One Amazing Year, and Hopefully, More to Come

One year ago today, little Miss Paisley came home with us and has been bringing unlimited joy to our family ever since.  Sure, life is more complicated (and a bit more expensive!) with a puppy relying on you for everything ... but honestly, we can't imagine life without her. 

Here we are picking her up in Joplin, Missouri one year ago.

Here is Kyle bringing her into her new Arkansas home that night.

Here she is with one of her first toys ... before she learned to destroy them ...

 

Here she is, reluctantly celebrating her first birthday a couple months ago.  (her actual birthday is September 15th)

And here is the whole "fam damily," as my Grandpa used to say, on our one year anniversary today!

Can you even imagine what we'll be like with kids?!?!?  :)

 

For those that we haven't told yet, we just found out our baby has a rare condition called Tricuspid Valve Displaysia.  The vet noticed a heart murmur when she was being spayed at 6 months, and after a collapse episode in the backyard this summer, we took her to a cardiologist at the University of Minnesota for testing.  Basically, there is a valve in her heart that does not open/close properly so her heart has to work overtime.  She will eventually die from congestive heart failure and may only be with us another year or so.  Luckily, she is in no pain and bounces around just like any other 1 year old puppy.  She's just going to get even more spoiled than before, if that's even possible, and while I cry about it at the drop of a hat, we plan to enjoy each and every moment we have left with her.  She really is a sweet little girl.

She has full reign of the couch and ottoman, gets a new toy at least once a week (which she proceeds to destroy as noted in a previous blog entry,) relaxes in bed with us every evening and has been promoted to the laundry room while we're at work.  We plan to schedule more play dates with her puppy pals and take her on more walks, and despite my earlier plans, she ends up sleeping in our bed a few nights a week.

Our hearts have begun to break with the news of her impending fate and I can't imagine I'll function real well when the day finally comes ... but she has taught us to love with everything we have and enjoy every day ... our hearts have grown bigger because she is part of our lives.  We will pray the doctors are wrong and that she will be with us for several more wonderful years, but either way, she will always be our first baby with a special place in our big hearts.