There's not much to chat about this morning other than the fact that the radio went off entirely too early. Surely it's not much past 3:00 in the morning!
The buns are fine. Duncan is adamant that he is not ready to be weaned yet but the girls are pretty much over that. Could it be a guy thing?
Sits are coming along nicely though it'll definitely be easier once there's just Duncan to work with. I am still trying to give equal time to all the pups that are here but that shorts the one that will be my dog. I can't believe he is nine weeks old and not really very far on house training yet. Bunny was nearly house trained when I got her at eight weeks and Kathy was trying to recover from a serious injury at the time.
Guess I will have to see if I can change the title of this blog site to "Life with Bunny & Duncan".

Ah, a cool and relatively quiet afternoon. The three buns are napping off a particularly boisterous play session and Bob and I are taking advantage of it to get some mowing done. Well, okay, I am taking a break at the moment; haven't quite figured out how to get the computer to stay put on the mower yet. The three musketeers have had a blast playing in their pool this afternoon, despite the coolness in the air.

Once again, yesterday's posting in lost in cyberspace I guess. By now, Kenny, Christina and Rivet are in their forever homes as are Natty, Elle and Lennon (and Duncan too for that matter). I don't know how Kathy and Wendy have survived 32 hours of driving over the last few days but my 9 hours today have left me exhausted but oh so proud of the buns. Duncan figured out that if he stuck his nose straight up in the air and howled, I would pull the car over and take him out of it to pee and pee he did! I about peed myself laughing at the sight of his wee little nose pointing straight up and hearing that mournful howl. Neither he nor Alice was the least bit concerned about the traffic roaring by not feet from us while they relieved themselves.

Well, Rivet, Kenny, Munroe and Christina are leaving today for their forever homes up north. The five left here don't seem to notice their sibs are gone but then, I believe they know what is happening and accept it for what it is. They each know they are loved and will be loved by special people all their lives. I am looking forward to some one on one time with my own little boy, Duncan. I am also looking forward to NOT cleaning up after puppies over and over and over again! :) I knew it came with the package but I am ready to move on.
Stairs up have become no problem for the gang. The stairs back down however are another story. The short flight of 8 steps off the deck doesn't seem to bother them but the 14 to get back down to the basement is daunting to say the least. My first walker, Carabean (green collar girl) is braver about it then the rest but she'll only get halfway before she begins to lose her nerve.
Duncan, Natty, Lennon, Alice and Carabean are going to work with me today. I have somewhere I have to be at lunch time and won't be able to come home to take care of them. Plus, I believe it is my Thursday to stay late at work so there's no answer other than to bring them with me. I think my coworkers will understand.

The wrestle mania and mad dog races are too funny. They are having so much fun, there's no way a depressed person wouldn't at least chuckle a little and feel a bit brighter. I have given temporary names to the four whose names I don't know yet. The yellow collared girl is Christina Columbus because she likes to explore. The little green collared girl is Carabean (from the movie of the Last of the Mohicans, a take off on the name Long Rifle, in french). And the little pink collared girl is Alice (because she is a bit shy, like the younger sister in the same movie). And last but not least is the white collared male whom I dubbed Munroe (from the same movie and because it just seemed to suit him, he likes it). So now, I try and call each one by a real name instead of their collar color.

Sorry for the delay in posting anything today. All is well, just incredibly hectic. I have developed an incredible respect for kindergarten teachers who are attempting to get their classroom full of children ready for a field trip and graduation to first grade! The paperwork involved with all of this seems like reams and reams but I suppose if one did it regularly, it wouldn't seem so confusing and overwhelming. I am excited for all of you getting a puppy within the next four days.

I am so proud of our little buns today. They spent their first morning confined to crates and there was only one little wet accident! Considering the number of bladders (and bowels) we are talking about here, that is no small feat! The afternoon they spent back in the puppy box simply because if they had been crated again, they would have been unbearably full of themselves tonight. We may try that tomorrow, we'll see.

This week will see the buns in crates during their nap times. They will go in three and four to a crate today and then I will decrease them to two in a crate by the end of the week.
They got their nails trimmed again this morning; quite a challenge when four of them threw temper tantrums over the task. They've had it done once every week or so since they were a week old but now they're checking out their limits. The pup I am keeping, Duncan, threw such a tantrum that he peed on me! The other three were not nearly so bad. But, struggle and fuss all they wanted, I won and got the job done and no one had the nail taken off at the elbow. :)
We go to the animal hospital at 11:30 for first vaccinations today. They will also be microchipped. They will probably take an extra long nap this afternoon and I may take advantage of that and take one myself!

Whirlwind morning for sure! Buns are all fed and cleaned up and are ripping and snorting downstairs. I found a minute to weigh them last night and they range from 14' 12 oz to 11' 4 oz. Rivit weighed 13' 12 oz; Nattie weighed 13' 4 oz; Duncan 13'.

Well, the red collar female is the pick of Papa Hawkeye's people so she will be our Charlotte, North Carolina contingent. Maybe if we can get Bunny ready for the Open Division in Obedience by the February Lab Specialty in Charlotte, we can visit her at the show! It will so cool so see how all the buns shape up in their adult lives.

The testing went well yesterday evening though we ran out of light before we could properly finish up. Kathy is going to run the last few through a couple more things today.

Miss Red got out again yesterday so I have rerigged the expen to hopefully prevent that. Miss Red is definitely taking after her grandmother!

I used the ex-;en to give the buns a bit more room to romp and, hopefully, cut off the escape rout that Miss Red has begun to use. It seems I just gave them more area to poop in though. :( They are peeing well outside and try to hit the newspaper when they're inside. Miss Pinkie is the best at the rocket booster run (you know, when the tail seems to push the dog into a fast start run) and she loves to do hit and runs on Bunny. Mr Big (the bigger yellow) is wanting to get every last drop from Bunny; he's always the first and last at the milk bar. Bunny isn't nursing them much anymore, she's too busy. Well, time for their morning nap in the pen/box. I have to finish getting ready for work.

Well, Duncan and four of his sisters made it up the basement stairs finding Bunny and myself working here in the office. I was shocked to say the least. I had been keeping an ear on the basement activities and when it got very quiet, I assumed everyone had crashed for a power nap. Imagine my surprise when first Miss Red, then Miss Green, then Duncan, then Lennon, then Miss Pinkie trotted into the office to say, "hello, whatcha doin'?" The ex-pen may be going up in the basement tomorrow! Right now, they're all confined on the side deck ecstatically gnawing on the bones Kathy treated them too yesterday.

Not long now, folks. Just under two weeks and everyone will have their bun in their own home, entertaining, exasperating, loving and squirming their way into your hearts.

Whirlwind morning trying to get 10 seven week old puppies fed, changed and allowed time for playing. Their play is so much more sophisticated now than it was just 10 days ago. They are ambushing each other, racing around the top of the pig rail, pouncing off any level they can climb up on. Only one has been brave enough to attempt the stairs from the basement (or had any interest in) and he has only made it to the sixth step before losing heart. I wish I had more hours in the day to devote to them.

No, I did not vanish off the face of the earth; just went out of town for two days and then had to deal with catching up most of today. Tonya was wonderful to come and serve as puppy nanny for me while I was gone.

Weights range from 9' 4oz to 11' 13 oz now. They love sliding down the slide in the little pool to splash around and get a drink. The plug is shot on it so I can't put more than a few inches of water in at a time but they don't mind. I have them outside in the ex pens while we are mowing. Well, no I am not mowing this very instant, I am taking a break. It got kinda hot on us again.

I wish everyone could see what I get to see every day. :) What we need is a film crew with multiple cameras that could get all the action, all the time.

The smaller yellow male came up four of the basement steps last night, following us. He seemed to get stuck there though and wouldn't go up or down, he just sat there. No one else attempted it. They have been water bowl diving this morning.

The puppies got to spend most of their day outside the box yesterday since I was home. They seemed to enjoy that immensely. I gave out some little rawhide squares yesterday and monitered their activity with them. They didn't take two seconds to figure out what to do with them! They really enjoyed their chews! They are climbing and sliding all over the pool Kathy & Donald brought over last Sunday and they love the bouja board. Nothing seems to faze any of them!

Well, I have spent the past three hours doing puppy stuff. I have organized things so that Tonya will have everything laid out for her to take care of the babies Saturday and Sunday.
Weigh ins this morning has them ranging from 7' 7 0z to 10' on the nose.

All is well in the puppy palace. They didn't want to go back into the box but have settled down nicely. The orange collar fellow had me rolling in the floor as he pestered his siblings unmercifully this morning. When one would get fed up, he would romp on to the next. He certainly loves life.

