Growing in Grace: Welcome, Prince!

**I'm soooo incredibly far behind on major events around here, so I'm going to try to get a few quick posts out in an attempt to write about recent events, the new year, etc. sometime before Addie's birthday. ..

For those of you who may not know, I grew up on a 40 acre farm. It wasn't always a working farm per se, but I think the fewest animals I can remember having at any given time was two dogs and a cat. I remember growing up, spending entire afternoons wandering around outside, talking to my cat or crying to my horses or my sweet Australian Shepherd, Rascal (gotta love those teenage years filled with "heart ache" and angst). Going away to college and the post college years left me without a pet, and in a way I am glad. I was able to travel more freely, work long hours, and have a brief window of time without any real responsibility. Once I met Philip and we got married and had a house of our very own, I always knew I wanted to get a dog. Our first house didn't have a fence, and we spent so many days out on our bikes, playing tennis or traveling, that it wouldn't have been fair to have a dog at that point in our lives.

Then there was our sweet Addie - and thank the good Lord we didn't have a dog when we had her! He would have had to have gone to a foster home for a year or more while we sorted out our new life. All of that being said. ..I've been searching Pet Finder and local rescues for years looking for just the right family member to add to our home. Now that Addie is bigger, I was thinking that she could benefit from having a dog in the home. She can't get out much during the winter months, so he could be a companion for that time. Dogs are shown to build confidence and teach amazing life skills in general for children with special needs, be there medical, emotional or physical, and children who grow up in homes with pets tend to have stronger immune systems. ..sign me up for immune system building any day! Philip travels some, so having a dog in the house would make me feel a little safer when it's just me and Addie home alone, and, really. ..I just love dogs. I know that a dog is good for the heart and soul, and after the last few years, we could use a little of that in our lives.

I wasn't looking to get a dog immediately because I knew it would take a special personality and dog to enter into our sometimes crazy, sometimes scary, always very scheduled life. Enter Prince! I found him on Pet Finder, and something about him spoke to me. I know that sounds cheesy and strange, but I've looked at hundreds of dogs in the last year, and he is the only one I felt compelled to send in an inquiry for. I was very honest about our situation, and then didn't hear back for weeks. ..so I just wrote it off as not God's timing. I know rescue groups are hesitant to place dogs in homes with small children, so I assumed that was the case here.

Obviously, we did ultimately hear back from the rescue group - from Prince's foster mom, Sonia, specifically, and it turns out that he was a very special guy! So, we arranged a meeting, talked a few times in between, and as you can see from the picture above, he became the newest member of our family! I can't say enough nice things about Sonia who isn't just Prince's foster mom, but also the newest member of Addie's fan club. Seriously, how could you not adore our girl if you spend more than 5 minutes with her?!

We loved Prince immediately, but he wasn't as sure about us, but a month later, I think he has decided he will keep us!! I'm so, so glad! It's got to be confusing for an 8 year old guy like himself to figure out what has gone on. ..he lived on a farm, was taken to the pound, was rescued and taken to doggie paradise at Sonia's cabin, and then went on a road trip to live in our crazy world! My head would be spinning, and I actually understand what happened! He's figured out that he gets to stay here, enjoys his romps out in the our fenced in yard, and is a sucker for a great car ride. He's gone from napping by himself in his crate to staying wherever we are.

He's been amazing for Addie! She's talking much, much more and walking almost exclusively - minus a few medical set backs recently. She has learned how to pet him gently, where his food and water goes, how to offer a treat, and she's learning to help brush him. She's enthusiastic, but she hasn't quite grasped that you always go in the direction of his fur and not just however you feel like it. Prince is a gentleman and just lays there with his sweet, kind eyes. Ever generous, Addie regularly (and to my dismay. ..once a germaphobe, always a germaphobe) offers him her paci's, toys, and follows him around with his blanket. Such a little mother already!! She thinks it hilarious to watch him chase a ball through the house or play tug of war with Philip and whatever his stuffed animal of the week is. All of her therapists have said that getting her a dog was the single best thing we could have done for her. Yay for Prince!!

As for Prince, he has found his favorite spots - on a blanket by the door (it's cooler there), in the chair near the couch where we sit when we feed Addie, and on the "spare" couch in the sun room. More and more, he just wants to be where we are. Last night, ~~the crate door wasn't closed all the way~~ he figured out how to get out of his crate and we woke up to find him laying in our spot on the couch. His sleepy eyes said he was just keeping it warm for us. ..

Anyway, here is our boy!

First day home!

Addie loves to give Prince hugs. ..he's not so sure but very sweet about it.

One of my favorite pictures of him!

Loves chasing balls around the house. ..

Petting Prince.. .

He thought we bought the Christmas tree just for him.

Addie shares all of her toys. ..

He found our old couch and has claimed it as his own.

More toys for Prince. ..

She has proven that she would be an awesome big sister (if her parents didn't still have NICU nightmares haunting them) as much as she mothers Prince.