Love bugs

Recently, I think something has changed in the nugget 1 to nugget 2 relationship... I think he's actually starting to like her. Now, don't get me wrong- I don't think he's ever really disliked her- it's been more a progression from vague curiosity mixed with a little fear/reservation to indifference, with spurts of protectiveness and annoyance mixed in. But now, there's a new phase- I think he's actually starting to like her attention (!!!)

Mendocino Winter Trip

Oh, the Mendocino coastline! A few weeks ago we made our second visit to this amazing part of the country. The last time we visited Mendocino, in July, it was gorgeous and perfectly sunny. Although we had some clouds, cool weather, and a smidge of rain this time (typical of "winter" on the north coast), it was still as beautiful and breath-taking as ever, and I got to do some things I'd wanted to last time around. We love this little town so much.

Keeping Clean

Nugget 2 decides to wipe down Nugget 1...

Help, Mom.

Did I mention I'm not sure about this?

Marvelous Mendocino!

We took a little trip up the coast this weekend, finally making our way to Mendocino. After traveling along windy roads through Redwood forests, and more windy roads along the coast (carsick, much?!), we made it to the seaside town of Mendocino. The nuggets were excited! Read on for our adventures in this amazing (and very dog-friendly) part of the world.

Sharing is caring

A few recent pics from Nuggetland! Nugget 2 has gotten very good at "throwing" the ball to Captain (and, ok, trying to just put it right in his mouth too). She's also gotten VERY good at throwing food she doesn't want his way. Sometimes it's food she still wants, too though.... she'll hold a piece of bagel & cream cheese in her hand, take a bite/lick, put it in front of Captain, and then take it back after he's had a tiny taste.... all while I'm half yelling no, half laughing of course ;) To his credit, Captain always looks at me first before gulping something down. My good boy.

A few more recent pics....

Playgrounds & Pups

Our weekends have come to involve playgrounds. Regularly. And I can't help but feel slightly guilty, seeing Captain sitting on the sidelines like this...staring at us, sadly. I also feel bad that there are more outings that don't involve him - music class for Nugget, shopping, playdates.... we leave the house, closing the door to him looking at us, and just say, "We'll be back soon Captain." It makes me sad... but I suppose there is some inevitability in having human babies that the fur ones will get second priority. Still, we do a lot to make sure he's not a sad older sibling. And luckily, we have some great parks nearby that serve both nuggets well- read on for a little more on some of those!

RUFF months

Apologies for the blogging hiatus! There's good reason- it's been a hard few months. First, we lost our nanny and had to scramble for childcare, in the same week we were forced out of our apartment due to renovations & resulting potential health hazards, AND I was preparing for the job interview of a lifetime. Stressful, much?!! We were hopping around air b'nb's (mind you, with a 15 month old nugget), none of which were dog-friendly, so poor Captain had to stay with friends, apart from the family. That's no way for a Vizsla to live! I worked in runs with Captain on the weekends, but it was limited time with him, and hard to be unsettled.

Nugget walks Nugget

A momentous day- Nugget 2 walked Nugget 1 today! She insisted on holding his leash and walking him around the neighborhood, completely proud of herself, smiling from ear to ear and giggling whenever he played with the leash and tried to grab it in his mouth. Aaaaaaaaand there it is, I've never seen anything cuter in my life ;)

Captain the Horse

 Says Nugget 2: Hmm, he looks like he'd be fun to climb on....

Captain's First Year as a Big Brother

2014 was a big year for Captain's family. It marked the first full year that Captain was a big brother, that we had two nuggets in the household, that we shared in the amazingness of our littlest addition. It is also the least amount of blogging I've done, but.... you'll forgive me, I've been busy ;)

The Toddler

Over the past few months, I've come to think of Captain more and more as my "toddler." You've heard me refer to him as my first baby, and it really does fit in many ways. He throws little "temper tantrums" when he wants more attention or play time (though these are much more tame and- let's face it- cuter- than a two year old's breakdowns.... he simply pulls out his blankie and whips it around in his mouth, or takes a toy and shoves it in front of us), he follows us around (ok, that's just typical Vizsla), and recently, when Nugget 2 started moving around, I think that's when it really clicked for him. I could practically see his mind thinking: Oh my God. You mean this thing can move? We need to hide my toys. ;)

Vizsla Gear II: The Active Family Dog

Last year I did a "Vizsla Gear" post including a bunch of stuff we've found useful for life with the active dog. I'm adding a few things here for those of you who may be interested in stuff that has come in handy for the "active family dog".

Nugget updates

What's new with Captain? He's checking in on nugget 2 more and more. Today, he learned for the first time what the high chair is all about... and something tells me he's gonna be sitting by it an awful lot ;-)

Captain America

 

Happy Memorial Day (for our U.S. friends)! We enjoyed our first holiday weekend together since I started my new job. On the agenda? A long(er) run with Captain, of course! For more updates, read on.

Bab(ies) update

Yeah, I've been slacking on the blog posts. We've been busy ;) But here's a brief update on Captain's new life as a big brother!

The Patient Vizsla

Patient? A Vizsla? The high-energy dog that's always ready to get out for a run, a chase, a hunt? Captain has actually always been relatively good at waiting to go out (you know, within reason)- but over the past two months, his level of patience has grown. He carefully watches us with his baby sister, waiting for his turn. Yes, of course he still pushes himself in when he feels he's waited too long, but he has done a really good job I think!

TAILS from the other side...

... the "other side" of pregnancy, that is! Read on for some highlights from the past month after our new addition to Captain's family!

A Special Christmas for Captain & Family!

Here's wishing everyone Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year from Captain & family! We are enjoying our first Christmas with our new little one. Captain is adjusting great to having a little sister, despite no longer being "top dog" so to speak ;) He's been getting plenty of walks, with all the family visitors, and now that Mommy is back to walking a bunch too (and always itching to get outside!).

A sister for Captain!

She's finally here! Last week we welcomed our daughter, Hadley, to the family. She rushed into the world after just a 4 hour labor, a healthy active little 6 pounds 12 ounces. Captain met her about 5 days after she was born (thanks to some friends who took care of him). It's been an exciting time for us! If you thought Vizslas were cute, just wait til you see Vizslas + babies.... ;-)

The Active Dog and The Pregnant Runner Mama

*Picture source: flickrhivemind (I think!)- see note at bottom of post

One of the main reasons we sought out the Vizsla breed (besides their incredible good looks, of course) was because they are active dogs. We wanted a dog that would be ready to go, always up for running and hiking with us. But, when I got pregnant, my typical running routine with Captain started to change...