Watch Me Grow!

It's been such a busy past few weeks for us that Norman seemed to grow bigger right before our very eyes! Melissa's sister Alison, nephew Jackson (5), and niece Mollie Jane (20 months) came to visit for a week during Spring Break. We had such a great time, and Jackson was the best playmate little Noman could ever possibly imagine. Even little Mollie Jane loved to "pat the puppy". Despite all the fun and activity going on, I hardly got any pictures of Norm with the kids! The Brawner visit was followed (and slightly overlapped with) a visit by Melissa's mom and dad over Easter. So little Norm has gotten to meet alot of relatives! Again, basically no pictures of Norman with his Mammy and Pops! But we did manage to snap some pics of his latest antics-- check out how fast he's growing!


We went to Great Falls National Park with Alison, Jackson and Mollie Jane. It was a beautiful day, and we had a great time climbing the rocks and checking out the falls.


Pardue family photo.

Poor little Norm was absolutley pooped after the Great Falls adventure! He collapsed in the middle of the trip and actually had to be carried back to the car. He got tons of attention there-- we couldn't walk 5 feet without being stopped by people wanting to pet the little guy. Such is life with a puppy this adorable

Trying to share a big stick with Cooper on a late-evening walk. Hard to imagine anything cuter than a golden proudly prancing with a stick in their mouth on a walk, but two of them doing it together is simply not to be believed!

He finally stood still and let me take a portriat shot. It really doesn't even do him justice!

Watching March Madness with Daddy.

Another stick-sharing excersie. Norman learns all about "big boy behavior" from Cooper!

We took him to Olde Towne School for Dogs in Old Town, Alexandria and let him pick out a bone or rawhide. He sniffed around and literally chose the biggest rawhide in the entire store! He can drag it around, but it's still too big for him to carry in his mouth. But he absolutlely LOVES this thing and never seems to be bored by it. It keeps him safely out of mischief while we're eating dinner or getting dressed in the mornings, so it's been the best $5 we've ever spent.

Highlights from Weeks 2 and 3

Little Norman has certainly kept us on our toes! He's a very busy little guy, but like any puppy, his endurance is short-lived so he still spends alot of time napping. That is the absolute best snuggle time and Norm is proving to be an excellent cuddler (especially for his mommy)! The potty training is coming along nicely-- what an A+ student our little guy is! He's an eager learner and very susceptible to treat rewards. We love him to death and can hardly imagine life without him!

Norm's favorite things lately= chasing and biting his own tail, anything involving water he can drink, and Melissa's slippers.

Our favorite things about Norm lately= his running that looks more like a series of hops and his very serious attempts to try to bark (but sounding like a squeak).


Sleeping beauty. How cute is that little face?!?

One of Norm's favorite spots is in the kitchen where he can be in the center of all the action.

Exploring a big box-- he got kinda scared after about a minute in there.

Recent obsession= the shower. Especially the water that he can see on the other side of the door but yet can't drink. Drives him batty, and keeps us entertained each morning.

He also LOVES the dishwasher. Again, it's the water thing. Don't worry....I only let him do this on dirty dishes, not the clean ones.

Getting bigger, but still lets you hold him like a baby.

After potty breaks, he loves laying in the monkey grass in our front yard. We have to bribe him with treats to get him to come back in.

Norman's First Week

Norman has had quite a first week at his new home! From discovering all the new sights and smells, to checking out every corner of the house to find just the right nap spot, he's done alot of exploring. Despite a few very rough nights at first (crying all night in his kennel) he has adjusted extremely well. He has almost daily playdates with our neighbor Laurie's beloved Golden, Cooper, and they are already best buddies.

Norm's favorite things this week= his horse squeaky toy, sleeping, and eating

Our favorite things about Norm this week= his fuzzy fur, his big brown eyes, and his clumsiness on walks!


Such a handsome fella!


Meeting our friend Laurie's golden Cooper for this first time.


My two favorite boys!


Already spoiled rotten, but how can I honestly resist that little face?


Tipping the scales at 13 pounds at 6 weeks old.


He loves adorable little Alex Powers (Laurie's daughter), and she gives the best giggles ever when she sees Norman.


Discovering sticks-- the ultimate chew toy.


Trying out the couch for the first time. Setting a precedent, perhaps?


Getting his first bath... not a big fan, and gave some very pathetic looks afterward.


One his favorite spots happens to be on my lap-- he lets me cuddle and hug him as much as I want!

Another favorite spot-- in the entry way, where it's nice and cool. Check out that fat little belly.

Joel and Norm-- best buds.

One of Norman's first wrestling matches with Cooper. When we walk them together, people think they are daddy and son since they are the exact same color right now. Norm is likely to be a little darker once he's gets big, but for now he looks like Cooper's Mini Me!

The most recent favorite spot-- wedged under a magazine rack in a corner. We not even sure how he manages to fit back there, but its his ultimate nap spot.

It didn't take him long to figure out how to climb the stairs-- yikes! Its like having a toddler in the house that you can't take your eyes off for a single minute!

He has a hysterical little camouflauge shirt that we finally tried on him. Although he acted like he didn't like wearing it, I'm convinced that he secretly liked the"tough guy" image it gave him. :)

Picking Up the Little Fella

We could hardly wait to bring our little puppy home! After waiting for what seemed like forever, March 2nd finally arrived. We decided to name him Norman, and if you meet him, I'm sure you'll all agree that his name suits him just right. After we arrived to pick him up, he and his identical brother were laying together, and we were so sad that we couldn't bring them both home together! But we knew we'd have our hands full with just one. Before leaving the only home he's ever known, we took Norm to say goodbye to him mom, Cinnamon (a beautiful red Golden) and his dad, Sampson (a big 95 pound sweetheart). We got an orientation to puppyhood from the wonderful breeder, Dave Liskey, and then we were off! Norm slept the entire ride home on Melissa's lap.

Norm with his adorable twinkie brother. Why didn't we get them both?!

Getting a final snuggle from his mom, Cinnamon.

Norm with his dad, Sampson.

Gap View Kennels is wonderful, with such beautiful Goldens!

Getting some last minute tips and pointers from Dave.

A sleepy, snuggly ride home.