Weèkends are crazy!

Cosmo had a kind of stressful day today. We went to Jolly Lane and bought a ton of floral stuff and veggies for our new raised planters! Mom is really excited to see it all come together and to make home-grown salsa. :) Cosmo is usually really good with people petting him, but today I think was too much. 

We went to Spearfish to visit Nick and to pick up Caitlin's friend, Gabb. We went to dinner and yet more people held him and petted him and he went into Tasmanian Devil mode. He loved seeing Nick and he snuggled right up on his lap and went to sleep as we ate. We then had to say goodbye to Nick and go get Gabb's bags. There were two little girls there that of course wanted to pet the puppy.  He lost it again and bit one of them, not hard but enough to make me mad. I am really trying to work on it, but it's hard! For him and for us. I feel bad because I know teething must hurt! Poor baby :( 

He slept all through the night last night without waking me up to potty but I'm kind of wondering if he went potty somewhere on my floor... Oops. I don't see any spots but I know that he can go under the bed and I haven't looked under there yet. 

Cosmo is going to do so much better when he has a set routine and schedule to follow.

 I love him so much and even when it's frustrating, I know we will get through this tough stage. He is going to be a great grown up dog! :) 

Madi, Gigi, and Cosmo's Day of Fun

Cosmo had his second vet visit today! He was 4.1 pounds on his first visit, which was on the 13th. Today he weighed 6.4 pounds! I knew he was growing fast, but I wouldn't have guessed that it was that much! He really is so big! I don't know to document his growth except by telling you his weights as he grows. It's hard to take pictures that accurately show how much he's growing! I'll work on that.

He got his second round of shots and he is SUCH a wuss. He yelped like she was cutting his leg off. The needle was tiny. The vet said she has never seen a dog react that dramatically, which doesn't surprise me. I can't imagine how much of a baby he's going to be when he gets neutered. He's going to be whiny for months! I gave him his second Heart Guard treat that he loves. I also gave him his banana flavored booster of heart worms vaccination which he loved, once I got it into his mouth.

Cosmo has lost two of his top teeth and his new teeth are already coming in! He hasn't lost any of his front teeth on the top or bottom. I feel bad for him because I'm sure his gums hurt really bad. Mom feels the same way and bought him some gum soothing toys today!

Cosmo, mom, and I, went on so many errands today and Cosmo had fun! It pooped him out for sure but he loves the attention. We went to Menards and Scheels and Runnings. Menards had a sign that said "no dogs allowed" but I didn't actually notice until after we left. Oops. All of the employees LOVED him (who couldn't) and said nothing, so I guess it's fine. Same with Scheels, although I saw no sign there. We bought a kayak that I can't wait to take him out in! He might hate it. but he'll probably just go to sleep because he's a dork that way. Runnings allows pets so that was nice! I did notice that he's heavier than I remember. My right arm went dead toward the end. He is 6 pounds after all. Of course, being in the purse was not giving him enough attention, so I had to carry him. What a dork.

I had a really fun day with my mommy and my puppy. Cosmo does such a good job in public, I love taking him out. He didn't even bite most of the strangers that wanted to pet him. I'm so proud of him.

Drive-In Date!

Tonight was the first of what I expect will be many Drive-In movie dates for Cosmo! He did such a good job. He only got jittery once, which considering it's two movies in a row, is not surprising. 

I found this adorable book at Daycare and it was unfortunatly missing a cover so I'm not sure who the author is, but check this out!

Looks a little like a papillon doesn't it? So I thought that was neat.

Cosmo has a vet appointment on Saurday for his second round of shots so that's exciting! He's growing up so fast :)

On the 12th, Claire has a soccer tournament in Boulder, CO and I was able to get it off work, so Cosmo and I are road tripping once again! This time with his Gigi and auntie Claire. Thank goodness that this hotel allows dogs! I can't wait! 

We are getting a foreign exchange student for the summer from France and it's going to be fun! Hope she likes pets because we have plenty of those around! :)

Everything is going great! I can't wait to see how much Cosmo has grown tomorrow! I'm guessing 2 pounds... 

Growing up?

