Tuesday was Election Day, but Pip waited until Wednesday

Pip had her puppies yesterday, Nov. 6, 2013, her first litter.  She drove me nuts waiting for the birth.  She acted as if she were not pregnant during the entire time, jumping in and out of the car to the end, up and off of my high bed, clear to the end, in front of the door to be let back in, etc.  I was horridly afraid of her tearing placentas off uterine walls.  I gained even more grey hairs during this wait!  I don't think she intentionally was trying to drive me crazy, but she did a pretty good job of it!  (I didn't have far to go, so that does make a difference.) 

Anyway, Terrie sent this to me because we had talked about Election names....  Elwha's A Chicken In Every Pot, Vote for Elwha, etc.  Just fun, make me smile stuff.  Check this out, what Terrie sent yesterday after the babies were born!

Anyway, I have to brag on Pip.  She acted on Tuesday evening at Nosework class as if she were not even pregnant and worked like my usual dynamite girl.  Wednesday morning her temp was down so I figured it was THE day.  She started into labor gently by maybe 10:00 AM and at 12:33 had the first baby, a girl.  Then she had a couple of boys, then another girl and finally the last boy.  He weighed the most, 8 1/8 oz.  The others all weighed 7+ oz, but right around 7 oz.  Quite a healthy litter and I could NOT tell that she had five puppies in there!  I guess that she packed them in tightly and that is probably what saved them from having the placentas separate when she was doing her Olympic jumping, too tight to move, as Nikki pointed out!

She was helped along in her marathon puppy delivery by a 14 oz carton of Haagen Daas Vanilla Ice Cream.  She ate the entire thing and had all of those puppies DURING THE LUNCH PERIOD.  She didn't interrupt one patient visit!!!!!!!  How's that for a champ?!!!!!  She is turning into a perfect mom too after seeming a tad confused when the kids started coming out!  "Hey Mom, what IS this?!!!!!!!!," she seemed to be projecting from her cute face.

We DID get some sleep last night.  Up and down when the squeakers squeaked to plug them back onto the nipples, but they did pretty darn well.  Pip did extremely well and has been eating all the way along.  Today she isn't touching kibble, but is eating training treats and steak.  (Who wouldn't?!!)

OK.  I know I'll get hung from the rafters if I don't put some pictures on.  Hold on while I go take some.

Taken yesterday as soon as they were all out!

Today.  Mom secure in her little cave/den.  Dark in there.  The other pictures were not worth trying to put up.  Shows that Pip is taking it in stride and that the babies are looking healthy.

Time for the Old Curmudgeon to get back to work!
Until next time!
c