Little Miss Princess Abigail

This is the name that I was set on for our new precious puppy. Tony had thought it was too long of a name so we decided on "Princess Abigail" as her registered name. For months on end, I had been searching for the perfect puppy to be the first addition to our family. I had contacted breeders from states across the US and was willing to drive anywhere to get her. We knew we wanted a smooth haired female black/tan mini dachshund, the smaller the better. Luckily enough, we found a breeder in Terre Haute, only 45 min. away. When "Abby" was 8 weeks old, we were able to drive to Terre Haute and pick her up weighing in at the hefty weight of 1.2 lbs. She was perfect. This was 5 years ago.
Since that day, Abby instantly became part of the family and was the greatest pet. Other than barking at anything, including doorbells on TV, she was great. I took her everywhere, had clothes and sweaters for winter, costumes for Halloween, and blankets furry enough to keep her warm when she was toted to HS football games. Because we were told that her breed was not great with children, we were worried how she would react when Brayden was born. Much to our surprise, she was great with him and took to him instantly. The two became instant friends and ran the entire house together.
The day that I went into labor with Bryce, my dad and stepmother were in town and heard Abby yelp when she jumped on the couch. I was to spend the next couple days in the hospital and we all assumed Abby had just "pulled a muscle". The following weekend, Abby seemed to be acting very hurt and was shaking constantly. I convinced Tony to take her to the emergency vet. After many tests, nothing was found... 5 weeks later after more tests, pain killers and steriods, her condition never improved. A recent visit to the vet determined that Abby had a bulging disc in her neck (at the top of her spinal cord) and would not improve unless she had surgery. The surgery was very expensive and was unable to ensure that Abby would not have a reoccuring "disc problem". The alternative to me was unthinkable.. never did I imagine having to put Abby to sleep after only 5 years of life. This morning, we did just that. My heart aches. But we are convinced that we did the right thing. Abby's quality of life would only deterrioate and she would never be the dog that we once knew. It pains me to no end that my boys will not remember her and that this part of our family is no longer with us. She was truly a loved and treasured pet.

To many that read this blog, the following list will not make sense or may be "inside jokes" but I wanted to make a list of things that I hope I never forget about Abby:

*The enemorous poop pile that she made on our apartment carpet the day we brought her home to the "pet-less" apartment
*Her "puppy" breath and kisses
*"RK"- Rabbit Killer- the utter shock when my sweet dog caught her first rabbit
*The way she always insisted on sleeping under the covers in the crook of your knee
*Road trips with Abby sitting on your lap and looking out the window
*The hidden stash of clothing under the beds
*Abby playing with Tony and Brayden when they wrestled on the floor
*Being able to hold her in the pocket of my overalls when she was a puppy.
*Her pics with Santa Claus and near attack of Santa
*Her skeleton costume for Halloween
*The endless times we ran the neighborhood trying to get back in the house after she'd escaped from someone opening the door
*Abby sitting on the back of your neck like a cat
*The first time Abby "scoped" out Brayden when we brought him home for the first time
*Abby cleaning under the aisles at petsmart from open bags of food

I miss her already but know that we did the right thing.