The Holland Family: May 2011

I know I always ramble on about Henry, but I certainly haven't forgotten about my first baby, Eileen. We adopted her on April 4, 2009. When we welcomed her to our family, we were still grieving our Boxer, Brock. He passed due to cancer and although I knew no one could ever replace him, we both agreed that our house and family felt like it was missing something. We contacted Legacy Boxer Rescue and got to meet a special girl, Lacy. She was gorgeous and very sweet, but knowing that we would eventually have children, her high energy level was something that made us hesitate. The next night, we met Eileen and her foster mom, Wendy. Eileen was here all of 5 minutes and she had made herself at home. We told Wendy that we needed to sleep on it; I called her the next morning on my way to work asking if she thought we would be a good fit. Wendy agreed and we made plans to adopt her two days later. Eileen came into our home and never looked back. We took her to a family birthday party that night and she fit right in. She loves all of the children and the other dogs in the family. Of course, Nana's house comes with kitty cats so that's a bonus too. :)

When we were considering a new furry family member, it was important for us to get a dog that would be great with kids. Eileen is just that and more. She had a litter of puppies at some point and is very maternal. In fact, we whole heartedly believe that she knew I was pregnant before we even knew as she was very protective and snuggly with me for a couple of weeks. Anyone who's been around us for any length of time knows that Eileen is a Daddy's girl and although she likes me, she's never really been cuddly with me. To this day, she still growls at every noise when Mike is out of the house and she sticks close by to my side and to Henry as well.

She loves Henry and we often joke that she thinks he is her baby or that we had him for her. She was such a little mother hen when we brought him home, always getting up with me for feedings, even if it meant just laying on the couch nearby. She loves to give him drive by kisses and she lets him pick on her. When she's had enough, she just gets up and moves away. Eileen is so great with Henry, further affirming our decision to add her to our family.

Some of her nicknames include:

Mama Bear
Leanie Lou
Leaner Beaner
Senorita Eileen
Dumb Face / Eli Manning
Large Marge
Sister
Bean Butt

And just so I keep things fair and balanced, Eileen is not a saint or an angel. She's very sneaky when she feels that she's not getting her way. She pees on the carpet in retaliation. She has destroyed baby bottles, panties and the door frame in our guest bathroom. She loves baby diapers, clean or dirty. She has chewed Henry's bibs and burp clothes as well as socks and random clothing items. Her favorite victim is Kleenex and she's sentenced more than a couple of boxes to their death. Oh and if she has the chance to get in the garbage, she doesn't hesitate to get in. There have been several times that she's tried to run away from my parents' house when we're leaving and our only guess it's because she wants to stay and watch more CatTV. Just this morning she got mad because her Papa was leaving with Henry and she wasn't invited. She ran underneath the truck and flopped over. Mike had to literally crawl under the truck and pull her out. She's a bratty one, but it's what makes her personality. She's got a sweet face and let me tell ya, that's saved her more than I can count.

Eileen's differences have been an inspiration to me. On days that I feel sorry for myself, I can look at Eileen and remember that challenges that she's overcome. Of course, she uses some of this to her advantage, but we love her in spite of it. :) In November 2009, she injured her remaining back leg and the vet stressed to me that her hefty 70 pounds was a bit too much for her body. In the 18 months, she's lost 18 pounds which is a major feat for any dog, let alone a physically challenged one.