Cosmo has begun a new phase in his puppy life. We have decided that perhaps he's entering his "teenage years". Today, for the first time, Cosmo humped me. More than once. I am deeply disturbed. He also has quite an attitude lately. He attacked mom this morning just because she stopped him from chasing our 20 year old cat. We have taken to calling him "Tasmanian Devil". I go from hating him and wanting to bite him back to wanting nothing more than to snuggle him. Cosmo makes my life so hard and so much fun at the same time!

SO the humping isn't fun. I hope he stops now. That's all for now. A humping update. I have a weird life.

But wait, there's more! Claire and her two friends taught Cosmo to roll over today! He hasn't quite mastered it yet, but he's getting there. I love it! Thanks Claire.

Cosmo's 10th Week

Today Cosmo Jackson is 10 weeks old! I can't believe it! I picked him when he was 11 days old, and now he he's 10 weeks!

He has grown up so much in the last 70 days! In size and maturity. He still bites because of his teething and has the occasional potty accident, but he's almost done with that, I hope. (Although as I write this, he just squatted and took a poo.) He really has come a long way.

I am so happy and so blessed to have such an amazing puppy. Cosmo really is the best dog in the whole world. He is so good with people and that is exactly what I wanted. He snuggles with people and is playful but will always come to me first when I call. Cosmo is a momma's boy but he loves other people too. He gets along with other dogs and my three cats and that's all I could ask for.

Sometimes I want to throw him across the room, but most days I just want to pick him up and kiss him and tell him I love him more than everything.

Moments like this make it worth it. 

Update: Cosmo has learned to fetch today! Thanks auntie Caitlin!!

Learning Something Every Day

Living every day with Cosmo is a new adventure. He is insane and his mood changes every second! Adding that to my daycare job working with 4-6 year olds and headaches are a fairly common occurrence. I still love him so much though!

Today's adventure included a surprise shower with Cosmo. I leave the bathroom door open when I shower so he doesn't freak out as much. Notice how I say, as much. He still freaked out a little, and the next thing I knew, there was a Cosmo in my shower. He loved it and he played in the water. So goodbye baths and hello showering with momma, I guess! After our shower, we sat on the couch and dried of nicely together. We had a great snuggle moment that made everything I'm struggling with worth it. :)

We went to Spearfish to visit Nick and Cosmo loved it. I was a little nervous about shaking up his routine but he did really well. He had one poopoo accident in the apartment, but I cleaned it up and it was no big deal.

His teething is getting so much worse! My arms are covered in scratches from his sharp little teeth. It's driving me crazy. I've read online that you're supposed to yelp like you're in pain (which isn't hard because I am) but even that has stopped working. It's difficult not to get mad at him for it because it does really hurt! I hope he gets done teething soon!

I can't believe how fast he's growing. He looks different every time I see him, I swear he gets bigger. I kind of hate it. Of course, I love that he's growing up but I hate that he won't be a puppy forever! That makes me kind of sad.

Cosmo has met tons of new people the last few days and he does so good with that. He seriously loves everyone but comes right to me when he needs me or feels uncomfortable. I love that he's such a mama's boy.

He is doing so well with his training! He is so smart. He learns so fast.

Cosmo's adorable papillon ears are not coming up as I would have hoped. Today they went up for 10 minutes and then went back down again. It was exciting but short lived. I will love him either way, of course, but I want them up if possible! When he is lying down his ears go up and stay that way for a while. He's cute either way! :)

Work is going well. It's so hard to leave him but he hasn't pooped in his pen since the first time I left him. He doesn't like it, but he lives with it. I love my job so much even though the hours are long. I can't wait until my little sister is home with Cosmo all day, that will make me feel better about leaving him.

We are having our ups and downs with our new adventure, but overall it's going well.

Updates, updates

Cosmo is doing so much better in his new home! The peeing has become much less frequent and he hardly goes in the house! Training wise, he's amazing. He is sitting and laying down on the command, usually the first time! I am so proud!

He is rambunctious and an early bird which is a bummer. Thank goodness mom gets up at 4:30am to let him out! She is a life-saver.

Cosmo's separation anxiety has gotten better as well. We have left him in his pen for almost an hour today and he did not poop or vomit in it, which is improvement. I think it's going to be the hardest thing about training him. He hates being alone. It's cute having a shadow but he needs to learn to be alone sometimes! Luckily, my little sister is still too young to get a job so she will be home  with him all day, most every day! Again, thank goodness. She has a list of what needs to happen to help him become a great dog, and I know she'll do a wonderful job! 

