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Chihuahua Puppies Make Me Smile!
The challenge for today was to capture something that “makes you smile”, that was another easy one. 
My babies! And being how I vowed to take this challenge through the lens of my iPhone this capture made me laugh repeatedly as I attempted to capture The Avengers sitting still long enough to be something other than a blur.
Clearly unsuccessful – but cute none the less. LOL That’s Rogers on the far left, and as the biggest “goer” in the group I knew I didn’t have a chance of getting him without blur. Next to him with his tongue out and ears back, licking his own nose is Tony. In the back, wondering what the heck my husband is doing, is Bruce. And up at the front, looking like he’s only got one front leg (gotta love the blur) is Thor.
Well that’s a LITTLE better… and shockingly Rogers is actually standing still – that’s him on the far right self stacking so nicely. On the far left (on the floor, unimpressed with all the attention the puppies are getting that obviously should be being lavished on him) is our old man, and the puppies Daddy, Sweets. Tony is blurred next to him behind Thor, who is looking oh so darling sitting on that orange pillow. And last but not least, between Thor and Rogers, is little baby Bruce.
Yep. Puppies NEVER fail to make me smile.
Hmmm… what’s tomorrows challenge?
…oooo. “Favourite”. I may have to think on that one. LOL
Easy and Inexpensive Ornament for the Holidays
It’s been another long day.� So it’s been a long week.� I was sick.� Our old dood, Sweets (the Chihuahua) was sick.� Puppies spent the day at kindergarten.� More plumbing trouble.� Girl didn’t hardly sleep last night (so neither did Mommy).� So yeah.� I’m beat.� I’ve got nothing left in me to write a blog post.� So here’s something cute from another MomWriter friend of mine.� A super cheap and adorable little angel ornament you can make up for all your kids friends, teachers, and family members:
Brief puppy update
I’m down and out with a bad cold, so this post will be brief. I just ranted to give a quick puppy update. 
Tony is now walking. Bruce is definitely a long coat. Rogers has is a sable (just like his two half sisters). Thor? Well, he’s just his same old squishy adorable self.
Night all!
The Avengers – Two Weeks Old
They were two weeks old yesterday, but I took their pictures for their two week update today. It’s just the way things worked out. And I’ll admit, I got a little carried away. They are just SOOO adorable. And they are getting cuter by the minute. Less like little guinea pigs, more like puppies… It’s so nice seeing them grow and change, they are doing so in leaps and bounds. And while yes, they are just camera phone pictures, they’re better than my very first digital camera could take WAY back when. 
Some Virtual Puppy Breath
Because of the Thanksgiving weekend, we’re not exactly on time posting the puppy’s one week pictures… but we’re close. And yeah, I realize you can’t smell the puppy breath, but wouldn’t it be great if you could? Here’s a little dose of virtual puppy breath, these guys are so sweet you can almost inhale them through your monitor.
Snuggling with Captain America
It was a rather long night last night, and today was just as long. Lots of work, both personal and business related. So I hope you’ll forgive me tonight if I’m not up to writing much. Instead, enjoy a cute snapshot of the girl and Rogers that I took yesterday with my phone:
Two of my precious babies, being precious together.
Wow, one long day!
Looooooong day.
Being up late last night whelping puppies didn’t help, but it was a pleasant surprise. Even having monitored Roo’s temperature for the 40 hours leading up to the birth didn’t give us the “heads up” it should have. But then, Roo has never been one to do ANYTHING by the books.
Even after everyone settled in for the night, I didn’t actually do much sleeping. Between the neon red glow of the heat lamp and the occasional pip from a puppy, it just wasn’t a restful night for me. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not complaining. The babies are worth a little exhaustion.
This morning we had to be at the airport to drop off Deedee at 8:30. Which meant an early wake-up. The girl and I don’t usually rise until 9, and she wanted time to visit a park with Deedee for some photos before saying goodbye. So it really was an early one.
Since we were out already we decided to grab some breakfast. The girl had pancakes. Damon had an english muffin breakfast sandwich (yes, thankfully he had Tuesday off this week). And I had a croissant – boy it’s nice to be on solid foods again… but I do find my jaw gets tired quick and easily.
We did some running around. Picked up some puppy supplies, got our house insurance information ready for the move, paid a bill… Then it was home to weigh puppies and make sure everyone was getting a chance to nurse before taking the girl to school – WITH a photo of each puppy and a family portrait to show off to her class.
While the girl was at school we did some more running around so we’d be ready to go as soon as she was off.
We snagged her at 3:25, headed home briefly to let her change into her ballet clothes and to let the dogs out for a potty break. We also had a 1/2 hour breather (while the dogs were out) during which I just about fell asleep – way too tired. Damon and Lily-Ann dropped me off at my Breaking the Silence board meeting (which was super exciting, I sooo hope we’re able to get my first choice of speaker for the Friday night kick off, he’d be AMAZING), and the two of them went out for an early supper. I had to bow out a little early as they picked me back up at 5:30 so we could head to ballet.
After class, we came home weighed puppies again and made sure Roo laid still for a nice long nursing session. She’s generally a really great momma dog, but she has never been one to stay still for long. Which was fine for her last litter of two… but she needs to stretch right out and lay good and still to nurse five… so she needs us to be rather hands on at this point.
