Catching up on what's what

Life has been blissfully normal - normal for me, anyway, which means everything has pretty much stayed the same day after day. We get up in the morning and mom throws the ball for awhile, then we get in the car and go to work and mom throws the ball whenever she's in the apartment with me, then we get in the car and go home and mom throws the ball for me until bedtime.

We did get a new family member. Her name is Echo and mom said she is a dachsador. That's a dachshund and labrador retriever mix, but Echo is almost all dachshund. I was suspicious of her at first, because I was convinced she wanted to steal my ball, but we get along much better lately. We play a lot, so I have to be careful where I step because she is so little and I am a big boy now.

Tennis balls and what I want for Christmas

I need some new ones! Someone please tell mom that I have strong teeth and after chewing on a ball for a few days, it always comes apart.

For Christmas, I want lots of tennis balls (of course!) but I also want a ball launcher. If anyone knows where to get one that won't shoot the balls too hard or so far they won't stay in the yard, e-mail me and I'll tell mom.

Goodbye, Momcat, hello, Angel

Momcat got hurt a couple of days ago. Mom said a car or a dog must have hurt her. She held Momcat and tried to keep her warm but Momcat cried anyway. I was upset by the sound of Momcat crying even though I am not much too fond of cats. Momcat never slapped me so she was okay.
But she went to sleep and never woke up and so Dad took her to the woods and came back without her. Mom was sad and mad. She said cats can't be kept in like dogs, not when there is a dog door, because they learn how to go out with the dogs and then they climb the fence. Jasper used to climb the fence but dad fixed it so he couldn't. I don't know why the cats can climb the fence when Jasper can't. I wish Momcat was never hurt.

A lady mom knows brought mom a dog. I didn't mind at first, but now I'm not so sure about her. I want to like her, but she's mean to me and she stole my ball today. I don't like it when someone steals my ball but this dog is so mean I'm scared to take my ball back from her. They said she is just a puppy and her name is Angel but she is a bully!



Angel chases me and snaps and bites but I am too fast for her and I sit on the couch where she can't get me. Angel is too small to jump on the couch.

This is her with my tennis ball. I was going to take it back but Angel snarled at me and made me run away and sit on the couch, so mom finally had to get my ball back for me. Angel is no angel!!



Angel likes Zipper. He gives her baths and lets her climb around on him and bite him. I think he ought to bite her back but mom said that wouldn't be nice.

Here is Angel and ZipZip.



Maybe if I weeble Angel she will like me, too. I'll let you know.

Gardening with mom

Mom planted a garden awhile back. Zipper helped her because I don't really dig digging. She pointed where she needed a hole and ZipZip dug her one, then she put the plants in it. The plants smell okay, and the holes were kind of neat, especially the one that had a wiggly thing in it. Mom said it was a worm and wouldn't let Zipper eat it. I liked the way the dirt smelled, but it made Zipper mad when he was digging and I stuck my nose in there to check out the hole, so I just watched.

Now there are new things on the plants. Mom goes out to look at them every day. One plant has little green balls on it. I like them but they don't smell like my tennis balls so I leave them alone. I'm the only one who doesn't get in trouble for walking around in mom's garden. Mom said she's going to make pizza when the balls turn red. I love love love pizza!

Getting over the ick

I have been pretty sick the past few days but mom says my fever is gone so I am almost well. She's been cooking boiled chicken and rice for me for three days now and I am sick of it, if you'll pardon the pun! I got some scrambled eggs and a little piece of bread this morning. Mmm. I love bread! I like eggs, too. Right now, I like anything that isn't boiled chicken and rice. Zipper got to have bacon and cheese and he even ate some carrots. Mom said that would be too much for my tummy. Dad said it is hard to tell when I'm sick because I am always so cheerful, but mom knows me so well she can see right away when I am feeling bad.

On top of everything else, there was a little person here yesterday. Mom said the little person was something called a "goddaughter." I am afraid of little people, but mom kept hold of me and so it wasn't too bad as long as the goddaughter person stayed a few feet away from me. Goddaughters run a lot and make funny noises. I don't understand them.

