Sick day

Stayed home from work today because pregnancy + stomach virus = no fun. We got Tiki partially because we thought she might be good company, in such as a situation as today. I'm not saying she's not.... but Tiki is really more of a taker than a giver. And as I reread a previous post from a long time ago, I think that she may in fact be preparing us for kids.

As she prepares us, we continue to try to prepare her - successfully or in vain, we will find out. We bought a baby doll to "test" our dog out, by trying to set the doll on the couch or on the floor to teach Tiki about boundaries (the doll is now sitting on a shelf where she has been neglected for awhile). We found a jogging stroller at a garage sale, and in my belly-beginning-to-show state, I took Tiki and the stroller on a walk to see how she would do walking with something else. I am sure the neighbors might be wondering why I am pushing an empty stroller while encouraging Tiki that she is a "good dog." We even have a plan for where Tiki will spend the night when baby Totsch comes, as Matt's parents have graciously offered to puppy-sit.

For all of our efforts at preparation though, I can't help but wonder..... when we were setting our garage sale finds on the floor, Tiki tried to sneak off with the baby backpack carrier in her mouth to slobber on and chew and whatever else she does (and will I ever learn the terms for all of these baby things?) Is my vision of Tiki peacefully laying at my feet while I rock the baby just wishful thinking? I also have visions of Tiki knocking over our baby during his or her first efforts at walking, or Tiki taking our child's Goldfish snacks out of their hands (I know that "they" is not grammatically correct, but saying "his" or "her" each time gets old after awhile). I don't think this is inspiring confidence in my friends who have little ones to bring their precious charges over to our house - hence why Tiki is relegated to the backyard/back bedroom when friends are over.

And perhaps the ultimate question will be that back bedroom, a.k.a the soon-to-be baby room. The room that Tiki currently goes in and out of to be let outside to the backyard. The door she stands outside "crying" to be let in or out depending on where she is and where we are and where the squirrels and bunnies are. Tiki's holding pen when we need to put her somewhere as in my previous example. The place we put Tiki to dry off after a bath in the winter when it's too cold to put her outside. Slowly starting to be filled with baby things. Surely she can learn, right?