Three Weeks

Happy Three Weeks little "K" pups.  To celebrate, we took them outside for the first time.

So much to discover, the grass, the sunshine, the wind and even a puppy princess!  

OOH, the air smells so good!  

The Boys, Mr. Orange and Mr. Red go exploring.  

Miss Purple thought the sun was a bit bright.  

Miss Green likes to venture out on her own, she is very curious.  

Snuggles in the Sunshine!  

Is it nap time yet?  

Virginia, the Puppy Princess.

The puppies loved her dress, they kept trying to burrow under it, Mr. Red even became tangled in the layers of Tulle!  Not sure who had more fun, the pups or the princess!  

One Step Forward Two Steps Back

Actually, with all the paws around here I guess that would be at least 7 tiny steps forward.  These little pups are getting stronger, cuter and noisier by the hour!  The smallest pup is Mr. Red weighing in at 3 Lbs. 8 Oz. and the Largest is Miss Green at 3 Lbs. 13 oz.  I am having a lot of trouble getting anything done as all I want to do is sit and stare at them.  We moved them upstairs into the living room and they love the sunlight coming through the big window.

Little Miss Pink found herself in the funniest positions during her afternoon nap in the sunshine!  

Now Rosie, seriously, what a trouper.

I was not sure if I should blog about this incident as it clearly shows poor judgement on my part, but now that it has been 24 hours I am more laughing than crying, so here goes....

Sunday night, basement was really cold and damp from the rain we received over the weekend so Andy and I decided to plug in the heat lamp "just for an hour or so", to warn up the puppy area.  Well, I thought he turned it off and he thought I did.  Around 2AM a panicked Rosie woke me up and I smelled smoke.  The rambunctious pups had shifted the box just enough to knock over the still plugged in heat lamp and it had begun to burn the wooden slats and melt the carpeting behind the box.  Panic ensued as I doused the area and swiftly moved the puppies upstairs.  Thanks to Rosie, the damage really is not as bad as it seemed at 2AM and we are all safe.   We have added rescue dog to her list of superhero powers and I am making her a cape.

All of this in spite of her Mastitis.  It's bad, the worst the vet and staff at PAWS have ever seen.  When a dog gets mastitis, there is often a "blowout" where the infection comes to the surface of the skin, erupts through the skin and forms a hole.  I am not going to get too graphic here, suffice it to say, I have never seen anything so gross.  It looked like something straight out of a horror flick.

Yesterday, I took her out to see Dr. Jeanne (along with the pups to be sure they weren't suffering from smoke inhalation, they are all fine!).  Doc decided that there was no way this was going to close up on it's own so she did some surgery and partially closed the wound.   Again, not to be to graphic, Rosie has lots of stitches and two drains.  She came home doped up on pain meds and still managed to nurse her pups.  This morning, again, she nursed like a champ despite the obvious pain.

She is a super mom, I cannot believe how much she has endured and how much she has matured from it.  She is resting in her crate and only coming out to nurse so that she can heal quickly and we can get on with having fun with these pups.

It was joked yesterday that maybe we should change the naming of this litter from the K's to the "disaster" litter.  Well, Katrina does begin with "K"

Really, is there anything  better than Uncle Octo?  

We did manage to have some fun with the Conway's while Rosie was at the vet.  They are our neighbors,  and really, everyone should be lucky enough to have neighbors like the Conways!  When I told Amy that it was ok to come for a visit, Jack bolted across the street and was at my door before I even hung up the phone.  Terry is my girls' favorite babysitter, they beg for us to go out so they can play with Terry!  Their family raised a foster puppy for PAWS many years ago.  Obsessed with tennis balls, she was CC'd and became a drug detection dog at Logan Airport.  Amy is on the PAWS foster puppy sitter list and comes highly recommended by Rosie and Jackson.

  

Sunday Funday

I'm looking at a pen of exhausted pups!  It has been an exciting day of visitors.  The fun has definitely begun and the puppies are getting cuter and more rambunctious each day.

First, we had the Milne family, Ken, Ellen and Erin.  I know, our names are really close.  We laugh at the confusion we cause around the PAWS headquarters and the times we have received mail intended for the other.  Now the confusion will continue as the Milne's are fostering one of the puppies whelped by the Milnes'!  They will be getting one of the boys and naming him Kaden (meaning beloved friend or companion in Aribic).  Kaden will be the Milne's 8th foster puppy and we are excited!

Erin and the boys

The second visitors were Grandma Fae and Dale.  They came to snuggle the pups and grandkids.  As you can see, they enjoyed themselves.  

Third were the Syrba family, Lauren, Rachel and Natalie along with friend Constance.  They know a few things about PAWS puppies, they are currently fostering their 9th.  The pups and Rosie ate up the attention.  

The evening was capped off by a visit from two of Caroline's dear friends Addie and Reagan.   Can you guess what they want for their birthdays?  

If you are interested in coming to visit our little golden nuggets please let me know and we will try to work out a time.  