All is well; I just missed yesterday due to business.
The puppies woke up at 12:30 yesterday morning after sleeping like logs after their busy, busy day Saturday. I got them up (out of the box) and let them have a snack, and then play for about an hour before putting them back to bed. They objected for maybe 60 seconds and then settled back down to sleep. Yesterday, they had lots of outside time in which they romped and played and wrestled. Kathy advised me that it was probably time to add a fourth meal, one at bedtime, so I did. They were back on schedule last night, sleeping all the way through. They are cleaning up every morsel I give them in short order. We have two plastic balls that you can put kibble inside of and let them figure out how to get to it. I keep them loaded for whoever wants a snack.
It is now so hard to leave them to do work; much harder than it was in the beginning because now they are so busy and they are such individuals. Someone is always doing something to make me laugh. And the pup we have selected comes to me for regular hugs and kisses.

Today has been full of firsts for the buns! They had their very first car ride, their first meeting of other dogs (an uncle and a great aunt) and their first swim. Their uncle and great aunt have an in ground pool and they invited us all for a swim. One by one, the buns got their first swimming lesson and every single one of them took to it like a pro. Several of them kept wanting back in again but we made sure there was no more in the water at a time than the six humans could safely monitor those in the water and those on the edge. They ate their lunch after their swim and then proceeded to crash. Since we could see a storm heading out way, we loaded up and headed for home instead of letting them have a second go after they napped. The ride home was as quiet as the ride there was noisy; every last puppy crashed into a sound sleep. They jogged from the car to the back door once we got home and then crashed again and are still asleep two hours later. I imagine they're going to wake up ravenous. I don't know who had more fun, the buns or their attendants. Bunny had a glorious time herself fetching a bumper out of the water over and over and over. I swear I could hear her saying, "oh, adult company again, yay!"

Whew! The buns were full of energy last night! They didn't have as much outlet for all their youthful energy and enthusiasm yesterday that they usually have and it showed. They weren't bad, just very active! I rescued the water bowl over and over along with numerous other things. The floor is littered with toys, probably 2-3 per puppy, but you know how kids are; they want what they can't have.

The buns are so fascinating to watch! I could spend hours just sitting with them, watching them play and sleep even. They're going to be in for a shock today though. No one will be around to play with them or take them out of the puppy box until lunchtime and then, not again, until this evening. Oh well, life can be tough sometimes. They will survive even if they don't like it. I don't dare leave them outside unattended through the day due to the heat and to the presence of bears. We had breakfast on the patio this morning with a bit of uneasiness on my part as it was not quite light yet. Nothing bothered them though.

I know I said I was going to go to once a week weigh ins but I couldn't stand it. Maybe twice a week weigh ins will work for me. :) Anyway, we now range in weights from 5' 8 oz to 7' 10 oz. They are growing in leaps and bounds and changing in every way. Some are thinkers, some are doers but all are busy, busy, busy. One doesn't think much of cuddling but the rest will curl up and sleep right next to you. They are all very accepting of anything I do with them from trimming nails to being upside down to doing slo mo flips. Four of them were excited about the wading pool last night and the other six said, "whatever". I wish I could film every thing I see when I am watching them. They are all going to be great at whatever occupation they are given for their life's work.

Last night, the buns had a poop party and five of them ended up needing a bath this morning so that was the reason for there not being a post this morning. No time! We now have chicken in the diet and they love it. Course, being labs, there's not much they would be likely to turn their noses up at. Tomorrow evening, I start mixing some puppy kibble in their diet and by this time next week, they should be on real puppy food for every meal. That will go a long way towards simplifying meal time around here.

This has been a very, very full weekend for all of us. The buns had six visitors on Saturday and then, yesterday, they had five visitors. They were all excited to see new faces and wiggled and cavorted with lots of enthusiasm. Lots of pictures were taken and hopefully, some will make it my way so I can forward them along
Now that they are five weeks old, I think I will go to once a week weigh ins. They don't fit in the basket I have rigged on the baby scales much anymore and the figure keeping is time consuming. It will be exciting to see the weight gain in a week's time though.

We now have four buns that weigh in at 6 pounds or better and one last hold out in the 4 pound range. They are all turning into little wiggle butts too whenever they see someone. They're just too cute and though they keep changing on a day by day basis, their cuteness never lessens. They thoroughly enjoyed their company yesterday, including my daughter and her son, Aidan. Aidan is 21 months old now and he did a great job of introducing the buns to children; he was very good with them and they loved him.

The average weight today is 5' 4 oz. We have two that hit 6 pounds today and two that are still working their way, slowly but surely, towards the 5 pound mark. The range is from 4' 10 oz to 6' 4 oz. Kathy added greens (kale?) to their food yesterday and they seem to like that just fine. They are cleaning up every bite three times a day. Next, we add chicken.

They're so funny when they go to running on the linoleum floor and try to turn. I can just hear the music and lyrics to "Wipeout". It's hilarious.

