A Boy and a Dog

I'm having a difficult time sleeping. Rob is snoring, Preston is scratching the side of his pack-n-play, Holly is passing horrible gas and my mind is going 100 mph. Sometimes that's what happens at slumber parties. Since I can't get my mind to stop, the best way for me to cure it is to get my thoughts out on "paper".
As I laid awake in the darkness of the night, my mind kept wandering to a dog and a boy. There's an unbreakable bond that has formed in the Herrington household, a bond between Preston and Holly. There have been several times recently that I wished our camera was within reach. Times that if I could capture it on film, it would be obvious to all the love between a boy and a dog. Since getting rid of Duke, Holly has fallen head over heals in love with Preston and the feeling is very much mutual.
If I take Preston into the nursery, Holly follows me there and lays down while I change his diaper or his clothes. If Preston is crying, all we have to say is, "Look at Holly" and his tears fade away. When he takes his naps, she will lay by his swing, waiting for him to wake up. Every night Holly starts out the night sleeping close to Preston, whether it be in the nursery or in our room.
Yesterday Preston was finally getting some much needed tummy time. He was fighting me tooth and nail on it....until Holly came over. She knows she's not allowed on his tummy time blanket so she gets as close as possible, sometimes crossing the line. But, yesterday, she laid right along the edge and Preston put his feet on her back. He laid there, moving his feet around on Holly, while she happily accepted the back scratch. Today he was sitting on my lap, playing, when Holly came over and put her head on his lap. He excitedly put his hand on her head and she began moving her head around, once again accepting his affection. When I told her to go lay down she stood up, licked his face as if to say "Thank you" then moved a few feet away from us. That's the thing about Holly. She is never far from him! She has become quite the babysitter and I believe with all my heart that she would let us know if he was in some kind of danger. She not only loves him, but would protect him in a heartbeat~
Although we think Preston is allergic to her, it's a small price to pay for the love they share. Holly is getting old but I pray that we don't have to put her down before Preston can form some memories of his own with her. Because, in my opinion, there's nothing like the love between a boy and his dog!