Tuesday, June 5, 2012

A moment of madness!

Funny things start happening when middle age rears its grey head......


A longing for another pregnancy. The urge to hold a new baby and breathe in that soft sweet smell. Reminiscing over old photos and dreaming of days gone by....


It's moments like these that cause me to go a little bit crazy mad. I become irrational and make spontaneous decisions. I think with my heart and not my head. I decide... damn it, why not!!


This time I pulled a real doozy.


Thanks to a chance meeting with a friend and a couple of phone calls; in the space of a few hours I bought a dog!  Me, the chick who has never ever had any desire to own a dog. Me, the mum who has a child with autism, which surely is enough to keep me busy!


Two things crossed my mind. Firstly, it was coming up to my son's 13th birthday and a dog would make a great present. A bit silly really, considering that Nick doesn't understand relationships with people so why on earth would a dog make a difference to my child! Secondly, my husband was out of town for the night, so I figured that he wouldn't be around for the first night of a howling dog and it would give him (the hub's) time to come to terms with the fact that we have an extra member in our family!


What I didn't expect, was to have my heart stolen by this little scrap of fur, sharp teeth and a smelly bum! You know... when you have a kid with autism (well, one like mine!) you get used to the lack of affection, or should I say... I have got used to the lack of affection. I don't expect the spontaneous hugs and I know that I will never hear the words "I love you Mum!"


I didn't realise how much I missed having a *regular* relationship with my son until this little dog showed his delight at having me around. I don't want a lap dog; however, at times I lift him up and cuddle him into my body. I love that he tucks his head under my chin and makes little snuffling noises! I find myself going all gooey and I start with the baby talk!! I have to laugh at how silly I am over a dog! But really, look at that little face below and how can you not fall in love with it!!



Someone mentioned to me about getting a therapy dog for Nick!  Well, I got the dog; however, it wasn't for autism sake. This dog is for all of us... because this family needs to have a balance. All too often, the decisions we make revolve around the needs of Nick! How will he cope, manage, survive and all that other stuff that goes hand in hand with my boy. I think that I am getting to the stage where I feel that life must go on regardless; and if that means buying a dog... then so be it!


What does Nick think of the dog?  Nick is not wildly excited about it and I have a feeling that he thinks the dog is a pain in the butt! However, he is very tolerant and he is quick to let us know if he has had enough of the dog OR otherwise he puts a cushion on top of it!  In order to establish the pecking order, I have given Nick the role of feeding the dog, although I make sure that the dog is not fed until after Nick has eaten his own meal... The dog has to know who is boss... right? I was so delighted the other day..... the dog was asleep in his bed and Nick went over to him and gave him three very quick pats! This only happened once, but still... I call that progress! 



One thing is for sure... the dog has cured me of that need for a new baby. I had forgotten how much hard work they are!! :-)


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Di doesn't have much spare time for blogging at the moment! (I wonder why!!!!!!). You can find her over at The Bright Side of Life; and she promises not to waffle on about the dog!!

13 comments:

  1. Ooh what a beautiful dog :) And it must be an age thing, I keep looking longingly at babies and then thinking about dogs, purely because I have a son with aspergers obviously!

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  2. and don't forget to watch The Dog Whisperer occasionally to ensure the pup remains a loving member of the family.

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  3. I like your way of presentation, The dog looking very lovely.

    Parenting Tips

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  4. Such a cute puppy - of course he stole your heart! We have a dog and she is such a good companion for my daughter. I've had her since I was single and am so glad we have her! I can't imagine life without one. It sure is nice to have a dog around to shower all of us with unconditional love! Enjoy!

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  5. Phew...really thought you were gonna say you were pregnant! It's really funny you should have written about this, as I'm a bit nuts about babies this last while too (even though the Baby Shop was closed long ago).
    The dog is beautiful! I'm not surprised you fell in love with him. XXX

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  6. @Blue Sky ~ Haha, it must be an age thing!! :)

    @Nicola ~ Thanks for the advice, we are going for puppy training classes which are very helpful.

    @Nikki ~ Thank you. Yes, he is a gorgeous dog... and growing fast!!

    @Kristina ~ You are so right, it really is nice to have a dog around. I am glad that your dog has been a good choice for your daughter.

    @Jean ~ You made me laugh! :) My husband would certainly have something to say if I was pregnant!!!!! Are you also going to buy a dog? hee hee...

    Thank you so much for all your lovely comments! xx

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  7. What a beautiful post Di! And a beautiful dog too of course. May he bring you and your family tons of joy and wet, slobbery doggy kisses! I think it was a great decision, even if it was made in a moment of madness!

    xx Jazzy

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    1. Hi Jazzy, thank you so much. He is incredibly cute, so cute that I don't mind all the doggy mess (just hope he outgrows it!!!). I am glad that you think it was a good decision... sometimes I wonder if I was a bit too over the top in my moment of madness!! Thank you for stopping by. x

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  8. This post sure gave me giggle! Last year as I approached my 40th birthday {boy was I not happy about that!} on my son's 10th birthday... I randomly and unexpectedly bought a puppy. A long haired Chihuahua whom I named Orton but now goes by the name of BoBo. For me too, I think the thoughts of getting older and having no more babies was weighing heavily on my mind. Friends had cerainly thought I'd gone nuts! You see, I too have a daughter with intellectual and physical disabilities as well as a live in mother in law with moderate dementia. My friends thought I was crazy to bring on more 'thing' into my home which would need lots of attention, care, and eat up my time... I suffered some severe depression last summer and I truely think that puppy saved me! I could go on and on, so anyhooo... thanks for writing this! It touched me in ways I can't explain right now!

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    1. I am so pleased to hear that your puppy helped you. I have left a comment for you on my blog! :)

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  9. awwwww you did the ABSOLUTE right thing
    Heart stealer

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