Bringing home baby

When my sons were babies, I mastered the art of the drop and nod. It's a particular talent that many new moms exhibit. No sooner does baby close his or her eyes then the shutters go down. My craft became so learned that I could litterally get a full night sleep in 1o minutes. I had no idea I'd be using this resource when I walked in the door with Root Beer.
Luke's bedroom faces the backyard and the backyard faces the perimeter and the perimeter is noisy all day long. Which is why I am always surprised that Luke can hear a car pull in our driveway.
On Wednesday night, Luke heard me pull into our driveway and raced to the stairs to greet me.
Close on his heels was Bel, our family cat. She eagerly greets everyone who comes to the door. However, once she has taken a look at you, she'll leave. So far, I haven't figured out who she is waiting for.
I dragged in the crate from the car. It had been a tough ride from Poplarfield, a small town about two hours north of Winnipeg. Root Beer had whimpered a lot. In Teulon, a town about 45 minutes away from the city, I had stopped for gas and a look at my newest family member. Poor Root Beer, she was slobbering and puking. Our puppy doesn't like car rides.
When I opened the gate to the crate, Root Beer just sat and then she whimpered. Poor sweetheart. Who was I to think she would enjoy living with us? She had her brother and sister, the run of a farm, and a quiet corner in a basement to play in. Now, she was dragged to a house where a boy in too small pyjamas and a cat with a superior attitude waited expectantly. Root Beer shivered again and that was enough to get Luke running.
With tender hands he cradled her against his chest. The love shining from his eyes made the $4.99 I spent on car deodorizer a bargain. This puppy was home.
I dragged particle board up the stairs and sectioned off a part of the kitchen. I butted Root Beer's kennel against the north wall, and laid a week's worth of newspapers and $10 worth of puppy pee pads on the floor. I created an artificial pen with the board that was thigh-high. If Root Beer stood up on her hind legs she could reach the top, but I doubted she would. After the construction was over, I shooed Luke to bed and cleaned up the dog. Something was still missing, though.
And then I remembered. I ran down to the basement to a closet I hadn't visited in years. I dug though early adolescence and late childhood. When I reached toddler clothes, I knew I was getting close. Yep. In the last box I found them. Two well-worn baby blankets carefully wrapped and lovingly stored for the next baby.
Root Beer's dark fur contrasted nicely with the bright yellow and blue ducks on her blankets and then with a heavy-lidded sigh, she was out- and I closed my eyes, knowing from past experience that for 10 minutes, I would sleep.