Cuddle Camp: Sick Day

I just started a second round of antibiotics after finishing the first this past Monday. I am definitely feeling the strain of having had a few doses of antibiotics in my life thanks to many, many sinus infections.

Both the boys were shipped off to day care today, thank goodness. As for me, it's Cuddle Camp. The puppies are making sure I stay warm in my weakened state. ;)

Rukia in front, Winston looking at you and Rambo doubling as Kia's pillow.

Love my puppies!!

(They are only dogs when they're in trouble)

WWBH Prompt + A Sad Update

I missed last week, I know, but it was for a very good and sad reason. Chiaotzu, my nine year old boxer pup (they're always puppies) died last Tuesday. We got the phone call just before midnight Wednesday morning. He had some sort of allergic reaction that caused his breathing to suffer greatly and his temperature to rise dangerously. Though he appeared to be recovering from the allergy attack at the vet, he ended up going into cardiac arrest and the vet couldn't revive him. Sunday we picked up his ashes and paw print. It's been a tough week - that boy was my baby before my human babies came along. I'm doing better than I thought I would with his loss. It's a blessing to have my boys and the joy they bring.

I wasn't going to miss this week, though, not with a winner to choose! But first we will revisit the submissions from last week's prompt.

Cap't Monkey And Tooele Boy And The Impressive Building by Scott Taylor

Regrets by Sally Stackhouse

Christopher Shawbell

is our lucky winner this month! Stop by next week and we'll have his button proudly displayed for the following month. If you would like to win, make sure you link up your prompt inspired flash fiction over the next few weeks and the next name randomly chosen could be yours.

And lucky you, there's a prompt right here to get you started! A reminder of the rules:

1) Use the photo and the 5 words provided in your story
2) Keep your word count 500 words or less.
3) You have until next Tuesday to link up your post.
4) Link up with your blog hostess (Nicole, Carrie, Tena or Leanne) when you’re done via the inLinkz linky below.
5) Have fun, don’t stress, let those creative juices flow.

The Photo by Kristoffer Sorensen:

The Words:

passport

sunrise

carousel

travel

school

The Puppies are Growing Up and Out

The pups are 8 weeks on Tuesday, which means they will start going home. Honestly, watching the owners get their brand new babies is one of the most exciting parts of breeding - watching them pick their babies being another. Between Tuesday and Friday, all we'll have left is our own pup, Winston - and even he will be going to a temporary home, since we're going on vacation!!! A real vacation, too, so I'm sooo excited!!

Unfortunately, we lost the runt last weekend. He was so little and he wasn't growing, though we didn't know why. Then he had an accident and just never recovered. I'm relieved he isn't hurting any more, but so very sad he never got a chance to find a forever home. I guess, though, it had been with us, which is a blessing for us, as well.

Thankfully, I have the seven healthy pups to focus on - including Winston, the first of all my pups I get to keep, along with my two very happy boys and the baby girl we'll get to meet in just a few months. :)

Here's the link again for more photos. This may be the last time I get a chance to post individual ones on Chasing Revery. :)

https://plus.google.com/photos/100534894613722091866/albums/5874932333853039937

Yogi Bear

Winston (Mine!!!)

Laila

Lilly

Baxter

Eve

Jada

Puppy Update!! :D

I haven't written about the babies in a while. I have a lot of links to share with you to keep the load time small here, but I can share some info, too. :-)

The pups turned 5 weeks old this last Tuesday (May 14th) and they are the reason my blogging has become inconsistent again. They are just so much fun to hang out with. On warm days we go out to the backyard with all 8 pups and my 3 adult dogs and just play for at least an hour - more if it's not too cold or hot. (It's SE Michigan - snow one day, sunburn the next.)

For those of you who prefer not to link-hop, here's one of my favorite pics of the pups. Under it, you'll find the links to more photos and a couple videos.

So, for pictures, my G+ album:

https://plus.google.com/photos/100534894613722091866/albums/5874932333853039937


And, videos:

http://youtu.be/45PtOQJep2E

http://youtu.be/wxIpiXFfyTA

A to Z: R

Rambo

Rambo is the youngest of our pups at 2 years old. I have this ... addiction to dogs. It's kind of a bit more troublesome than an addiction to cats because, well, the dogs I love average about 55 lbs each.

