*la conejita

I off-handedly told Vera a couple months ago that maybe she could get a real bunny when she turned 5.  It was one of those things you say, not thinking they will give it another thought.  Well not Vera!! She talked about it all the time and for a few weeks would tell anyone she saw that she was getting a bunny on her birthday.

Then, last weekend our friends asked us along to the farmers' supply store to see the baby chicks.  You might know that I too, [dare I say more than Vera?] am obsessed with bunnies and really hold the memories of mine growing up very dear.  Two of the bunnies there were just so ridiculously cute that I immediately decided we had to get one.  Long story short, we got Vera her first bunny.

After we were at the store but before we went back to get her, I was talking to my dad on the phone about it.  He said if we named her something French [one of my french lops was named Louis L'Amour] he would help us out with the purchase. My dad is funny like that - he gives funny conditions, though you know he just loves to give.  Vera had said she would name the girl bunny "Ellie" and so we suggested "Eloise" be her full name.  Now that we have her, Vera loves the name Eloise and that's what we call her. Or just "the bunny."

She really is a sweet thing and seems to like being held.  It's been so much fun already - Vera has even conquered her fear of being in the back of the backyard alone.  The first few nights she didn't want to go to bed, because she was thinking of her bunny and just "wanting to hold her."  I was surprised how tough Vera is with all the scratches!  She's usually one to avoid anything where she might get hurt, but it doesn't bother her and she hasn't even asked for a bandaid.  Edie is a little ... worrisome and we have to closely supervise or really just keep her away.  She is very intense - hiiiii buh-buh!  hiiiieee!! - squeezing, hitting, poking eyes, pulling ears, etc. It's a little stressful.

She always holds her like this - like a baby. It makes me cringe a little, but Eloise really doesn't seem to mind.

The first thing Vera did was introduce Eloise to Bunny and Becca Bunny: