It's been all baby, baby, baby over here and poor Rory has been getting the shaft so I thought I'd better do a quick update on him so you all don't think we forgot him out in the yard five months ago and he's been out there ever since, shivering under a pine tree or something.

Rory is now one and a half years old and still very much a puppy. He has tons of energy, is easily excitable when people come over, shows off, and occasionally does things that make me wonder if he's a bit "special". Example: he just wolfed down a hunk of Easter egg tin foil I dropped on the ground. I'm sure it tasted awesome and felt great on the teeth. I can't wait to find that shiny treasure in the yard later.

Other times he behaves like a respectable dog. He walks well on his leash unless we meet another smaller dog - in which case, he loses his shit (not literally...in a happy way). If we meet a bigger dog, however, he won't make eye contact with it and tries to hide behind me. He lies on his mat when we're eating dinner rather than hovering around the table waiting for food to be dropped. He's a terrific watchdog and always lets us know when someone's in the yard, and he's great company when I'm watching TV. 

A lot of people ask how Rory is coping with Eli. He's definitely a little jealous. He's sookier and clingier than normal, although mostly he seems curious about the baby and protective of him. He has done a few annoying things, such as chewing on Eli's burp cloths, which is especially irritating since he was never a chewer before. It's a lot like a toddler acting out when their new baby brother or sister is born. But if Eli cries in his crib Rory comes to me on the run with a really concerned look on his face, like "aren't you going to get that baby?" I think they'll end up being great friends.

It's frustrating when people have a baby and just give away their animals because it's too much work having both a pet and an infant. Obviously, in the case of things like severe allergies or the animal showing aggression, it's a different story, but otherwise, it just seems like a bad thing to do. I understand the feeling of being overwhelmed sometimes, when Eli is having a 500-decibel meltdown and Rory is whining and demanding attention. I hate not being able to spend as much time with Rory these days, although, hopefully, with the weather getting nicer and Eli getting bigger that will soon change. Rory's absolutely part of the family and he's not going anywhere.

So, this post is for you, Ror man. Even though you can't read and you still eat your own feces on occasion. You are always going to be our original baby!