Dear JJ,

On April 1st we will celebrate one year as a family. I say that this day was the first happiest day in my life, in that it happened prior to the day I married Daddy and made an honest baby out of you. I still feel pangs of guilt because you weren’t there….but it was painfully hot and the place was so small and I would’ve had to re-work that dreadful seating chart.

I never imagined I could love something as much as I love you. Ok, I’ve always known that one day I would love a human baby super much, but not a furry baby like yourself. After 14 years of watching your Grandma & Grandpa clean up after, pay for, and miss out vacations because of your late uncle Doogie, I vowed to never own a dog. After he passed, I was seriously depressed for days and I thought that I would avoid that pain by never becoming a puppy mommy.

Then one morning while visiting with Auntie Miriam I came across your picture online. From time to time I would google “yorkipoos” just to see how much they looked like old Doogster. From the very first moment I laid eyes on you,

I knew that we were meant to be. I immediately snapped a shot of this picture and sent it to Daddy via text. He was quite surprised that I was interested in a puppy, but my god, how could anyone resist that face and that snuggly body?

Within two days, Daddy and I were at the airport awaiting your arrival [i know, i know, puppy mill...but think of it this way: we rescued you!] The first time I felt like a mommy was when your flight was delayed for hours and hours and my old self said “Man, I just want to go home and forget about this.” That is when my new Mommy self kicked in and said “My goodness, he is yours now, you can’t just leave!”

When the man in the yellow raincoat [very curious george like] walked by with two crates, I knew you had to be in one of them. As he snapped open your crate I began to cry. Yup, mommy tears. You were so, so tiny and scared and I will never, ever forget the first time I saw your beautiful face and held you in my arms. The other lady who was picking up a puppy looked at me strangely, she was just jealous because she wasn’t crying and it was clear that I was going to the better puppy mother.

Over the past year you have brought us such joy. You can make me laugh with just a tilt of that precious head, and like last night when you peed on the bed for the 4,000th time, you make me cry. You’ve been the source of many fights between Daddy and I because sometimes we cannot agree on the best way to raise you. I believe this is all part of your grand scheme to retain a human baby-free household.

I am so glad that you are my first child. You aren’t perfect, and you may still be eating rolls of Charmin a decade from now, but at least you won’t end up telling me that you hate me or sending me a bill for therapy. I would take 4,000 more pee stains on my down comforter rather than spend a single day without you. You’re beautiful [even on days when you don't take your handsome pills], you make me proud and I love you to bits my pumpkin pie.