Bella, Reno, and Katie were our kids for a long time. We got married in 1995 but didn't have our first child until 2003. We were worried about how our pets would react to a baby in the house. They noticed the baby things creeping into our home and would often go and smell them. The day our daughter was born, we took a hat she had worn for our dogs to smell prior to us leaving the hospital. They were happy to see us when we got back from the hospital. They smelled our daughter and were satisfied with doing that. Over the years, our daughter tried to ride the dogs, aggressively pet the cat, dress up the dogs, and race the dogs. They were eager to have someone solely dedicated to playing with them.
In 2009 we had our second child and our dogs were now 12 and 13 and our cat was 11. Our pets were less concerned with the arrival of our newest daughter. Our first daughter luckily kept them entertained when the baby got fussy. Our boy dog Reno did not get to spend too much time with the baby - he passed away the day after Thanksgiving. We feel bad that our second daughter will never really know him.
Before having kids we never thought our pets would be neglected in any way. But after having kids it seems it is more of a balancing act. We constantly have to remind ourselves to pay attention to them. Our eldest daughter is good about giving them the extra attention they need. I can't imagine life without our furry kids and our human kids.
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