When my nephew was born his parents had an older golden retriever who was just wonderful with him. One day his mother heard the nephew saying "whee!" in his room and found him using the dog as a slide, with the dog's back end against the bed and lying on his front paws so he was angled downward. It couldn't have been comfortable for the poor dog, but he was more than happy to oblige.

Stephanie, my dogs feel very much on edge when the baby is loose. It's why I keep the living area separated into two parts with an extended baby gate. As much as I love the dogs and they tolerate Owen marvelously well, I want them to be able to have their undisturbed space. So the baby gets his side and the dogs get their side.

The best interaction the baby has with Sam is when the baby's on my lap and Sam comes up to sniff his head and slap us with his wagging tail. Owen likes that a lot.

Mac doesn't seem to care if Owen is here or not as long as he doesn't pile onto her bed with her.

The cat refuses to back down from the baby but has gotten much more tolerant of tail grabbing, heavy patting (Owen's learning "gentle" right now) and even climbing on top of. All that snapping at the cat is paying off. He's learning the baby has precedence.

Plei, Lily is breathtaking. So tiny and beautiful! I hope she turns out to be a good sleeper. Next time I nurse, I'm going to listen more to the boobs.

Glad you got good news yesterday, vw.

sj, sorry I flaked out last night. DH and I ended up watching Garden State. That Zach Braff is a cutie. Now I have to buy the soundtrack.

O obliged us by sleeping 9 1/2 hours straight without waking. This always makes for a good day.

My dogs were always great with the boys.

I'm very hopeful and fairly confident that my two dogs will be great with the baby. I do wish, however, there was some way I could explain to them how much their lives are about to change.

sj, sorry I flaked out last night. DH and I ended up watching Garden State. That Zach Braff is a cutie. Now I have to buy the soundtrack.

No worries. Yay for getting a good night's sleep.

I do wish, however, there was some way I could explain to them how much their lives are about to change.

They figure it out right quick. And being dogs, still love you to pieces. Plus, when they figure that toddler=lots of dropped food, they're in hog heaven.

vw, I'm so glad you're feeling so much better.

Poor Perkins getting robbed of three hours sleep. That's just not fair.

Cashmere and Stephanie, it sounds like introducing a baby into a dog's house is similar to introducing a baby into a toddler's house.

Christopher has conjuntivitis. We have a doctor's appointment at 11. Usually, our pediatrician's office simply phones in a prescription without an office visit. We were there for a flu shot about six months ago, and prior to that, we were there for his annual physical exam, last summer.

As near as I can figure, they want to see him today, because he hasn't otherwise been sick enough to have an appointment. Oh well. I was always surprised they didn't want to see us before prescribing the antibiotic eye drops anyhow, so I don't mind. It just seems like a funny shift in their S.O.P.

I could tell by looking at him last night that he was going to get conjunctivitis. He's had a cold and/or allergies, and although the eyes were not yet gucky, I knew it was coming.

Chris Very Much Does Not Want to Go to the Doctor's Office, because the last two times he was there, he got shots both times. So far, I have not convinced him that there will be no shot this time. Fun. Fun. Fun. I've enlisted my mother to come with.

{{{Christopher}}}

Could someone please remind my mother that I am 27. She is driving me batty.

TICKYBOX!!!!! Plei, she is so beautiful!

Or that it is possible for David to be upstaged by a puppet.

I'm amused and intrigued and yet no one will explain....

Poor Christopher! Hopefully it's a nice quick appointment, Cindy.

"sj's mother, sj is 27. Please quit driving her batty!"

Poor pink-eyed Christopher. I hope his doctor's appt. isn't traumatic. Can't really blame him for his reticence, though.