My Beloved Baby Girls

In Loving Memory

Last night, our sweet puppies passed away. Words cannot express the extreme grief and sadness that fills our house today. Please pray for us as we mourn the loss of our sweet girls.

This morning I sat down and typed up everything I would think of about them. They were truly our angels. Our hearts have been broken... Lord, please love my girls since I can't hold them anymore! They are truly and greatly missed.

Here is what I wrote. It is really for Daniel and I, but I wanted everyone to know how amazing they were.

Annie & Sarah Ingram
My Baby Girls
July 4, 2005 – June 6, 2006

Annie was my little redhead. She had that little attitude. When you would pick her up, she liked to bite at your nose and give a little growl of defiance. When you hugged and kissed her, she loved to nibble on your nose oh so gently. She followed me everywhere. When I would shower in the morning, she would sit against the door so close that, when I opened it, she would fall in the door. Sometimes she would stick her paws under the door as well. I remember the first day I saw her. I saw her first at Pet Co. I picked her up and had to have her. She was our runt. It took her a long time just to jump up on the first step at our apartment. She would always run around with her tongue hanging out. During the night, she liked to sleep on my left curled up in the crook of my knees. She was always on alert and the first to lead the way. She would bark often in the night at many noises. She was beautiful with a reddish brown coat. On the back of her neck, the hair changed colors from red to black to brown. I called her my chimera. She had a teddy bear face that was surrounded by a lion mane. She had the body of a daschund with stubby legs. On her chin, neck and one back paw, she had a touch of white. Her little hind end looked like a fox with a big fluffy tail. I said she had a foof. She was always the first to eat. She liked to tear things apart. We bought several chew toys that she would rip the stuffing out of. She liked to chase Sarah as Sarah carried the Frisbee around the back yard. When we would walk her, Annie reminded me of a sled dog. She would lead the way and dig in hard to the ground. She loved chasing birds. When we would let her outside, she would whine and jump wildly to go out. But, she had as much ambition to come back in. She would fling herself at the back door when she wanted in. When you would talk to her or make sounds, she would look at you and turn her head different directions to try to understand. Her ears would also move back and forth. When she was outside, she would prance around the backyard. Her little foof of a tail would bounce behind her. She had this sweet little under your breath growl that would build up sometimes before a bark. She was perfect. I liked to caller her Ann-Dog or A-Dog or just A. She was also known as Anikens. When Daniel and I would hug, she would jump up on our legs and whine for us to pick her up. She would then leap into our arms. When I would work at my desk, Annie would come up and nose my arm out of the way so I would know she wanted to be in my lap. I miss her terribly!

Sarah was our sweet, sweet timid loving dog. She would always hang back as if waiting for permission to love on you. But when you picked her up, she went nuts! She would kiss you with her sweet tongue as hard and as much as she could. I loved picking her up because she would literally hug you and not let go! She was a beautiful dog with white fur and orangish-brown spots. The markings on her face made her look like she was wearing a mask – Sarah the avenger. When I left my office, she led the way and her velvety ears would bounce up and down. Her ears were the softest things I ever felt. She had a little it of black fur around her mouth that made it look like she had lips. Sarah loved to sleep in between Daniel and me. She would stretch and push until she was comfortable. She was very vocal. Every time you squeezed her, she would grunt. If you whined and howled, she would throw her little head back and howl like a cartoon. She loved to play chase the Frisbee. We would throw it across the yard and she would run and get it. She had learned to pick up the Frisbee from the ground without any trouble. She could also jump so high and grab the Frisbee. She was very athletic. I wanted to enter her in an agility contest. She loved playing with Daddy. Daniel would wrestle with her. Especially when she was young, she would put her paws up when you fought with her. We called her Pawli. I also called her Sarafin. She was the kindest little dog that God made. When I would work at my desk, Sarah would come up and gently jump up and put her paws on my leg. Then, she would let out a little whine of impatience if I didn’t pick her up or let her jump in my lap. She was a lap dog. She loved to be in my lap all the time. She would sleep right under the chair at my desk. When Annie would give up, Sarah would stick around. She had one sweet little eye that didn’t look where the other eye was looking. When Sarah was scared, the hair on the back of her neck and back would stand straight up.

Both of the girls would always follow me EVERYWHERE I went. When we would put their leashes on, Annie would tuck her ears back and dive into the leash. Sarah would hang back a little leary of putting the leash on. When they rode in the car, they loved sticking their heads out of the window – especially Annie.

