Company's Coming

We've had a busy two days with families coming to visit. Pekoe is glad for the company and has been very welcoming. I've had fun taking pictures and using Hallmark SmileBox to create photo scrapbooks. Enjoy!

Another Restless Night

Not sure if Pekoe was upset about death of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett or Michael Suave, but she sure was up all night last night. Guess that means I'm spending another night in here with her tonight. Pups are all growing and gaining weight quickly. Here is the black spotted girl, now weighing in ag 15.3 having started the week at 11.2 oz.

The three that were wearing ribbons to distinguish them have outgrown them and I'm going to hold off on replacement until the spots start to come in so we can tell them apart. The two liver boys are very different in size and so are easy to distinguish. The liver girls all look very much alike. All I need now is to find a show where they still offer Team Competition! (or enter two braces!)

A Full Night's Sleep!

Although there was some redecorating late last night, it was done quietly and we all slept through the night. Dewclaw removal yesterday was uneventful, with most of the pups having stopped crying before they even got back to the whelping box. For fun, I used one of the spotted pads, so now you can play "Where's Waldo?" Fortunately, I found him!

After a lot of thought about names, I think that this is going to be a tea themed litter. With Mom being Pekoe and dad's registered name having an English flair, it seems to fit. My friend Kathy, has complied a spreadsheet of more than 60 different tea brands, types and related ideas (those of you that know Kathy Clark Starkweather, will see the humor of this!). There are some really clever possibilities like W. Darling Darjeeling and W. Dolce Chai Latte (thanks Ronni Coppola!). The entire list is posted on the Woodwynd website at www.woodwynd.com/teanames.html

Today, I received the most lovely surprise! After what we thought was someone turning around in the driveway, I noticed something on the front doorstep with balloons attached. To my delight it was the lovely flowers/balloons seen here with the most charming note. I hope that these words are prophetic and give a HUGE THANK YOU to the Platt family for such a nice surprise!

Squeek and Chirp

The pups were are very vocal. One of the liver boys is even quite loud while he is eating. We had another evening of middle of the night whelping box redecorating. How is it that a girl who lays calmly and quietly all day with her kids feels the need to be so restless overnight and then calm again in the AM? Is it the sunlight? Is it that *I'm* up (she sure did her best to get me up last night). I'd hoped to go back to my own bed tonight but think I'd better spend at least one more night here in the guest room with her.

Dew claws will be removed today. "Aunt Betty" came yesterday but, realized that she'd forgotten the hemostat and scissors. After getting a run-around from Walgreens and The Medicine Shoppe over who carried the, she went home and will return today. I know that some people have stopped removing dew claws, but having one dog with them and the others without, it is much easier to avoid injury to the dew claw by simply removing it when they pups are too young to really realize what is happening. (not to mention two less toenails to trim every week).

Happy Hour at the Milk Bar

A New Day Dawns

Pekoe is a great mom! BUT she's apparently using her free time to redecorate the whelping box. Middle of the night (OK it's already hotter than Hades in this room and hard to sleep), she decides that the dog bed must go and starts digging around to shove it over to one side.

Well that's fine, BUT the pups have a harder time getting traction on the newspaper and then they get lost in the folds of the wadded up bed. She doesn't care. So I ended up folding it in half so she could lie on the paper and they could walk on the fur. This morning she decides that it's a pillow for her rather than a bed for them and I got the attached photo of her in her new "hat." Enjoy! More puppy photos on my website

Mug Shots

Here we are in birth order.

The Party's Over

Well, after the addition of the late arriving liver duo, (one additional liver boy and girl born around 10:30 - a good three hours after the others) I think we're finally done. Around 1:30, Pekoe finally went outside and took care of a little personal business. While she was out, we got the box cleaned up and added a bed. Please note that the box is Winner's purple and the bed is Qualifying green!

She's been busy

Two more pups have arrived - a black/white girl and a liver/white boy. It's been almost 2 hours since the last pup, but I still think there might be one more. We'll call Dr. Jan in a while for advice.

And yet another

5:07 - another liver girl! She's producing almost everything that was "ordered", but we're waiting for Jeanine's b/w girl and Larry's liver/white boy now. Resting now with occasional contractions. I'm falling asleep sitting up by the whelping box with my hand in on her belly. Why don't my girls do this during the day?

And they keep coming

Another boy (b/w) at 4:22 followed by another (l/w?) and white girl at 4:32. Good girl Pekoe! Colors will be easier to tell later when they're completely dry.

They're Here!

Three days early and of course starting at 3:30 AM. First pup presented sac for a lot longer than I was comfortable with before finally arriving (after frantically awakening husband and calling ER vet to prep for C Section). He's a b/w left ear patch boy. Second pup arrived uneventfully 40 min later - l/w (I think) girl.

Pekoe is resting and pups are feeding well. Me, up for the duration and waiting in an warm, warm room. Feels like outside (83 degrees at 4AM!)

Almost There!

Today is day 59, but Pekoe has begun acting like she's ready to have her pups. She pottied in the house last night - something she NEVER does and has thrown up several times today (including once on my bare feet!) I've been painting the whelping box this weekend and so put it back together and set up the whelping room. In addition to the whelping box, she's got a great big 500 size crate (thanks, Aunt Lesley) to snuggle up in until "the blessed event." I'm really not expecting pups until Wednesday or so, but with the way she's acting, it could be anytime between now and then.

Meanwhile, in celebration of the upcoming event, William went Best of Breed from the Open Liver class over 4 specials to build his second major (a 4 pointer). I'd hoped to finish his CH before the pups arrived, but we'll have to try again in 3 weeks in West Palm Beach.