Goodbye, Watermelon Head

We are almost out of barbecue cats. The big orange cat went to rescue and is now called Pumpkin. I don't know if he found a home, yet, but the night the lady from rescue picked him up, Watermelon Head went away and he never came back.

Mom looked everywhere for him. She even got Zipper to go with her. Zipper and I liked Watermelon Head. He was a pretty cool guy, for a cat, and didn't hiss or scratch when we sniffed his face. Mom bought him a fuzzy house to sleep in, but Watermelon Head didn't like being inside so he slept on top of it, on the ledge under the table outside.

He came in the door sometimes, even though he knew he wasn't supposed to. Dad said Watermelon Head didn't mind letting everyone know when he expected food. He was spoiled rotten, especially for a wild cat.

Watermelon Head got into a lot of fights and mom was trying to get him used to being held so she could take him to South Carolina to be neutered. She finally got him to sit in her lap for a couple of minutes and hoped he would soon be tame, but then he disappeared. He got his name from when dad first saw him, all beat up from a fight and his head swollen as big as one of those little watermelons mom likes to eat. Watermelon Head didn't seem to mind his name. He always answered to it, anyway.

It's been a long time since Watermelon Head disappeared. Mom calls for him now and then, and she let me walk in the woods with her to look for him last week, but she said he probably won't ever come back again.

We all look at his little house every time we go out, hoping to see him sleeping there again. We miss him. Rest in peace, Watermelon Head.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

I am one year old today! As near as mom can figure my birthdate, anyway.

I got a big, floppy stuffed bunny to lie on and two new balls to play with. We ate Peeps and mom made me a spice cake like she gets for her birthday. I got another Giggle Ball, too, because they were on sale, but Zipper stole that one like he did my first, red one. That's okay. I play with it a little bit when it jiggles and whistles, but I don't really like the music. Zipper goes crazy every time the Giggle Ball starts up. It laughs and whistles and says "yee-ha!" and plays something mom calls "Wipeout."

Here's a picture of me with my Peep and new ball. I couldn't decide which one I wanted most!



And here's a movie showing how good I am getting at catching the ball:

An early birthday present

Mom never could resist giving presents as soon as she gets them! We got Christmas presents for days before Christmas really came. Tonight she bought me a birthday present and of course, she just had to show me right away. It's a silly-faced ball that bounces around and sings and jumbles. I was scared of it at first, but after Doll Baby took a run at it, I did, too. The video is kind of dark, because all Mom has to take videos with is her digital camera, which has no light, but you'll get the idea. I think I'm going to have a good time with this silly ball. I can't wait to show it to Zipper!

Computer woes!

Mom has been having a hard time with the computer, so she has been playing with me a lot instead of the computer. Haha, computer!
We are having my birthday party on Sunday. I am getting a cake and presents, mom said, but I have to wear a silly hat or I won't get anything. I don't think that's fair, but if you have to do that to have a birthday, I guess I will do it.
I am excited about my party. Mom has invited Brother and Lucky to come, and Jasper is coming, too.

The pitbull dog that mom took in a couple of months ago was adopted by a man in South Carolina. His daughter sent us pictures of the dog. Here are some before and afters:




They named him Fred. I like it!

Sick eared cat update

It turns out she (the cat) is a he (the cat). They named him Pumpkin and he had to go to the doctor and have surgery. He went to my doctor's office but I don't know if Pumpkin was lucky enough to have Dr. Amy or not. I hope so!

He (the cat) will stay with the rescue lady and maybe be adopted. As I have recently learned, being adopted is a good thing (for everyone but me because I don't ever want to leave my family!).

Bye, Pumpkin! I hope you get well soon!

A Sad Day for Me and Dolly and Mom

Brother went away today. Mom said he went to a new home where he will get lots of attention and love and playtime. She said Brother was adopted and being adopted is a good thing.

