The night before our wedding, Orlando and I were in my parent’s house enjoying some time with our family before the big day.  We were just upstairs in the studio, lounging around, when my sister mysteriously appeared in the doorway.  She had a surprise for us, and it came bounding into the room in a whirl of white fuzz and puppy breath.  You see, one of Orlando’s best friends and groomsmen, Courtney, had decided to gift us with a puppy for our wedding.  Now, we wanted a puppy, so this was a welcome surprise, but nothing could have prepared me for how instantly I fell in love with this little ball of fluff.  Frenchie, we named her, and she become our firstborn baby.  Even before Cora, well before Issa, Frenchie was our little love to care for, protect, and nurture.

We threw her a ridiculous birthday party when she turned one.  When we took her to get groomed we always made sure they added the pink bows to her hair at the end.  And we even flew her with us in the cabin when we flew to Mexico, Indiana, wherever.  She was my honest-to-goodness baby.  Until, that is, we found out we were expecting an actual human baby.  I went through my entire pregnancy still obsessing over Frenchie, but as soon as Cora was born my priorities shifted instantly.  Her barks were no longer protective, they were going to interrupt nap time.  Her need for a walk meant the painstaking effort of bundling up baby, getting out the stroller, and finding the leash amongst all the heaps of baby gear that now flooded our apartment.

I wish I could say things have gotten better for Frenchie since Issa’s arrived, but unfortunately she’s still pretty far down the totem pole in our family.  And I guess I feel a little guilty for that.  She used to be the top dog (pun totally intended), and now she’s lucky if we throw her a bone.  Was that one pun too many?  Anyways, I suppose I’m just trying to say that sometimes I think about everything Frenchie has meant to this family and I wish I had the energy and time to be a better pet parent now.  She was really sick with an allergic reaction just a few weeks ago and Orlando had to take her to the vet in the middle of the night.  The girls were asleep upstairs so it was just me, Orlando, and Frenchie as they loaded up the car and prepared to head into town.

All of a sudden it just kind of hit me that I hadn’t really worried about Frenchie like that in a while.  And yet I know she worries about us all the time.  She’s always right there next to me while I’m working at my desk.  She’s constantly keeping an eye on the girls while they play and calmly puts up with their roughhousing and ornery tail tugs.  And she gets so excited when Orlando comes home.  Even when I was in labor with Issa, Orlando said Frenchie was pacing in the living room until the midwife got there, almost as if she wasn’t able to relax until she knew I was safe.  Crazy, I know, but it’s just a reminder that Frenchie has been there from the beginning.  She’s part of our family.  And she always will be, no matter how many more babies come along and steal her spotlight.

XO,

A

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