Get Along Little Doggie

My parents used to have the cutest little teacup Maltese dog. They called her Scooter because they said they could sweep her across the floor and she would scoot up all the dust bunnies. My stepdad loved her so much he took her to work with him everyday. He was like the godfather, with that 3 pound pooch on his lap all day. Unfortunately Scooter met her end a few years ago at the ripe old age of 8. It would be a great understatement to say that my stepdad was saddened by this.

Since then, they have been reluctant to get another dog because they travel quite a bit. So a few years ago, my stepdad bought one of those little stuffed puppies that breathes. Curled up on a tiny dogbed, the belly of the little black and white pup moves up and down, mimicking a sleeping puppy. My mom says it is the perfect dog. It doesn't poop or bark and always looks cute. However cute, though, it is NOT cuddly. It has fairly bristly "fur" over a hard frame and the years have taken its toll on the motor. It now sounds like the asthmatic rattle of an aging bulldog.

Early this morning, I went in to the room Sophie is staying in at my parents' house to find her standing and screaming in the pack and play that is serving as her crib during our stay. I scooped her up and sat down in the chair across the room to nurse her back to sleep. Once we were settled, I looked over at the pack and play and noticed this:

My mom decided that Sophie was lonely in there and gave her a little companion. She claims she put it in the corner, but the middle is where I found it, rasping and rattling.

I'm pretty sure that explains the crying.