Well, if it's so great to be adopted, how come mom was crying? How come Doll Baby won't get off the couch?

I know our house is crowded but we are good dogs and we play together and don't fight. I still have The Ball, but I am worried about Dolly. She doesn't have anyone to play with now and anyway, she doesn't seem to want to play or run around. She did steal the peanut butter Girl Scout cookies and eat them all. Maybe that's why she won't get off the couch. I hope she will be happier soon. Mom, too. Dad said Doll Baby is the next to go, but he was just kidding, Mom said. Mom said Dad would go before Dolly!

It sure is quiet around here.

Goodbye, Brother. I hope you have a happy life! Maybe you can come back for my birthday party. I'm going to be one year old this month!

One cat down, more to go

One of the rescue ladies in the next county came and got one of the cats tonight. She (the cat, not the lady) has a sick ear and mom said she (the cat) would be better in rescue where she can see someone like Dr. Amy who can fix her up and then she (the cat!) can be placed in a new home where no one will make her stay out in the cold.

Mom said the rescue lady wasn't too good at listening but she seemed nice, anyway. I'm glad she got the cat. This was the nice cat but she was kind of like me when it came to strangers. Watermelon Head is the other cat and he isn't really nice. Mom says he is feral. That means wild. Mom said he is always all beat up and when he first started coming around his head was all swollen and that's why she calls him Watermelon Head. She said he is the most spoiled wild cat that ever lived.

As soon as he stops getting mad when Mom tries to pick him up, Watermelon Head is going to go to Dr. Amy to be fixed. Boy, I'll bet that makes him really mad!

Big doings

Mom read me a note from a friend of hers, Aunt Jer. Her dog is named Quincy and we are almost the same age! Quincy just turned one and I will be one next month. I will try real hard to get used to strange people and things, Aunt Jer!


Lucky left today for a brand new family. (That's him, above) Mom said Lucky hasn't been real lucky in his life and she hopes this adoption will work out for him. He is getting a mom and dad, plus a little girl to take care of. Lucky loves people and mom said he really liked the little girl, so I guess it's good that he went away. He took up too much room on the bed, anyway. (I know that's mean but I want to sleep by my mom and Lucky hogged that side of the bed!)

Zipper and Brother both got new collars today. Brother was very happy and insisted mom take him for a walk right away - and then he got into trouble because he saw a cat and tried to chase it. I didn't get a new collar. I already have a good red one. Zipper got a red one, too.

Mom let dad sleep all day long. She said he needed to get some good sleep before he went to work tonight, so ZipZip, Doll Baby and I slept near him to keep him warm and comfy. I didn't even weeble him until it was time for him to get up. Then I weebled him good!

Mom said another sugar refinery worker died the other day. She said the family wants their privacy and so the worker's name wasn't ever said. Mom says that's okay, you can mourn someone whose name you don't know. There was a memorial service today for the whole county to say goodbye to the ten workers who died and to pray for the ones still in the burn center. Mom said she wished she could go, but we can't afford not to work. She watched some of it on the news and said she thinks she recognized one of the photos they showed, but she wasn't just crying for the loss of a customer but all of them. She said you never know when your time will be up. That kind of scares me. I don't really know what all that means but I don't know what would happen to me if mom and dad went away forever.

I think I'll cheer mom and myself up. I got a new ball today and we should play a lot to keep our spirits up, so I'll go now. Goodnight!

Poor little ZipZip

Zipper is my dachshund buddy. He is what mom calls the beta dog, second in command to Bingo, who is the boss dog in our pack. When we're away from Bingo, Zipper is in charge. He is a pretty good boss. He doesn't get mad too often and even when he does, he doesn't stay mad. Sometimes he is trying to sleep while I am playing ball and he gets mad and yells at me or punches me with his nose. Then I kiss him and kiss him until he stops being mad.
He is dad's boy like I am mom's boy. Zipper is so unhappy that dad is working another job that he just sleeps and sleeps when dad is gone. Poor ZipZip.

