Just Kidding

I had done everything necessary in order to prepare little Charlie for his big day. He didn't have any food or water after midnight. I packed a overnight bag for him filled with food and toys. As we were walking to the vet I received a call from Danny in desperate protest for me to re-think this decision. What was I to do? I knew it needed to be done but I couldn't go through with it unless Danny was on the same page. I called the vet and canceled the appointment for now. Charlie is now perfectly content chewing on his bone on the floor next to me completely unaware of how much we love him. We can't imagine how difficult decisions like these will be with our children one day.

The Day is Here

Tomorrow is the day that little baby Charlenton gets neutered. Danny has been battling with me to post pone it for weeks. The vet and Cesar Milan advise to have it done at 6 months. If it is not done the dog (if not bred) can develop many health issue down the road. Cesar Milan's dog, Daddy, developed cancer from not being neutered. His previous owner, rapper Red Man, did not believe in it. A lot of people do not believe in it. I am determined to keep Charlie happy and healthy and to do so feel that this is a necessary procedure.

I have heard a lot of tales from the neighbors about how difficult the 10 days after the surgery can be. The vet said that we can not allow Charlie to run or jump...these are his two favorite things to do besides eating, sleeping and pooping. It will be a challenge I'm sure.

In an attempt to make up for what I will be putting him through tomorrow, I took Charlie to his favorite place this evening, Petco. We picked out a toy and treats. He chose a stuffed carrot that is filled with a plastic bag so that it makes a crumpling noise when he plays with it. We then went to Barnes and Nobles which is another place that he loves. I feel that he enjoys the smell of the books. Charlie also get's a lot of attention at Barnes and Noble which is another one of his favorite things. We have since been playing all night and feel that it was overall a very good day. Hopefully good enough to get him through tomorrow.

So please pray for Charlie tomorrow and for Danny and I for the days after! I leave you with a picture of Charlie on top of Danny's suitcase, which I feel was an effort to keep Danny from going to Florida.

Charlie Goes to Camp, We Go to DC

Don't worry, I will back track along the way and fill you in on the past 2 months with Charlie, but I also want to blog about events as they happen while they are fresh in my mind.

Danny and I decided to go away for a romantic weekend for President's day holiday. As much as we love Charlie (whose newest nickname is Charlenton) he sort of keeps the romance at bay. Finding a place for him to stay was pretty difficult especially since we are over protective parents. We finally found a place on the UES which offered an indoor/outdoor set up which is unique to find in NYC. The only reason I felt comfortable leaving him at this kennel was that they had webcams set up inside and out so that we could watch him at all times. Call us crazy but we spent a whole romantic brunch in DC watching Charlie play on our Iphones!

Danny and I had one of the most amazing weekends to date and that is saying a lot considering we have had many in the almost 7 years that we have been together. We booked a stay at the Mandarin Oriental which was simply amazing! It had a spa complete with sauna, steam room, rain forest shower, hot tub and relaxation room. When we were not at the hotel we were wandering around Georgetown. It is such a charming town! We ate dinner at what is suppose to be the best Italian restaurant in DC but we both feel there HAS to be something better! They brought our $40 bottle of wine to the table already opened! Anyone who loves wine as much as we do knows that this is a major faux pas. The second night made up for it however, it was this really fun tapas restaurant where we had sangria, tapas and squid ink paella! A Danny and Brittany trip is of course never complete without some shopping and we did just that. What was great about this trip was that since we had already visited all of the monuments in the past we could spend our time just enjoying DC as a local would. We of course found a Chik-fila on our way in Maryland. We have been eating Chik-fila for as long as we can remember and somehow have never experienced the Chik-fila sauce until now. Let's just say it changed our life. I regret not asking for a handful to bring home.

Watching Charlie from a distance proved our hypothesis about him correct. We knew he was extremely hyper and could play all day long. He constantly tried to get all of the other dogs to play, even when they were napping. We drove back to the city and could not wait to pick up little baby Charlenton. When we arrived, the receptionist paged him over the loud speaker saying "please bring hyperactive Charlie to the front!" He was pumped to see us of course but crashed as soon as he got in the car. Best thing about day care is that the pup comes home exhausted!