while I'm focusing on the new :)

    I know when we got our first cat - I was daunted by the experience but my hubby had cats growing up and he was very good - we have 3 now and I wouldn't be without them :)

    I look forward to some more pics of Annie - I love the vintage image with the dog.

    Much Love

    Katy
    xox

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Katy. I've been reflecting back a lot lately on when we got our cat (Stella), in November of 2008 (a few months before I began this blog) and do recall some of those early days being exhausting, too, but not to the same extent. Stella was always so well behaved and sweet, that raising her was next to no work (plus, she doesn't wreck things, which really helped in that regard). Honestly, Annie is just being a normal puppy and I'm proud of the changes (maturity) I've already seen in her since we brought her home. I suspect that in a few months she'll very well behaved and these hectic, tiring days of puppyhood will feel like a distant (wonderful) memory.

      ♥ Jessica

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  8. I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEE her name! Ugh having a furbaby is not easy! It will get better. I remember Sophie (cat) trying to claw at everything heheh ahhhh enjoy her furbabyhood-they grow fast. My girl is now ten years old-boo! xox

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  9. I'm sure that I'm not the only one who has missed you during your hiatus, but it's quite understandable that you spend more time with your beloved pooch! Look forward to seeing you around whenever you can get back on! :D In the mean time, just enjoy your new little girl!

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  10. Ahh puppies...wonderous and tiring.. we kennel trained Dave and he kept us awake whining on and off throughout the night for two weeks before he finally grew accustomed to it. We slept through the night *once* in two weeks...the next morning we were overjoyed that there was light at the end of the tunnel, but too exhausted to celebrate too long. We dreaded bedtime a bit..we'd love playing with Dave during the day, but nighttime was the absolute worst.

    I can only promise you - that as a dog owner who was also unprepared to bring a little furry bundle of energy into our home - that time will help with all these things! But then the downside is that your well behaved dog is no longer a puppy. ;) So remember - like I said - take a million photos and vids! Later when you're not tired you'll enjoy them immensely.

    Take care hon!
    Lisa.

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  11. Oh Jessica you sound so happy ;0) it's so lovely.
    I've only just caught up on my blog reading as my kids have been ill & I've had sinusitis which caused my lupus to flare. So completely shattered & not much time for anything.
    Annie looks gorgeous & is a very lucky puppy to have such loving owners as you both.
    My dogs are such a comfort to me, especially when I'm at my worst, they barely leave my side. I think your Annie will be much bigger than all 3 of mine put together! (2 longhaired chihuahuas & a grumpy shih-tzu). I've always had a dog ever since I was a baby & couldn't imagine ever being without one.
    I look forward to seeing your pictures of her & watching her grow.
    Lisa x

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    1. Hi sweet Lisa, thank you very much for your wonderfully nice comment and excitement about Miss Annie. I'm so happy that you get to share your life with three darling pups, too. Stella (our cat) has been such an incredible blessing and positive boon to my poor health (I swear, pets, crafting and blogging do more for my well-being than any medical treatment or prescription drug I've ever tried) and I'm sure Annie will be as well (yay!).

      I'm very sorry to hear that you've been ill lately, honey. I can completely relate. When I had the flu recently (which hung in there for about three weeks), it caused several of my conditions to flare-up as well. Whenever this happens, I'm reminded of that old expression, it never rains, but it always pours. I truly hope that you'll soon recover from your sinusitis and that your lupus flare calms down quickly (I know, flare-ups rarely retreat quickly, but there's always the hope that they might).


      Big healing hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  12. Hehe I had a feeling that the quietness around here in the last week has been because of that bundle of joy! I can only try to imagine what a handful it must be to have a rambunctious puppy come into your life so suddenly - but amazing I'm sure all the same :D You sound so happy (albeit tired!) and it's just so wonderful, this post really made me smile! I hope you make the most of Annie's puppyhood, don't you wish they didn't grow so fast? The best thing about dogs though is that they don't grow out of their playfulness, not like the way cats become apathetic and see you as a feeding machine :P I can't wait for more photos of her, I'm sure there will be many equally as delightful as this vintage photo!

    Wishing you and your little family a lovely Easter, may it be filled with joy, delicious food and wonderful company!

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    1. Thank you very much, sweetheart, I completely agree with you regarding how wonderful it is that many dogs retain a sense of their spunky playfulness long into life (our sweet kitty, Stella, always retained a certain kitten-like quality to her energy level, too, which is rarer in cats for sure). I love that about them, just as I do the way that many dogs are so upbeat and happy most of the time. I find that element of their personality really jives with my own outlook on life.

      Thank you for the beautiful Easter wishes, honey. I truly hope you have a joyful, gorgeous holiday celebration as well!

      ♥ Jessica

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  13. I can't wait to hear more about your adventures with Annie. Having a dog is just about the best thing ever in the whole world :)

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  14. When we remember that the gals of those decades we love so much had no computers and, instead, spent their days with the husbands, children, puppies, and neighbors they could physically see and touch, you're in good company with not being on the computer! You are having an opportunity to experience first-hand that vintage (i.e. no technology) life! You may actually enjoy a bit of respite from the ol' computer. I saw that from my own experience. I deactivated my FB account recently, and I feel a sense of relief and freedom from having done so. Yes, I still blog, but I feel by disengaging from one thing, I have more time to read a book or write some letters.

    By the way, I know you have a cat. (You did bring him with you from Ontario, didn't you?) How has he adjusted to Annie's arrival?

