Friday, 2/26/10: I've raised a snuggle mooch

My snuggle-bug, ella Beatrix, snuggling her Grandpop

I can't help it, it's true. I've created a snuggle monster. As a puppy, I used to have to force her to snuggle me. I'd literally have to hold her somewhat tightly next to me to make her stay. She didn't have much interest in being close to anyone, and was a confident, fearless little spitfire. She's always been a ball of energy, and never spent much time thinking about cuddling. She'd just play until she was plum tuckered out and then crash on any given surface like an explosion of puppy.

But, over the 4 years we've spent together, I've worn her down. She wants to be with people now more than ever. She loves men. She can't get enough of her grandpop, and a few other favorite guys really make her socks roll up and down. At the ripe age of four, she's fond of snuggling--especially on couches--and I'd even go so far as to say she's an out-and-out snuggle mooch!

The bed is a different story. When she sleeps in bed with me, she goes through a sort of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde cycle. She'll start the evening snuggling up to me, most of the time under the covers. She's sweet and loving and will fall into sleep so heavy she'll even snore. Once I fall asleep, Mr. Hyde comes out. She reverts back to her old ways of being a bed hog, which has earned her the clever nickname of "Bed Hog Dog." She will lay horizontally across the bed while I'm asleep in it. I end up in the fetal position or laying on some funky diagonal in order to stretch my legs out. Once I wake up (generally in some sort of slight discomfort), and make her move, she's all cuddles again. Back to Dr. Jekyll. Another version of this comes from her "denning" under the covers. She go under the covers and fall asleep and will stay under there until she's totally hot, begin to pant, yet she won't come out. She'll stay under there until I wake up (because she's shaking the bed with her heavy panting) and make her come out from her den. Then she'll move on top of the covers, and will most likely end up snuggling me until I fall asleep. Then she'll resume the horizontal position again.

In the end, it's a good thing, and I love her know matter what. But I know full well that my little girl is the Frankenstein of cuddles.