Bringing Home Baby (Yuna, that is!) Part 1 and National Doughnut Day!

Happy National Doughnut Day Everybody!

Did you know that you can go get a sugar rush in the form of a tasty doughnut at Krispy Kreme for free today and at Dunkin Donuts with the purchase of a beverage?! Amazing! And I don't even normally eat doughnuts but I'll make exceptions for the price of free once a year, though.

And if for some reason you've gone all day not knowing about doughnut day and you have the time, I encourage you to go get that doughnut. You deserve it.

Bringing Home Yuna

In the fall of 2013, I had the great idea that I was going to adopt a goldendoodle. For years I had seen these fluffy, golden puppies and I longed for one of my own.

Goldendoodles seemed like everything I had ever dreamed of in a dog. The personality of a golden retriever with the non-shedding aspect of the poodle. What I wanted to know was, where do I sign?And so I began my search for the perfect goldendoodle puppy that would be mine to raise from the very beginning.


In my research to find a breeder I had three criteria:

1. They did genetic testing of the parents and took great care of them.
2. They had great testimonials of previous adoptive families.
3. Excellent communication from the breeder.


After a few weeks of narrowing down potential breeders, I felt an instant connection with Mustard Seed Ranch located near Athens, GA. Now, Athens is close to 5 hours from where I live in Florida but I had a really great feeling about Mustard Seed Ranch. The owner was great with communication, had a history of great reviews with pictures of their dogs on the company Facebook page, and did extensive genetic testing for hip and knee issues, as well as inherited diseases common in each breed. Everything I had looked for! I felt comfortable with going ahead with the process knowing that I was adopting a puppy that was genetically sound and would be well-adjusted socially. Nathaniel and I have always known that children would be in our future, eventually, so we wanted to make sure that the breeder was giving us a dog that would adjust well to change and one day adjust to babies.

I knew I wanted an apricot colored "doodle" that would grow to be a medium sized dog (not over 50lbs) so that narrowed litters down considerably. I finally decided on parents and patiently waited for my pup to arrive.

I still remember the day that Yuna was born. August 16, 2014 started when I checked my email and Wendi (the breeder from MSR) announced via email that the litter had arrived!!! I was over the moon. She let us know that 7 pups had been born with 3 males and 4 females. I had previously stated that I wanted a female puppy so she sent me a picture of just the females.

Females puppies in the litter on the day they were born. 

When I look back at this picture I still remember feeling as though the puppy on the left was mine. As we had not made our selection yet (we wouldn't until they were at 6 weeks old) I couldn't exactly call her mine yet but a part of me just felt it.


Every week Wendi would send us a picture of the babies so we could track their progress. It was so exciting getting to watch these little babies grow up week to week. Puppies develop so quickly and it was an exciting day each week when we would receive our picture of our baby.

Puppies at 2 weeks. 

When we arrived at 6 weeks, the breeder had a trainer gage their individual personalities before we made a decision on a pup, that way we weren't just basing off of looks and that each puppy was well suited for a potential owner. The puppy that would be our Yuna scored very calm and had lower energy level than her brothers and sisters. She seemed to not be skittish or easily excitable or frightened. She also had no aggressive or dominant tendencies. Now, at the time, Nathaniel and I were a little skeptical of the "personality testing". How could someone tell what a baby will grow up to be? But we took it for the truth anyway and took a chance with the mellowest puppy. We felt that she would suit our lifestyle and wouldn't destroy the house if we left her at home during a work day.

So, I emailed Wendi with my decision and she replied shortly thereafter that she was ours! 

Yuna at 6 weeks. She looks like she has a lazy eye, haha.

I must have stared at this picture of our puppy every day that week, waiting for another picture.

Yuna at 7 weeks. The last picture sent to me before we brought her home.

The entire week before we brought her home was hectic. I was running around making sure I had everything in preparation: a crate, comfy bedding, toys, treats, food, training supplies and books, cleaning supplies (Nature's Miracle), a Wellness Plan for her veterinary care. I felt ready to be a puppy mom! That week felt like it dragged on forever and it felt like the day to bring her home would never arrive but the Friday night before we were to leave for Athens, GA arrived quicker than I expected. I went to bed thinking 2 things:

1. This is the last night before I have a brand new, adorable puppy.
2. I'm not going to sleep for a long time because I will have a brand new, adorable puppy.


Check back tomorrow for bringing Yuna home, part 2!

Happy Friday and Happy National Doughnut Day! Go get that tasty treat, it's free!