Cole!!

(drum roll, please)
Introducing...our sweet new puppy, Cole!

Matt and I have always wanted to be a dog family. We both grew up with dogs and knew that's what we wanted for our kids too. Siena has only confirmed that that's just what we need. :) She is obsessed with dogs and can't keep her hands off any dog she comes into contact with.

So, when a friend from school sent out an email to the staff about free black lab puppies, we investigated. A wonderful man living out on a farm in Lone Jack owned male and female purebred labs. They had a litter of puppies, and instead of selling them for money, he just wanted to find good homes for them.

We took Siena out to see the puppies on Sunday afternoon. Of course the puppies were absolutely adorable. However, I think both Matt and I were more impressed with the mom and dad. They were both on the property, both super sweet dogs with great disposition, and both of them not too big. They licked all over Siena and were sweet as can be. If they were any indication of what their puppies will be like, we've got a great thing coming.

Before we went to see the puppies, we told ourselves we would not leave with a puppy. And we didn't. We went home, talked about it a lot, talked logistics, pros and cons, all of it. After a few final things came together, we went out Monday afternoon (Memorial Day) to pick out a puppy.

There were 4 males puppies left and all of them identical and adorable. We ended up picking out Cole because he was the littlest and also one of the 2 that paid the most attention to us when we came to play. He pounced around a little bit, showed some love, but also cuddled too. We took him home to Siena, who was very surprised to see her very own puppy at her house!!

For some reason, Siena thought the puppy's name was Huggie. Not sure where that came from or why she kept calling him that, but we'll give Cole the middle name of Huggie...not a very manly lab name. Now she's got it...his name is "Cold." :)

Cole has been great! He's just like a newborn...plays hard for 20 minutes or so and then is wore out and has to take a nap. Siena loves him to pieces and he just puts up with the neck "hug" strangulation, squishing when she wants to sit right by him, and the constant in-your-face contact. The perfect puppy for an almost 2-year-old.

It makes me smile to think that Cole might very well be the dog that Siena has when she's in high school. He is such a sweet dog. (Please remind me of the sweetness when he's going through chewing stages and figuring out his big, awkward body.) We love our little COLE! :)

To Siena, this is a hug. To Cole, this is...well, what his hugs will be like from now on.

Cole's first bath.
Exhausted after the first day with his new family.