Nice to Gnome You

It has been about eight weeks and four days since Henry’s luxating patella surgery. I’m happy to report that for the most part, he’s doing very well. It’s almost as if he didn’t have surgery. He’s forgotten it, except when he’s taken outside early in the morning towards the cars parked in the driveway. I think he thinks he might be going back for more bandages and stitches.

There are times when I think I’ve seen him slightly lift one of his legs while running, although this could either be me worrying more than I should be, or just a normal part of the recovery process. His fur is growing back at a good rate, although he still looks like a lion in the front and a mouse from the back. One of the most important things that I do now is trim is pads, paws and nails frequently. Because we have hardwood floors, I want him to be able to grip the floor as easily as possible because the hair that grows between his pads might cause him to slip. Right now, he’s wrestling with an empty water bottle all around the house.

It’s been a long journey, and perhaps one of the most difficult things I’ve yet to experience in my life. I imagine I’ve experienced somewhat similar feelings of having a child recover from surgery. I know that might sound over the top and possibly an unfair comparison, but it’s something only dog lovers and owners can understand, especially people who own Maltese dogs.

Now that the surgery has been put more or less behind us, Henry and I have more important things to worry about. Like what he’s going to be for Halloween!

Last year was Henry’s first Halloween. Because of this, I wanted to make an extra special costume for him. I thought long and hard about what would be the best costume for an almost 1-year-old white ball of fluff and it came to me almost suddenly.

A gnome! I ended up making most of the costume out of felt, with the exception of his vest and belt, which was made out of Persian silk. It’s a shame that I hadn’t gotten Henry a year before, because I was Amelie two Halloweens ago, in tribute to my most favorite film.

Because of his costume, Henry even won second place at Etsy’s Halloween Costume Showcase! This year I have a couple of ideas for him. I’m strongly leaning towards Sherlock Holmes or some old timer like Benjamin Franklin or George Washington. We will see in a month’s time!