Dear Badger,

You came into our lives less than 2 years ago, yet it seems like a lifetime. You have completely changed Ian and me. Before you, we did not believe that we could give up our selfish lifestyle of going and doing whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. You showed me that love overcomes that. That I am capable of sacrifice for love; yes, I knew this from marriage, but our love is different. You actually NEED us, and depend on us for life. If I have something to do, I know that Ian can care for himself- feed himself and relieve himself. You showed me that love makes any inconvenience okay. Love makes me not care when I have to improvise how to clean up your poop, when I run out of poop bags on our walk. Love has shown me that caring for another being is far more important than going out, working, and working out. It is not a burden to stay home, I actually enjoy slowing down and spending time with you. And this love is not finite. In fact, it grows exponentially. You have shown me that I have more love in me to give. That I am not as selfish as I once was, that I do in fact have a motherly instinct. You might be the best life teacher I’ve had in my adult life. I love you, Badger.

You know that we adopted your brother, Rocco, almost a year ago. With your guidance, he has grown from a little puppy into a sweet young boy.

Adopting a puppy was so much more work than expected. House training took longer than expected; obedience training has taken a long time (adult dogs typically come knowing basic commands); outings take more planning – and patience! Our family grew, and our love continues to grow! You have taught your dad and I to work as a team, to split the work and help each other out when we need to. All of this, preparing us for the next big step: welcoming the newest addition to our family, a human puppy- a baby!

Your newest little brother will be joining us in a couple short months! I am so excited to meet him. We don’t get to pick him, like we picked Rocco. This is the little guy that we made, and we know he’s the right match for us. I can’t wait for you to meet him. I can’t wait to see you with him. I know you will be a caring big brother, a wonderful nanny dog.

Thank you, Badger, for the love you have given me, the love you brought out of me, and for convincing us that our pair should actually be a pack.