Sometimes ... even dogs blink for the camera:

Enjoying a relaxing evening of her favorite shows:


Getting to be a big girl!

Kenzie had an adventurous Saturday for sure — including her first visit to the park! The day started off with a trip to the vet, where she weighed in at a whopping 8 lbs. 7 oz. and got three shots (she cried a little on the last one, after the vet said it would burn). :( This time she rode in a special little picnic-basket-type carrier that one of my friends from work gave us since her cat had outgrown it. :) It was just right for Kenzie's size now, but she wanted out once we got into the waiting room — so many dogs and cats to see; Ryan had to hold her in all of her excitement! I must say, as a proud parent, that Kenzie gets showered with compliments any time we go to the vet. I can only imagine how it boosts her puppy ego.


After the vet, we visited a local pet store to pick out a harness and Kenzie enjoyed her first Dingo bone when we got home. She tends to really show off her "dumbo ears" when she's chewing. Now we know what to give her when we need to occupy her for a long time!


Following a nice nap on the couch, we headed to the park, where our little Kenzie enjoyed running in the open spaces, discovered that "real" grass is a lot easier to tear up than the fake stuff she has at home, posed with the other statues, crossed a stream (several times), bonded with a cute little toddler boy, and had a swarm of little girls wanting to walk her (we did not let them) and play soccer with her (she chased the ball a few times).

And lastly, here is Kenzie's portrait of growth. :) This particular shoot required some help from Dad; now that Kenzie is older, she is not so friendly with the brown puppy, and simply won't settle for sitting next to it calmly or smiling/cocking her head for the camera.

Kenzie's tall enough now to reach up and put her paws on the couch and the coffee table and the toilet (she's had that last one mastered for a while now), and she's as active as ever!

"Any food up there for me?"

Every time we come home, she barks and squeals and cries for a good minute, just letting us know how glad she is that we've rescued her (and expressing her anxiety over her time alone, I imagine). She loves to be held and petted until she feels secure that we're not leaving again right away. She occasionally watches TV with us, especially if there's somebody singing or talking in a high voice. Then she gets extra interested and cocks her head to either side while she watches.

She has a VERY healthy appetite, to say the least, and we often have to pull (fake) grass and tiny wood chips (from the bathroom door) and foam pieces (from her bed that we no longer leave with her during the day) out of her mouth. She even likes to chew on metal, even though she has lots of puppy-appropriate toys! I guess that's just how it is.

Week in Review

Whew ... it's been a big week for our little Kenzie. Going back to last weekend: She discovered the toilet paper roll in our bathroom (which we have since moved to where she can't reach it!), took to biting Ryan's hair (I'm sure she thought he would appreciate a nice head massage), and got ready for the beach. Unfortunately, the bikini photo shoot didn't go too well. As it turns out, Kenzie just prefers to be naked for now. :) But thanks to Grandma Summers, she can be outfit-ready for the sand and waves anytime!



Fast-forward to this weekend: Kenzie was a real champ at the vet's office again, where she got a round of shots and had her nails clipped. We also discovered that at 12 weeks, she is only 1 once shy of 6 lbs. — big girl! You can see the difference in her picture with the brown puppy. She is always good at posing, but the part you don't see is afterward ... when she cautiously looks all the way to her right and decides to tackle the stuffed dog.


Lucky for Kenzie, she got to meet her first "real" dog this weekend (aside from the puppies she was with several weeks ago, of course). Gidget the poodle came over for a visit and they wore each other out! Being so refined, Gidget couldn't quite bring herself to look at Kenzie most of the time, but they ran around like crazy — mostly Kenzie chasing Gidget, and then later, Gidget giving Kenzie a good lesson on how to fetch "turtle."


Some things that Kenzie loves: stealing Mommy's shoes and taking them out to the grass, one of her favorite spots; sleeping on the floor when it's hot; deciding what she's going to order next from the West Elm catalog (it's definitely her style, she said); and gazing off into the distance for a glamour shot.

Warm Weather Woes

It was a stifling hot weekend, and Mackenzie certainly noticed our lack of central A/C! She weathered the heat by spending time outside in the grass and, on Sunday when it was really, really warm, taking cover in the "shade" under the couch, which she barely fits under!


I can't resist taking pictures of her napping, just like a little baby. :)