Zoe
As most of you know, we are in the process of moving into the family housing apartments on campus and that means we can't have pets. So, today, we handed the leash over to Matt's parents and said "goodbye" to Zoe, although we will get her back in 3 years. (And, of course, we will see her whenever we visit them.) Three years can be a long time, though, so I decided to put together this little post in honor of Zoe...a walk down memory lane.
The only picture I can find of Zoe as a puppy! We got Zoe in March 2004, just a couple of weeks after we bought and moved into our first home in West Monroe. (I allowed Matt to get her as a "test" to see if he was ready for fatherhood...apparently he passed!) She was much smaller than this when we first got her and I remember sitting on the floor and holding her in my lap while she slept. Of course, those days didn't last long and soon she was like any other little puppy, playing and chewing and having to be housebroken. We had a little kennel for her and she slept by our bed in it for a while. In those first few weeks, until she got old enough to hold it, she would wake us up at night and we'd have to take her outside to use the bathroom. That was when she was tiny and venturing more than 3 feet from the back porch was her definition of "far away." I also had to come home at lunch EVERY day for a long time to let her out of her kennel to use the bathroom. We always left her in her kennel in front of the TV during the day with it turned to Animal Planet. It wasn't until she was over a year old before we let her out of the kennel during the day. I have to say, she was awesome at potty training, though, and had very few accidents.
Christmas 2005 (we took this picture right after Thanksgiving; just a few weeks later, two days before Christmas, I found out I was pregnant with Juliette).
One of my favorite pictures of Zoe, with a toy squirrel (that did not last long!). We didn't pose this at all...this is how I found her sleeping one afternoon!
I laid on the couch A LOT when I was pregnant with Juliette and Zoe was always right there wanting to snuggle and give belly hugs!
And then there was Juliette and Zoe's world was turned upside down! For a while, she didn't pay much attention to Juliette and even to this day, if I ask her where Juliette is, she won't go find her, but if you ask her where "Mommy" or "Daddy" is...she gets all excited. Oh, she knows who Juliette is, but I think she just chooses to ignore her unless Juliette gives her no choice...or unless Juliette has food! It's been so nice having a little vacuum cleaner! :)
As you can see, Zoe eventually realized that Juliette wasn't going anywhere!
Playing dress up!
Spring 2009
Early 2010 (Juliette took this picture of Zoe. Zoe has been her photography subject more often than anything or anyone else. As well, as her beauty subject--she would put bows in her hair; her tea party guest--she would set her place and one time put dog food on her plate for her; her student--she would lure Zoe into her bedroom with cookies or crackers, close the door, and then read books to her or play school with her; and, more than one time, Zoe stood in for me when Juliette would not go to sleep and provided a warm body next to her in bed. Zoe got treats for those times!)
Christmas 2009
Late Spring 2010
Our last day with Zoe at Matt's parents house right before we left.Matt and I came home to an empty house this evening (Juliette is at my parents for the week) and it felt a little strange. A few times I thought I heard Zoe in the house and when I left and came back (with food), Zoe didn't meet me at the door or sit at my feet and beg for food. I've been telling Matt for weeks (as he sadly counted down the days to her departure) that it was no big deal...she would be fine at his parents and it's not like she's dying. She's alive and well and will be well taken care of and I'm sure will be just as happy. But there is an emptiness there that I thought would be easy to dismiss. Just sitting here putting this together (mostly for Matt), I've been overcome with a flood of emotions for this dog that I've been trying to distant myself from for the past year (because I knew this day was coming sooner rather than later). I had forgotten until now that Zoe was quite the companion during my year and a half of infertility and we snuggled quite a bit during that time and my pregnancy. I also remember the last few weeks of my pregnancy when I was on partial bedrest and would spend the mornings working from home, in bed with the laptop, with Zoe curled up sleeping beside me.
Needless to say, she will be missed by all of us and we will be counting down the months and years until she can join us again.
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