Things are looking up

This was an exhausting week both physically and emotionally.  All three of my girls participated in the school's variety show and I was the coordinator for Caroline's group.  My Father-in-law and his wife paid us a visit from Minnesota.  I completed a volunteer project for the twins' Kindergarten class (with some help, thanks H).  Rosie got Mastitis and we lost little Miss Yellow. 

 Jackson Checks out Miss Green

Tomorrow begins a new week and I have the utmost confidence that things are looking up.  


Rosie is on the mend and the puppies are big, strong and healthy. 

Today we set up the puppy "romper room" and brought the pups up from the basement for some playtime.  Thanks to my garage sale-ing friend Michelle P.,  
the pups have some fun new toys.  They love the stuffed dog, thanks Michelle!!!  

Caroline and Mr. Red

The Millwood family paid us a visit today.  They were the winners of the "Puppy Pool" contest, so they were awarded the privilege of being the first visitors.   

 Spencer and Mr. Blue were big time buds!   

Lucy thought that chubby Miss Purple was pretty great!

I think you can tell by the smile that Amanda was as smitten by these golden nuggets as the kids were.   Thanks for coming! 

heartbreak

Tonight our Little Miss Yellow lost her fight.   We are all so very sad, including Rosie.  Rest in piece little angle pup, we will miss you.  

Bonding

I had quite a day with Rosie yesterday.  I guess in an experienced raiser's perspective, it probably wasn't too major, but from my inexperienced perspective, it seemed monumental.  My sweet girl was totally normal when I checked in on her and the pups around noon, but by 3pm,  I knew something was not right.

Rosie wanted nothing to do with the bowl of vanilla yogurt I had brought for her.  Right there, a retriever refusing food, I knew something was up.  When she finally looked up at me, I was greeted by a big belch and the remains of her lunch.  Yuck!  Upon further examination, I realized that she had developed mastitis and she looked to be in much pain.  A trip to PAWS to see Dr. Jeanne, 3 shots, oral antibiotic and I feel confident that she will be feeling better very quickly.  She still feels pretty awful today and I hope that tomorrow will be a better day!

The first time we saw Rosie and her litter mates!  

This whole experience lead me to think about the bond I have with Rosie.  I am not ashamed to admit that my bond with Rosie initially was weak.  After all this darling fuzzball that came to us at 7 weeks was only to be with us for a short time in her path to become an assistance dog.  I put up a wall reminding myself often, "Don't get too attached, she is not yours"

Rosie's first day at our house.

Besides, I have lots of attachments to keep me busy, great husband, three darling girls and my first born, my four pawed baby, Jackson.  Jackson is the first dog that has ever been mine.  Andy and I bought him the weekend after we closed on our first house more than 10 years ago.  I am so incredibly bonded to him in a way that no other animal will ever compare.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love Rosie to pieces and I am glad that her path has lead her to live with us but our bond is different, at least it was  up until this experience.

My favorite pic of Rosie

As Rosie's belly grew and her temp dropped, I became so much more aware of her.  As labor started, I felt very connected to her and as I watched those puppies come into this world, our bond was changed forever.  She made motherhood seem so easy, almost effortless.  I love watching her care for these babies and as they grow, I am so proud of her.

To see her in so much pain has been difficult.  To see her struggle and wince as she lets her babies nurse is heartbreaking.  I worry about her and she cannot get better quickly enough.  My bond with my sweet fluffer-nutter has changed since she has become a mama dog and I totally adore her.

Pregnant Rosie and her buddy Jackson

Poop

What is not to love about a tiny golden puppy?  Well, in one word, poop.  Rosie does a great job keeping them clean, but this weekend all 8 babies were struck with diarrhea and it was more than Rosie cared to deal with.  So please forgive my lack of updates, but I have been busy cleaning.  


Not all was stinky this weekend, though.  We do have some milestones to report.


On Friday Miss Pink and Mr. Orange began to open their eyes.  By saturday evening all eight were peeking out at us.  It is so awesome to see them looking back.  


On Sunday morning, Miss Green, Mr. Red and Mr. Blue were all trying to get up on all fours and walk.  They are all trying it today, we should have some mobile pups in a few days.  


Miss Yellow is just shy of 2 pounds, Yippee!!  Miss Pink and Mr. Blue have each hit the 3# mark this morning, I cannot believe how fast they are growing!  


Looks like we are getting closer to visitors, I will let you know just as soon as we are ready.  


I am off to take some pictures and maybe some video of our little nuggets.  Happy Monday!  

Miss Purple shares a snuggle with her Mama

Caroline and Mr. Orange

Caroline has a special fondness for Mr. Orange, look at his eyes!!  

The Proud Mama stands watch over her snoozing brood.  

Patience

You might think that having 3 babies in 18 months (yes, twins) would have made me a patient person but, you would be wrong.  I work hard every day to have patience with my children, my dogs and the person in front of me in the check out line.  I realize that sometimes my impatience leads me to miss important subtleties of my environment.  So my goal each day is to have patience and to take in the world around me and notice the smallest details.  Lately the small details include the puppies.

