Bringing home Harvey

Meet Harvey! 

We welcomed "Nugget 4" into our family in early December, 2020. It wasn't a straight road to getting him, nor exactly what I'd planned. (But then what about 2020 was according to plan?! Some of the story is here. More of it to come.) There was a part of me, right up until the week before we brought him home, that thought it might not happen, that something would fall through. But then the day came to bring him home! I had thought I would be overcome with emotions and start crying immediately when I had him in my arms, but instead all I could think was: "He's so tiny!! Is this really an 8 week old puppy?!" I'd grown so used to our adult-sized Captain.

The first few days were a whirlwind re-entry into puppy life. Of course, since Captain (our first Nugget/baby/Vizsla), we've brought two human nuggets into this world, so I'm no stranger to sleep deprivation. But it was a change to get used to those middle of the night wake-ups again. Luckily, by about night 3 or 4, Harvey was sleeping through the night. 

Of course, we fell in love with him instantly (how could you not?!), and that has only grown as we've spent more time with him and gotten to know him even better.

Like Captain, Harvey's great at training, cuddling, and has been a relatively quick learn on the potty training. UNLIKE Captain, he seems totally un-phased by things like vacuums (he chases mine and thinks its a toy/some kind of loud animal to pounce on) and balloons (he grabbed the Nuggets' birthday balloons by the strings and pranced proudly around with them...OMG Captain would NEVER!), and is very persistent. Captain used to always wait for a gentle pat on the couch and then word "OK" as invitation to join us on the couch...meanwhile, Harvey at barely 11 weeks was taking a running start from the dining room into the living room to attempt a jump on the couch. If he didn't quite make it, he'd turn right around and try again... and if one of us picked him up off the couch and placed him on his bed, he'd do the same run when we weren't looking. Harvey also seems to be a bit more mischievous and more of a "problem solver" (or maker??! lol) than Captain - he will try to figure out how to open doors and get into things. He also seems to be more of a chewer than Captain was, although it's entirely possible I've glazed over that teething portion of Captain's training/early days. (I will always maintain Captain was absolutely perfect of course, and never did anything wrong...except for that time he stole a tray of banana butterscotch cupcakes...or chewed up a DVD... or chewed a hole in our couch...or how he was always trying to get that Shiba Inu he hated...or when he ate the girls' gingerbread house...or when he decided to suddenly become a counter surfer in his last year of life...But other than that he was perfect 😜). Joking aside, of course we take the puppy days and mischief in stride, as they are just learning...and are so darn cute they can get away with just about anything! 

Comparatively, life was also just easier when Captain was a puppy. There was less to monitor...fewer things to chew, no children's toys or antique furniture, no carpet that was personally mine, and ok fewer decorative pillows and wicker baskets (much to my husband's dismay these days) 😜. But of course we're so happy to have a Vizsla back in the house (the wiggles! I love the wiggles so much!!), a reminder of Captain, but also to have Harvey for his own unique personality and crazy little ball of energy self to join in new adventures with us. Harvey has seamlessly rolled right into our lives and us into his. 

Here are some "Harvey highlights" that bring a smile to my face!  

• Whenever anyone is showering he'll run into the bathroom, put his paws up on the tub and poke his head around the shower curtain to try and catch water droplets. Sometimes he'll inch his way along the side of the tub from the front to the back. It's insanely adorable. He always ends up with a wet head, and our toes always get licked when we get out.
• I mentioned on our Facebook page - he'll go sit in our backyard and just sniff and stare, so I call him our little Ferdinand, like the calm bull in the classic children's story.
• He's a little billy goat on our coaches! (As you will have noticed if you do follow the Facebook page...not that I'm plugging for a follow or anything.😜)
• Sometimes he will sit at the top of the stairs and drop a toy down them. This is both adorable, because he then wants to chase it, and (as a mother) terrifying, because he then wants to chase it.
• He makes the CUTEST sound when he yawns. It's sort of like a cat raaaa-aaaaarrr sound, but not, and I'll just have to get it on video. He also makes adorable little groans and moans. 
• If I'm taking too long to get ready for bed, he'll come find me and whine at me, and then kind of grunt when he lays down in his kennel like "took you long enough." 😂
• Every morning he gives me the best, most wiggly, greeting. 
• (Also...shh...but.... I think I'm his favorite! Don't tell anyone.😜)

And as for the name- Harvey's Lake is a much-beloved spot we go to in Vermont. A relaxing, rustic little get-away amidst the beautiful rolling mountains of the Northern Kingdom. We were able to share a trip there with Captain. Captain and I ran around the lake together (and then I threw up...because I was pregnant with Nugget 3). I hope to be able to take Harvey up to his namesake soon! (Just without the throwing up this time.) 

We look forward to sharing our adventures with Harvey!