I became a mom this week! Well, a puppy mom. It is the absolute best. My new addition is a Jack Russell mystery mix and his name is Captain Jack Sparrow, but his friends call him Jack. He is already an A+ sleeper – it’s really his only skill at this point.

Puppies are, without a doubt, some of the cutest things on earth. They also take A LOT of work; they are actually incredibly similar to babies when you first bring them home. Jack is the sweetest and I love him so, but he has to be watched like a hawk anytime he is outside of his crate because he cannot be trusted to not make the house his personal toilet. He has to be taken outside multiple times a day (I’m talking like once an hour at first) because he lacks the ability to control his tiny puppy bladder. He is too excited to eat all of his food without me standing right next to him. He has several toys, but still chooses to chew on blankets, pillows, and (his personal favorite) my toes. The first night I put him in his crate, I wondered what type of animal I had adopted because a puppy surely was not capable of making the horrific, agony-filled noises coming from the crate. Once, he even looked me right in the eye as he “marked” his favorite place on my brand new carpet.

He will learn over time, but it requires work and training on my part to ensure he develops good habits and behaviors. Just as with children, all the work and the frustrating moments are wiped away when Jack climbs into my lap to snuggle or when he wags his tail uncontrollably when he sees me come into a room. I love that pup more than I can possibly explain. I wouldn’t trade being a puppy mom for anything.