Mourning the loss of our first child

So, I'm contemplating having 2 posts today. If I do, just go with it. Do you really have a choice? haha! I kid. I had to get this all out though in hopes that it will make me feel a little better.

Yesterday was a pretty good day. I worked, took a power nap at lunch, worked some more, worked out at the gym (which went amazing by the way), stopped by to see my mom at work and play with baby A, then went home to catch up on some homework. I was looking forward to a relaxing evening, but of course, things didn't go as planned. As soon as I got home, I got a call from JP saying that Buddy, our beloved first child, had passed away. With him only being 3 years old, I had no idea we'd have to say goodbye to him so soon. There was a thunderstorm last night that turned out to be much worse than anyone thought it would be. The lightning was terrible! Lightning ended up hitting Buddy's collar and he died immediately. I'm guessing it wasn't raining very hard at the time because Buddy would always get in his house to stay in out of the rain. He hated rain! We're just glad that he didn't suffer.

He was a stray puppy who actually showed up at our house one day when JP and I were pretty much living together. After a couple of days of him posting up at our house, we put up fliers around town to see if he anyone would claim him. After a couple of weeks of waiting and falling in love with the little guy, we decided to keep him. We named him Buddy because we had just finished watching Elf on the night he found us. Also, he just looked like a Buddy to us. He definitely was our buddy! I've always been a cat person and have had a cat since I was 11 years old. I was never fond of dogs because I got attacked by one when I was 4 years old while playing in my yard. So yes, I was a little afraid of Buddy right when we got him. He was so lovable though! He would rest his head on my leg, and I would sing to him while petting him. He immediately loved his mommy and daddy! He was never too fond of other people though. As time went on, he started to warm up to other people as well. Who can resist those floppy ears and curly tail?

His favorite hobbies were: Chasing tennis balls and basketballs every time we played out in the yard, barking whenever he heard a loud vehicle, hearing his mommy sing to him, playing and roughhousing with his daddy, and eating his treats every night. We had so many dreams of having an outside wedding so he could be a part of it. We also couldn't wait to have a house with a huge fenced in yard, so he could go wild.

We will always remember our first child. We love you, Buddy! Thanks for bringing so much joy to our lives for the past 3 years.