Dear Frankie,

When my mom told me she was pregnant, I was so relieved. I had been worrying for months that something was wrong with her because her stomach kept getting bigger and bigger. The months before Sebastian arrived, all my parents talked about was how they couldn’t wait to see him. After he came, I honestly couldn’t imagine what they were thinking. Within weeks, my parents were sleep-deprived and dragging around the house like zombies.

Night after night, they took turns walking the floors with Sebastian to get him to stop crying and go to sleep. To make matters worse, he often stunk because he wasn’t housebroken or had thrown up on his pjs. Those first months were brutal.

Things started to take a turn for the better when Sebastian could sleep through the night, drink a bottle on his own, and use his binky to calm down. It was around this time that he and I became pals. When he was lying on his blanket on the floor, we liked nothing better than to cuddle, play tug of war, and sleep hand on paw. You can’t believe how thrilled I was when he started using a highchair and dropped or threw food onto the floor for me to eat. These days, I can only imagine how dull and unfulfilled my life would be without Sebastian. Now I’m the one who can’t wait to see him after he has been at daycare all day.

I know my letter isn’t typical of the ones you get asking for your advice Frankie, but I thought I would send it anyway in hopes you would be willing to print it. Adjusting to a new addition to the family who is a newborn is an issue that impacts the lives of many dogs. I thought they would be interested in hearing from someone who has been there and who can assure them that living with a baby gets better after the first few months. They should also know that babies can become a dog’s best friend and even their protector over time.

Dana

P.S. If you decide not to print my letter that’s OK. It won’t go to waste. I plan to tuck it into the card I’m making for Sebastian’s upcoming birthday.

Dear Dana,

I will print your letter. I think readers always appreciate advice from someone who has had first paw experience with an issue and can provide hopeful and sound advice.

Best, Frankie

P.S. It was nice to have someone else do the heavy lifting on writing the column this week.

Frankie is a rescue and a service dog for Geneva Woodruff. Together, they have traveled far and wide. Along the way, Frankie befriended dogs from all walks of life. She thought it would be remiss not to share the many lessons of life she learned from them.