Baby Gators...
You all know that Looney, our lady standard poodle, was preggers with (obviously) baby standard poodles. (Duh.)
On Friday, January 15, between 11:11 am and 2:44 pm, those puppies FINALLY came. And they came FAST... she was popping them out like an Easy Bake oven. She had them on my bed (of course), had 9 babies, (6 females and 3 males), and did very well. I had folded an old (and thick) comforter and used about 20 towels, so my bed was left totally unharmed.
I did very well, also. I was very proud of myself. I played the part of mid-wife very well. I broke sacs, mopped up amniotic fluid, clipped cords, and didn't start getting nauseous until the 7th puppy. But, by then, Looney was gagging, so I felt like I was in good company. When puppies showed signs of congestion, I did what was necessary, and all were delivered live and healthy. We lost the runt, but, in my opinion, she wasn't "done" yet, so I felt she was not going to make it regardless.
Puppies are 3 weeks old this Friday. I swear I am not doing this again for at least another year.
Life, as we know it, has been altered forever.
8 day old puppies were BARKING at me.
BARKING.
They do not let us sleep. First, it was mommy laying on them, and us saving them from sure squashing. Now, it's because they "explore', and they get lost. We have to rescue them. At 2, 3, and 4 in the morning.
I'm going to work, and before I get my shoes on, I feel puppies gnawing on my toes.
We find puppies in the food bowl. No teeth yet. Just IN the food bowl.
The extra-large water bowl has been turned into a swimming pool.
Puppies are discovering what our BED is. They actually stand on their hind legs, and try to jump up on it. Now we sleep with puppies. Lots of 'em...
Our life is not our own. We are dictated to by eight little bodies. Demanding little beings, barking, growling, yapping little creatures that are growing by leaps and bounds. They invade our sleep, our daily routine, and our hearts.
I am loving every moment of it.