We had a dog named Zoe who was my world. Zoe wore clothing regularly, was almost never seen without a bow. She was company to me as my children were growing older and didn't need me as much. Zoe was my girl. She needed me. She would hug my neck every morning. When I thought she could not get any closer to me to sleep she would scoot a little closer. I love her. The morning of July 26th, I took Zoe out to potty as usual. I stooped down to pick a cucumber off the plant and she heard something and darted away. She darted into the street and got hit by a car right in front of my house. It was the worst day of my life. I literally laid face down in the foyer and cried and screamed. I held my precious Zoe until she smelled bad and I knew I had to bury her. It was the saddest experience of my life.
When heartache comes, God wipes your tears. I believe He cried with me that day and days afterward. He was sad for me. And He was working on a plan for me.
My best friend called me about a week after Zoe died. She said, "I know you can't think about another dog right now but it may be the best thing for you to heal your heart. Sophie(her yorkie) went into heat the day after Zoe died and we have been talking about it and want to breed her so that you can have a puppy if you want one." At first I thought, oh no, I can't want another dog. Zoe was the best dog ever. My husband and I discussed it and decided that by the time we round up a daddy dog, breed, deliver and grow then we would be ready to have a new puppy. So we told my friend to breed. Very rapidly, they located a daddy yorkie that was just the right size for Sophie. We all met at my friend's house and put the two dogs together :) It may sound strange to attend the conception of your new puppy but it didn't seem strange to us. We all 5 attended the deed. We were emotionally invested in the event. Plus it was educational for the children.
A week passed and we were convinced that Sophie was pregnant. Usual symptoms of pregnancy started to develop and we were excited. 57-63 days is the general time frame for gestation for yorkies. So I made a countdown calendar where I counted the days till the new puppy. At 56 days, I was out running and when I got back to my car my phone was ringing. It was my best friend and she announced that she was at work and Sophie had had the first pup while she was on the couch next to her nephew. She asked me to rush over and check on things. Ummmm YES!! I got over there in plenty of time to deliver the second two babies. The first one was doing very well and was Kami. She was the biggest of the pups.
The doc says that most times the first born is the biggest. Second born took a bit to get out. I helped Sophie deliver her. When she was born, she was heaving. I called the doc and put him on speaker telling him about the heaving. He told me I needed to squeeze her upside down and shake her to get the mucus dislodged from her lungs. I said, "Oh I can't do that." He said, "I know it sounds violent, but you have to do it or the baby will die." So I got to shakin'! Two shakes and the pup snooted out a string of mucus and started breathing. Her name was Lola. She was the most precious thing I had ever seen.
Almost two hours later, the third pup was born. He also was heaving and I shook him right away and he was breathing well. After the third pup was born I was able to identify that the first two were girls and the last one was a boy. I knew that the first two were the same but was unsure if they were girls or boys. Once the boy was born it was obvious lol! I had told my friend that she need not worry about how many puppies Sophie had because I would take whatever she had because she had bred her for me. I didn't want her to have the burden of finding homes for them. Interestingly enough, God was taking care of us and Sophie had three. One for me, one for my friend and one for the daddy dog's family. We could not have asked for a more perfect situation.
I wanted a girl, the daddy dog's family wanted a girl and my best friend wanted a boy. Two girls and a boy. Perfect. God did good. No extra yorkies to keep. Just the right amount.
Sophie is the best mommy. She has taken care of the pups like a champ. We could not have asked for better.
Lola and Me :)
In the mean time, my best friend's sister contacted me and let me know that there was a maltese, Zoe's breed, at the pound that I needed to "go get". That is what she told me. "Go get him." Sometimes you don't want to have to think about something. Sometimes you just want someone to make it a no brainer for you. Sometimes you just want someone to say, "Go Get Him". I did. And then there was Charlie. He was perfect for us. And he was so proud of being a big brother when his sister Lola was born.
No one will ever replace Zoe. She was my baby. But I thank God and my friends for giving me the gift of all that they had. My friend didn't know what to do for me to help my sadness so she gave me all that she had. She bred her dog so I could have a puppy. I am eternally grateful. My heart is healed with the gift of Charlie and Lola. Lola came home yesterday. My heart is full. Amen.
Thanks so much for reading my blog. Please remember me if you need a speaker for your next event. Visit my website at www.funthoughtsonlife.com to contact me about your event or anything else :)
Have a great Sunday!
Jennifer
No comments:
Post a Comment