Week's end

This has been a looooong week for everyone. Mom works all the time. Dad does, too, but sometimes he works somewhere else and mom has to do everything at the store.

Mom said it's been a sad week for the whole town because of the big fire last week that killed nine people and hurt a bunch more. Mom said she doesn't know if any of the ones killed or hurt are customers because she doesn't know all the customers by name, just by face. By smile, she called it. She cries sometimes when she watches on tv about the fire.

Mom and dad are trying to collect money to help the families and the victims. Mom said she is real proud of our customers because they are so good about helping whenever she asks, even though none of them has a lot of money. Mom said people do that sometimes, help each other when something bad happens.

I hope the people don't hurt long. If I weren't so scared of strangers, I might be willing to give away a few weebles to help them feel better. I am really good about giving kisses when someone is unhappy. Mom said that's okay, she and dad and the customers will do what they can and I can keep on making her and dad happy.

It's been a tough week for mom and dad. Dad's working another job and mom has to fill in and take care of everything else. They're both tired and cranky. They should take more naps.

Adventures in food

I got to try something new yesterday morning. Dad called it a doughnut but it was a lot like bread if you ask me. Bread with sugar on it. I liked the sugar, it was powdery and floaty and felt funny on my tongue when I licked it.

I got sugar all over me!

Weebling Dad

Dad is being weird. He was gone all night and said he was tired so mom wanted him to take a nap today. She locked the other dogs out but she let me and Doll Baby go in the bedroom with dad. Of course, Zipper was already with dad because he is always with dad. I was glad to have dad there because I miss him when he's gone and I don't like him being away all night long. Mom doesn't like it, either, but it's harder for me to get used to changes. I have trouble with little changes and dad being away all night and then getting in bed after lunch is a big, big change. I don't like change. Plus, Zipper was upset and sad because dad was out all night and I get upset when Zipper is upset, so we had a really tough day today.

I thought maybe dad wasn't feeling well, what with Zipper so depressed and the other dogs unhappy about being locked out. I decided I should keep a close eye on dad. I thought maybe that's why mom wanted me to be in there with him, so I could watch over him for her.

Since I am a good dog, and since Zipper was asleep (he didn't sleep well last night with dad gone), I got up several times to check on dad and give him a little reassuring kiss. I usually do that once or twice a night, mostly to mom. She calls it "weebling."

Dad told mom I weebled him too many times and he couldn't sleep. Mom thought maybe I did something wrong, but dad said it was okay.

Note from mom: That Baby is sometimes unsteady on his feet, especially on surfaces that "give," like a mattress. Once or twice a night, I come about half awake, feeling him wobbling towards my face, his feet on either side of me. He's coming to give me a kiss and I know it, but by that time it's too late to ask That Baby to just lie back down and go back to sleep. He's on the way, and he's determined. The long, slimy kiss from chin to forehead is inevitable. So I just put my hands up to help steady him, wait until that super-long tongue finishes giving me a kiss, and wait for him to move back over to the side and lie down again. Since, like the Weeble toys, That Baby wobbles but he doesn't fall down (most of the time), we call these middle-of-the-night episodes "weebling." End of note.

Mom says it's okay for dad to sleep during the day and I don't need to weeble him so much. Well, I'm not sure she's right about that. It's important to make sure my humans feel safe and loved. I will keep her advice in mind tomorrow, when dad takes another nap. Mom said he will do that every day now because he has a second job, whatever that is. If Zipper feels better and dad doesn't sound so tired, I won't worry so much (I weeble Zipper, too). I'm sure they will both need at least one kiss so they can rest more peacefully. I'm sure dad won't mind.

Well, mom says it's time for bed. She looks tired, so I'll go just to make sure she can rest. She might need a couple of weebles, though.

I love my tennis balls!!

Did I mention that I got seven tennis balls for Christmas? It was my very first Christmas and I was so excited to get a bunch of presents and they were almost all tennis balls! I wonder if there is a category in the Guinness Book of World Records for the dog with the most tennis balls. I bet I could win that. My birthday is in March and I bet I'm gonna get more tennis balls (hint, hint!) at my birthday party.

