Thought I’d update this sadly neglected blog. At least it isn’t unique in that respect - I haven’t done much of anything since our daughter was born. She’s really gorgeous - I know everyone says that about their kids, but I’m not deluded! Really!
She was a very punctual baby - she came right on her due date, and even waited until midnight the night before before starting labour proper. Weighing seven and half pounds and measuring 52cm, she entered the world around 9:00 in the morning. She’s on a 2-4 hour feeding schedule at the moment, which is difficult, but not impossible. My wife’s made of stronger stuff than I, that’s for sure - she’s absolutely amazing in her patience and ability to calm our daughter down. It’s like talking down a suicide jumper - most times I try, I end up with a red patch on the pavement.
It hasn’t all been good though. Unfortunately, one of our dogs, Chief, wasn’t able to adjust to the baby. We spent the last nine months trying to socialise him with other babies and get used to their smells and cries. Sadly, when we brought her home, he lost it - he spent a full 48 hours barking, whimpering, and crying. I tried everything I could with him - leash training, separation when he was unruly, letting him smell her, letting him see her through a baby gate, and so on. After 48 hours, he’d lost almost a kilo in weight and had barely slept, so we had to take him to a kennel.
Thankfully, we managed to find him a new home with the breeder we originally bought him from. She lives out on a farm in Healesville, and her older son goes rabbit hunting, so I think he’ll be happier there than here. Dropping him off at the kennel was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, as was the decision to do so. At the time, I wasn’t sure whether we’d be able to find a solution or whether we’d have to have him put down, a thought I really couldn’t come to terms with. He’s been a difficult dog, but he’s also been a loyal (if somewhat argumentative) friend for seven years. And now I’ll probably never see him again.
The late afternoons and evenings are the hardest. The house has noticably less energy now that he’s gone - he used to patrol all afternoon, making sure everything was OK. Around 5:00, he’d come and bark at us to feed him. Now that he’s gone, the house seems quiet. Borderline lonely.
I wouldn’t change what’s happened for the world. I love my daughter, and I’m really looking forward to having conversations with her. It’s sad though how some of the greatest things in life come with such high costs. The decision was easy, but dealing with the aftermath’s the hard thing. Day by day, it grows easier, but it still sneaks up on you - I came to work today to see a photo of our dogs, Chief and Mischief, on my desk. That makes it hard.