Like many families, before the kids came along, Brady and I already considered ourselves "parents" to a couple of furry babies. If you haven't had the pleasure, meet Coolidge the beagle and Lulu the...?
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| Partners in crime...Lulu and Coolidge |
Before Will and Sydney came along, these pups ruled the roost. Understandably, we were a little curious about how they would adjust once we brought the twins home. We predicted that Coolidge would be mildly interested until he realized that he was no longer "King of the Castle," and then he would quietly pout for a few days. We were exactly right! However, Lulu was the wild card. We doubted that she would be aggressive toward the babies, but beyond that we had no idea what to expect. She is the younger and more energetic of the two dogs, so would she be too wild around the little ones? Would she be interested in them at all?
Once we brought the babies home, we were amused (and a bit alarmed) to find that not only was she interested, she was a bit obsessed. Wherever the babies were, Lulu could be found nearby. Babies in their crib? Lulu would be standing on her hind legs, peering over the rails. Babies on Mommy's lap? Lulu would be sitting on Mommy's feet, trying to sniff the babies or even sneak a forbidden lick! Baby in the swing? Lulu would be laying under the swing, keeping watch over the little one. Then we realized that not only was Lulu staying near the babies at all times, she was making sure that Coolidge stayed away! Any time he would come near the twins, Lulu would bare her teeth at him and "herd" him away with her nose or even a few soft nips at his heels. These were her babies, darn it, and she wasn't sharing!
We came to realize that Lulu considered herself the babies' guardian, and she still does to this day. If one of the babies is making noise in the crib or bouncer, Lulu will come and get one of us to check on them. If friends or family are here visiting the babies, Lulu will hover around the unfamiliar person as if making sure they are holding the baby correctly...no "funny business" allowed!
Here are some pics of Lulu and the babies...the twins are lucky to have such a loyal friend from the beginning!
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| Pillow talk |
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| Checkin' on my babies! |
