7:42 am Wednesday January 13 – I’m in the shower mid face wash and I can hear Aaron yelling from the living room. I’m annoyed because I think he’s hollering about something ridiculous and I can’t hear him over the shower. Turns out he had good reason for yelling. Our 100lb 9-year-old ridgeback is immobile and barely responsive. I still have soap on my face, I’m dripping wet, and I’m huddled over my dog that I’m sure is dying in front of me. I sob and tell her I’m not ready for this and that she isn’t allowed to leave me yet. In a panic I managed to get clothes on my body and in what felt like seconds we are carrying her through the doors of our beloved vet.

Long story short, she ate some pebbles, leaves, twigs, and a very small, but very pointy object. We were presented with a bill that is equivalent to a trip to Europe and the task of being on potty patrol for the next month in hopes that our decision to take a conservative route pays off. I imagine this is what new parents feel like… taking pictures of bowel movements to show their doctors, logging the amount of food your child has eaten and how quickly it runs through their body. I was pretty sure this was one of the reasons we chose to NOT have kids. Someone out there is laughing at us right now because we’re faced with the same tasks as a new parent, minus the free healthcare. Maybe we didn’t think this life decision through as well as we thought we had?

In all seriousness, this is a pretty wonderful life we live.  Even though I would love to have a heart-to-heart with Penny and find out what part of eating random objects she found in the yard was a good idea, I love her more than I can begin to express. And, while I’m sure the staff at TMz Vet clinic will never see this, I need to say thank you. Thank you for loving our monsters just as much as we do. For truly understanding how much they mean to us and giving them the best care a dog Mom could ask for. They make owning pets easy because we know we have the most incredible team of people we can turn to in emergencies like this and the well-being of our family is always their top priority.

Today, the sun is streaming through the window, warming both me and Penny as we share her bed.  She’s sleeping, toes twitching, tail wagging periodically, I’m writing and this is a moment I want to remember.