He loves the car and goes with me everywhere he can! I love taking him too, he's a great co-pilot. :) Mostly the car puts him right to sleep! 

I started my job this week and it's been pretty hard to leave him but it makes coming home really sweet.

Cosmo turned 9 weeks on Monday! Yay! I believe he also lost his first tooth on the Sunday before that. I swear that he is bigger every single day and Nick said he was much bigger than the last time he saw him. We have another vet visit coming up soon, so we'll see if we are right about it. I can't believe how the time is flying! Here are some pictures to catch you up! 

He is naughty and playful and chews on EVERYTHING, but he's too cute to stay mad at. We play all the time and he loves it!

Thank goodness for bitter apple spray! 

Cosmo and I have been going on walks and he's adjusted well to the leash (if he has a harness and not just the collar!) He loves walking right next to me or right in front of me. He didn't like being stepped on much! 

Overall, he is doing such a good job! I am so proud and so lucky! He's going to be such a good dog! :)

A Bump in the Road

No one said it was easy to have a puppy. Cosmo is doing so well in most areas! He sits without treats, he's learning to lay down and kennel, he comes (almost) every time he is called, he is doing better with his biting BUT, he is struggling with the potty training. He was doing so well the first few days but today he peed on the floor so many times! Like 7 or 8. I am starting to think that he will never stop! It's very hard not to get frustrated. I was reading up online and it's possible that he has a UTI. I start work tomorrow and might not be able to get him into the vet until the weekend. I blamed myself, I was cleaning most of the day and not paying enough attention to him or play time. After he peed for the 4th time or so, we played and played. Outside, inside. All over the place and every time I stopped, for a second, he would pee. Not a whole lot, just tiny little, dime sized puddle of pee. I'm afraid to leave him alone with Claire. If he's this bad when I 'm home, what is he going to be like when I'm not here! I'm more than a little worried about him. My stress level is kind of high right now. This sucks.

He's seven weeks old tomorrow! I really cannot believe how fast he's growing up. I didn't think I could ever love something this much. Cosmo is good at making me forgive him with one glance. It sucks.

On a side note, I am excited for work tomorrow!

A New Life for Cosmo

Cosmo has had a very busy couple of days. He is doing so well! He barely slept the night before last. He is not a fan of sleeping on the floor while mom is in bed. There is some separation anxiety going on and I am trying to nip in the bud. I love having him as a shadow but he needs to learn to be alone too.

He has only had two accidents in the house and they were both small and easy to clean up.

Cosmo did so well in the car all the way home. He did not pee or throw up or anything like that! He only peed when we took him outside. He mostly slept and snuggled.

Yesterday we took it pretty easy. My sister, Caitlin had the day off and we all just snuggled, and played, and watched TV. Nick and I took him to Petsmart with us to do some exchanges and he got a new harness and carrier that actually fit him. He likes the new carrier so much better. He sat in the car with Nick while I went to get my blood drawn for my new job. Cosmo really loves the car. All of us went out to dinner and left him for about an hour and he did not like that. He pooped in his crate.

Cosmo struggled to go DOWN the stairs, not up at all. Today we got him to go down and now he's doing it with no problem.

None of us got much sleep for the yelping. He was better than the first night but he hated being on the floor. The second I pick him up, he goes right to sleep. I only pick him off if he's not whining and I ignore him if he's making noise. He slept most of the night on the bed. We got up and ate together. Then we had to run errands and he came too! Cosmo even made a trip to Spearfish, where I think he'll visit quite a bit since Nick lives there. He is a big hit everywhere he goes. I think he's getting more used to his carrier the more we use it. He had an actual solid poop outside today, two in fact!

He had his first vet visit today. He did so well that the vet commented on it. He is so healthy! We set up his PawPlan so we can get visits whenever. I love our animal clinic, they treat us so well. The doctor had to take his temperature up his butt and I have never seen a more surprised face! He did not appreciate it, but who would? He had no fever and the vet says his nose is runny because he's a little stressed and it might have something to do with the change in environment. I am so happy that he's healthy. Cosmo weighs 4.1 pounds! His hernia is fine, they will fix it when he gets neutered in 8 weeks. He has another round of shots due on the 27th. We don't know if his ears will go up but we hope so! We will love him even if they don't. Nick was at the appointment and I'm so glad he was and think Cosmo was too.