Today, I cannot wait for these little golden nuggets to open their tiny eyes and take in their world for the first time.  How amazing it will be to watch them as they begin to see what is around them.  On this beautiful day, it is so hard not to take the little pups out to crawl in the grass.  Instead, I sit and I watch them as they snooze.  Some are silent and still, some are twitching and cooing.  They are only 8 days old and how much they have already grown.  Most have doubled in size since birth and they have so far to go.

Last night, I watched a PBS documentary showing assistance dogs and the jobs they do for clients.  What these special heros do is so much more than picking up a pencil or turning on a light.  Dogs like these change lives and I hope and pray that all eight of Rosie's babies will go on to have that kind of profound impact on their forever person.

I will just have to be patient!

I think I had better find a bigger box!!!  

If you want to watch the documentary on PBS, you can click Through A Dog's Eyes  

Mr. Blue

I really wanted to update you all today, but I literally have nothing to write about.  Everything is status quo and that is excellent news here in Puppy world!

I thought I would introduce you to Mr. Blue, our second born pup, but even he is pretty boring.  He is sleeping, eating and growing contently.   He is over 2# now as are all the pups except Yellow.  He loves to snuggle up to Miss Pink, but is most likely to be hiding under the whelping box railing all by himself.  I can't get this song out of my head, if you grew up in the 80's you may know the song and now you will have it stuck in your head, too!

....i'm mr blue
i'm here to stay with you
and no matter what you do
when you're lonely - i'll be lonely too, i'm mr blue....

So now photos of darling Mr. Blue, thanks for prayers for Miss Yellow (who is getting bigger and stronger) and a bid for a wonderful sunny Wednesday!

Oh, if you are a PAWS person and are wondering about the ribbons and the lack of order to the colors, ask Aimee :-)

Happy One Week Birthday

The Puppies are one week old today and what a week it has been.  I am truly amazed at the daily changes in these little golden nuggets. Two of them have reached the 2# mark already.  They are very strong, even tiny Miss Yellow is climbing over her bigger siblings to get to the milk truck and to snuggle with mom.  And, they are content,  Rosie continues to do an awesome job attending to their needs.   


I thought it might be fun to show you each pup, so today, I will start with the first born, little miss Pink.  


Miss Pink is a very calm and quiet pup.  She eats, sleeps and snuggles, barely ever making a peep.  She is sweet as can be.  My girls  have taken to calling  her Pinky-pie or Pinkalicious.  All of these pups are going to be in trouble when it comes time to answer to a real name as they all have lots of nicknames!  


Speaking of real names, have I told you that this will be the "K" litter?  That means that all the names will begin with K.  The future Puppy Raisers who will house them get to have a say in naming their foster pup, with the aid of the people at PAWS. Two Syllable names with a dominant first syllable are best and PAWS tries to steer away from common human names.  


So, here she is,  Miss Pink.....

More Answers

Time for more fun facts and answers to your burning questions....

Q.   How often do you clean the box.

A.   Just one time per day.

Q. What do you do with the puppies while you clean?

A.

  

Q.  How do you know if the puppies are eating enough? 

A.  The Fill-o-Meter.  When the tails are up, the puppy is hungry when the tail falls - all full! 

Q.  Is Rosie a happy Mom?  

A.  What do you think?  

Q.  How is Little Miss Yellow?

A.  Holding on, gaining weight, not out of the woods, but we are optimistic  Thanks, everyone, for the thoughts and prayers!  

Q.  Who won the puppy pool?

A.  The Millwood Family from right here in EGR.  Thanks to everyone that contributed to PAWS and had fun guessing.  

Pictures

I just LOVE the tiny feet.   Here is our Little Miss Yellow

Isn't she a sweetie!  

Momma's Love

When my children were babies, I firmly believed that I was in charge of the tone of the day.  Actually, I still believe this, most of the time.   If I was in a happy, rested mood, we would have a calm easy day, free from tantrums but, when I was stressed the children would pick up on it and things would only go from bad to worse.  I think I may have had the same effect on Rosie yesterday or maybe Rosie was having that effect on her babies.

Little Miss Yellow has been giving us reason to worry.  Though not the smallest at birth, she is not gaining weight like her siblings and seems to be struggling to nurse.  Along with my increasing worry for miss Yellow, Rosie started to be, well,  antsy.   She did not want to stay in the whelping box, would not lay down to nurse and she even found a place to hide from us, under a table behind some pillows so only her nose was visible.  Seems strange behavior from the afore mentioned Rockstar.

Aimee (from PAWS and another Rockstar) came and assessed.  We have started tube feeding little Yellow in hopes that she will gain some weight and begin to thrive.  Once the baby was calm and quiet, Rosie went back to her normal behavior.  Was it my, or was it Rosie's, stress over Miss Yellow?  I don't know, but one thing is for sure, moms worry about their babies,  the four pawed and the two footed kind.  

If you are the praying type, say a little one for our Miss Yellow, she is not out of the woods yet.

Puppy Love!