A family finds a new member

It is an aisle I could always skip in the grocery store. Before I was a mommy, I used to skip that whole half of the store. Produce? Check. Deli? Check. Dry goods, canned vegetables, pasta? Check. But after that those other aisles all seemed pointless.

Jars and jars of baby food, diapers, Gerber Graduates, wipes.

Two babies later I found myself frequenting those rows. Their items became regularly featured needs on my list. At least I still had those pet aisles I could skip, right?

Well, this week our family grew by one member. We have been wanting a puppy for a few years. Well, let me rephrase that – my son, age 5, has been asking for a dog since he could talk.

I think that a dog is all a part of our “white picket fence” life. Live in suburbia, have 2.5 kids, a dog, a yard … the American Dream. But with a 5-year-old son and soon-to-be-3-year-old daughter there just never seemed a time to add to our family.

We knew we didn’t want another child. We hope not to have another. With a boy and a girl – the “rich man’s family,” even if we are far from it – we seemed complete.

Regardless, the begging for a puppy never ended. We decided that once my daughter was out of diapers, we could maybe handle the additional responsibilities (and cost) of another “baby” in the family.

As she potty trained, we egged my daughter on with promises of a puppy. If she could go on the potty, we could save diaper money and spend it on a dog. She was thrilled to have the incentive, and we were happy to justify the budget.

To help her along, we’d occasionally stop at the pet shop to remind her of her goal. We’d pet the puppies and sometimes even take her into the small rooms to play with one.

That was all going smoothly until Saturday. During one of our usual stops, we accidentally fell in love. All four of us were head over heals for a fluffy Australian Sheppard. Amongst a pile of sleeping fur, my son squealed with excitement at a small version of my sister’s dog.

And instead of fleeing in fear, as most dogs (and let’s face it, humans) would do, this little pup came bounding toward him. He excitedly licked his face and pounced around him.

We risked taking him into the little room, and it was all said and done. Once we all got to play with him, hug him and pet him we couldn’t resist.

We came back the next day – a few months ahead of our original schedule – and bought the newest member of our family. Oliver Jaxon Treacy, better known in our house as “Ollie,” has been doing quite well thus far.

Our family will spend the next few weeks adjusting, but it all feels very right. Sleepless nights, countless trips to the yard, feedings, vet visits … we are ready. And Ollie seems happy, too! Our family feels a little more complete.

Best of all? My daughter hasn’t missed a trip to the potty since!