When I started writing this blog I only had 1 cat and 2 dogs. The furbaby mama life was still pretty new and I was blogging as I was figuring it all out. While I can't say I have all the answers now with 3 dogs and 3 cats, I can say that I'm experienced. On the other hand, parenting a baby girl is all brand new. Blogging is not just my creative outlet, it's become an amazing way for me to document my life as it changes seasons, connect with all of you on different levels and figure this whole mom thing out as I go. So if you've been around since the beginning. I apologize that The Ruff Life has gone from all about the furbablls to all about the baby. I promise our dogs and cats have not been brushed to the side at all. Chris and I make the extra effort to ensure everyone gets the love and attention they deserve. But we consider ourselves pros in the furbaby department at this point so the focus of blog posts has overwhelming turned to mommy and baby topics. And I'll be honest, that's most likely the way it will stay. Now, that does not mean I won't throw in some furbaby focused posts here and there. I'm always open to suggestions and questions. I just feel like I have to keep this blog current and my life right now is very different than it was when I started writing. A rebrand may be something I look into eventually but for now the name and our home here will remain unchanged. So with that said, this post is about all my babies.
We did things a little differently than probably most people do as far as introducing the kids' new baby sister to them. Our dogs are excitable with children especially so we knew we wanted to wait a bit before allowing close up interaction. We let them all get used to Fallon's scent and understand she was a new member of the family. The cats came and met her each on their own time but we had to control her relationship with the dogs early on. It might seem mean or harsh if you don't understand dog behavior and I am not suggesting everyone else should do things this way. But it ended up working out really well for us so I'll share our process.
We actually waited a whole month before we let any of the dogs see Fallon up close. The initial meetings were brief and we made sure to bring Fallon to them on their beds as well as kept her at arm's length from them. We gradually increased the frequency and length of the time we let each dog interact with their new sister and closed the gap between their curious noses and her face. Chaos still gets upset when she cries and it takes all his will power to remain on command in his place instead of charging to her rescue. But we have yet to have any accidental injuries, no one getting underfoot while someone is holding the baby and she hasn't been scared by a friendly but very excited brother or sister in her face. She is getting to the age that she is starting to reach out for them and touch their faces and their fur. We will teach her to be gentle as soon as she understands but these calm and positive interactions now are setting the stage for that later. We are far from the people who treat their furballs like children and then toss them aside when a baby comes along. I promise we still love all our babies and our family dynamic has changed only for the better, even if it is mostly behind the scenes.
This picture for our 2016 Christmas card picture could not showcase our babies' personalities any better and we are so excited to send it out to all our family and friends.
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