On crying babies and barking dogs

Ellie's finally gone to sleep, I spent over an hour trying to get her down - she can be a champion fighter when she thinks she might be missing out on something. She tried to get all cute giving me big smiles and talking to me even while her eyes were slowly closing because she was so tired. Eventually she stopped fighting and was on the verge of sleep when surprise, surprise Scraps decided it was a great time to pipe up and bark at nothing in particular. *Pulls hair out* So, Ellie woke up, this time upset. Add another 20-30 minutes and finally I had a sleeping baby and a quiet dog.

I am absolutely at my wits end with Scraps. It's almost as if he waits until she's finally asleep on these days when she's so difficult to put to sleep and stay asleep. He's making my life a whole lot more difficult than it needs to be right now and most of the time I simply can't stand him. It's horrible, yes, but he's so frustrating and all my energy is already taken up by Ellie and the house work.

I rang Aunty Meredith last night to ask her to look after Scraps while we go to see my parents for an early Christmas and I got the impression that she wasn't thrilled with the thought, so now I feel bad and am wondering if I should be making other arrangements for him... but, what?? I'm not prepared to miss out on visiting my family because of him again. It's been almost a year since I've been there, dad's only seen Ellie once, Josh hasn't seen her at all yet and it's so important to me to have a Christmas with them. Then there's the tentative plans we've been talking about for New Years to get away, I doubt I'll be able to ask Aunty Meredith to have him again, so I guess we'll stay home :(

The single worst thing is the days when I am exhausted and need a nap when Ellie's sleeping and he starts on one of his insane barking things. I'll be on the verge of a deep sleep and he'll go off. It makes me so angry.

It doesn't seem to matter what I do, Ellie and I will go outside to play with him and he'll show us little or no interest, even if I am throwing him a ball.

Well, I have to go my baby girl is awake ... I will have to write later about Ellie's first Christmas party!!!