You may have read our son’s birth story a few posts back (check out the link if you haven’t!); but the story isn’t over. 

As it turns out, my husband is the gutsiest person you could ever meet. And I, the most amazing wife.

*insert patting of own back, here*

Let me tell you the story… 

We were sitting in triage, awaiting the midwife to check my dilation and decide whether or not to send us home. My husband was killing time on social media. As he’s scrolling through Facebook, he notices a post in our neighborhood group about a dog that needs to be rehomed. As an added bonus, it happens to be a purebread Doberman puppy (with papers) and the rehoming fee was minimal. 

He began to converse with the people rehoming the dog and is quickly smitten with the idea of adopting the fur baby. 

He, being the wise man that he is, tells me all about what he has found and expresses his desire to adopt this puppy; in between my contractions, of course. 

OH WAIT. Did we forget about that already?! 

Yes. This conversation is happening WHILE I’m in labor. 

I sincerely wish I was kidding. I still can’t believe this was even a conversation. 

Anyway…

As the waves of excruciating pain come and go, I communicate that he has obviously lost his mind since we are having our second child that very day, and will have a newborn and a toddler at home within another two days.  

He argues that our current dog will need a playmate, and wouldn’t it be great if each of our kids had their own dog?

Oh! Well when you put it that way…

NO!! 

Along with making a few death threats, I warn him to drop the subject and focus on the task at hand. 

So of course he heeds my warning and starts suggesting names for the dog. 

What a catch. 

If looks could kill, the ones I was giving him would kill a cat. All nine times. 

Then the bartering begins. He tells me I can have anything I want. I won’t lie- this intrigues me. Permission to manipulate? Might as well explore the possibilities. Then again… I would still have to let him get the dang dog. 

I am now in the late stages of labor, and he’s still talking about it, despite my terrifyingly harsh and descriptive demands that he stop. 

I yell for his attention and assistance in coping through labor, and he shows me a video of the dog playing. 

*pause for blank stare and dramatic effect*

Oh? What’s this? They just want her to go to a good home so they’re waving the rehoming fee? Lovely. 

We are now within minutes of it being time to push. The anticipation is high and my body is tense; we are ready to have this baby!!

He interrupts- “Hey babe? I just need to let you know that they need an answer by tonight, and that we would need to bring her home by the end of the week”.  (This is at 6:30pm. So yeah… We’ll come up with a decision as our baby slides out of my body. No big deal). 

The visions I had of what I wanted to do to him at that moment… Are violent. 

You just can’t make this stuff up. 

But here is what I will say:

I decided to let him get the dog. 

Call it crazy. It is. 

But I let him. Sometimes you need to let a man be a man and make his own mistakes. 

We brought her home the day after we brought our son home. To be totally honest, I absolutely loved her. She was the sweetest dog you’ll ever meet and would have been a great fit for our family; but only if the timing was different. 

Unfortunately we had to find a different family for her within four days. It was quickly realized by all that the training the puppy still needed took far too much time away from our newborn son (we all know the newborn stage goes by quickest of all), she was relatively terrified of our toddler, her care wasn’t practical with hubby’s work schedule; and ironically our current dog TOLERATED the pup, at best. Not exactly the playmate we thought she wanted- turns out we’re the only pack she needs. 

Moral of the story? Don’t question your wife on ANYTHING while she’s in labor, and don’t adopt a dog the same week you bring home your newborn. 

On the bright side, I got to hear my favorite phrase…

“You were right” 😊

*for what it’s worth, my husband DID read and approve this post. I’m not horribly mean. 😉 but it’s a 100% true story*