Showing posts with label a dog's life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label a dog's life. Show all posts

June 6, 2017

quiet afternoon

Today was Lauren's first day of Little Gym Camp.
For 3 hours this morning,
she played,
crafted,
jumped,
& ran.
She was so excited to go 'all by herself with no babies'.
Caroline and I ran a number of errands,
which meant she slept in the car
and the entire time I was returning & browsing in Nordstrom Rack.
Which meant that after lunch
(the lunch where my little camper ate 3 PB&J sandwiches and lots of watermelon & strawberries)
when big sister was ready for rest time,
little sister wasn't feeling it.

So we did this instead.
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She joined us.
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Sometimes the best kind of rest is quiet snuggles with a little girl,
velvety eared dogs,
& Doc McStuffins.

September 1, 2015

lately

While I am proud of my ability to keep a weekly bump update, the blog activity has taken a major hit.

So here's what we've been up to instead of blogging...

Lauren's Bedroom

I would really like to be doing a blog post with Lauren's big girl room.
But I can't yet.
Because she still doesn't have a bed.
This bed saga has taken up a large amount of my free time between customer service phone call and emails after finally!!! receiving a bed that looks like this:
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A 'hole' lot of damage.

The story is too long to be worth repeating, but at this point my order is cancelled and I have found the same bed through a different company, which will we be arriving soon.
I hope.

Birthday Planning

We've got a golden birthday to celebrate this year {2!}
and we're quite excited about it.
In fact, we're celebrating with two celebrations, a little birthday party in Ankeny with some of our favorite people followed by a trip to the happiest place on Earth.

We're taking our birthday girl to Disney World.

I'm giddy with excitement and am having a lot of fun planning and preparing for a Minnie themed party to kick off a great birthday week.

And the Disney planning.
That's fun too.
But let's be real...
I've had this trip planned in my mind for years.

Lauren

She's pure toddler.
She changes daily, I swear.
She learns something new, says something new, throws a fit over something new.
Everyday is something.

We've been busy playing outside as the weather has tamed itself a bit,
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doing puzzles {her current obsession},
reading books {the same ones constantly},
and having tea parties with friends.
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Including her cow, another obsession.
Not necessarily this particular cow.
But all cows.

Dog Door

While the mess of Lauren's bed has been pure frustration, stress, and disappointment,

This...

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made me very happy today.

We've got a dog door.
We've only been trying to get one since we moved in this house,
nearly one year ago.
The double paned glass and the door size were major obstacles,
but thankfully when my dad visited,
he made one call,
and we're in business folks.

Next on the agenda...
Teach Charlotte how to use it.

If you don't hear from me for a while, you know why...

February 24, 2015

puzzle

Lauren has become quite the puzzle lover in the last month.

They are one of the first things she goes for in the playroom and provide a lot of entertainment for the both of us.

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January 26, 2015

lately

hi.

long time. no blog.

I came up with a new excuse though.

She is furry, has four legs, & goes by the name of Charlotte. 
Thank goodness she is cute.
Mostly because she is naughty. 

Matt and I have been out of the puppy game for too long and it's been a reality check. Each week gets a little bit better and we keep reminding ourselves that someday "she will be a really good dog."

She starts puppy class this week.
I've got BIG expectations for the end of the next six weeks.

But incase you were curious, here's a few moments from the last couple weeks, when we weren't in the midst of puppy chaos.

June 5, 2014

Bailey

Last weekend we said goodbye to our dear sweet Bailey.

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She was the smartest, sweetest, and most loyal and proud dog I've ever known and our family was blessed to call her ours. 

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While we knew the time was fast approaching, the decision to say goodbye was still difficult.

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She quite literally changed the lives of our family as she inspired my father to begin a small business in the pet industry, which lead to a move and and the growth of a family business.
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For over 13 years, she amazed us with her intelligence, stayed close to us when we needed her the most, and became the trusted role model to all the furry members of our family.

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While we know there will never be a dog quite like her,
we cherish that she was ours.

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Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. - Roger Caras



May 16, 2014

five things

{1}
It's official.
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We've got a crawler in the house.
She's been a roller and a body surfer with a mean army crawl, but now her belly is off the ground and it's one hand in front of the other. Her legs get caught up behind her in a sweet little pretzel twist, but we know that in a matter of days, she will be zipping through the living room.
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{2}
Bella and Lauren's relationship continues to grow.
{especially since she became mobile}
One of the sweetest things about moving back to the US, was knowing that Lauren would grow up with Bella.
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When Lauren is napping, from time to time Bella can be found relaxing on her elephant chair.
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Whether it's her way of getting a well deserved break or staying close to Lauren while she's asleep,
 we think it's pretty much adorable.