When mom and dad don't have time to play ball with me, I usually play ball by myself until I fall asleep, like in the picture above. I like to smush up a blanket or two...or three, and snuggle down in them with my favorite ball. My favorite ball is whichever one Brother hasn't chewed up. He really makes me mad sometimes. He sneaks my ball away from me when mom and dad aren't around to stop him and even though I bark and bark at Brother and even give him kisses and ask nicely, he won't give my ball back. How mean is that? Not only does he refuse to give it back, he tears them up. It's a good thing mom has some extras hidden away to replace the balls Brother destroys or That Baby would be Sad Baby!

A visit from a relative

Dad's son came to visit today. I don't do well in strange situations and I don't do well with strangers, so I got a little upset when Dad's son got here. His name is Odie and he's a big guy, so I barked at him a lot to warn him away.

Mom and dad said Odie was okay and they hugged me a lot. Mom hugged Odie to show me he was harmless, but I wasn't convinced. Odie sat down in a chair and didn't try to bother me or take my ball, so I stopped barking and just kept an eye on him. I stayed close to mom for awhile and everything turned out all right. Boy, being on the alert for danger is tiring! As soon as Odie left the room, I went to sleep. He came back a little while later. I didn't bark as much and I didn't shake at all like the first time I saw him, but by the time he went home I was worn out and went to sleep again. Mom says maybe I will remember Odie when he comes to visit again and it won't be so scary having him around. He lives a long way off, though, so he won't visit too often. I'll try to remember not to be afraid of him.

Today was full of so much upset that I think I'll just go on to bed, now. Mom said she and dad have to protect me when they can because so much of life is harder for me than other dogs. She promised to be there when I'm scared. Whew.

I'm famous! Well, sort of....

Mom posted my picture - the same one on my profile - on the Million Dog Mosaic site sponsored by Pedigree brand dog food! I'm right on the big dog picture's chin. You can see me at:

http://www.milliondogmosaic.com/pedigree/mosaic.php?action=search&dog=That1&x=0&y=0

She put Zipper and Bingo on there, too. Just put Zipper1 or Bingo1 into the search box.

What a great idea Pedigree has and what a wonderful thing they are donating money to help homeless pets. I could have been homeless - or even dead - if not for people like my mom who rescue pets in need.

Mom says when you adopt a pet from a rescue group, you are helping to save two lives - the life of the pet you take home and the life of the pet that you made room for in rescue.

Attacking the marrowbone

Well, you can't see much in this video, but you can sure hear me. I was about 12 weeks old when mom took this video of me viciously attacking a marrow bone.

Making progress

When I was a little, bitty baby, my mama would rock me...oh, sorry! I was just thinking about what it was like when I was very small and that reminded me of the song mom used to sing to me.

As I mentioned, I weighed just over 1 pound at around five weeks of age, when my mom first took me to the vet. My siblings all weighed between 4-6 pounds, so you can tell I was the runt. Since I was blind and so wobbly I fell over every couple of steps, I couldn't shove my brothers and sisters aside so I could nurse, and I missed a lot of mothering and I also missed the nutrients I needed to develop and grow properly. That's why I couldn't see or walk, according to the doctor. That's why I still have trouble dealing with the big, wide world, too. Dr. Amy says I can't filter out the stuff I can safely ignore, like some noises and smells and sights, and so all of it hits me at once. That's pretty darned scary, let me tell you!

Once dad put me on a bottle (yep, it was dad's idea) with canned mother's milk, I started to get better fast. Because I was so old, even though I was way underdeveloped, mom knew I needed stimulation and play. The problem was, she had trouble finding toys for tiny guys like me. She wound up buying me some kitty cat sized tennis balls. They were perfect! I loved them! I still love tennis balls!

