Oct 6, 2020 Pupdate

Another day in the puppy pool.  And other than the time I am sleeping, we are pretty much all in the pool as Phoebe has OPINIONS about taking her puppies out.  I can barely accomplish puppy yoga - and I have to do everything except the wet cloth without actually takng the puppy out and she still grabs my arm with her paw and pulls it back.  Then she cleans each puppy very meticulously because, apparently, I’m getting her children dirty ;-). Pretty certain JillyBean and SammieDoodlebug didn’t do that.

I attempted a weight watcher’s meeting this evening.  It wasn’t wildly successful what with her OPINION (they are strong enought that all of the letter require upper case treatment) about me taking; Deja helping because Phoebe wasn’t happy and neither were the puppies; and then the talking scale decided first that it wasn’t going to work so I ordered replacements (talking scales are not available for next day delivery so I ordered a couple of baby scales that I might be able to get to work either with the apps or maybe get a picture that the screen reader can read for when the MSU isn’t around.  They are supposed to arrive Thursday.  4 of the puppies are over a pound and the others are very close plus I had to loosen everyone’s collar again so I think it’s safe to assume they are gaining.  I’d prefer the exact weight but I am TRYING to be reasonable (or as reasonable as someone who orders 2 baby scales immediately can be considered)

            Have I mentioned that these puppies are adorable?  You might as well get used to reading that.  It’s likely to be a recurring theme.  So adorable that I actually turned on my camera and included them for a few seconds in a Zoom meeting of our kennel club (I’ve never done that before and I am unlikely to continue the practice)

Phoebe went out to potty 3 times today.  Each of those time, I had to get the leash but didn’t actually put it on her.  She seemed happy enough to go (but that girl would attend the opening of an envelope, she’s excited to walk out to the vehicle and come right back inside as a general rule) but she hurried to potty and came right back into her babies.  She makes sure they are lined up just right and then arranges herself and gathers them in again.

I’d like to pick up a puppy and snuggle it but Phoebe is sleeping and that would likely wake her, the puppy, Deja and, possibly, the dead.  Everyone is VERY concerned with the babies. Deja did find one of the toys dog Cindi took to Cleveland for Phoebe and he played with it some.  Then we traded before it met an untimely demise - right now it doesn’t compare with her puppies but she still might not want to see if gutted (at least not when she can’t take part)

We’ve developed a system for changing the linens in the whelping pool that seems to satisfy all of us.  I get the new pool set up; drag the one she and the puppies are in out enough to put the new one behind and then transfer each puppy over and she follows.  Being me, I do manage to get a tiny snuggle and kiss in with each puppy on the way but Phoebe doesn’t brook much delay on my part.  She is the Mother, I am just here to help her.  She continues to be served her meals and drinks in the pool as befits her position ;-). As usual, I have puppies to cuddle so Nighty, nighty, nighty to all!

Oct 5, 2020 We have puppies!

I’m a couple of days behind but I will try to keep on top ofit now that I’ve begun. 

Around 9 am Saturday (October 3), Phoebe had  puppies via (planned) c-section.  She held out to her due date (established by lh and progesterone testing) but just barely as one was starting down the canal.

There are 5 boys (1 brown, 4 black) and 3 girls (2 brown and 1 black). All are wavy!  Very little white (and most of that should diminish as they grow).  Weight range was 11.9-13.6 oz so no wonder she was so big.  (For a variety of reasons, we thought she was having 5 puppies until the xray when we knew there were several but still couldn’t get a good count)

Everything was even more of a whirlwind this time because the pandemic is causing limits to how many people can accompany each dog (I accompanied Phoebe and was allowed a human guide.  LeAnne was on the phone with us from the vehicle). I should’ve had her write this post fromt he van but we were already over busy (and she wastaking care of getting Deja a little exercise as well)

I had a rather rough trip home - late afternoon Friday, dog Cindi noticed something leaking from underneath the back of the van.  Semi-controlled panic calling of various male spousal units ensued, DejaView was loaded into dog Cindi’s minivan and driven up to us.  Aunt Debbie (Tootsie’s human. For those of you new to the blog/my strange ways: she’s the dogs’ Auntie, not one of the human’s) lives somewhat nearby so we had her on alert in case Phoebe didn’t hold out until the MSU arrived with the other van for the whelping.  (He’s still attempting to heal from a nerve relocation surgery so he couldn’t do do more than drive this time. Otherwise, I suspect he’d have brought tools and worked on it ) Meanwhile, we unpacked a big chunk of the prepacking we had done and restaged it for taking necessities (including the large order from the bakery for the people at home) home in Cindi’s minivan.  The traveling puppy pool fits on B’s (Phoebe’s mother) princess bed so I just had to ride with my legs crossed in the seat (the tote with the pre/whelping/first days in front of my seat; leaning sideways from the waist with one hand petting/reassuring a post surgical Phoebe and the other hand ensuring that the puppy (she was a little nervous of overlying them so I did it one at a time) stayed latched.  I’m always obsessed about making sure the puppies get enough colostrum before their gut closes so in addition to the nursing they do at the vet, I like them to keep at it on the way home (it’s a several hour drive under ideal circumstances and since I am not a good traveler under the best of circumstances, it always takes a long time) so they get the maternal antibodies and the nomograph is more accurate about when to do first vaccines.

Eventually, we made it home and took the puppies in to the whelping pool area (I’d set it up and blocked it off before we left).  Phoebe took about 5 minutes to check it all out; insist that I take down the screen (ex pen covered with sheets) so that Deja could be properly greeted (he rode home in the crate behind the pool) and then climbed into the pool and began nursing her family.

She is doing her Granddam Jill (the Mama’s Mama, at the Rainbow Bridge since Phoebe was a few months old) and her Aunt SammieDoodlebug proud with her mothering skills.  He mother, B was a good enough mother but the force (or hormones) is strong in Phoebe!  She’s barely left the pool since we’ve been home (it took a leash to get her to come out for a potty trip Sunday) and is feeding, cleaning, and cuddling her babies.

We’ve only held one weight watcher’s meeting because she will reach over and pull my arm back when I take a puppy and my talking scale won’t work great on the whelping fleece surface).  I do know they are gaining because I had to loosen collars and I need to do it again soon.  

Puppy yoga (Early neruological stimulation aka Super puppy exercises) began today and I had to do the first 4 exercises holding them in the pool and the cold, wet washcloth part RIGHT beside where she could still see. I need to do toenails (they needed clipped on the  way home)

There are puppies to cuddle, so Nighty, nighty nighty for now.

(I’ll attempt to edit the cast of characters soon)