Sharing the love

I know when parents have second or third children, they often have the challenge of making sure older siblings still feel loved and included. I can relate.

"But Emily, Ethan is your only child. What on earth do you mean?!"

Well, if you know me, you know the answer to that question. I'm referring, of course, to my my fur-son, Winston the Puggle.

Winston will always be first baby. I had never been one for dogs before, but I chose him-- after finding him by chance through a random Google search-- and after making the trip to Kentucky (yup) to pick him up, I fell in love with him instantly.

Yes, we loved him so much, but he was difficult puppy-- actually, in a lot of ways, the newborn Ethan phase has been easier than the early days of Winston. He did not come to us house trained. He pulled on his leash during walks (still does) and he nipped constantly. One time, I thought we were having a perfectly nice snuggle until he bit me on the armpit and then peed on the floor. Good times.

However, Winston is two and a half now, and while he's still spirited and stubborn, he's a sweet, cuddly little guy and we couldn't imagine life without him. He's taught us so much about compromise and family and pure, unconditional love. And, it probably goes without saying that he's also really, really spoiled.

So, this is why I was a little nervous during my pregnancy about how exactly we would all handle the new addition. How, with a fresh baby, could I possibly devote as much as my energy and love to Winston? Would he be jealous or skittish or destructive? Or, would he withdraw, feeling left out or forgotten? It felt like the end of an era, and I felt guilty about forcing an adjustment on him when he was so used to being the absolute centre of our universe.

My babies

However, I'm pleased to report that over the past three months, Winston has been the most sane member of this household. Okay, that's a pretty low bar, but he has been one shred of normalcy during what been a pretty hectic time. Other than a few curious sniffs, he basically leaves Ethan alone, but for me, he has been a constant source of love and affection-- often knowing when I need it the most even before I do. In fact, when we got home from the hospital the day after Ethan was born, Winston seemed to sense right away that I was drained and overwhelmed. In response, his first order of business was to climb up on the couch, curl into a ball next to me and heave a huge sigh of contentment. I, exhausted and full of hormones, immediately burst into the happiest of tears.

What I'm getting at is that there's always enough love to go around. People (and dogs) surprise you with how they adapt to change, and I've been lucky to see an amazing new side of Winston since Ethan joined our tribe. True, he's not our only baby anymore, but we love him just as much as we did when he was our whole world-- when Ethan was a mere abstract concept of the future-- and he's been doing just fine with his new role as big brother. It probably doesn't hurt that he still has a place in our bed while Ethan sleeps in the bassinet, a fact I'm sure he secretly gloats about...