A friend once asked if having a baby was like having a dog. At the time, Dexter was only a few months old, so I was verging on being insulted. At that point, no it wasn't like having a dog because a newborn needs constant attention 24 hours a day and can do nothing for themselves except cry. Occasionally, I think back to that analogy. Currently, yes, being a parent is like having a dog. I can throw a ball and it will return via eager hands. If I have food, he always wants some. I am constantly teaching him new tricks, and he gets mad when I leave. He can walk, run, and amuse himself for a while. That's where it ends though. Dexter has far surpassed Squee in that he can communicate, think beyond food, and has reached a higher level of consciousness.
I've been an animal lover for my entire life, but something changed when I had Dexter. I still love Squee, but it's not the same it used to be. He used to be my fur-child, but he was a placeholder. I hate the way that sounds, but it's true. Once I had my own child, Squee lost his place as my pseudo human child. Now he's just my dog. Sometimes I wish someone would take him and love him how I used to. Poor little guy deserves to be pampered and carted around in his dog purse again. We found that purse stashed away in our closet. I set it down and Squee jumped right in, ready to go. I'm keeping it out because he doesn't like to ride in the bottom of the stroller anymore. That will make it easier to take him to the park with us.
Dexter has started to walk Squee. I still hold on to the leash because I can't trust Dexter not to let go yet, but he does a good job. He doesn't yank on the leash and he gives Squee enough room to do his thing. I'm glad we can all go out for a walk together now. I've been waiting for this for a long time. As long as Dexter doesn't get side-tracked and start throwing a tantrum, then it's a lot of fun to go around the block. Squee is patient with Dexter too. He doesn't freak out because Dexter's feet are stomping just inches from him. I'll say "c'mon" to Squee and Dexter will parrot it. It has to be a funny site to see.
