My Not-So-Little Little Bear

This past week, our Lily Noelle turned six months old! :) We couldn't believe that our once 6.7 pounds, two month old puppy is now 36 pounds and six months old!  

 

Lily Noelle at two months old.

Lily Noelle at six months old!  

This past week also marked four months of having our LilyBear, and it has been nothing less than amazing to see her transformation from a little pup that could fit in the crook of your arm to a beast that takes up half of the love seat!  

Lily Noelle has not only physically grown up, but she is so incredibly smart and has such a fun personality! When we first brought Lily home, she was incredibly shy and quiet. She became startled easily and would not like to play. As the weeks of owning her drew on, she slowly came out of her shell. She has grown to LOVE playing and snuggling with anyone and everyone within her reach. She has grown into a spunky, loving and energetic puppy. 

Have I mentioned how smart Lily is? Lily Noelle is almost too smart for her own good; here's an example of her "smartiness": If you have seen my past post about Lily's "baby" items, you know we have a pak-n-play that is 3 feet high and can be stretched out to 5 feet. Well, our smarty pants of a puppy has figured out how to climb OVER the 3 foot gate and jump out of the pak-n-play! We couldn't believe it, but we watched her scale the gate THREE DIFFERENT TIMES! When she got out of the pak-n-play, she came straight to us! (She's definitely a "people's person/ puppy"!)  

These last four months have been an adventure to say the least, but we LOVE having Lily Noelle in our lives! :) Happy six months birthday, my Not-So-Little Little Bear.

I'm Sorry; I Can't Hear You Over My Snoring Puppy

I find it funny how much you learn about a dog breed AFTER you own that dog breed for a while. No amount of research can prepare you for the funny idiosyncrasies of the breed. Saint Bernards, for example, REALLY STINK (all that slobber and hair adds up to a lot of stinky-ness!) Bloodhounds, another example, have a lot of ear problems, and their ears have to be constantly cleaned to prevent infections. Boxers, we found, snore extremely loud! Upon finding this surprising (and loud) idiosyncrasy, we asked our vet about it. She explained that because of their short snout, boxers can have trouble with extreme temperatures and various breathing problems, including snoring!

Our little Boxer, Lily Noelle, snores like a lumberjack! I thought Andrew snored loud BUT man! Lily Noelle gives him a run for his money! Without fail, Lily will start snoring ridiculously loud every time she falls asleep. While a snoring puppy is adorable, it’s less so when said puppy is snoring in your ear or if you have to turn up the TV’s volume because your puppy is snoring so loud! :)

When we were coming home from my parents’ lake house after Labor Day Weekend, Lily Noelle starting sawing logs before we left their driveway. This video is a testament to Lily Noelle’s snoring abilities! Give it a listen :)

Working On My Roar

Fun fact: when a puppy “finds” his or her voice, they LOVE to constantly use it. Lily Noelle was an almost mute puppy when we first brought her home. Only after she became comfortable around us did Lily stretch her vocal cords. Her bark was piercing and high-pitched. It could be heard whenever Lily became startled or scared (i.e. when we first put her in her kennel--- our house became extremely loud!) Her growl was pitiful at best. Picture Simba from Lion King trying to roar at the hyenas.

Lily’s growl was just as sad and pathetic. (Luckily, as Lily Noelle has gotten older, her growl and bark has become deeper).

Then, Lily discovered howling. Man, oh, man. She loves to howl! She especially “likes” it when someone howls with her. (By “likes”, I mean she reacts to a person’s howl and tries to match it!) Lily Noelle howls at anything: the tornado siren, the train whistle, people’s singing, etc. You name it, and she’s probably howled at it.

My favorite parts of Lily’s howling is her beginning and ending. To start her howling “performance”, Lily throws her head back, like it’s crucial to a good howl! ;) When Lily is finishing her “performance”, she sort of runs out of steam and finishes with a yawn/ whine. It’s too cute and funny that you can’t help but smile. Below is a video of one of many "Andrew and Lily Howling Performances". I dare you not to smile and giggle! Enjoy! :)

Oh Baby!

As you might have picked up from my past blog posts, I consider myself Lily Noelle's mama, and Andrew considers himself her daddy. Lily Noelle is our baby; there's no doubt about that! Before we got Lily, people consistently told us, "A puppy is A LOT of work," or "it's like you will have a toddler that won't ever grow up!" Andrew and I, however, both grew up with dogs, so we were prepared for the necessary work involved with owning a puppy. What we weren't aware of was how much owning a puppy is like having a baby! (Now, I know some moms will see that sentence and say a puppy is no where near the work of an infant, but just hear me out...)
We have had Lily Noelle for almost four months now, and we have all the necessities for a baby! Bear with me as I explain... :)
We have:

• a diaper bag

Yep, it's a Mountain Dew diaper bag... don't judge. ;)

• a pak-n-play

"Folds out to five feet AND is three feet high!"

• puppy wipes (thanks to my lovely mother-in-law!)

• a MULTITUDE of toys

This isn't even all of them...

• a blankie and bed

Lily LOVES her blankie and bed!

• teething toys

We even stick these guys in the freezer to  help with Lily's hurting gums!

• AND a {makeshift} baby gate

Lily hasn't figured out [YET] how to knock down said {makeshift} baby gate!

We have also on more than one occasion have had to get up with Lily Noelle every hour of the night (thankfully she has started to grow out of this tiring habit!). She constantly demands our full attention- lest we want chewed up furniture or destroyed household items! We have to be conscious of her potty schedule, her walking/ exercise schedule, and her eating schedule. Our schedules revolve around her and her needs. Yes, a puppy is A LOT of work. Yes, comparing a puppy to an infant is unrealistic. 

BUT Lily Noelle is our baby; she takes a majority (if not all) of our time, and I wouldn't have it any other way. :) 

My Snuggle Bug

My Snuggle Bug <3

The title says it all: Lily Noelle is my snuggle bug! She absolutely LOVES to snuggle/ be close to any person. It doesn't matter what said person is doing, Lily Noelle will find some way to be either on your lap or touching some part of your body (as you can see from the pictures below!).

Lily Noelle "helping" me with homework :)

"Helping" again ;)

Some people get described as a "people's person". Well, Lily is a "people's dog". If she can be around people or right next to people, you can bet your last dollar that's where Lily will be!

Lily with her friend Kayla 

Lily with my mom

Pinning my arm down in the name of snuggling! ;)

I guess Andrew and I are a little responsible for Lily's love of people and specifically snuggling. When we first brought her home, I would hold Lily in my lap whenever possible. She was 6.8 pounds of perfect snuggle-ness, and I LOVED IT! As a result, Lily came to adore being right next to Andrew and I.

Always in my lap

Lily snuggling in Daddy's chair

Once we got in a morning routine after bringing her home, Lily's snuggle habits were further cultivated. Andrew leaves for work every morning around 5:15 AM. . After they get back inside from going on a quick walk/ potty break, Andrew would put Lily in our bed with me since I didn't have to get up for a couple hours. Those sweet couple hours became Mama and Lily's Snuggle Time (and to be honest, it's my favorite part of my morning routine!) During our morning snuggles, Lily often gets as close as possible to me with her head right next to mine. Unfortunately, this arrangement has left me with slobbery kisses to the ear or face on more than one occasion! :) However, I honestly don't mind the rude awakenings; it's a sweet -albeit a wet and cold- reminder of the special times I get with my Snuggle Bug. :)

Morning Snuggles with Mama :)

Snuggling on the couch

Family snuggles

Forever my Snuggle Bug :)