{3}
I've shared my love of wine before and my devotion to Cakebread.
I've even mentioned my hope to be a lucky Cakebread Wine Club member.
My husband made that happen for me at Christmas.
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Every other month I happily await a heavy box, containing four bottles of wine.
For a girl who loves mail and wine... it makes my day.

{4}
Lauren is still exploring the world of purees.
While she isn't gagging as often, she still doesn't love her greens,
which kind of breaks my green loving heart.
In time, I am sure she will learn to appreciate her nutrient rich vegetable choices,
but for now, one green option we can both agree on...
avocado.
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{5}
Before I became a parent I swore my living room would never be the playroom.
This is the current state of my living room:
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While a large part of this situation is due to lack of space...
this whole parenting thing is really humbling.



May 9, 2014

five things

{1}
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We had a great weekend celebrating Matt's birthday that included a trip to a food truck festival {where we ran into a couple from Cartagena that has been relocated to Houston}, a few gifts including getting fitted and ordering new golf clubs, ice cream pie, and a nice dinner out to one of our old favorite sea food spots.
We missed the Gulf Coast.
Especially the oysters.

{2}
During our dinner out, Lauren sat in a restaurant high chair for the first time.
And felt pretty special doing it.
Matt and I loved it. She entertained herself with rice crackers and people watching while we enjoyed our meals...
and a celebratory glass of wine.
Both for Matt's birthday and Lauren's new milestone.
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{3}
Every year I print our blog into a book. It works pretty well since I don't scrapbook anymore nor do I print pictures for albums. When I printed 2013, I noticed a few of my last posts didn't have pictures. A few months ago, I was made aware that the photos were showing up differently on the blog from Flickr. I thought it was a change they made. Apparently it was a change in my settings. So now on my to do list, is the task of replacing all those pictures with the correct setting, so I can print our 2014 book with pictures.
guh.

Oh and by the way, while I was strolling down memory lane....
remember when 'this' welcomed us to Cartagena
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It looked the exact same when we left.

{4}
This girl had some dental work done yesterday, which is quite invasive when you are a canine.
Anesthesia, teeth cleaning and little extra gum work.
She's on the mend and getting some extra attention around here.
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{5}
While Matt was getting fitted for clubs last weekend, Lauren and I did a little shopping.
I stumbled upon both of these on the clearance rack at Marshall's.
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Seriously.
In the middle of Webster, Texas.

I guess we are meant to be here...


March 31, 2014

our girls

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"whoever said diamonds are a girls best friend,
never had a dog"


March 18, 2014

We're here!

We've made it home...
to Houston, Texas.
{Pearland, to be exact}

Lauren and Bella both did wonderful on the trip down and now we are getting settled in, working on making our temporary 2 bedroom apartment a home and becoming a nice little American family.

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We've been focusing on creating a routine for Lauren. When we left Colombia, we apparently left her routine behind and we've seen the effects of no routine.
Think no sleep.
Despite the countless books I read, highlighted, and ear marked during my pregnancy, I managed to raise a babe who can't self soothe.
It's a work in progress...

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Bella is adjusting to life as an only dog. Living with a dog apartment style, takes us back to our early days with Bella, where you have to go out late at night/early in the morn in your sweatpants.
It's a big adjustment for our boxer baby, who has been living life with furry mates and a dog door the past 3 years.
Despite the change, she has been a trouper and is loving the morning walks with Lauren on a trail right behind our building.
Her anxiety is still a little high, seen in her need to follow me around all day long and her inability to enjoy treats or bones if she is left alone at the apartment.
In time...

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I don't know that it has totally sunk in that we are really living in America.
It's hard to believe there's not an expiration date on our time here and a flight right around the corner.
My to-do list to settle in is quite lengthy, but I am enjoying crossing items off one by one.

We've got some work to do to make this temporary home, a temporary home
but it already feels good.

Our dog, our daughter, a zip code, and an 8 minute Target drive.

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Welcome to America.



March 10, 2014

Lauren & Bella

There was a time when I wondered if Bella would ever 'officially' be a McQuinn again.
With the Colombia job dragging on and no idea what exactly was next for us, we weren't sure when the time would come.
Thankfully it happened sooner than we thought.

