One week old!!

Because WHO HAS PUPPIES ON CHRISTMAS EVE EVE and has time to write about it!?! :)

Bittersweet day and night it was, as Bella's litter was too big to all make it and bless us with their little personalities and love.   Her labor was very similar to last litter, in that she and I got about an hour total of sleep the night of delivery, with her panting all night long.  She delivered her first pup about 12:30pm on Dec 23rd, a few days before I thought it might happen. (THANK YOU BELLA and Puppy God for that convenience! )   We had good luck - and bad luck - with this bundle of joy.  One good-sized girl never took a breath,  and the last 2 were very underdeveloped, were for tucked up under her ribs or somewhere without enough of their own room to grown, and probably just needed another week in utero. Its rare to have all 11 puppies live of a litter that big, but doesnt make it any less sad.      We worked on all 3 of these pups for 1/2 hour or more each,  though the 2 tiny ones probably didn't have a chance.  They were most likely fertilized several days after the others, as sperm lives up to 4 days, but they all birth together in the same whelping, and 2 just were too premature.

/

One sweet little girl seemed to be doing ok, after struggling to breathe alright.  She seemed to be trying to get more air, and this wasnt a fun thing to watch, as puppies only breathe through their noses, just like you dont see newborns laying their with their mouths open while snoozing.  We cheered on beautiful Snowflake for 3 days.  (kids wanted to name her Jingle, and I said I would start to call her Jingle when she stopped being delicate and making me worry about her lasting....) On Saturday, I could see that the other puppies were chunking up as they do right away, and Snowflake would eat as much as she could, but it wasnt enough.  That round tummy wasnt there, and her occasional crying had increased, which is heartbreaking.  There is not a lot sadder than this sound I hadn't heard in other 2 litters.

 

What a sweet blessing to have friends who love these creatures with all their hearts.  Bestie Paulette was a trooper through whole whelping - a 12 hour day til 1 in the morning.   Then these 2 friends came to try to help Snowflake, who couldn't swallow well even with their little droppers and formula.  They foster litters of kittens and puppies, knowing what it feels like to spend a month hand feeding a critter, only to lose it.   I believe there are so many angels like this on earth, walking around disguised as regular humans, just doing good.    I am surrounded by them. 

    

So, Saturday night was spent at the emergency vet, where the decision was made based on he x-ray results: sweet Snowflake was suffering and had very little chance for improvement.   It was the first time in my adult life I had to put an animal down, and I now understand why it is a very difficult choice to make.    We can hold on to the hope of antibiotics, surgery, ICU care, a new drug, a miracle.   Just to be with our friends a little longer.   There is no looking glass to tell us if it worth their continuing struggle (if they are), if treatments will work,  or even what the costs will be after lots of care.   But they are family.  We aren't  (in most areas) given the option to end the misery of  a human member who is in pain - physically or mentally.  But it is an option for our beloved pets, and not always an obvious one.   Rest in peace, sweet Snowflake, and may your lungs be filled with air with your siblings in Doggie  Heaven . <3<3<3

One week old today:   Bella is less thrilled than we are for this milestone. :)

   

Nursing on Luke, and he paid the price. 

Fine with me, as long as its another decade or so until a CUTE GIRL makes these hickies!!! :) 

   So, all in all,   4 girlies, 3 boys are thriving.    They are loving their momma's milk and the warm toasty room they are in.    They have another week until their eyes open, but they smell Bella and in seconds are doing their only job: getting nice and fat.  A chunky yellow girl will be making a college student's Valentine's Day the best she has ever experienced.  I love surprises and  I love the growth that occurs each day.  The joy sure outweighs the sadness.

Stay tuned for more adventures of our Christmas litter :   Buddy (our favorite Christmas movie is Elf),  Donner,  and  Claus are holding down the boy section.    Girls are Holly, Noel,  Miracle/Merry, and Eve.     We are in love.

FULL OF PUPPIES!