It came time I was wanting a new dog. I had to convince my husband it was a good idea. I may have twisted a few hypothetical comments he made about wanting a small dog into a statement about getting a dog if it was a small one. And cheap. So I found both. :)

To get Rambo we had to drive nearly two hours. This is nothing. Many of my puppy owners live about two hours away. Some, a full day's drive. The difference being, I'm not too far off the highway, as middle of nowhere as I live. Where we went to get Rambo was beyond even that, a farm surrounded by more fields and horse corrals.

There were bikes everywhere. Bikes hanging foundation to roof on the big red barn. More bikes lining the split rail fence. The dogs were brought out because the bulldog inside wasn't people friendly. They were incredibly cute, these tiny little pups. I wanted the runt. Kris chose the only liver-colored pup out of the black and whites because he was the only one to interact with our son.

So now, we have a terrier mutt who shouldn't get more than 15 lbs due to his Boston Terrier and Chihuahua parentage. He's 25 lbs now. He barks. He jumps. He is nothing I was prepared for growing up with a lab-chow mix and then boxers. I still don't really know what to do with him, but he is a fantastic, loving dog who listens 80% of the time - which is whenever he can hear me over his own barking.

In short, he kind of fits in perfectly. :-)

A to Z: P

Puppies!

The babies are a week old now and they're eyes are starting to open. I tried to get some individual photos, but Mama Rukia kept putting her head in the way.

We saw the vet last Friday and he said both Mama and the pups looked great. He always loves my boxers and seemed a bit reluctant to hear me say this would be my last litter with them, but it really is time.

The little guy is fine. The runt is starting to hold his own and soon we'll have running, yapping puppies rolling around in their box and playing. For now, we get to enjoy the cuteness of how little they are. :-)

A to Z: L

Life is amazing.

On Wednesday I posted about my new litter of puppies born on the 9th. Rukia had been in labor for a long time. Her first puppy came just before noon. Her second an hour later. Her third, two and a half hours later. It wasn't until shortly before 8 pm she had her seventh. After that, she calmed down, settled in to take care of her pups and started letting us help take care of her.

Kris and I went to bed at midnight, satisfied all was finished.

In the morning, Kris checked on them, then woke me up to say two more had been born, and only one had made it.

Puppies should come no further than 3 hours apart, or they chance asphyxiation. We are pretty sure that's what happened to the one who didn't make it. The second was weak, not moving well and not making a sound or attempting to nurse.

I wasn't sure he was going to stay with us. I did know that I couldn't help the one while I was sleeping. I wasn't going to give up on the other while I was awake. And what a miracle. I fed him puppy formula four times, an hour apart each time. Finally, he was moving more, his body temperature had risen and stabilized. He still wasn't nursing, but that was an easy fix. He had begun to associate my smell with eating rather than his Mommy's. So, tricking him with my fingers, I finally got him to latch.

He's the middle puppy at his first latch on April 10.

He has been nursing ever since. He's moving and squeaking and cuddling under his mommy's chin whenever he gets the chance. He's an amazing little boy and I am so very happy I helped him get strong enough to go on his own.

He is on his back, white belly up, nursing without  help on April 11 and ever since.

We went to the vet yesterday and he is impressed with the whole litter, loving how healthy they are. I drove home with a huge smile on my face.

A to Z: I - Post One

I have puppies!

This is a two post day because - well, I have puppies!

We also have an anniversary post that will come a bit later in the day and is almost as important as puppies and definitely worth checking out because there is a prize attached.

The prize attached to this post is cuteness. :)

Kia didn't want me taking photos at first, so I had to wait until the very end. We ended up with 7 beautiful, healthy puppies. I haven't lost one yet, not in this litter or any other. We are very lucky to have such healthy dogs who turn in to amazing pets.

Update: Rukia had two more puppies last night, hours after the 7th. Most likely due to the long whelping time, one of them was lost, my first one in 5 litters. From what I've seen this morning, the other one is weak and uninterested in nursing. He could be full and tired. I won't know for until a little later. I'll update as I find out.

Rukia hiding the very first puppy from the dangerous camera phone.

All seven puppies, alive and healthy.

And then, bonus: A 38 second video crammed full of Cute!