I'm relieved, especially since Bella was referred to as a senior dog a few weeks ago by the vet.

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One of the most exciting parts about bring Bella back into our family is her relationship with Lauren.
We've always imagined our children growing up with Bella and are thankful Lauren will have the opportunity to call Bella, her dog.

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We are so excited to see their relationship grow everyday.

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It's going to be hard to take Bella from the environment she has known for the last 3 years.
She is so loved in this household, has enjoyed playing with Bailey and Ruby daily, and has a very special bond with my mom.

While I'm a little worried about Bella's immediate transition,
we've always loved her from near and far,
and with another McQuinn to show her love,
we know she will find a special place in her new home.

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Welcome back,
Bella Rose Schoenfelder-McQuinn!



March 9, 2014

an update

We've been a busy little American family.

A brief update...

Matt left for Texas and started his new job last week. He has had nothing but wonderful things to say and is excited about the future.  Last week he took care of some safety trainings and had the opportunity to visit a few job sites.  We are still pinching ourselves with the idea that he will be working normal hours and no weekends!
Matt didn't hesitate in easing into the Texas culture. He purchased a new truck. He loved his truck in Texas, so there wasn't much of a discussion on what he would be driving this time around.
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Matt also found us an apartment. We will be living in Pearland, located on the southeast side of Houston. We've signed a short term lease to give us some time to get to know the area and begin our house hunt {again}. The apartment is dog friendly and located in a retail area, which is quite conventient for Lauren and I. There's a nice walking trail nearby so we are looking forward to many family walks, complete with our Bella Rose, and a few shopping trips.

Lauren and I spent some time last week at the house. On Tuesday, the moving company sent some people to pack everything up. At first I was unsure of how I would feel about someone coming into our home and packing all of our belongings, but by the time they arrived I was thrilled we went this route and so over the idea that I would have been able to do this myself.
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{my end}

The following day another group of gentleman came out to load the truck and head out for Houston. I can't imagine what our neighbors {who we never had the pleasure of meeting} think about us. We move in, disappear, and then a semi shows up to load everything up and we are gone.
When the truck pulled away I was so relieved that my part of the 'moving' was complete. They made it to Houston and met Matt at the apartment on Friday morning. Surprisingly we have more than we thought we did and since we are in a two bedroom apartment for the time being, we also have a storage unit.
Poor Matt was definitely on the more difficult end of this move, the receiving end. He worked his way through the boxes and has done a wonderful job of making our new little space our home.
{until we do this again in a few months}

apt kitchen
{Matt's end}

Lauren is loving life in America.
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{L sporting some Air Force Ones from Uncle Tyler}


During the day at least.
We have been spending time with the pups, taking lots of walks in this beautiful weather, running errands, and soaking up the time with Grandma & Grandpa.
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The nights have been a different story.

Our little dolly has gone from a generally good sleeper to being up, quite often, through the night. We've been through a list of things, trying to help our baby girl {and ourselves}.
We were in a pack and play and switched back to the crib, we've been to the doctor to check for an ear infection, called the doctor to get their opinion on introducing rice cereal, increased feedings at night, and re-introduced the swaddle.
Lauren transitioned out of the swaddle in Colombia, it's too hot to swaddle.
With the swaddle, things have gotten better.
But we still have room for improvement.

I feel pretty responsible for the long nights, as we have put Lauren through a lot lately and there isn't much of a routine left at this point.

Regardless of the night, she wakes up with a smile each morning and melts my heart a little more each day.

So, I'll take the long nights.

We've got time to get into a routine when we get home.


January 17, 2014

Lola

Yesterday I sent this picture to Matt at work.
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Lauren is starting to play much more and has a few favorite toys.
Her dolly happens to be one of them.

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Matt showed his secretary, Andrea, this picture. She proceeded to ask what we called the dolly. This is something I have probably put too much thought into. We used to name every one of Bella's stuffed toys, Ella the Elephant, Franc the Flying Squirrel, and Becky, the annoying cheerleader monkey. But I wasn't sure if we should bestow a name upon one of Lauren's favorite toys or let her do the honors.
When Matt explained to Andrea, that dolly was nameless, she explained that in Colombia every little girl's first dolly is named Lola, or Lolita.
{they add -ita to anything small or cute}

Yes, Yes, and Yes.
Lola is a very special name...
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with a very special place in my heart.

Meet Lauren's dolly, Lola, affectionately known as Lolita.

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