I’ll write more about 3 Years Ago today when my youngest was born but today is her birthday and although we are on the beach vacationing, I just wanted to post a picture of her.  (Clearly she thinks she is 4 instead of only 3 today. )

Happy THIRD Bday Lainey Bird

My husband Jay turns 32 today (Cinco de Mayo)… okay so this is a belated post because I’ve been very busy, but Happy Birthday nonetheless, hon.

Maximus turned 8 yesterday and for a Great Dane this is a big landmark. One that I am not ready to accept. One of the first things people say to me when they find out that I have Great Danes is “wow, I’ve heard they don’t live that long.” Seriously???! I have yet to go to a baby shower and ask the pregnant mom if she is preparing for her unborn daughter’s osteoporosis in old age so don’t start freaking me out about my dog.

I got Maximus when he was 17 months old and named Nixon (yes after the President) so I quickly searched for names that included an ‘x’ so there would be a bit of similarity in the names. He was our first ‘rescue’ dog… One day at work I got a phone call from the director of Animal Control asking me if it was true that I love Great Danes and had recently lost one of mine to old age. The answer to both was yes. She described this extremely quiet Dane who quivered every time one of the smaller breeds near him would bark. So much so that upon my first meeting of Nixon/Maximus I was scared of him and I was safely behind chain link fencing. I took the frothing mouth and shaking body to mean that he was preparing to take the face off of every animal in there. Once the shelter worker took him out of the cage he nearly jumped into my arms. He is still the quietest Dane we’ve ever had. For the first 2 months in our home he never made a sound. In fact, I thought he was a mute until one day we were watching a movie and the sound of a doorbell (on the movie) caused Maximus to go crazy. He ran to the front door and barked non-stop (the same door where we had NEVER had a doorbell) until we opened it to prove no one was there… I think he was hoping for the pizza delivery guy.

So Happy Birthday to the 160 pound dog that was bitten by a teething toddler and didn’t even flinch!