Introductions

Many have asked how our first 'baby' has adapted to the addition of Ben - and I really couldn't have hoped for a better response.

A friend at work gave me a book about integrating dog and newborn. After reading the first 15 pages, I realized I had violated every suggestion they had (pay less attention to the dog in the weeks leading up to bring newborn home, practice walking with the stroller ahead of time, etc.), so I quit reading it and hoped for the best.

One thing we did do was bring one of Ben's blankets home from the hospital for Stella to get his smell before he arrived. She was very interested in this and sniffed the heck out of it so perhaps it really worked, hard to say...

But from the moment he came through the door, she has been fantastic. She initially welcomed him with curiosity, followed by a big lick in his ears, and has since taken a great interest in his feet. She kisses him when he sleeps and when he whimpers. She periodically peers into his cradle when he is sleeping to check on him. And she has ridden out even the worst crying spells with the rest of us.

I think the first week was the worst of it for her, when I barely had a chance to look at her twice given all that was going on. Now we're almost back to our regular routine, albeit slightly later in the day. She is still sleeping in our bed and climbing under the covers in the middle of the night. Though I detect more careful moves from her as she checks out the scene to ensure Ben isn't nearby. And I'm trying to get our morning walks back on schedule. Today we took a big, wonderful walk and everyone loved it.

I look forward to watching them get to know each other as time passes. Maybe Ben will even help Stella get over her fear of skateboards and basketball players, though that may still be down the road a bit...until then, we're grateful for the shared kisses.