Baby's Best Friend - Charlie and the Tatertot

We were a bit worried when the baby came out  - would it be healthy? would all the things be in the right place? no arms out of the head? All the toes and fingers? and most importantly, would Charlie, our cockapoo, be able to get along with the baby?!?!?!

As anyone who has met him will tell you, he is the sweetest of dogs. He loves to be petted, scratched, waggle his butt and be incredibly close to Kathleen and me. He is obsessive compulsive when it comes to chewing his paws and loves playing chase the towel. He can also be very protective of Kathleen, once trying to bite me in the face when I got a bit too close during a camping trip around three in the morning (hubba hubba). When the midwife would do her visits and take blood pressure and the like, he would get his curly little butt in a twirl and have to be sent out of the room so as to not bark.

So when the baby came he was not allowed: Diego came and picked him up around 12:30 AM and the next evening, with much getting the baby ready - making sure he was asleep and wrapped and warm and all that, we let Charlie in. He sprinted into the room butt-a-waggle, he sniffed me, sniffed Kathleen, jumped on the bed, looked at the kid and then ran to his bed and stayed there for the next TEN HOURS. He wouldn't go anywhere near him. Zero interest in seeing him, sniffing him, or being near him.

The next morning he jumped on the bed but literally positioned himself as far from the baby as possible.  And then about midday he changed. He hopped on the bed and smelled him and then sat about two feet away.  Theo yawned in appreciation

Then about once every fifteen minutes he would come up and give him a little sniff.

He's crying because he wants more Charlie. And now they're bosom buddies.

  He can't stop licking his head. Not that I can blame him. I constantly smell his head (and maybe lick it a little).

HIs favorite place to sit is with mama and the baby. I take him out for a walk and when we come back he is immediately between them and with them. 

Love and friends forever.

Recipe: Buffalo Wings (2nd night at home) 10 minutes prep and 45 minutes end to end.

2 sticks butter

1 large jar Frank's Hot Sauce

24 large chicken wings (cut em in two if you want for a drummette and a wing or leave 'em whole).

Flour

Smoked Paprika

salt

pepper

1) Mix a bunch of flour (3 cups) with a 1/2 tablespoon of paprika, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon pepper.

2) Coat all wings and let sit in fridge for one hour. 

3) Heat oven to 425

4) Single layer wings. Bake for 25 minutes and turn. When fork tender, remove from oven.

5) Melt butter and add bottle of hot sauce. Taste and season. 

6) Toss wings and enjoy.