Only three left to hit the five pound mark. It is simply amazing how quickly they are changing. From one day to the next, their play is more coordinated and intense and smart. I love watching this unfold; it's rather like watching someone open a gift that has been craftily (and diabolically) wrapped to gradually reveal the hidden treasure inside.

They definitely do not like being in the puppy box these days; they'd much rather have the run of the den/hallway/laundry room. They are taken out of the box as much as we can manage so they can run and play all they want. I leave the TV on for them all day when we're both at work and I have seen several of them stop and look up at the TV as though they are interested in what is on. I put it on the Hallmark channel so they have wholesome television as their background noise. :) I tried the Disney channel yesterday morning but when I came home at lunch time, I found some really stupid and demeaning sitcom on and changed it right away. Don't want to dummy our little buns down! Animal Planet wasn't good either as there was too much dry talk and too little action.

The buns got to meet Jill last night but she didn't get to see much. They ate their dinner, played just a little and then, one by one, fell sound asleep. I think she will get to see much more of their personalities today when she and Kathy come up. Joyce will be here next weekend to see the buns and then Marti & Bonnie will see them on the 12th.

I believe Bob and I have selected our bun to keep but I'm staying mum about it until Marti & Bonnie pick their bun. We're also waiting to make sure the personality of this particular bun is for certain suitable for our purposes.

These guys are getting harder and funnier to keep up with. Tonya and I took some great pictures yesterday. The green collared girl survived her first bee sting; poor little mite. She trembled and stumbled but she never squeeked once; I was quite proud of her. Watching these buns yesterday, I realized I have been formulating in my head which bun was going to which home and some of their homes I don't even know the humans that live there. I don't know how these ideas formulated, they're just there.

Well, this morning's post is late but it's all the buns' "fault". The last two hours has seen me in the den with them, doing various and sundry tasks and enjoying playing with and watching the buns. We went outside after breakfast and washed breakfast off with the rain/dew wet grass. Five minutes after coming back inside, the den floor was littered with toys and puppies as they played and played. Now they are all taking naps, something I would love to do about now!

Well, the second tier of the puppy pen entry side is going up today. We had an escape last night, or rather this morning. 3:30 am to be exact when I woke up to hear a bun yelling protest about something. I found the white collared male clear down the hall from the den where the box resides and he was most grateful to be rescued. Silly boy. One of the pups grabbed a light weight pie pan and dragged it across the den floor this morning; I wished I'd had the camera ready. I wish I could afford the time to just sit and watch them play; they are so incredible.

Four weeks old yesterday. Hard to believe time is flying by so quickly. Still have two buns that haven't made the four pound mark yet but they're wrestling and playing and eating and acting just like their bigger brothers and sisters. They seem to like having the extra room in the puppy box.

Well, good evening one and all! It has been a VERY busy weekend for everyone and this is honestly my first opportunity to post a blog entry. The buns are all doing great. Seven out of 10 have achieved four pounds or better now and one of the littlest ones at birth, has now increased his birth weight six fold! They are cleaning up every morsel of food I give them and I am probably going to add a third meal a day starting Wednesday. Yesterday and today, they had some outside time. I put a dishpan with about a gallon of water in it in the ex pen with them and one by one, I set them down in it. To a bun, they each stood there and experienced the feel of the cool water on the legs and tummies but no one got the least bit upset. One the little girls, (Kathy & Tonya,the one with the dark blue collar) came back and tried to figure out how to get back in the pan a couple of times. The red collar female made it up on the pig rail of the puppy box today and fell promptly off on her nose but didn't offer so much as a peep. We added the extensions on the side today to give them a bit more room. They all got their third nail trim and the first dose of dewormer today. Tonight, dinner was out on the grass where clean up was a snap! Bunny will gladly clean up any leftovers but she seems to be over the need to clean the buns unmercifully so a rag bath is in order after every meal. So, you can see part of the reason I haven't had much time this weekend. Can you say T-I-R-E-D?

The buns had their first meal that included meat this morning. They enjoyed it so thoroughly, they didn't even leave so much as a lick for Bunny to clean up. I will be putting the side extensions on the box this weekend as they are needing more room to play and to sleep and to potty. It won't be much longer before I also have to add a level on the entry side of the box so that they cannot climb out. A couple of them are working diligently on getting up on the side rails; no one has made it yet but it's just a matter of time.