They loved to go to grandma’s house. Mom called them her granddogs. Sam was their good pal. Mom would spoil them with chicken and rice and treats.

When we first got them, they didn’t want to eat. So, we would put water in their food and heat it up for them.

They would always bark and throw a fit at everyone that came in. Sarah always took a little longer to warm up to people than Annie.

One day, Daddy put a robe over his hear and made noises to scare them. They both went wild. Sarah barked wildly and all of the hair on her back stood up. They were also extremely frightened by the vacuum cleaner. They hated it and would run far away when we brought it out.

They both enjoyed drinking water out of the bathtub faucet. Sarah especially would jump into the bathtub for a drink every time I went into the bathroom. They also loved to come and sit with me when I went to the bathroom.

When we would eat, they were always there begging. Sarah would patiently wait on the floor for a dropped piece. Annie was in your face trying to snatch a bite. We would sit on the couch with our food and Annie would nose her way under our arms at the hope of getting closer to the food.

Their favorite toys were the curly chew hides. They would devour them in about an hour. When they were puppies, it took them forever to eat one. They also loved my shoes! I cannot count the number of shoes that became chew toys.
One day, Daniel and I came home and they had chewed up a red feather boa. There were red feathers EVERYWHERE!

I will never forget the day we got them August 15, 2005. They were our 4th anniversary presents to each other. We had been looking all day for a dog. We went into Pet Co. I saw Annie and picked her up. I knew I had to have her. Daniel picked up Sarah and had to have her. They were supposed to be $50 each, but they sold them both to us for $50. We bought a little puppy starter kit also. I remember them sitting in my lap as we drove home. They were so tiny that I would pick them both up with one hand.

The first few weeks we had them, they slept in a box beside our bed. They would cry for us to let them out. I remember the first night being so hard. They cried almost all night. At one point Daniel sat up and started singing to them. It was so sweet. Then, they learned to sleep in the kitchen with a child gate. In the morning they would cry for us to get them out. I remember coming home to the apartment and Annie would be sitting at the gate waiting for us (with her tongue sticking out).

When they were tiny, they would crawl under the living room table and wrestle. I remember the first time I saw Annie’s “mean” face. She would snarl her upper lip and show her fangs!

They loved to take naps with me. When I would lie on the couch, they would both get on the couch and curl up with me. Annie was usually at me feet. Sarah was on top of me or right beside me.

They loved to chase bugs in the backyard. They would sniff them and follow them through the yard.

Often times they wouldn’t eat unless we were in the room with them. We would usually bring the food with us wherever we were going to be.

At one point, Annie found her favorite spot to lie. She would get underneath the drawer of my desk and sleep with just her nose sticking out from under the desk. When she would get hot, she could be found on the tile floor in the entry.

When they were little, I made them ceramic bowls. I went to the Clay Café and painted them one day. Sarah’s was pastel with her name and “good girl” written inside. Annie’s was bright with “That’s All” written inside.

Both of the girls loved being petted. And one spot in particular was their favorite, their ears – in, around, behind – didn’t matter. They loved it. Sarah would usually close her eyes and groan softly. When you petted Annie’s back legs while she was standing, she would lean her body and her tail to the side you were petting. Annie liked to be brushed. But not with just any brush. The brush that you use to collect loose hair so they don’t shed it was not her favorite. If you tried to brush her hind end with it, she would bite at it. Annie also disliked people blowing in her face. If you did so, she would jump up and try to bite you!

I love to make up songs about them. I could take any song and change it to be about them. Some examples:

Sarah, Sarah, you’re my baby girl, you rock mommy’s world

Annie are you ok, when you tell us, that you’re ok Annie

Ann dog, she rocks the microphone, still looking for her first homerun.

Baby girls, baby girls oh la la la la la la baby girls (to “Lollipop”)

Baby girls, I’ve got the cutest little baby girls. And there’s no other pups in the world,
that can compare with my baby girls.

Oh I wish I was a little Ingram puppy (Oscar Meyer wiener song)

My Annie, and Sarah and Annie, I love the Sar and Annie, Ann and Sarah

Do do, do do do the Baby Girls, do do do do, the baby girls, do do do do do do do do do do
do do do do (The Dr. Pepper commercial – menomena)