I would like to officially introduce someone who joined our family a couple of months ago.
Please meet Jersey.
Okay, technically, I already introduced her on Instagram because I am impatient and apparently incapable of keeping a new puppy a secret.
But between life, work, and everything else going on, I haven’t had nearly as much time for my blog as I would like.
So, two months later, Jersey is finally getting her official blog introduction.
A PUPPY!?
Yes. I bought a puppy.
Was it a smart idea?
Hell no.
But was it very Megan and Brandon coded?
Absolutely.
It’s what we do.
The Signs Were Everywhere
When Brandon and I were in Pittsburgh, we talked about eventually getting a third dog. The plan was to wait until Spring 2027.
However, I am impatient.
So naturally, I started looking at breeders anyway.
I began following one breeder’s account, and there was one puppy I kept noticing. Her name at the time was Yellowcard, and for some reason, I was becoming increasingly attached to her.
Then I realized she would be available to go home around my previous due date.
For those who are new here, I lost my baby, Wyatt, after being diagnosed with IPAH and learning that I was unable to safely continue my pregnancy.
I don’t know how to fully explain it, but this puppy stayed on my mind.
Every day, I would check to see if someone had chosen her.
And no one did.
Eventually, I decided to reach out to the breeder.
She described Yellowcard as gentle, quiet, calm, and an absolute sweetheart.
Basically, everything I would want if we were going to bring a third dog into our already very dog-filled home.
So, naturally, I lovingly twisted my husband’s arm.
Call it part of my grieving process. Call it wanting something new to nurture and care for. Call it questionable decision-making.
Whatever you want to call it…
We bought the puppy.
Meet Jersey
Her name is now Jersey, after a song by Mayday Parade.
There isn’t some huge sentimental story behind her name. I just wanted to name her after something Brandon loves, and Brandon loves Mayday Parade.
I triiieddd to convince him to change her name to Nori, from The Rings of Power, because I had visions of putting a flower crown on her.
It didn’t stick.
So, we stayed with the original name I had picked out.
Now I just say she’s a Jersey Girl who doesn’t pump gas.
Somehow, She Was Exactly What We Needed
Can I just say that I have never met a puppy like her?
She is so gentle.
She is so sweet.
She is genuinely an angel.
And after two months with her, I can confidently say that bringing her home feels like it was meant to be.
She absolutely loves Cali and Lyra.
She beats on Cali like it’s her full-time job, and Cali loves every second of it.
Lyra took a little longer to figure out exactly what this giant fluffy creature was doing in her house, but two months later?
She’s obsessed with her.
We brought Jersey to my mom’s house for Memorial Day, where she spent a few hours with my niece, who absolutely loved her.
She’s obsessed with her.
We brought Jersey to my mom’s house for Memorial Day, where she spent a few hours with my niece, who absolutely loved her.
By the time we left, Jersey was exhausted.
Apparently, though, she had just enough energy left to walk through our front door and immediately start beating up on the Aussies again.
Because priorities.
Life With a Puppy
I originally started writing this post when Jersey had only been home for a short time, and I was shocked by how smoothly things were going.
Now that two months have passed, I can officially confirm:
She really is just a good puppy.
Crate training went surprisingly smoothly. In the beginning, she was waking us up several times throughout the night.
If she went to bed around 9 p.m., we could expect wake-up calls around 1 a.m., 3 a.m., and 5 a.m.
Then, by 7 a.m., it was time to start the day.
Thankfully, we’ve come a long way since then.
Potty training has gone better than I ever expected, too. We had very few accidents in the beginning, and now she is already going to the back door when she needs to go outside.
She’s also a surprisingly good listener.
Now, I’m pretty sure at least part of that is because she absolutely loves people and wants to be involved in everything we are doing.
She’s learning new commands.
And she continues to be one of the sweetest dogs I have ever met.
More Than Just a Puppy
I think this is the part of the story that I didn’t fully understand when I first started writing this post.
Everyone in our family who has met Jersey loves her.
But for me, bringing her home has felt healing in a way I wasn’t necessarily expecting.
Maybe part of me did want something new to nurture.
Something to care for.
Something that needed me.
But Jersey has also shown me something about myself.
I was ready to take this on.
After everything that has happened over the past several months—my diagnosis, losing Wyatt, spending weeks in the hospital, adjusting to medications, and learning how to live this completely different version of my life—I reached a point where I felt capable of caring for something new.
I had the energy to train a puppy.
To wake up in the middle of the night.
To take her outside a million times a day.
To introduce her to our family.
To watch her become part of our little pack.
And maybe that means more to me than I originally realized.
Jersey needed someone to take care of her.
But in her own way, I think she has been taking care of me, too.
She has given me something new to focus on. Something to nurture. Something to laugh about.
And she has reminded me just how far I have come.
So, yes.
We got a puppy.
Was it the most logical decision we have ever made?
Probably not.
But two months later, I can confidently say that she was exactly what our family needed.
And I feel proud of myself.
Proud that I was ready for her.
Proud that I could take this on.
And proud of how far I’ve come.
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