My first baby....

Well....it took me a while, but I can finally do a blog about Bowden.

I guess I'll start at the beginning. Blayne wanted a bull mastiff for a while. He researched them and read about them & drove me CRAZY about them. I told him to keep dreaming b/c I didn't want a mean dog...I didn't want a HUGE dog ,and they cost WAY .too much! So he probably thought he'd never get one. He kept trying though. Finally in the summer of 05, I had to attend ARI training & we got paid for it but I never told Blayne. I was going to save the money & buy him a bull mastiff for Christmas. Well, I saved it & I found a good price on one & we got it a little early in November that year. He was so excited & although I didn't think I would be, I was too! We picked him out on a Sunday & I went back Monday afternoon with cash & me and Gina rode home with him while Blayne was at work. He was so adorable. He was so tiny and WILD when he was a puppy. He would hide under the couch & we would have to trap him to get him out. He potty trained quickly and before we knew it...we couldn't remember life without him. He grew SO fast! he never barked and chewed very little. He was only little for a SHORT time! He was rotten & slept in our room every night. He was my first baby. He was my only baby for a while and when times were tough through fertility and wondering if I'd ever have a baby.... I probably would have never made it without having him to take care of in our house. He was such a good dog. He loved playing with Ashton & Addy when they came over and although he weighed 125lbs...they never acted afraid.

Well in January 08 we had COle...I wondered how he would do...I should have never wondered. He loved Cole at first sight. He was always gentle and sweet & they were best buddies. They played together and Bowden gained 10 pounds the year Cole joined us b/c of the table food Cole would feed him;) Bowden was one of the first words Cole learned. He loved to feed him goldfish & ride him like a horse. I'll never forget those times.

Well, last week I came home and Bowden broke out the fence for the 2nd time. The first time I found him...this time we did not. After a HUGE search from more people than I'll ever know...we found him dead Wednesday afternoon. It appears as though he were hit by a car. 2 very nice men helped me load him up and Casey & Blayne buried him in our fence that night. Its still doesn't seem real that our Bowden is gone. I know he was just a dog...but to us..he was our family.

I'll miss his slobber that I used to scream about all the time. I miss the dog hair I vacuumed up...I'll miss the snoring at night...but most of all...I'll miss all the joy he brought to me, Blayne , and Cole. Its quiet here without him. Cole asks for him atleast 20 times a day. I look for him outside and have to remind myself he's gone. We miss him so much and its a hurt that I never thought an animal could give you.

I know we'll get another one one day...we talked about it. But it won't be him...he was such a good dog....I am sure 20 years from now...we'll still miss him....but I am so glad we had him and that we found him and we won't worry about him. I am glad Cole had him as a friend.

I am glad I gave in & got him...

I'll miss my first baby.....