Noah and Paisley

Noah and his puppy Paisley have a really awesome bond. Before we had her, I wasn't overly keen on the idea of having a dog but I knew it would be good for Noah so we moved forward with the idea. And over the almost two years we have had her, it has become so clear to me that getting Noah a puppy was a great decision.

Having Paisley has given Noah a sense of purpose and responsibility that I really couldn't provide him with if it weren't for her. While he can't care for her all on his own, he does help when it is time to give her water and food. Often times, when we are at Walmart, he will want to go over to the pet section and pick out a treat or a new toy for her. When he does things for her, he loves for us or parents to tell him what a good pet owner he is. I think it's really good for his self esteem. 

Every morning once Noah is dressed and ready for school, I put Paisley in Noah's room and shut the door so she doesn't try and run out of the house when I take Noah to the bus. Noah follows me and (without prompting for me) he will blow Paisley a kiss, tell her he loves her, and then wave bye to her. If for some reason he is not right there with me when I am putting Paisley in his room, he will go back and open the door so she can get her kisses and he can tell her bye. He will not go to school until he does that! 

My favorite Noah and Paisley thing is the way he calls her. Noah doesn't verbally say very many words but he does a distinctive "grunt" (for lack of a better word) when he wants to call Paisley and she recognizes that grunt, knows it's her boy calling her, and runs to him. He does this every single night when it is time to go to bed. 

Ever since Paisley joined our family, I have been taking her with us to Noah's Miracle League baseball games. She was still a teenie tiny puppy the first time she went to a baseball game with us. The kids all flock to her and love on her. She is so good with them and doesn't seem to mind them petting her. 

I may have been skeptical at first, but now I can see all the benefits not only for Noah but for our family of having a doggie and I can't imagine our lives without our little Paisley Pooh.

Photo Note: This photo was taken last year but remains my very favorite photo of N and P to date. I have been trying lately to get a good photo of them for this post but every time Paisley sees me coming with the camera she runs off!