Adding to our family...

No, that isn't an announcement that we have a baby on the way. We have a wedding on the way, of course, and someday (soonish, I hope) we will get to the baby part. However, it appears that we have a puppy on the way. In six weeks. That will live with us. That we will be responsible for. That I haven't told my mom about yet (that's for you, Rebecca...top secret!).

We have a large family of friends that we hang out with fairly often. Over the Fourth of July weekend, we were at our friends' Denise and Kevin's house, having a cookout and drinking beer and Smirnoff Ice. Denise mentioned that her friend's dog had just had puppies, and she was looking to find them good homes. Bill and I have planned to get a dog eventually, so I told Denise to keep me in mind next time she spoke to this particular friend.

This past weekend, we were back at Denise and Kevin's for a surprise birthday party for Denise's birthday. And the friend with the puppies was there. And she asked, "So, do you want a puppy?"

I was struck dumb by the question. I did want a puppy. However, I had not yet discussed it with the other person who lives in my house, and I didn't want to speak for him. In the past, I would have said yes and then bullied him into agreeing. But I didn't. That's a sign of growth.

Anyway, he arrived a while later, and I asked him what he thought about getting a free puppy in six weeks. Without much thought, he said, "Sure!" Again, I was struck dumb. However, I am no fool. I relayed this "Sure!" to the puppy owner, and then there was much rejoicing as I announced that we were getting a puppy!

Now, I wasn't sure if Bill said this in the excitement of the moment, so I have been throwing talk of the puppy into conversation since then, and it seems like the idea is sticking. Today, he asked what kind it was (part Labrador retriever, part Bernese Mountain Dog, and part Chow). Yesterday, he said that it's name would be Babe Ruth, whether it was a boy or a girl. Tonight, I bought a book called You & Your Puppy. It's been a long time since I had a puppy in my life, and I want to be ready.

Yeah, I am definitely a little bit excited...but for now, shhhhhhhhhhhhh!