Mom and dad sometimes moved the little food bowl (yes, it was a kitty cat bowl) away so I had to walk a couple of steps farther to get to it. I liked eating, oh, yes, I did so very much like to eat! So I would follow the bowl, smelling for it until I found it. Pretty soon, my vision started to develop and I could see the bowl and follow it around when mom moved it, and so I learned how to walk better and better.

In the beginning, I almost always fell over into my bowl after only a couple of bites, but gradually that problem resolved, too. Mom and dad were so proud of me the first time I cleaned my bowl without falling into my food!

Mom says she wishes she'd taken some video of me back then. She says I was so funny when I found my food. She says my ears would wiggle just like Dumbo's, whoever that is. I don't get it, but she says it was hilarious to see. She says she kept expecting me to fly. Silly mom. Dogs can't fly!

My ears still wiggle a little when I get excited, but mostly it's a whole head kinda thing. Mom thinks it's cute, except when my head shakes because I'm upset or scared. Luckily for me she can tell the difference and she knows when it's okay to smile at me and when I really need to be held and comforted instead. I depend on my mom a lot, but dad's real good at helping me calm down when I get overwrought, too.

For a long time, I was afraid to try to jump. Whenever mom set me on the sofa or in a chair, I just stayed there, even when I could see. She says she sometimes misses being able to park me like a car. She's just joking. I think.

Now that I'm almost a year old, I hardly ever fall down anymore, and mom thinks I can see pretty much normally, though she says she suspects I have a little trouble with depth perception. I don't know what that is, but sometimes I feel like I have to jump real far just to get down from the couch. Getting up on the sofa is a little hard, too, but not just because I'm still awkward. That cranky little dachshund, Doll Baby, likes to get under cover because she's always cold, and I have to be real careful not to accidentally step on her. Dolly gets very, very angry when you step on her! I love Doll Baby. I like to give her lots of kisses even though she never kisses me back or plays with me. That's okay. She's an older lady, about three, and I don't expect her to play puppy with me. I have other friends for that, like Jasper. Mom calls him her "leetle mophead." Jasper stands on his head and is terribly silly, but I like playing with him.

When I was little, mom slept with me close by and she always kept a close eye on me so nobody would accidentally step on me or get mad if I fell down too close to them. All the dogs are patient with me, but when I got steadier and bigger, they were afraid to play with me! Bailey - who nobody else will play with - started playing with me first. Finally, the others played with me, too. Well, not Zipper. Zipper is the boss after Bingo. Neither of them play. I guess you have to be serious when you're the boss dog.

Speaking of playing, I'm off to play with Brother. More later!

More about my doggy life

When I was almost three months old, mom and dad helped find my brothers and sisters new homes. It was great to see them again! Here I am with one of my brothers. As you can see, I was already starting to catch up.

Mom and dad talked to some of the people who adopted my brothers and sisters and they all weigh more than 40 pounds now. Wow, that's BIG. I am not real tall, and I have skinny legs, but I weighed 32 pounds at the vet this month. Mom was impressed.

Don't worry about that silly look on my face. I have an extra long tongue that mom and dad think is funny. I don't mind, I like making them laugh. Plus, I have a little underbite and my lower jaw is what dad calls caterwampus, whatever that means. I don't hold my head all the way up most of the time, and sometimes I look sideways at mom or dad. I'm just a barrel of laughs for them.

When I was old enough to play but too small and unsteady, mom got me some kitty sized miniature tennis balls to play with and some small toys to play tug-of-war. She said playing tug-of-war would help strengthen my neck, as long as we were real, real careful not to play too rough. She was right. My neck is a lot stronger, now. Don't believe me? Try taking me for a walk!

She threw the ball a couple of inches at first, so I could still see it and try to chase it. Gradually, my sight and my reflexes improved and she threw it farther and farther. Those little balls became my favorite toys. I learned very quickly how to play by myself by tossing the balls up in the air. Sure, I fell over every time I tried that at first, but I got better and better. Now, I can throw that ball halfway across the room and run over and catch it before it stops rolling. Mom says I am smart because I am good at problem solving.