    Give Annie a squeeze from me and my Ginger dog!

    Love,
    Patti

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    1. Hi sweet Patti, thank you very much for your lovely comment. You raise a great point which I've reflected on often over the years as well - that ladies (and gents) of yore filled their hours in a very different way than many of us today. Of course there are certain activities that will always remain mainstays of life, but real world interactions are becoming fewer and fewer (or at least shorter and shorter) for so many these days (something that I don't necessarily see as a positive).

      Yes, absolutely, we brought darling Stella with us from Ontario. I would take my pets with me to the ends of the earth no matter what. She's always been astronomically shy and timid (she was an urban feral that we rescued from a shelter when she was about 11 weeks old) around people and animals (Tony, myself, and to a much lesser extent my mom are the only people on earth she's ever spent time with in our house - she's always hidden from everyone else) and so far she hasn't opted to interact with Annie (beyond coming downstairs briefly shortly after we brought her home to size up the situation, so to speak). We're not forcing them to interact at this point, given how skittish and shy Stella is (right now they're each enjoying life on their own floor of our condo), but will gently try more forward introductions as time goes on if Stella doesn't work up the nerve to come say "hi" to Annie (Annie grew up with cat and other dogs, so she's very social and has been great with everyone she's met so far).

      Big hugs to you and Ginger!
      ♥ Jessica

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  15. The only thing missing from this post were the millions of photos of Annie I'm sure you've already taken! Let's face it, you have a new baby and your priorities have changed! I so loved reading your last lines about hearing Annie play and the thump of her tail on the floor. She must be the cutest little thing! Seriously, you are one of if not the most dedicated blogger I know of, and I am sure you can stand to take some time off blogging to experience the incomparable joy of spending time with your newest addition to your family. Personally I'm just dying to see more photos of her!

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    1. Sweet dear, that is truly one of the loveliest things anyone has said to me in a blog comment, thank you very much.

      Pictures a plenty are being snapped (even though for some unknown reason Annie sometimes barks when she sees me holding my iPhone, yet isn't phased by Tony's - I'm really hoping she outgrows that, as my phone is the main way I'll be capturing snaps of her) and slowly, but surely, I hope to get many more up on Instagram (http://instagram.com/chronicallyvintage) and of course some here, too. I just uploaded a couple there earlier this evening of Annie hugging my leg and on the cusp of falling asleep.

      Thank you again deeply,
      ♥ Jessica

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  16. So glad you are enjoying Annie! Having a dog is so different from having a cat. I have always had dogs, can't really remember a time when I haven't, but I have gone years in between having a cat, and just recently (back in December) got a kitty after about 10 years without one. Life in our house has definitely changed since then. =) Enjoy your new baby!

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  17. Take it easy, honey. There are more important things in life than blogs and online society. Enjoy your new love and have a happy Easter. :)

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  18. Don't you sometimes wish there was a way to get a very brief recap of anything really important or that you would really have wanted to see if you're not able to catch up with your blogs for a bit? I often am offline during the weekend (I'm online for my profession so sometimes I just need to be *away* from a screen), and sometimes even after only 2 days I can't keep up and have to hit that sad "mark all read" button. That's when I wish the universe could tell me "psst even though you didn't have time, you HAVE to catch up with persons A, G and F to see what happened!" lol

    Anyway, I'm so glad to hear you're settling in with Annie, pets just bring such joy to our lives. :)

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    1. Goodness, yes! That would be so incredibly handy - and save scads of time. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who feels sad when they press the "mark read" button without actually having read all of said blogs. I don't do it often these days (yay!), but always feel sad, bad and sorry (that I missed some posts from my fellow blogging friends) when I do.

      On a much cheerier note, I really hope you and your family have an absolutely beautiful Easter weekend, dear Tasha!


      ♥ Jessica

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  19. Funny was going to say having a new puppy is rather like having a new baby! Similarly, once you get through the teens (which thankfully happens a lot earlier with dogs!) and they start actually listening to you, it all gets a lot easier! Hope I don't sound too much like a crazy dog lady, but I am speaking from experience! Take it easy and have fun xx

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  20. I am so glad you are enjoying your sweet puppy :) I figured your 'radio silence' was puppy caused- don't worry, you'll figure out how to get into the swing of things again soon enough :) Personally, *I'd* be happy playing with the puppy instead of browsing online too ;) Enjoy, and Happy Easter!

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  21. So glad that you have a puppy. So sorry you are exhausted. I hope the last sentence changes for you soon. Still glad you have a puppy though. ;-)
    -Jamie
    ChatterBlossom

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  22. Dear Jessica,
    I couldn't be happier for you! I haven't been by for a bit and this happy occasion just warranted a visit! I think Annie is simply adorable... I couldn't imagine life without some sort of fluff ball to share it with! You have years and years of friendship and unconditional love to come... enjoy it all my friend... you deserve it!
    Hugs,
    Beth P

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Beth. It's so incredible to have a new bundle of fur running around the house and to know that we get to be blessed by her life in ours for many years to come.

      Happiest Easter weekend wishes to you and your family,
      ♥ Jessica

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  23. Puppies are exactly like newborns; all they want to do is eat, sleep, cry, and snuggle! Then they get rambunctious and want to chew and play non-stop til they collapse! They go through it quickly though, and soon you'll be back in a routine and able to rest and blog again. I have Parkinson's and I know how exhausting dogs can be, but their cute faces and warm cuddles make it all worth while!
    ~xoxo CoriLynn

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