MY BABY'S NOT A BABY ANYMORE...

[Cathy C. Bennett]

When I tell you this has been an emotional post for me to write, I am telling you the “doodle truth.”

Leo turned three this month, (my goodness, it’s even difficult to see it in print!) and time has flown by so fast it feels as if I’ve missed a year.

When I realized his birthday was near, I actually got confused about his new age. I had to calculate the dates on my fingers because I was positive I was wrong. But I wasn’t.

Leo was born on May 13, 2010. One of a large litter, he sort of got lost in the masses of doodle puppies running around and missed opportunities to join a family. I’d like to think he was waiting for me – at least that’s the version of this story I prefer to tell!

Leo and his brother “Jake” lived several months with the breeder and her family, showered with kindness and affection, just loving a doodle’s life.

It was late September that same year when I came across this picture on the breeder’s website…

I quickly shut my lap-top and began talking to myself: “No, Cathy, you can’t do this. Don’t open that computer again…” But it was too late – like HTML codes, his face was embedded in my heart.

A few days later I thought of the perfect remedy for my “doodle-itis” – I would go to DH, tell him I wanted another doodle, and he would straighten me out “doodley – split.” I plotted and schemed  and decided to interrupt him when I knew it would be most irritating – during Monday Night Football!

A few minutes left in what seemed to be a close scoring game, I skipped into the room stood in front of the television and asked him what he thought about another doodle – a playmate for Harley. His speech wasn’t slurred, he spoke in a normal tone, his words were not hurled at me like arrows, he merely said “that would probably be okay.”

“Doodle-sticks!”

The one time I actually wanted to hear a loud resounding, booming “NO” – it didn’t come. Why couldn’t that have happened decades ago when I asked for a new Mercedes Benz Convertible Sports Coup? – MEN!

Convinced he really didn’t hear or understand me, I waited several days before bringing the subject up again. On a different day when I had his undivided attention, and we had time to talk at length, he still thought it was a good idea. At the end of October, after countless calls to the breeder, I left for a four hour journey to “look at” Leo (yeah right!).

Half way home I called my family and asked them to run to the pet store and pick up a few things – Leo was in the car with me!

When we pulled up, Harley was beside himself with excitement…

Leo was trying so hard to figure things out…

I suggested we take them both in the back to get acquainted…

Hard to believe when you look at how close they are in size that Harley was almost 18 months his senior! That’s when DH said: “Cathy, I think he’s gonna be a bigger dog”...

Those first few days, he stuck to me like glued macaroni on construction paper…

Harley gave him some space and watched him a lot. Leo not knowing what he was supposed to do – watched Harley…

But by the end of the first week, he started to come into his own…

And the rest as they say, is “history”, AND the birth of “Chronicles of Life with Harley & Leo”…

What melted my heart that very first day, still does. His face! So celebrate with this video, and that adorable doodle face…

I LOVE YOUR FACE

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

Thanks so very much for reading – feel free to share our stories and make someone smile.

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

Happy Birthday Leo!  Sweet video and wonderful story.  I sometimes test the waters with my DH about getting a playmate and I really think I could get him on board!  but then I come to MY senses.  Once we retire, we will rescue, but for now, just as we have an only son,  we have an only dood!  

[Amy & Albee]

Happy Birthday Leo!! What a great story :)

[Joanna, Zoe & Bender]

Happy Birthday Leo!!!  hahaha yes a bigger dog he is!  a beautiful one at that!  

and omd his coat change!!! 

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Happy birthday!  They are both so cute together!

[Pat and Traveler]

Sweet photo blog, and such a cute pair!

[Diane, Baker & Oskar]

sweet story & video :)  happy birthday, leo !

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

Happy Birthday, Leo!  Quite a coat change, Cathy. Leo looked so much like my Auggie when he was a puppy.

[Anne & Mr. Haley]

Happy Birthday Leo!