It's a girl!

Isabelle Annabelle Rose is now a permanent member of our family.
Her official Gotcha Day is February 27 because that's when the paperwork went through.

Miss Baby Belle has been our foster pug since March 2009. Like Quincy, she was in pretty sorry shape when she got here. With lots of love, good food and a teeny bit of exercise, she's really turned around. She weighed 23.75 pounds! She shuffled along with severely overgrown nails and arthritis. 

Now she weighs about 17 pounds. With her weight loss, plus lots of good joint stuff and mild exercise, Isabelle runs and scampers like a pug should. She even stands up on her back legs when it's time to eat. She couldn't do that when she first got here. 

For almost two years, Isabelle never ever used a potty pad. Instead, she preferred to pee on stuffies.  Not the hundred million dog beds on the floor, just the toys that Petunia LOVES.
Mom always thought it was Quincy but after he started wearing bellybands, she knew it had to be Isabelle. Still, she put down potty pads every day, hoping that one day someone would use it.

Here's the amazing thing.

After Mom told her that she was a permanent member of the family and would never leave us,
Isabelle started using potty pads.

Despite being deaf and being a pug and all, somehow Isabelle knew.
Who knows why after two years this old dog learned a new trick, but she did.

If you don't think your pugs understand what you say, don't be so sure.
Isabelle understood.

So welcome to the family officially, Isabelle.
Mom has loved you since you came here and
she will love you and take care of you for the rest of your days.
We may still fight like sisters do, but you are our sister, now and forever.

And yes, she'll be getting a shirt with her name on it.