I need to figure out some way of transporting all 10 buns outside at the same time! :) They are ready for some forays into the outside world but with the wildlife here, I am a bit hesitant to take them out two at a time, leaving the ones outside while I go back for two more. I need an old fashioned baby carriage!
The buns are sleeping deeper and longer after their meal of gruel twice a day now. We will add their third ingredient to tonight's dinner. Up until then, the gruel has consisted of oatmeal and yogurt and they love it. Looks pretty disgusting but hey, I don't have to eat it!

Well, once the skies cleared up some, I was finally able to get this up and posted! The buns are doing well. They LOVE their gruel and wear it oh so well. I don't think Bunny is going to miss having to feed so many hungry mouths so often. One bun hit the four pound mark today!

The buns had their first "solid" food last night. Per Kathy's advice (and supplies), they buns had baby oatmeal last night and man, they dove into it like piranhas. The two littlest ones went in head first and front legs splayed as if to protect their portion. Everyone has teeth now. Their weights range from 2' 14 to 3' 11; they have significantly slowed down their gaining over the past week and their bodies concentrate on other things and they get more and more active.

Seven of the buns now have teeth and the other three are almost there. Kathy and I have given them some different toys to experiment with and one of the girls was carrying around the canning jar ring this morning. Don't worry, they don't get to keep the ring in the puppy pen unless someone is there to supervise. Their favorite toy at this point is the bouncing Tigger that Kathy brought over last week. The black female with the dark blue collar really finds Tigger most fascinating.

We were out of town yesterday so that's why no entry here. I did send everyone (I hope ) the pictures that Tonya took while she was here puppy sitting.

Well, here's a statistic that I think everyone will enjoy sinking their teeth into! Four of the buns have teeth! Not just nubbins (another three have nubbins) but real, honest to goodness teeth! :) I couldn't believe it! They're not even quite three weeks old yet. How about that!

I could bore you with more stats but what I really wish I could do is send video footage of these guys. Hmmm... maybe I can figure out how to do that. I will work on that. Their personalities are beginning to emerge. The biggest male, the first born, is an independent little guy. The orange collar loves to be cuddled as does the dark blue collared female. The littlest one, the female with the green collar loves playing but will also sit and think about things. I could go on and on but I won't. I don't want to ruin any surprises. I just don't get tired of interacting with them or watching them interact with one another. Interact is the wrong word, they wrestle with each other. I dipped my finger in some of Bunny's canned food last night and offered it to a couple of them and you'd have thought I had offered them manna from Heaven. I don't believe weaning them will be difficult. But I don't officially start putting solid food in front of them until Sunday at the very earliest; they need mama's milk more right now. And judging from the rate they're growing, I'd say she's got some pretty manna like milk!

Well, two more have quadrupled their birth weights; amazing. Five buns are now weighing in at 3 pounds or better. I watched the biggest pup "biting" the ear of one of his sibs and just his head while he did, worrying at it like he was going to kill the beast. I laughed so hard, I was afraid I would distract him from his fun. His "victim" slept through the whole thing.

Here are today's stats, at 2 1/2 weeks of age.

• Orange collared male - 3' 4 oz (quadrupled birth weight)
  
• Dark blue collared male 3' 3 oz
• Lt blue collared male - 2' 15 oz
• Red collared female - 2' 15 oz
• White collared male - 2' 12 oz
• Green collared male - 2' 12 oz (quadrupled birth weight)
  
• Pink collared female - 2' 11 oz
• Green collared female - 2' 11 oz
• Dark blue collared female - 2' 11 oz
• Yellow collared female - 2' 8 oz.

Hmmm...I just realized my Monday post didn't post. I must have hit the wrong button.

But, I have some big news! Three of the puppies wagged their tails at me this morning! I was immediately transformed into a barely awake rational person into a wide awake silly sappy human. It was a definite response to me and was repeated several times in the course of about ten minutes whenever I spoke to one of them or petted them. Their playing is more definite now and they don't care if their playmate is sound asleep or a stuffed toy. It is so comical when one of them tipped his/her little muzzle up into the air for a howl. Don't get me wrong, they're not being noisy, they're just experimenting with their voices. Barks and howls are replacing whines and squeaks.

Good morning. I can't believe how quickly the buns are changing. Practically overnight, they are playing with each other, whether their playmate is awake or asleep and interacting with me. And the are responding to sounds now. Bunny is tiring of being on call all the time but you let one of those buns squawk and she's right there checking things out.

