Diamonds are pretty and shiny and flashy but I have to say, I don't think Ms. Monroe ever owned a dog. I couldn't have asked for a better dog to have while raising a baby. Here's our Morgan's story... It was May of 2011. I was 15 weeks pregnant. We were out for a drive and Aaron pulled in to the Virginia Beach SPCA. I gave him a surprised look...we had been talking about getting a dog for a while but I didn't think we'd get one so soon...I was excited! He said we were just going to look around. So we start going down the aisles and looking at all of the dogs and let me just say that if we could've adopted all of them we would have! The SPCA is a happy place if you're looking to adopt but a sad place when you realize you can't take them all! Anywho, most of the dogs were 2 years old and older. We really wanted a puppy so we could train it on our own. And we knew we wanted a female. We were losing hope on finding a puppy, and we knew that puppies go fast at the SPCA. I kid you not, the last kennel in the place had this little 15 week old black lab puppy in it! We stood at the kennel, she saw us, and she came pouncing up to us...her ears were so big and floppy! Let me tell you, love at first sight DOES exist!! We told an attendant that we wanted to visit with her in a room. We played with her for about 5 minutes before we told them we wanted her. Simple, right? Nope.

There was a management hold on this sweet little ball of energy. Why? Because she had been returned by 2 families because she showed aggressiveness. At younger 15 weeks old. I don't think so. The only thing she showed us was puppy biting which they all do. More than likely the families that had her didn't realize what it takes to raise a puppy. So we told them we wanted to go on the list for her. They only take 3 names per list. We were the 3rd. Once the hold is lifted everyone on the list gets a chance to visit with her and the SPCA makes a decision for who they think fits best with the dog. We didn't tell them we were pregnant because they didn't want to give her to a family with kids, ya know, because of her aggressiveness. We went back to the SPCA to play with her the next week. The following Saturday we were at the Pungo Strawberry Festival and I get a call from the SPCA. The lady said that the hold was lifted and the other two families had been called to come see her but none of them did, so if we wanted her she was ours!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, the SPCA usually makes you wait until the dogs are spayed/neutered before you take them. But since 'Missy' (her name at the shelter) had been returned so many times they wanted us to pick her up that day under the condition 'foster to adopt' to make sure she was what we wanted. We picked her up within the next 45 minutes and went straight to PetsMart and bought her a pink rhinestone studded collar and leash and named her Morgan (as in Captain!). She was spayed the following week.

Everyone thought we were crazy to get a puppy while I was pregnant but we knew what we were doing ;) We seriously couldn't ask for a better dog for our family! She has so much energy! She jumps higher than the door knobs, pounces around the yard, does laps in our bedroom, the only room with carpet. We're not sure what she's mixed with...maybe kangaroo...because she looks like a pure black lab, but she's only 30 lbs. When we brought Noah home from the hospital she slept either under or next to his bassinet at all times. One of my friends laid Noah down in his bassinet one night and Morgan growled...that's her baby and only Mommy and Daddy are supposed to be near his bed! She would lay at his feet in his bouncer. Now she lays in his little recliner next to his crib...she sleeps there while we're at work. She runs around the house with him. She lets him flop on her, hold her nose so he can kiss her, pull her ears and tail. Granted, she gives me a look like 'can you please do something?' but she has never so much as let out a little growl at him.

These are the day and night we brought Noah home

So, I'm sorry, Marilyn, but until my diamonds run up and lick me with a wagging tail when I come home in the evenings, my dog will be my best friend!

Here's the video that inspired this post:

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend? | Personal