Dad just says it's impossible not to like me. I agree.

Next, you can see a short video of me and dad playing.

Dad plays with a ferocious beast

Life as I see it

I don't know how interesting it is, but this is life as I see it. Granted, my vision isn't perfect, but I see plenty.
My name is That Baby, and as you can see from my picture, I like candy corn. I'm a handsome young man, now. But really, I'm lucky to be alive at all.

The first time my Service Human (her name is Lynnette, but I know her as "mom") took me to the vet, a very nice man, I weighed 1.4 pounds, I was blind and I could only wobbly-walk a couple of steps before falling down.

Mom was worried, because at 5 weeks, my brothers and sisters already weighed 5-6 pounds and they could all walk and see just fine. My dog mother wasn't feeding me at all, even when I could find her, which wasn't often.

I was a happy baby, though, always wagging my tail, and whenever I heard a voice, I tried real hard to walk to it. I could get there, but I was so wobbly that I fell down - a lot. It took me a long time to get anywhere!

Well, mom and dad and a friend of theirs bottle-fed me canned mother's milk and mashed up puppy food mixed with mother's milk, and I began to get better. That was good, because I heard mom and dad say they didn't expect me to live.

Although I liked the food they gave me, I kept falling into the saucer and then I had to have a bath. Ugh. But I kept trying to walk and I kept wagging my tail. Mom said she admired my cheerful spirit and that's why she named me Tiny Tim.

I kept going to the vet, too, and started seeing Dr. Amy. She and the great people at the vet's office were real nice to me, holding me and loving me. Although I love mom and she's the one who named me Tiny Tim, I never liked that name. I knew I wouldn't be tiny forever.

This is me when I was still tiny. Mom had a hard time finding toys small enough for me! I was almost two months old. Mom carried me around in her purse. The blanket made it comfy, but sometimes I got scared.

That's the problem with pups like me. Dr. Amy says I will probably always have some neurological deficits. Mom says that means I'll be somewhat unsteady on my paws and always be afraid of the big, wide world. Dr. Amy says since my dog mom didn't take care of me properly, I don't know how to filter things and so I take in all the sights and sounds and smells simultaneously, and that overwhelms and frightens me. Boy, Dr. Amy is SMART!

Well, all that started a long time ago. I visited the doctor every 2-3 weeks until I was six months old. I gained weight, learned how to walk without falling (most of the time) and I can see, too. Not perfectly, but pretty good for a formerly blind baby! Dr. Amy checked me out real good and the ladies checked to see how much bigger I was since the last time I came in. I got lots of attention.

How I got my name

Once I could walk a little better and see, I wanted to play. I liked being on dad's chest so I could bite his mustache and chin. That made him laugh a lot, which made me happy. I found out that I could make mom look for me if I hid under the sofa, so I would get under there and peek out at her while she looked for me. "Where's that baby? I can't find that baby anywhere!" she would say, looking in the silliest places you can imagine - in the dresser drawer, in a soda can, even under the rug! I'd wait until she had her back to me and I'd pop out and make a little huffing noise. Boy, would she be surprised to see me!

She and dad always made sure I was taken care of. "Don't forget to feed that baby," they'd tell each other. "Did you give that baby his medicine?" "I'm taking that baby to the vet today."

I figured that was my name, and I didn't know this Tiny Tim fella I was named for, anyway, so mom and dad finally gave up and changed my records at the vet. When I got microchipped, I was registered as That Baby, and I have my own little tag that says my name, too. Once, my dad went to pick me up at the vet (I was supposed to be getting used to being there, but I wasn't) and told the new lady at the desk, "I'm here to pick up That Baby."
"Which baby?" she asked.
"That Baby," he said, and another lady laughed and told the new lady that was my name.

Well, it's late and I need to go to bed. I'm still a growing boy, you know. As you can tell, I haven't quite figured out how to make this blogging thing work right, but I'll learn.

More about my life later!