Life with Coco

Heather and I had no idea that we'd be parents again so soon.  Coco was a surprise, to say the least.  We picked him up on Friday down in Wetaskiwin then brought him home.  Heather was off on a work trip at the crack of dawn on Sunday.  This will be my fourth day as sole caregiver to this little furball.

We are slowly learning each others' patterns.  He is particularly lively in the early mornings, wanting to explore and chew on things.  By mid-morning, he's ready to climb up on my lap and sleep.  He likes lots of naps.

He loves trying to rest his chin on my computer while I work.  I don't like it as I work on a Mac, and his chin causes my cursor to do funny things.  That said, there is something very comforting about having his warm presence on my lap while I work.

Coco started hopping on my lap out in the studio, too.  As I didn't want to disturb his slumber, I kept working until he felt ready to get up.  My sister suggested building him a little cardboard box with a pillow and blanket as an alternative.  He took to it right away, especially when I put it close to the natural gas heater.

I've slowly been showing him the neighbourhood.  He loves running around our raised garden and in our leaf strewn back alley.  I'm so grateful he came into our lives before winter.  This is a great time of year for Coco to get the lay of land.

It took a few days to figure out a good sleeping routine.  His kennel is now in our bedroom with one of my painting sweaters inside.  Heather suggested that having a piece of clothing with our scent will help calm him down.  It works beautifully.  For the most part, he sleeps through the night.

I'm still working on the potty training aspect of puppy parenthood.  He's getting better, but I have to accept that it's going to take some time.

Heather comes home on Friday night.  Coco will be so excited to see her again.  So will I.  Having the second parent around is going to be awesome!