Heidi

The Friday Five ~ April 29th

This was literally a crazy week. And here we are on Friday and although much was accomplished I ended up having to take some much-needed downtime. Let me explain.

On Tuesday I made up a grocery list and headed to our local store. I needed everything from Avocados to Ziploc Bags. So, I shopped and was helped by a new teenage bagger, who filled each grocery bag to maximum capacity.
When I got home I started to carry the bags up the stairs from the basement garage to the kitchen. Heavy sacks and I carried far too many of them at once.
Just as I finished the groceries, Chewy arrived and I went down to bring up a few dog food things. Nothing heavy, but as I hit the third step, my lower back went out. Each step, each movement, brought on excruciating pain! Once I finished putting things away, and with tears streaming down my cheeks, I sat down on my recliner.
I have worn my back brace some and used my heating pad, but the best relief I get is when I am reclined in my recliner.

Heidi makes a great Nurse.

So, I have decided that I need to get a reclining bed. Once I am mobile enough, I will start shopping.
Today our snowplow people came to repair the grassy area next to the driveway, where his plow truck skidded off. So far it looks good.

So that was the week that was. I managed to get through it and my back is slightly better. I’ve been walking and doing gentle stretches. I hate being laid up and want to be enjoying the sunshine. So, MY–BACK, get better fast!

My love, Heidi.

A few months ago, when I brought Heidi home, I admit that I wondered if there was a possibility that she would be as special as my three Dackel Princess pups had been.

All three of them had distinct, strong, and individual personalities. I just wasn’t sure that this little girl could be all that the others had been.

I’d been watching Heidi since her birth via videos and pictures.

Newborn Heidi

I had felt a very strong attachment to her. One that I couldn’t exactly explain, without sounding like I was slightly daft, or losing my mind.

Meeting Heidi in person, on January 1st.

There was just something very familiar about her right from the start.

At the hotel in Nashville.

Me & Heidi

But here we are. Heidi will be six months old in another week or so and it’s like she has always been in my life.

She follows me everywhere. and stays with me when I am cooking or doing laundry or the dishes. I teasingly call her Velcro-Dog.

Heidi is unlike any pup I have ever had. Her personality is sweet and loving. She is smart and watchful, and at the same time has a hilarious sense of humor. And when I fall asleep for a nap, or at night, she finds her special little spot on my lap, curls up and we sleep. Happily, peacefully, lovingly asleep.

I am so grateful, so very happy to have this wonderful little being in my life.

Happy Tuesday!

As Springtime arrives we here in New Hampshire are dealing with “Mud Season”. Many driveways and back roads are becoming impassable. Cars sink up to their axels. And cars at the store are just plain muddy.

I take the two girls out for walks and almost every time we get back, one or the other or both are covered in mud.

My darling Heidi.

Monday found Heidi feeling a little bit off her game. She was tired and clingy and just wanted her Mama. I was worried. But after a three-hour nap, she was back to her crazy puppy antics!

Happy Tuesday!

The Friday Five ~ March 18th

This week found me thinking about the past. Oh, I didn’t dwell, but I spent time recalling happy times. sad times, and times when I found great growth in life. So, it was a good week all in all.

So, here is this week’s Friday Five.

It’s Spring and we are having a lot of melting. Our puddles have puddles and everything is muddy and gross. Of course, Heidi thinks this is so much fun and tried to eat the mud!
I was walking the dogs in the yard today and I slipped and fell. While getting up I noted I was wet, muddy, and slightly yucky. The dogs were so impressed. I swear they wanted me to “do it again!”
I have been slow cooking the corned beef all day. I just added the celery and cabbage to the corned beef pot and the carrots, potatoes, and onions are prepped and ready to go.
Lili had a great birthday.

She had her usual crunchie food, but today I gave her some poached chicken on top. Happy 8th Birthday to my love.
Heidi is growing by leaps and bounds. She is sixteen pounds now, and such a beautiful girl. She is also my love. I scoop her up in my arms and snuggle her and then I thank God for sending me this cherished girl.
Yes, I am a lucky doggy Mama. Lili and Heidi are such wonderful companions!

Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy the time no matter where you are!

Heidi, Sweet Heidi!

Heidi is growing up by leaps and bounds. I have to say, she is a really wonderful dog and I am blessed to have her.

Now here is a little thing that she does that I find incredibly cute. When I am sitting in my recliner she comes up the steps and sits looking at me until I move my laptop, magazine, or writing table off my lap. Once that is done she hops between my knees and goes to sleep.

Isn’t she cute?

Over and over she lets me know that the space between my knees is just for her.

Heidi’s favorite spot!

It cracks me up and makes me smile every time. Once she gets into the spot, she goes right to sleep.

At almost 22 weeks she is, for the most part, house trained. She will go to the door and woof when the time is right!

You know, Heidi has got to be the sweetest little puppy ever. She is filling up my life and making me feel very loved. It is why I love this breed so very much. They are funny and warm and loving!

What more could a girl want?

Fun, Fun, Fun!

