Bennett's puppy

• This has been a tearful week in the Maloley household. Brux had been ill for several days . . . his days mostly consisted of lying around (and puking). I took him to the vet last Saturday. We found out right away that his kidney function was poor. By midweek, we knew he had cancer.
• I drove him to see an oncologist in Denver on Thursday after work. The specialist discovered a tumor in his abdomen. She wasn't able to determine the type of cancer, but we know it's aggressive. Chemotherapy is considered a long shot and was not recommended.  
• Karah and I drove back to Denver on Friday to bring Brux home. We decided that we'd just love the heck out of him and have lots of fun with whatever time we might have left with him. Remarkably, he's showed more "life" in the last two days than he has in the last two weeks.
• I never really understood pet lovers until I picked the 8-week old Brux up in South Carolina. I thought that treating a dog like a child was pretty wacky and over the top. Now I understand! He's been our loyal companion for 3 years now. He's brought more laughs and love to us than I could have ever imagined. What he means to our family is unmeasurable and indescribable. There is no doubt that he helped Karah and I become better parents for Bennett.
• I saw this at the specialty animal hospital in Denver on Thursday night. I couldn't say it any better:

• Brux and Bennett admire a "get well" painting from our friends the Kassmels (blurry, but still captures the moment):

• Here's a quote on an lighter note (I'm a poet and didn't know it): "I named my dog 'Stay'... so I can say 'Come here, Stay. Come here, Stay.'"- Steven Wright  
• Don't get me wrong, Brux is plenty ornery (and sometimes on the lunatic fringe). He's eaten my socks (and a cycling glove), steals toys from the neighbors' yards, jumps on strangers (he calls them new friends), etc. But as far as big brothers go, he's been the best (we were worried!)! He was in Karah's hip pocket her entire pregnancy (literally following her everywhere) and has been so good to and for Bennett. I never would have guessed that such an amped-up dog could be so gentle around a baby.
• Just so this entire blog isn't about our Bruxy (and  doesn't give him a big head) . . . here's a little video. Bennett has been in awe when he sees Karah and I brushing our teeth with our Sonicare toothbrushes. Karah put a little brush head on the toothbrush and Bennett will actually allow us to brush his teeth with it (until the vibration becomes unbearable):