WEDNESDAY NEWS FLASH!   Today's 55 day (approx.) x-ray showed a belly full of pups.  Yay for Bella, yay for magical uteruses of female creatures, and yay for Billy's powerful sperm. (yeah. The 2 legged Billy here, and the 4 legged Billy who Bella was bred to before Halloween. Talk about getting the job done!! 

Temperature taking starts tomorrow, as a drop below the average 100-101 degrees indicates labor to start within the day.    This weekend would be the earliest whelping possible IF she sticks to normal span of days, though its MOST likely that the 2nd breeding took, and that indicates Christmas pups.  Though a litter of Vixen and Dixen and Comet and Cupid....would be cute,  I am opting for  MONDAY sounding like a great day for puppies.  Where is a scheduled induction, epidural, and soft hospital pellet ice when you want one? :)   

Luke got off the bus today, burst in the door and yelled, "where's the X-ray picture?"    We sat down and counted out the skulls (marked with the black pen lines) and tried to guess at the number of tiny spines.  With the cluster of faint spines in the middles, its impossible to tell if there are 7 (skulls) or 10 or more spines -- or if they are all connected to one another.  Come on, pups.  We are anxious to meet so many of you!!  

OVERDUE!!!!

No, not the pups.  THIS POST, but only by about a YEAR!!   I had high hopes of posting regular growth of the last litter. (Aaaaaannnd..making a sweet montage set to music of these pics and lots of video. )     Their antics, their different personalities, the homes they went to, and the CHRISTMAS SURPRISES they were for most of the NINE (!!) local families.    Last litter, whelped on November 7, 2014, was a total joy!   I will let pics tell the story.   This litter was fathered by local black carrying yellow (By) stud dog,  Legacy's Brody, below.

 3 yellow girls, 2 black boys, and 4 black girls.    I miss them, but love love loooooove seeing them around town.    This past week seeing their faces on Christmas cards that arrive makes me grin like crazy.

What a GOOD MOMMA! 

                                                          My, how you grew! 

Their first baby.  <3<3<3 They will be adding another 4-legged baby to their home from this coming litter, and are waiting to hear news of the birth! <3

This little girl went to live with these boys who needed a sister! With dad being a general contractor, she spends the majority of her time as his sidekick in his truck, going to jobs. She loves coffee and hot showers as much he does, and answers happily to....HAMMER! :)  They will all be getting a new sister from this litter, so the boys need to learn to rap the song "Black and Yellow!"

SURPRISE, Charlie!  Merry merry Christmas. FIVE of the 9 puppies went to football families, so there is lots of dog-talk at games and practices.   So fun to see the often.

This is my son, assistant midwoof. Yes, that is correct.  Mid-woof.   I am crossing fingers that vet school might be in his future,  as he has carefully caught a few pups, rubbed them down to stimulate them, and had his heart hurt when 15 minutes of mouth-to-mouth to a stillborn puppy didn't work.      Hard to know what melts my heart the most:  these furry faces, or Luke's big heart.    

OTHER brilliant midwoof happens to be a bestie,  prior Yorkie breeder AND labor/delivery nurse of those 2-legged creatures.   She is the calm to my loud,  the meticulous detail to my lack of,  and has a special touch with delivery that Luke and I aspire to.  These pups are loved and cared for from the get-go!  They bring so much joy to all the little (and big!) people who play with them once they safely hit 3 or 4 weeks.   

                                  SO many happy families had a merrier-than-usual Christmas, last December!
 But here is my personal favorite....   It continually humbles me to hear the depth of pain from the loss of pets.   There is something healing about the joy of a puppy, especially for someone who misses the companionship that dogs give like no other creature.  This family had recently lost their Lab, who grew up with this college girl.  She thought she was coming over to our house to pick up a desk her mom had found on E-bay.   She received something just a little bit better....  

 

(Favorite. Picture. EVER. ^^^^^^^)

                        THIS IS WHAT IT IS ALL          ABOUT !!!!!