Gotta share this with everyone! Tonight, one of the little girls looked like she was bouncing around playfully so I reached over and started scratching her back forwards and backwards rather vigorously and she started this play growly sort of noise and then she barked! It was so funny, I stopped scratching and she came over closer to me and bounced a bit again. I tried it with a few of the others, after obliging her again, and two of the other girls and one of the boys did the same though they didn't do the bouncing around part. I did the little yellow girl a third time and this time, she barked louder and Bunny came jogging in to see what was up. Course, all the fun and games ended when she jumped into the box because then the milk bar was fair game. They are also beginning to waddle off the blankets to use the bathroom on the paper as best as they are able. Their feet tend to slip on the paper so they end up squatting in it anyway, but they are trying!

I have been thinking a lot about names these last two weeks and think I may have finally settled on one. I won't make a final decision until I see if the name I have in mind fits the puppy that is destined to be mine but it's been fun to work on. The theme I settled on is to keep with the papa's name of Hawkeye (his call name) or Last-of-the-Mohicans (his registered name). There's lots of boy names in the novel by James Fenimore Cooper: Natty Bumppo (my sister's pick for her pup), Uncas, Chingachkook, Munro, Hawkeye (dare we say Junior?), James, Fenimore, Cooper. For girls, I had to really stretch. Cora & Alice were the only two female names I could come up with from the story though there may have been other names mentioned. But, on doing some research, I discovered that the novel is loosely (very loosely) based on the true story of a woman named Jane McCrea who, along with her dear friend, Sara McNeil, was kidnapped by Indians for real. Jane was engaged to a British army officer at the time of her kidnapping and here is where the fictional story really departs from the historical facts. Jane was killed by her kidnappers, apparently when there was an argument between two of them over which one would get to claim the reward for her return. So, no romantic story in real life at all but they say that the murder of Jane was something of a catalyst for the Americans to fight back. Anyway, that gives two other names to consider for girls. However, I had a brain storm this afternoon. Hawkeye, our story's hero, was also known as the Long Carabine, meaning Long Rifle. Now, with a little poetic license, I thought the name "Last of the Mohicans Carabine" was kind of pretty, with a call name of "Cara". Or "Bean" if she's being really silly or something. Anyway, there is no requirement that any of the other puppies be named after characters in this story; it's just something I've been having fun with. I know for a fact that one of these puppies has already been named "Ribbit", which I think is very cute. :)

Wow! Two weeks old today. Hardly seems possible. Even more impossible when, after weighing them today, I find that eight of them have now tripled their birth weights. Simply amazing. Bunny is now eating 10 cups of dry food a day plus a can of food, a can of soup, some cottage cheese, some yogurt, a hard boiled egg and whatever leftovers I can come up with. So far, she is maintaining her weight well. It has gotten nearly impossible for all ten to fit up to the bar at the same time and it is comical to watch them scrapping for position. They're all peeking out at me to different degrees and beginning to look around when they wake up instead of rooting around.

Most of the puppies seem to have their eyes opening now. It's a bit hard to see when they're squirming around so much. Started working on their second nail trims last night but talk about a circus! I may have to wait to finish them this evening when Bob can help me. Two of them have pooped on their own without Bunny's assistance now too. They are changing so fast.

We have our first peeker! The little pink collared female is peeking out at me this morning. I imagine by this evening, there will be more eyes looking back at me. They continue to gain weight in leaps and bounds and every one of them is walking well now. The female with the dark blue collar is today the heftiest, weighing in at 2' 6 oz. Her sibling with the orange collar comes in second at 2' 5 oz. They both started into the world at 12 oz each and today's weight shows they have tripled their birth weight in just 12 days. I find all this quite amazing and never get tired of pouring over their stats. Don't get me wrong, cuddling with them is much more fun and lowers the blood pressure very well but I do enjoy statistics.

No peeking yet but they'll all doing pretty good at motoring around with their tummies off the bedding and holding their heads up. Several of them hold their heads up and hold them real steady for a few seconds as if they were actually looking for something or at something. Four of the five boys are over 2 pounds now and the girls range in weights from 1' 11 oz to 1' 15 oz. My brother asked me last night whether or not there was a runt in the litter and I laughed and told him not really. There are two that have been the smallest of the litter but they're always within a few ounces of the bigger buns.

Day 11. Our last holdout has hit the doubled mark. There are three that hit 2' today. The weight range is 1 1/2 to 2 pounds and they're all just as roly poly as they can be. I noticed this morning that when I held them and spoke to them, they relaxed. I don't know that they're hearing particularly yet, it's probably too soon for that, but the vibration of my voice they recognize. Watching them jockeying for position at the milk bar, Bunny is going to be soooooo glad when they're really to start on solid food. There may be enough spigots but that doesn't mean there's sufficient shoulder room! Heaven help the bun that drops off for a second; that spigot doesn't get cold!

