The title really says it all. And the photo. I took this picture in the car when we drove home from the shelter. With our new puppy! Isn’t he a cutie? he’s also the most tiring thing I’ve ever experienced. Right now I’m so worn out that I’m not sure I can write coherently. Anyways…

The adventure began on 11/11. Lucky number. Our 6-month anniversary of being married. And since it was Veterans Day, Sung and I had no school.

Sung has been talking about a second dog ever since we adopted our girl dog Lotus last year. She would benefit from having a sibling to play with. I was hesitant, because two dogs seems like responsibility overload. But he convinced me. We decided to get another dog once the fire academy is done, in December.

So last Thursday, since we had some free time, we went to Wags and Whiskers Rescue to look at the dogs. Just to browse. Definitely not to bring one home. No way.

But,

This puppy was too adorable. He snuggled down in my lap and stuffed his nose under my arm, then fell asleep. I was in love.

I begged Sung, and he was feeling spontaneous too. Why wait?

It might not have been the wisest idea.

Soon after we Brought him home the initial euphoria faded and was replaced with oh-no-what-have-we-done…

Because a 2 month old boy puppy is overwhelming.

He’s a rascal. Very vocal. Loves to jump. Wants to chew everything. (He’s already managed to destroy my phone charging cable!) Not remotely potty trained. He poops like a maniac. Just unbelievable amounts of poop. I keep cursing whoever the hell designed our house with all carpet. I dream of tile floors.

When we adopted Lotus, she was 7 months old. Sadly she had been abused, and her trauma made her fearful to the point she hardly ever misbehaved or had a potty accident or even made a sound. We didn’t really have to train her—our challenge was coaxing her out of her shell.

Her new little brother is the complete opposite. Nothing scares him. He has zero inhibitions. I think they will be a great duo once the dust settles and everyone adjusts.

Have we really only had this puppy less than a week? It already feels like a month. I am getting lots of opportunities to practice staying calm and in the present moment.

I know this chaos is only temporary, but it does make it hard to function. Life is a mess. The house is a disaster zone. I’m behind on my schoolwork. Sung is stressed because he is now a captain in the academy, which means more responsibilities.

All I crave is the bliss of uninterrupted sleep because getting up every couple hours is giving me brain fog. Yesterday I went to Walmart to get more carpet cleaning spray, and I ended up standing in the middle of the store for a good 10 minutes, spaced out

Head in the clouds.

Oh, we named our puppy: McCloud. Sung wants to spell it “McLeod” because that is the name of a tool used for wildland firefighting. But I personally like the McCloud spelling so that’s how I’ll write it on here. Because he is very fluffy like a cuddly cloud of crazy energy.

Even though it’s a challenge, I am really, really happy we got this little guy. McCloud was the best impulse purchase ever.

34 thoughts on “One part exhaustion, two parts joy”

    1. Aww thank you!! Caring for a puppy has given me a TINY glimpse into the intensity of parenthood, and my respect and awe for parents like you grows by the minute! 🙂

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  8. Wow, you sound like a new parent, with the fatigue and everything. Haha, when one goes to a shelter, one comes back with a pet. That’s what I know after I watched all those animal videos online. There’s also a girl crying in the family SUV because her parents refused to take home a dog with them. It is so cute. I hope you will train the little puppy in no time and everything will be settled down. Feel sorry for Lotus. Abused youngsters usually have a hard time recovering and she is so lucky to have found you and your husband.

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    1. I don’t know how parents of baby humans manage. I really don’t know. Haha. I don’t function well with sleep deprivation. Today we had a group project in my class and every single thing we learned this semester slipped out of my brain..
      And thank you for the kind words, yes I think we are already getting adjusted and finding the rhythm. Lotus even played with him which makes me so happy. 🙂

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  10. Investment in time will no doubt be repaid double once McCloud is up to speed – I’m betting Lotus will help him get the hang of house training… it is always easier with an older dog already established in the home!!

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  15. Congratulations. It may only be “puppy love,” but it grows. I wonder if the Captain on “The Love Boat,” Gavin MacLeod, ever had a dog named “McCloud Sextant” who would have been adopted when the band on the ship played “Puppy Love” by Donny Osmond?

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  16. How adorable! Congratss on this new four legged friend and May you make wonderful memories together! Ofcourse, when the joy outweighs the exhaustion, the choice is almost clear 😉 Potty training is HARD, but he’ll be a good boy and learn… Oh, no, I didn’t say that, personalities don’t change- a naughty pup will grow into a naughty dog 😆 But he’s here to add more love and joy in your household and that’s for sure 💝 Give the cutie a hug on my behalf. And to Lotus. 🥰 And to you! 💖

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    1. Thank you! Gosh when I wrote this post I was almost delirious with exhaustion and stress… luckily things have calmed down. The little guy has adjusted to our human schedule. And Lotus plays with him so much, they run around like maniacs and get all their energy out without me lifting a finger! I think once he’s potty trained it will actually be easier to have 2 dogs than it was to have 1 dog.
      keyword being….ONCE he’s potty trained
      😅😅😅

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