Life with our Fur Baby & New Baby

A month and a half has gone by with life as a family with a newborn.  We are all adjusting to the late night and early morning feedings and learning how to recognize what her cries are signaling.  These new changes in our lives have impacted all of us, including our three year old dog, Wrigley.

Introducing a baby to Wrigley was an event I was very nervous about.  We had read articles and gotten advice from friends about how to handle the first meeting.  After Anderson arrived, JC brought home a receiving blanket she had been swaddled in.  He let Wrigley sniff and play with the blanket for awhile to get used to the baby's smell. 

Then came the moment of truth: the day we brought home Anderson.  We brought her into the house and set her car seat down on the floor.  Wrigley was very excited to see us as we had been gone for a few days; however the new little person grabbed his attention.  He checked her out for a few seconds, then sniffed her -- and finally decided he was just happy to see JC and I.  He went back to wiggling and wanting us to love on him.  Since that day he has learned to co-exist with Anderson.

Wrigley checking out his brand new baby sister the first night home.

I know he has some feelings of jealousy toward Anderson.  He has destroyed one pacifier, a rubber ducky and a first aid item.  He will steal her burb rags and receiving blankets a couple times a day to get our attention.  When JC and I are both paying attention to the baby he gets very jealous, barking and trying to butt his way into the circle to steal the limelight. 

Wrigley also likes to steal the remote to grab our attention.

Wrigley also shows us that he does think Anderson is okay and doesn't mind having her in the family.  Whenever she cries he usually checks her out to make sure she is okay.  He will walk over to her and lick her on the head every once in awhile and he's pretty alert when someone new comes to visit and holds his sister. 

Loving on his new baby sister.

To show Wrigley that he is still loved and important to us JC and I have tried to make sure we still spend quality time with Wrigley.  We take him on our family walks, spoil him with some of his favorite treats from the Barkery and snuggle with him -- all things we used to do before Anderson arrived.  Even though the snuggles and walks aren't as long or as frequent as they used to be, I think he still is a happy puppy.

Despite the house ringing with loud, frequent dog barks and baby cries, our fur baby and our new baby are learning to co-exist and love one another.