Spotted Puddles

Last night was Meri's school program. She did great! The band played the Mickey Mouse Club as well as many others and then sang a few songs with the vocal part of the concert. It amazes me how these very kids went from barely being able to make their instruments squeak last October to actually playing a cohesive song together now. Wow. Our band teacher is good.
When we got home, I went to put the dogs out. Duke & Sorsha went out quickly but I was wondering if it was going to take another piece of bread to get Ellie out of her little caged area in the garage. Since she was due to have puppies soon, she was in her nesting mode. Not letting any of the other dogs near HER space.

Kind of possessive, huh?

I called for Meri to help me with Ellie's kennel door as we didn't want her in the kennel out there because we didn't want the puppies born in the kennel next week. How would we be able to help? Anyway, she was sitting there looking all sheepish and the blanket she was on was wet. I thought maybe she'd had an accident or threw up, so I climbed over the gate and sat down for her to come over to me. She did a little bit but was acting really funny.

Meri came right away and noticed that something had just plopped out of Ellie.

Oh boy!

She was having her puppies right here and now!

Needless to say, it was hard to drag Meri back into the kitchen to eat after that. Ellie had 3 puppies in the next hour, 6 by 11pm. By that time, Meri and I were exhausted and ready for bed. Maddy had been out there for a little while but had gone to bed. Tiffany was there most of the time but couldn't look as each one was born.

Meri & I went to bed and we thought Tiffany had too. But this morning I got a text from Meri at 5:15am that said "7". Cool! That means Ellie had had that last puppy on her own, I thought. Also saw that the blankets and towels had been arranged nicely under and around Ellie, so Tiffany must have gone back out with her late. Later we found a note on the dining room table telling us what we missed when we went to bed.

I came out to the garage and sat with Meri while she cooed over the precious things and counted them for myself because I couldn't believe this first batch of puppies was so big. And how Ellie had gotten into her original figure so quick.
Darn dogs! It took me 19 years and I'm still not back to my pre-pregnancy weight...

So I counted the puppies and counted 8. I counted again.

8 spotted puddles! Or rather 8 golden puppies!

Yep. 8 puppies!

Jeepers!