Thursday, August 13, 2009

Balancing Siblings

Listen Bean, stick wme I'll show you the good spots.

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I daily give thanks that I am not the Octomom. Not that I do not love children, as I do and had three of my own.

Tom and I are now very proud and happy parents of two Pugs.

“Okay,” you say, “These are dogs for crying out loud. How can you begin to compare them to human children.”

Well, let me tell you. Siblings are siblings, in skin and in fur. Were there are two or more, be assured there will always be jockeying for your undivided attention.

As the senior ranking Pug in Residence, AJ (he is my Puggy-man) is  feeling that his space and time has been invaded by an alien being. He is ready to join the Boarder Patrol and send Jelli Bean back to what ever land she may have come from.

At the great age of three years in is moving into young adulthood and has left some of his puppy ways behind in childhood. While Bean is a bundle of hyper energy  and wanting to play the way puppies play… a nip here and a yap there. AJ even refers to his sister as Ms. Wigglebutt Yappybaby when she is tormenting him. He will also go to great extremes to be as far from her as possible

Without growls or snaps he just gives a look of, “Why me? What did I ever do to you?”

These tormented looks have brought on guilt and tears from me. I knew he would have to adjust but I did not really think he would make me feel hurt and that I had betrayed him. Yet let her cry or let him think we are hurting her and he is right there to investigate. I think he is just waiting for her to get bigger and not be so nippy and yappy, since he has forgotten what he was like as a pup.

Meanwhile our little 1 pound 5 ounce Jelli Bean is growing into a great personality of her own. As of August 6, 2009, she is tilting the scales at a whopping 3 pounds 12 ounces. She is catching up to where she should be at 10 weeks of age so I guess we are doing something right.

Bean has also learned there is no need to gobble her food as there is no one else she needs to share it with. AJ will not eat “dog food”.

We are delighted and amused as our two youngest children, AJ Hoosier Hug Pug and his sister Jelli Bean, grow in love and trust.

As you can see, AJ is falling under his sister’s spell. Although she is sightless in her left eye having suffered an injury at four weeks of age, the girl is personality plus and full of determination. She has no fear and tries to climb everything, not giving up until she has succeeded.

She will steal your heart with a single glance. As she seems to have done with her AJ and to us as well.

Tom and I are doing our best to give equal quality time to each of their needs. We have Mommy and Daddy time for each separately and jointly, which seems to make sense to the kids.