Yesterday while I started to deep clean the kitchen and family room, Heidi and Lili began to really kick up some dust playing.

Me and my baby!

Heidi is so funny to watch. She runs around so fast, like a speeding roadrunner. But her favorite game with Lili is that she runs around the island in the kitchen over and over and over, while Lili tries to follow her. Then when she knows Lili is falling behind, she turns and jumps out in Lili’s face, surprising her.

I just stood there in the kitchen, silently watching until the laughter burst out from my lungs!

Lili is so patient with Heidi and allows her to play these silly games with her.

It does my heart good to see the two of them playing so nicely.

After the big play session, it was time to crash with Mama.

A sleepy puppy!

Baby Feet.

Seventeen Weeks!

I’m not sure if I have shared with you this story. But when Heidi was born, the small “Red Collar” puppy, I just knew she was mine.

Red Collar Puppy!

Now the breeder prepared me that she was not sure which pups were going where, but she noted my desire.

Each day that pictures were shown, I grew more and more certain that Miss Red was mine. It was cosmic. I just knew.

Miss Red

Soon the Breeder confirmed that Heidi was mine, and they began using her name with her.

Now at 17 weeks, and after being with us since January 1st, Heidi fits right in, as though she has always been here.

My girl.

I joke that she is “Velcro Puppy” as she follows me everywhere and when I am seated, she is always either next to me or on top of me.

She is simply the sweetest of puppies. So loving, and gentle with me. I swear this was meant to be.

A Day in the Life of a Little Dog

Each morning I get up before the sun. After the pups have their breakfast, we go for our first walk. Up, up, up, the driveway, and then back down.

The Ice Fishing Derby was being held this weekend. We can watch from our front yard!

This coming back from one of our walks. Down, what I refer to as the impossible driveway. Yes, I wear ice treads!

After the long walk, lots of snuggles with the mommy!

Heidi sitting on a crocheted blanket I made that is wonderfully warm, but pills and sheds terribly! Needless to say, Heidi loves this one, and in some ways, I do too.

She is just a real cutie pie and she has totally stolen my heart and made my world a better place.

Heidi ~16-Weeks

I thought today I would write a little about Heidi at 16 weeks. I finally feel like we are getting to know the pup she is becoming. It’s quite amazing, but as she settles in, I see this whole new pup.

She was the smallest in her litter which made her a bit feisty. I think it was because she knew early on she had 5 other littermates to get under control.

The breeder told me that she was pretty fearless and that she did not allow any of the others to pick on her. And at first, Heidi spent a lot of time putting Lili in her place. She was bold and bossy. At times I wondered if it would have been a better fit with one of the less feisty pups!

But, Heidi is now settling in. At 16 weeks she is getting calmer and cuddlier. I so love those moments!

She is 99.9% house-broken, so I have more time to relax and actually play with her without fear that she will have an accident.

She loves to sleep between my knees and I often find her that way when I am watching TV or typing on my computer.

She loves to go for walks, even when the snow is up to her belly. She is still light enough to walk on top of the snow piles without sinking. But at 13 + pounds, she will be sinking down into it, I am sure!

I brought her with me to the UPS Store today and the owner could not believe how different she looks in such a short time.

These dackel babies look like small adorable compact pups at first, and one day you notice their backs have gotten longer, and their chest has sprung, giving them the classic outline of a dackel. Also, Heidi has gotten the cutest real dackel nose now.

Here is one of the best things about her. She is not a barker! Oh my goodness, Anneliese sure could bark up a storm, so having this adorable pup who tends to be very quiet is a nice bonus.

How lucky I am to have this little ball of fur in my life. She is everything I’d hoped for and so much more!

The Weekend Wrap ~ February 7th

Over the weekend I was busy teaching Heidi a few more commands. My correction on her biting was going nowhere until Lili actually nipped at her and since then she has been leaving us alone. It’s almost like Lili was her doggy mommy teaching her the ropes.

I brought out Arnie’s old bed and put it down. It is quite similar to one that they had at her birth mother’s home. She has just had the best time sleeping in it, rubbing her body in it, and jumping into it.

They originally called it a calming bed in the advertisement when I bought it for Arnie. All I can say is that it appears to be working for Heidi. (Also known as the crazy puppy girl of New Hampshire!) She looks so small in that bed!

Lili is settling in with her new sister. I think it was hard for her as she had adjusted to being an only dog. But after a while, she has warmed toward Heidi and they are now cuddling as well as playing together.

We are now walking three to four times a day. Even in the cold. I dress Heidi in her heavy sweater and cape and then put on my layers. The only one who breaks a sweat on our walk is darling Lili. But then, she wears a beautiful fur coat!

My next purchase will be a doggy car seat for Heidi. I want to get one that I can use with a harness. Heidi loves to go for a ride, but she does not always want to stay put.

This week I am hopeful that I can begin to get the house cleaned up and things put away. I just let a lot of things go while I have been caring for baby Heidi, but now that she plays for a time quite nicely, I can get a few things done.

Have a great week everyone!