Day 10. Well, nine have now doubled their birth weight; the last hold out is still the little green collared female. They're all making faces now; grimaces, raised eyebrows, yawns, mouth twitches. I swear it sounded like one was barking this morning. I hope you all enjoyed the pictures I sent out last night. They're getting more photogenic now.

Day 9. Well, eight of the ten buns have now doubled their birth weight and man can they move! Next time I weigh them, I may have to rig up some kind of container on the scale to keep them on the scale at all! The two who haven't yet doubled are both within 2 oz of doing so. They should open their eyes sometime this week and I am really looking forward to looking into their eyes.

Correction, this is day 8.

Day 7. Sorry today's installation is late; I overslept and barely had time to do puppy pen cleanup and weigh ins before rushing off to make church on time. As expected, everyone looks great! Weights range from 1' 3 oz to 1' 9 oz. We have two pups that have now doubled their birth weights They all got new collars today as their birthday clothes were getting too snug and I couldn't get the knots untied to simply loosen them. Tonya came by to visit and took some new pictures and if she sends me any, I'll pass them along.

Okay, here's the stats for those interested. Two pups are a pound and a half. One pup each at 1' 7oz, 1' 6 oz, 1' 5 oz. Two pups each at 1'4 oz and 1' 3 oz. The the littlest one broke the pound mark today going from 14 oz to 1' 1 oz. The next milestone is to see who doubles their birth weight first. The pup closest to doing so now is one of the ones who started into the world at 12 oz., he being the male with the light blue collar. He is one pound away from that mark but there are three that are two pounds away. I love doing this kind of thing. I should have been a statistician!

Day 7. One week old now. They have already changed so very much it is just incredible. We haven't had our weigh in session yet this morning as I am still recuperating from their birthday and actually slept in until 7:15 this morning! :) I'll get them weighed in shortly and report how they're doing back here.

Day 6. All the buns are weighing in over 1 pound now, except one and she is going to be there by Sunday probably. I am eager to see which pup doubles it's birth weight first and on what day. They are really crawling around with speed now; they're funny to watch. I thought the littlest one actually had her body hefted off the floor just a mite this morning but I couldn't be sure. I know I said I'd hoped to have pictures last night but I ran out of time to do so. I'll get some this weekend for sure though.

Day 5. Our package of buns is doing quite well. Getting so plump and roly poly. I will try and take some more pictures to send out this evening. By this time next week, they should be starting to peek out at their world.

Day 4. We now have five pups that are a pound or better. The smallest pup is the scrappiest. The biggest female is laid back. It's cool that they're beginning to be individuals already; I can't wait to look into their eyes. I go back to work today and I'm really going to miss them.

Day 3. They are all getting so big! It is fascinating to watch them developing preferences and just being so precious. I don't get tired of sitting and watching them.

Good morning. I guess we start now, calling this Day 2. This is the second day of their lives. All 10 are doing well; Bunny is just being a super mom. She came and checked in with me for a few seconds this morning but then ran right back down to be with her babies.

As I think you all know by know, we have welcomed Bunny's 10 little buns into the world between 12:39 am today and 6:12 am today. Bunny had four attendants besides myself, none of which I could have done without! There are 2 yellow males, 3 black males & 5 black females, all healthy and doing great so far. There were two at 11 oz, six at 12 oz, one at 13 oz & one at 14 oz. Bunny was such a trooper and handled things much better than I did! By the third puppy, she had it all figured out. Except for one that got a mite stuck, she delivered them all without a fuss and without help. I am very, very proud of her. And now, for some more much needed sleep! zzzzzz..............

Day 62. It is looking more like the second breeding likely took which would techinally make this day 60. Bunny is acting very odd this morning. Her temperature is down to 98.2 yet she is panting heavily. She is also staying off to herself which is very unlike her. She has put herself back to bed three times this morning. I am glad Wendy is coming to hold her paw while I go in to work this morning. I told Bunny if she started having puppies before I got home, after being at home with her for the last three days, I would shoot her when I got here. :) Everybody keep your fingers crossed!!!

Day 61 and on we drag. Yesterday, I tried to ignore Bunny and go through the day as I normally would on a day off from work. My hope was in the phrase "a watched pot never boils" but it didn't help. Between 10:45 and midnight last night, I was sure she was going into labor but apparently she was just having trouble finding a comfortable position to lay in. By 1:00, she was snoring in competition with Bob. Oh well. It will happen when it happens and there's nothing I can do about it. Maybe I shouldn't have taken the time off from work; but then I would have fretted about her all day long and used extra gas going home to check on her at lunch.

