Let me paint you a little picture: Yesterday afternoon, Jerms and I are just sitting around the house, having our typical lazy Sunday afternoon. I guess for Maggie (our 3 year old mischievous toy poodle), that wasn't good enough. She needed more stimulation, and activity per say, so being the gazelle that she is, she chose to hop up onto our dining room table where my one and only basket of potpourri sits.
Mind you, she is agile as ever, and she knows this, so she sneaks around and usually we never catch her in the act. I noticed her absence suddenly and asked my husband where she was at. His response? "She's eating". I don't trust Maggie, though. I turn around to find her standing on the table, chewing on potpourri chips. Then I went into panic mode...how long had she been there, how much did she eat?...Is it toxic?...why didn't I move it somewhere else?... Should we take her to the vet? ...Spankings...Get in your bed....Am I overreacting?... Do I need to call poison control?... No, wait, shes a dog...should I induce vomiting?... How the heck to you even do that?.... Oh geez, oh geez...
It was crazy, but fortunately, as the hours passed, she seemed to be fine. She was her normal self. Until....3:45 this morning. How about this picture: We are all sleeping peacefully until I hear Maggie whining in the dark. Whining like she does when the sun comes up and she is ready to start her day. Annoyed, I tell her to be quiet and go night-night. She listens on the whining part, but then could not hold the explosive diarrhea that subsequently erupted. We both jump out of bed to check on her, covering our noses with out t-shirts to mask the horrid smell. Then the vomitting began...my favorite part. I get everything cleaned up, get her settled back in her bed, and back to sleep we, I mean Jeremy, goes. I could not sleep. I was so worried about her, jumping at every little noise she made. My poor baby did not feel good, and I just wanted to provide her some kind of relief.
This morning has consisted of disinfecting, washing puppy butt, frequent trips outside, and Kaopectate. I have never handled these kinds of situations very well. I always get scared, I expect the worse, and get so overwhelmed that I often question my capabilities of being a mom. I mean, if I cannot handle a sick dog, how am I going to do when my child is puking and pooping all over the place at the same time? But, this time it was different. The instincts just kicked in. The fears were calmed. All I wanted to do was pet her and make her better. We just did what we had to do for her. It was crazy, stinky, and wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too early, but it worked. I know you cannot compare taking care of dogs and taking care of children, because they are different. But the similarities lie within us - the parents. I am just as much Maggie's mommy, as I will be my child's. I am all she has ever known. And the love I have for her is so immense, I don't care how much poop I have to wash away as much as I care that she feels healthy and happy.
Even though we don't have human children right now, at some point in my heart and in my mind, I became a mom. And I don't care what anybody says, no amount of lack of sleep, no amount of sickness, or Clorox can scare me away now.
3 comments:
She is prepping you for motherhood you are right haha :) Poor baby glad she is doing better this AM. Maybe this will deter her from eating anymore potpourri in the future!!
I know you were scared (I would've been too) but this made me laugh so hard that I had tears. I was just picturing you and Jeremy in the wee hours of the morning and poor Maggie exploding. Oh, our crazy puppies!!! :)
** loved the disclaimer ** a friend after my own heart. :)
You are so right though, puppy, baby or not, I can completely relate.
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