The World's Worst Pet Parent

That would be me.

A few weeks ago, my mom, aunt, and cousin came to visit me & scope out my new apartment. They brought this little monster with them:

 
To be honest, I was a little worried about her coming here because she's had trouble adjusting to new places, things, and people (not that I was new, and neither was Sam, but still), and especially has had trouble adjusting to life sans other dogs. When Charlie died, it seemed like it was almost a full blown medical emergency, not going to lie.

My trepidation mostly lied with the fact that I when I work, I'm gone for around 14 hours (don't believe any nurse that says they are only gone for 12, it's a lie). Sam is here much more than me for now, but then school starts and then next year he'll hopefully be a lawyer somewhere, and that doesn't exactly scream "I have an 8-5 job!".

 Long story short, Miss Bella only hung out with us for about a week. It wasn't because she was stressed out, or because she was lonely and wouldn't eat, or walk, or generally live life. In fact, she was really good.

It was because I cried every night when I came home from work and she was so excited to see me she barked and spun in circles.

And how I couldn't leave her for more than 2 hours without wanting to rush home.

And the fact that our apartment (while plenty nice and big for the two of us at this juncture of our life) is about the half the size of my parents living room/kitchen area.

So I went home for a visit for a few days and had planned on taking her with me so she could see Albie. When we got to Smithville, she jumped out of the car and immediately started sprinting around the yard. You know she could smell home. And then she saw this munchkin: 

                                      

 And it was all over from there. He missed her, she missed him, and the way they were jumping all over each other I knew there was no way she was coming back to St. Louis in the near future.

Seriously. It makes me so sad and honestly I wish they could be with me all of the time. I would take them both in a heartbeat. If we had a house. And a yard. It's just not fair to Bella to be alone for so long when in Smithville, someone is home almost 22 hours each day. And Albert is there 24/7.

There you have it. World's Worst Pet Parent. Also, I'm pretty sure we're going to get a cat, which makes me feel like I'm cheating on my dog.

Charlie, 2.0

Our precious, precious Charlie died last night in his sleep.

I think it happened around 12:30 because Bella sat up in bed and started barking for no reason (he was at the vet, not at home).

I miss you more than I could ever say.

Charlie

 Our baby Charlie is not doing too well right now. He's getting sort of up there in the years, and lately he's been having some trouble breathing and eating. My mom is taking him to the vet tomorrow, so cross your fingers it's good news! I was just sitting here thinking about him and realized I never tell stories about him, because honestly he's just not crazy like little Bella.

My parents brought Charlie home when I was 13. They had researched dog breeds for a really long time and found that Cavalier King Charles Spaniel's were really good with kids, particularly kids who were afraid of dogs. Zach had wanted a dog for-ev-er, but I was perfectly content with our cats after a vicious attack from a Chihuahua (one who I incorrectly referred to as a Rottweiler) when I was 7. And I have the scar to prove it. His name was Killer (not a joke) and he came out of the bushes at my great-grandma's house and bit my leg. Killer went to a farm shortly after. I was terrified of any and all dogs from that point forward. Enter Charlie.  I loved him the second I met him, and I love him even more today, which is why I'm so sad that he's so sick. So don't judge me for this blog post. 

Charlie is the best dog. Ever. I love Bella and I think she's so cute and so sweet, but she's frequently a pain in the you-know-what. Charlie NEVER is. He was potty-trained in about 2 seconds, and his favorite thing to do is comfort you when you're sad.

Dog-sitting in Columbia, where he did the one thing he does that is slightly annoying--digging through the trash ;). Usually it's too high for him.

 One of Charlie's favorite sleep spots is what we in our family refer to as "The Boat." "The Boat" is the crook of your knees when you're laying in a position like Nick is on the couch up there. Charlie crawls in there and then puts his head on your knee or thigh and takes a nice long snooze.

  He's super in-tune to when you don't feel well or are sad. When my mom first was diagnosed with cancer, he didn't leave her side for an entire year (when she was doing her first treatment). This is not too long after she got home from the hospital one time. I don't know why she's laying on the floor, but if you know my mom at all, you're probably not surprised.

This picture was taken one of the days when Zach was home from college after being gone for a few weeks. Charlie also misses people and ALWAYS knows when you're leaving him again. 

 He gets annoyed by Bella a lot, but mostly they're best friends. He lets her sleep with him on the couch every day when we're all at work or school.

Charlie is also a very inquisitive fellow. He tilts his head whenever you ask him questions.

   One of my favorite things about Charlie is how photogenic he is, and he's ALWAYS ready for his close-up.

A very regal puppy. Completely fitting for a Cavalier KING Charles Spaniel.

The white on his face has become more prominent throughout the years, but I think it makes him look distinguished.

Snoozing on his other favorite perch: The back of the chair. Also known as: Places Where Bella Can't Bother Me Because She's Too Little.