Cosmo took his first bath today as well. He didn't love the water but he tolerated it well. He smells a lot better too. We watched Singin' in the Rain while we bathed him. Nick helped and took very needed pictures!

He doesn't hump anyone but Claire, my 15 year old sister.

We are working on sitting and he's making good progress. I am excited to see how fast he learns this. He is so smart!

Everyone here is in love with him and I can't quite believe he's real and that this has really happened. I am so happy.

So close now

We are still about 4 hours or so out and we are all starting to feel it! We all had fun but we are ready to be out of this car! 

Cosmo is sleeping some more! He has been going potty so well! He is a total goober. He has adjusted really well to his collar and tag! He loves his antler chew toy! Now if he just learns to chew that and not his neighbors and friends :) 

Tanner is doing his turn and finishing out the trip for us. Nick and I have been napping on and off while Chelsea stays up with him! Cosmo is such a snuggler, I love it! He has some begging tendencies we have to get rid of ;)

We put Singin' in the Rain on my phone to see what would happen and he LOVED IT. It was so cute. He stared and barked and licked the screen. I kid you not. Good to know I picked a good namesake :)

I am in love❤️

The Long Road Home

What a crazy day! I'm still really not sure all of this is real! Here he is. Cosmo. A puppy. In my car. Coming to my house. It's incredible!

I am absolutely smitten already. It isn't hard, he is a shmoozer. He has been sleeping a lot and we even napped together :) 

He peed by himself outside when we stopped and he ate a little and drank a little and then peed again! He is adjusting to his collar really well and did fine on the leash! 

He is currently napping on Nick! 

He is too cute... I'm in love ❤️ 

We are 9 hours out now! Heading home. Hope he likes snow! 

Guess what

another pit stop

Stopping in Lexington, Nebraska at Walmart for a potty break. Approximately 5 hours out :) Nick is still driving and Chelsea dozed off for a while. I have no idea how, as Nick listened to Eminem and Tanner, Nick, and I all joined in, loudly. Sorry Chels!

Still chugging on

We got to leave a little early (about 5). I have finished my drive. 6 hours! Now Nick's turn to drive 6 hours and then we will be there! The drive was relatively uneventful! Only a tiny bit of snow and the roads were dry almost the whole time! We sang some songs, laughed, ate our snacks and counted train cars! We stopped and filled up our gas tank even though it was only about half empty, just in case! Checked the oil and it's fine. Half way there!! :) Now all we have to worry about is tornadoes. ;) 

Thank god for my mom and little sister for letting me borrow the 4-wheel drive car! When it got a little hairy, I was incredibly thankful! 

On the road

We are on the road! The roads are clear, we are safe! :) We are stopping for food in Hot Springs and then we will keep on keeping on! 

Anxious

T-minus 3.5 hours now. I am starting to get a little anxious about the weather but I think we will muddle through. The snow is still falling down pretty hard but once we get past Hot Springs, it's supposed to be clear skies. We have had to change our course a little bit but I think we've decided to head south as soon as we can. I-79 has some pretty steep hills so my sister might be kind enough to let me use her 4-wheel drive, which would make me feel better. The stress and excitement are both building! I will keep posting as we get closer and closer. Send us good thoughts today!

Today's the day!

So today is the day! The snow is looking to cause an issue but I think by 6 it will be okay. There really is no other time I can go with work starting and all so I think we will push through. I am watching the storm very closely and I think I found the best path. We are talking about taking my sister's car as it has four wheel drive and mine doesn't. 

Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the big day... Sort of. We leave tomorrow at about 6pm and within 12 hours or so, I will meet Cosmo. I seriously cannot wait and the drive is going to feel unbearably long. I just want to meet him already!!! I have a bag of all his stuff packed already, he is so spoiled already.

We watched Singin' in the Rain today and it just cemented his name for me. It suits him so well. Also I forgot how much I loved that movie and Cosmo Brown in general. 

