If you are checking out this blog, then there’s a good chance that you are an over-zealous pet parent like me! And if you are a regular here, then you already know that I am redefining momhood as a dog mom. Yes, I proudly state that I am Maddie’s Mom! And I share a lot about my Dog Mom Life. So, I thought… Why not allow other fabulous pet parents to introduce their fur babies?! (Or feather babies, scaly babies, any pet baby!) Let’s encourage one another in this non-traditional, PAWsome pet parent life!
Since it’s my birthday month (I turned 44 on April 13th) and since Maddie’s 8th birthday is this Saturday (May 1st), I decided to share Maddie’s and my story as the first ever “Pet Parent Life” Story!
Thanks for indulging me as I brag on my girl!
Pet Parent Life: Maddie’s Mom . . .
Tell us about your pet baby! What’s his/her name, nicknames, birthday/gotcha day, age, favorite foods, toys, activities… Brag away about your fur kid!
Names & Nicknames…
We adopted Madalynne in July 2013, just six short months before my hubby asked if we would accept our life as it was—childless. Speaking of my hubby, he quickly shortened Madalynne to Maddie (choosing the spelling of her nickname). It suits her, as she really isn’t a girly girl!
Maddie has tons of nicknames actually. Princess Fuzzy Butt (coined by Maddie’s Daddy) is one of my favorites! Maddie Pooh, Maddie Paddie, MidderBitt, Mootsie, & Mootsie Popatootsie are a few more. I often call her, “Sweet Pea.” And recently, I’ve started calling her, “Love.”
Birthday…
We aren’t 100% sure when Maddie’s birthday is, so we chose May 1st. My birthday is in April and my hubby’s is in May. So, we liked the idea of Maddie’s birthday being in between ours. Plus, I love starting off May (which we all know can be a difficult month for we childless) with a celebration. Because we celebrate Maddie’s birthday BIG!
Favorites Foods…
Maddie loves food. All food. She is food motivated. Just like her Mom & Dad! Ha! Her absolute favorite dinner that I home-cook is salmon and broccoli. So, that’s what she’ll be having this birthday week. She also loves pizza and tortilla chips. (I know. I know. Not super healthy. But she loves them!)
*This Thursday, I’m posting a Special Edition Dog Mom Review about a raw superfood topper that we recently discovered!
Favorite Toy…
Her favorite toy is Leo. In fact, she loves him so much that Leo will be visiting Mammo when we go to Oklahoma at the end of May because he’s in need of some stitches. And Maddie’s Mommy doesn’t know how to sew!
Favorite Activities…
And Maddie’s favorite things to do… Well, she likes to hang out in her little yard and bark with her friends. She loves going to school and playing with her friends. And she adores going to Lowe’s and Home Depot. Oh. And Chick-fil-a is pretty awesome, too! And the ice-cream shop. (You guessed it. She gets nuggets and vanilla ice-cream!)
How has your pet baby helped you redefine, create a new plan, find joy despite…
Oh, my goodness! How do I explain this in just a paragraph or two?!
When my husband asked if we would accept our life as it was—childless—I hesitantly agreed. So, I knew we wouldn’t have a biological or adopted kiddo. But I couldn’t let go of the dream of being a mom. So, I fully and over-zealously embraced my dog mom role as Maddie’s Mom!
Being Maddie’s Mom has healed my heart in more ways than I can express. From birthday parties to Easter baskets to monogrammed backpacks and a zillion photos, I am doing (almost) everything with Maddie that I would do with a two-legged kiddo.
Maddie is part of our family. And I seriously do not think I could love her more…
What would you like others to know (or understand) about the childless not by choice pet parent life?
You know, I hear people say things like, “I know being a dog mom isn’t like being a real mom.”
Well, you’re never gonna hear me say that.
No, I’m not delusional.
Yes, I realize Maddie is a dog. (Though I never call her that. She’s my fur baby!)
But here’s the deal…
For me—a childless not by choice woman—being a dog mom is exactly like being a real mom. Because I am really Maddie’s Mom. This is not a pretend role for me! I love her and take care of her and feed her and worry about her and cook for her and do her laundry and clean up after her and take her to school and teach her and discipline her just like any parent would.
And just because others may not understand this relationship, this love… Well, that does not mean it’s any less real.
The world doesn’t have to get it. I do. And Maddie does. And Maddie’s Daddy does.
Yup. I’m Maddie’s Mom.
DOG MOM PROUD!
If anything I wrote resonates with you, fabulous one, tell us about it in the comments!
Want to brag about your pet baby?!
Learn how to share your “Pet Parent Life” Story by clicking here…
Click to learn more…
Subscribe to my email and never miss a story!
Do you appreciate the work I’m doing here at Not So Mommy…
DONATE & SHOP!
Click to shop…
Featured Photo: Created by me, using Canva
2 comments
You are the absolutely perfect mom for Maddie Pooh. I’m on the list of “getting it”. She is a very lucky little girl. And I am a lucky mammo to have another “grand”!🐾🐶🐾❤💚💜
You are such an amazing dog mammmo! We are super lucky to have your support and love! HUGS…