Day 60. Bunny slept most of the day yesterday, deep sleep. She is getting extra rest and I am getting less, watching her every move. I guess her body is storing up her reserves for the eminent task. Kathy put in a request that Bunny wait until tonight to have these babies and I have to wonder if Bunny is honoring that request!

Day 59. Bunny had a good night's sleep last night, apparently, as I did too. I woke up abruptly at 3:00 this morning realizing I could not hear her breathing and I was sure she had gone downstairs. I was mentally searching for my shoes and socks as I laid there straining to hear her before I got up and went to her upstairs bed. But, no, there she was sleeping peacefully, until I wakened her that is. Oh well. We both went back to sleep all right.
Bunny has no appetite. Monday and yesterday she was quite reluctant to eat but finally did; this morning, she turned down her breakfast and her good girl cookie when she came in from her morning constitutional. I'm not to concerned about it because I read that this is normal for some dogs.

Day 58. Well, this is it. The end stretch. The nth hour. I thought the waiting seemed interminable before, now it is almost unbearable! I dreamed about puppies last night, numerous dreams, all good. Bunny's weight has shifted now to where her back bone is palpable and I know that is normal. It will be nice to find my svelte, fit and lean girl again. Not nearly as much as she will be glad to be that way again, I'm sure. She wants to chase the toys but the interest is cut by the cumbersome bulk. Once labor actually starts, I won't be able to email, most likely, until it is over. I will be quite busy. But rest assured, I will be burning up the airways as soon as I can.

Got home from work this evening to find that Bunny had thoroughly nested the brand new inches thick layers of newspapers I oh so carefully spread out in her whelping box yesterday afternoon. Oh well, I can't very well fuss at her for following her instincts.

Day 57. We kept the ceiling fan going in our bedroom last night and Bunny was a bit more comfortable. I wake up whenever she is stirring so because she slept a little better last night, so did I. I am going to run a progesterone test at work today and see where her levels are. When the progesterone level drops to a certain point, birth is eminent. I plan to run it today and tomorrow but then I am off for the next week (maternity leave?) so it won't much matter if I know when the level drop. That's all assuming that the level won't indicate the eminence is near today or tomorrow. I layered newspapers in her whelping box yesterday afternoon then went out for a couple of hours. When I got back, the papers were all messed up but I don't know if Bunny did that or the cat, Pepe. I can't wait to see his reaction to the puppies.
Apparently there are some athletes in this litter if their activity in utero are any indication. They have been very active these last few days, kicking and jumping.

Day 56. Last night was especially rough for Bunny. She COULD NOT get comfortable and she was hot most of the night. I hope these last few days go by quickly for her sake.

Day 55. At least two of the puppies were having a high time last night! While I sat and knitted in front of a movie, I did more watching of Bunn'ys belly than watching what I was doing or watching the movie. I watched two distinctly separate spots of activity and I tell you, they were positively doing gymnastics in there! :) It was quite amusing. Bunny seemed oblivious; she seems to be sleeping harder this past week or so.

Day 54. All is well (and big!) in puppy land. Bunny must be feeling like a bug under a glass by now; we are watching her so closely but she just loves the attention and doesn't mind people laughing at how big she has gotten. I just have a sneaking suspicion that the puppies will come on Wednesday. I don't know why and Lord knows, I have no experience behind me to guide me on this; just a gut feeling. I've probably said this before but, after 25 years of working in an animal hospital, this will be the first natural birth (other than the births of my two children) that I've ever experienced. I've assisted in many, many a C-section mind you just never before a natural birth. Once things get started, I won't be so antsy about it; it's just the waiting and wondering when and how many and how long and, and, and..... You know, all the factors I have no control over. So keep your fingers crossed folks! And pray that all goes smoothly for our little girl in her endeavours.

She is scarfing down food now even more zealously than before so I have upped her slightly to 2 cups twice daily with a half can added each time. She loves that canned food! Course, she is a lab after all and most labs love anything edible (and somethings that are not!).

Day 53. More of the same. Nights are apparently long and hot for Bunny. I feel for her. But it won't be long now.

Buns in Bunny's oven

Well, it is official. Bunny is pregnant. The ultrasound this morning showed five puppies and there's generally more than one can detect on an ultrasound. We start the switch to puppy food today. She is ravenously hungry right now and has been for the last three days. Even though she just passed her third birthday, she still seems so puppy like to me. The next five weeks will seem like an eternity in some ways, in other ways, it'll be here before we know it.