3 Weeks Today

First off I need to apologize for not posting for a couple of days.  I have had to try and go back to work part time and just starting to get a schedule worked out that works for me, my office and the puppies.  I think I have it pretty well worked out, but I may not be able to post as often as I was at first.  What seems to be working is getting up at the crack of dawn, Thank you Frodo:) Feeding the dogs, Ivie won't feed the puppies until after she has had her breakfast, smart girl.  Then letting Ivie feed the puppies as long as she will.  This is normally not a huge amount of time because I have 3 or 4 boys that can suck her dry in about 5 minutes.  After the puppies have eaten from Ivie, then I make up Bottles and supplement them.  Right now they are taking about 4 ounces of goats milk supplement and I think a couple of them would like more.  Then I get ready myself for work, do up the dog dishes, make sure everyone has fresh water, the tomato plants are watered.  Do the picture of the day, Drink massive amounts of coffee and make myself some breakfast.  By then It is time to weigh puppies.

I have outsmarted the puppies in that category.  If you remember, I mentioned that they did not like the box and it was starting to get crazy.  They would try and climb out, it would slide off the scale, didn't like it at all. Did some research online and found a great puppy scale that you held with your hand and it had a sling to put the puppy in.  They wanted $59.99 plus $20 for overnight shipping.....I don't think so.  I went to Swains (this is an institution on the Olympic Peninsula and their slogan is they have everything and they pretty much do.)  I bought a fish scale, then I attached my Costco grocery bag to it, put the puppy in the bag and Wha LA I have outsmarted the puppies and it only cost me $8.99.  After weighing the puppies then it is time to clean out The whelping box and do some more laundry.  Doing lots and lots of laundry these days and I should have taken out stock in Clorox Bleach.  By then my dad shows up for his turn at puppy duty.  He works on some projects around the house and is able to let Ivie in and make sure she doesn't squish someone in the process of feeding them during feeding times and I go to work.  I leave work about 4pm, come home and clean out the whelping box, feed the puppies, then feed the dogs and myself if I am lucky.  Do whatever needs to be done and try and keep my eyes open until after Ivie has fed the puppies around 10 or 11pm.  Then I supplement again and crawl into bed.  If I am lucky she doesn't offer them a mid morning snack and I can sleep until Frodo sounds the alarm at 5:39am.  Don't ask me what happens that he wakes me at 5:39 every morning, if I knew I would put a stop to it.

So know you know why I am not posting very much.  Now onto the important stuff....the Puppies.  Today they had their first taste of Gruel.  Goats milk mixed with Gerber Baby food turkey and rice.  It was a sight to see.  A couple of them figured it out right away and well then there was white boy.  I think he thought if he planted himself over the top of the bowl somehow magically he could absorb it through his skin and keep everyone else away in the process.  Pink, Green, Blue and Teal had it figured out right away and were lapping it up, it will be interesting to see if tomorrow the rest catch on.  Afterwards they were a mess, Ivie just looked at me like really you made the mess you clean it up.  Brandy offered her talents but Ivie didn't like that so Brandy sat on the sidelines and licked her chops.  I actually ended up putting them all back in the whelping box and the puppies did a pretty good job of cleaning themselves.  I somehow think that as I am feeding them this evening, I will be wiping them all down with clean wash cloths.

Four of the boys now weigh in over 5 pounds and the rest are at 4 pounds and catching up, even little purple girl.  Their coats are starting to get fluffy and as I was allowing them to suckle my finger trying to take pictures tonight, I am noticing little nubins of teeth coming in.  They are also all starting to hear and when you tap on the whelping box they look in the direction of the sound and where it is coming from.  The next week should be lots of fun and I will try and post more often, I promise.