Our lives have been a pleasant whirlwind of excitement and "new parent syndrome" since this past Friday when we brought Piper home!! I don't think I have ever been that excited to write out a huge check for payment in my entire life. One of her littermates had already gone home earlier that day, so she seemed a little blue when we got her from the pen. But, she smelled us and perked up. We played around with Piper before putting her in the crate in the back of my car (Subaru sport wagon), thinking it would tire her out like it had during past visits. So wrong!! My pup has quite the lungs on her, and made it very clear that she wasn't a fan of the travel crate, despite the tasty treats and toys that were in there. To say that she went "Aaarrrooo" would be an understatement. My coworkers had begged me for a visit, and she calmed down when we took her out. She was very calm when we introduced her around the office, and even got her first taste of dried squid (my coworker is very much into Japanese food - the two of us get along very, very well because of that!!). Back in the crate and heading home, she commenced with more crying.

When we got home, she quickly took to exploring her new territory (the living room of our apartment) with the occasional whine and whimper. Piper was quickly distracted by toys and dinner, which she ate most of. However, she did need some encouragement to start eating. I don't think she minded not having to compete with siblings for food!! Piper promptly took to laying on the lower shelf of our coffee table and napping there. I think she likes the cool feeling from the wood, because she also enjoys napping near the front door on the tile. Around 10 pm, we decided to "pull the band-aid off" and get her into her crate. We had been putting treats in there during the afternoon and praising her when she went near it, but she hadn't exactly gone in. We coaxed her in and waited until she laid down to shut the door. The crate is wire, so I put a sheet over it to (hopefully) make it feel cozy for her. Derek and I walked away from the crate and dimmed the lights, and then "aaaaarrrrrrrroooooooooooo!!" exploded from the kennel. I think that was the hardest moment for me, listening to her cry and not soothing her. Surprisingly, it only lasted for 20 minutes and then she slept until 7 am the next day with a clean crate!!

We took Piper for her first vet visit on Saturday, which she promptly slept through. Everything checked out, but her stool sample came back positive for Isospora (Coccidia), which is common in puppies. The vet prescribed two weeks of Albon to treat it. Derek and I actually left her in her crate when we went to get her meds on Sunday, since the vet is only 5 minutes away from home. She did really great with that, probably because I left her with a peanut butter stuffed KONG toy. She surprised us later by not reacting to the dishwasher, washer/dryer, or ice maker running AND didn't freak out when I vacuumed. She's already learning sit and her name. But, the cherry on top has to be the fact that I was able to use a Dremel tool on two of her nails last night without much of a fuss!! It probably helped that I had smeared some peanut butter on my arm for her to lick. 

So, all in all, it's been great having Piper home. It's definitely been an adjustment for Derek and I, but it's a welcomed challenge for us. She's already been registered with her microchip and has pet insurance. We're currently thinking of a good AKC name for her. There are several pictures of Piper on my profile page. I didn't take that many because I was enjoying just being in the moment with her. I will definitely take more this week!! Prepare for the cuteness that is Piper!!