I am all moved out of the dorms for the LAST TIME EVER. I am almost all moved back into my mom's house where Cosmo and I will be living for the summer. I still have to clean my car a little bit or my passengers won't fit :) 

I passed all my finals. Thank god.

Manhattan (Manny) is my cat who I've had for almost 5 years now and I had a serious talk today. I don't want her to be jealous or feel like I love her less than Cosmo, but he will demand more attention. I know she'll be so mad and probably won't speak to me for a few days. She better still sleep on my bed every night. 

Slight Change of Plan

So the original plan was to head right for Eureka, and stay for a few hours to get Cosmo used to us and to get things sorted with the breeder. Then we were going to drive for an hour to a small town called El Dorado and stay in a campground and get up early the next morning and come home. Today I was watching the news and saw a tornado had touched down fairly close to where Cosmo and his family live. That's when I realized that we were driving right into tornado alley during tornado season. It also has been so rainy there and it's expected to continue. So maybe staying in a tent isn't the best idea. We still haven't fully formulated a plan and that's scares me a little haha we will figure it out! I think we will leave a little earlier and Monday (mother's day) and then finding a place to sleep the next morning until we can meet with my breeder. 

I would appreciate good thoughts because Eureka is under a tornado watch. Send good thoughts to everyone in tornado alley for that matter. 

2 days!! :) Insane!

May the 4th Be With You

Cosmo Jackson is 7 weeks old today! I can't even believe it.

5 days and counting! :) 

I am thinking of going to PetSmart tomorrow and trading in his tag that says Puppy and changing it to Cosmo! This is getting so real!

I'm going to set up my stuff after I move home, so it's all ready for him when we come home!

I had my job orientation today and it wasn't bad. I liked it almost :P tomorrow I have training and drug testing for it.

I'm going to hit the books hard tomorrow night. My finals start Wednesday. Then I'm moving. Then I'm going to get Cosmo! So crazy.

I spoke to my breeder today and we talked about our plans to meet and what she'll give me. Mostly food, so his stomach doesn't get upset. She is being so kind to me, she knows it's my first puppy! I'm very lucky!

It's crazy to think that I won't get another picture from her because HE'S GOING TO BE MINE. It's becoming real now! 

5 days. Almost 4. Is this real? 

Only a week now!

It's a mere week away! 7 days and counting guys! 

Cosmo is 47 days old today! 

We got pictures on this fine Saturday and I'm so excited. Cosmo is quite chubby and that makes me so happy! :) 

I also got a video of Cosmo and his brother playing in the yard. So cute!! 

Yesterday was my anniversary. Nick and I have been dating for 5 years! So that's fun. 

Today was my show and I did fine and now it's done so thank goodness for that! 

Only finals stand between Cosmo and I.  And I can't wait. :) 

I messed something up

For some reason when I edited one of my posts: "no news is good news" I made it seem like I made it today. In reality it should come before Tuesday! 

Sorry!

We Finally Picked A Name

Cosmo Brown :)

No pictures yet but probably tomorrow! We have some big news! We have chosen Cosmo as Puppy's official name. There are several things that I needed in a name, and I've been really picky. I wanted it to mean something to me, and I wanted to have something to be able to watch or listen to with him and say "that's what you're named after". Yup I'm a dork and I know this. My mom gave me the idea from Cosmo Brown in Singin' in the Rain and it sounded so perfect to me. I had thought of the names a few times, but didn't love the connection to Kramer (from Seinfeld), but she helped me realize that I could also just set people straight. If I know where it comes from, why does it matter?

I told Nick that the name had just shot to the top of the list and he got quiet and smiled. He told me that when he was little he used to name all his new Neopets (an online game) Cosmo. It solidified it for me.

 To me he looks like a Cosmo and my breeder says that it fits him! She says she will call him Cosmo for me, which is so great!

I'm just so happy to finally have a name for the little poop. But in a way it almost makes me sad because besides going to get him, it's the last thing I had to do. I am, of course SO excited, but this process is coming to an end and it's just a little bittersweet. Just a little though.

Speaking of which, 8 days!!!! We are now into the single digits. This is crazy. I cannot WAIT.

If I get pictures I will let you know! :)

Thanks mom! Maybe you are always right ;)