Lily-Ann played on the iPad while we took care of Roo and the pups, then it was time to start the bedtime routine. And I’ll admit, I dozed off a little while Damon was reading Medusa the Mean. I really miss doing the night time reading, but until we get things cleared up for me health wise, it’s been passed on to Damon… tonight though? tonight I was actually rather thankful for that.
Now the girl is asleep, Damon is upstairs on the computer, and I’m laying in bed with the kid typing this blog post. LONG day.
Here’s a puppy video I snagged last night during the birth:
Baby three was one of the only puppies born head first. Most came out backwards. I have videos of those as well… but I haven’t uploaded them yet. It all went so fast, I didn’t have a chance to upload as things went along. When I’m more awake, I promise to share more. It’s pretty cool.
Safe Travels Deedee!
Tomorrow morning is going to be a tough one. 11 hours from now, we’ll be leaving to take Deedee to the airport where she’ll fly to Kelowna to meet her new family. Placing puppies isn’t easy… but placing one who is a year and a half is even harder.
Deedee at the lake a few weeks ago (next to her sister Alice and mommy Roo)… and yes, those are my dirty camp toes.
We’ve known since she was only a few months old that there would come a time when we’d place Deedee. This litter was a co-breeding between myself (Sidhe Dogs) and Em (HiLeigh Chihuahuas)… so with two puppies one was ours and one was hers. We chose to keep Alice as her temperament just fit in better with us. Which meant it was just a matter of finding the perfect placement for our little tri-coloured girl.
Deedee is a lot like her mom: super smart. She’s also super accepting and willing to just sit back and let the girl manhandle her. After all, Lily-Ann has been holding the pups since they were a few days old. At this point it’s just second nature for them to relax in her arms and have her cart them around. She’s gentle with them, but she is a kid, and the pups learn quickly to just relax and go with it. Because while they won’t always be carried around or treated in a dignified manner, it’s always done gently and with love.
Alice ended up being our pick, mainly because her temperament is more like her dad’s, she’s the snuggler. And I need a snuggler. Lily-Ann bogarted Marnie, so our family clearly needed a second. And as much as we love Roo, one Roo is plenty for any household.
Thankfully for her new family, while Deedee is a lot like her mom, she did inherit some of her dad’s easygoing nature. She’s up for just about anything at any time. She’s happiest on the go. She loves hiking, hitting the beach, camping… and as the only dog in her new home, she’ll be toted everywhere and doted on by this active family. It’s also nice to know that all their past fids (furry kids) are all still so treasured (pictures hanging up as reminders of those who are waiting for them at the rainbow bridge).
We really are going to miss our little treasure… but we wouldn’t let her go if we had any doubts about her being treasured there too. It really is going to be a hard morning. Lots of tears ahead (and some right now too). The girl and I have already shared a cry, but I’m sure we’ll have another tomorrow. Our little Deedee is one in a million, and she will always be loved.
Deedee getting a smoosh from Lil (after a bath) early in the Spring. This picture is the wallpaper on my iPhone.
Roo Watch 2012
We have officially entered Roo Watch 2012!
Roo hanging out in the nursery – watching Daddy get their supper ready.
Okay, so you might be wondering what the heck that is and why you should care. Well… here ya go:
Roo (our blue tri-colour, smooth coat Chihuahua) is five days away from her estimated due date. She delivered her first litter in May of 2011, five days early. So while we hope she keeps on baking those sweet buns until their are good and finished, there is a possibility they may pop out of her toasty little oven early. This means we are now on Roo Watch 2012.
Why should you care? Well heck! Roo is awesome, and her two little girls Alice and Dee Dee (from her first litter) are even awesomer, so you know these new babies are going to be at least as awesome as their mom and half-sisters. I love them all to pieces, so you know I won’t be able to help but share. And seriously, who the heck doesn’t love baby puppies????
I am creating a new tag and category here at TD365 so you can track all Roo’s progress and see how her babies are doing after they arrive. Any time a post contains an update on Roo or her litter, it will be tagged with Roo Watch 2012 and the matching category. I think it should be fun. Heck, maybe I’ll even create a little graphic especially for her updates. Who knows. LOL
Look at that belly! Super cute little momma!
For those who are interested, our puppy nursery is actually a great big “rabbit” cage. It’s really not suitable for rabbits, but it makes a perfect place for a Chihuahua and her babies to start out. With a puppy pad and food and water bowls at one end, and a compostable “litter box liner” (with a low area cut out to allow her in and out without having to jump) with a thin lambswool crate pad in it, a heating lamp at the ready, and a water bottle over the puppy area in case momma doesn’t want to leave them – it’s absolutely perfect. It keeps the puppies safe and warm, and also gives mom an area to get away for brief periods to eat and potty while still keeping close watch. I am also able to keep the entire thing elevated to avoid any drafts that may creep along the floor, which just makes me feel a little better.
Tonight Roo is resting comfortably in the nursery, she was panting a little about 1/2 hour ago, but has settled back down. So I’m hoping it was just happy panting (which is something she’s known for doing when she’s excited). Unlike last year, when she caught us off guard while I was away at a dog show, this year, we’re all set and ready – but still hoping she waits until closer to her estimated due date on the 29th.
Hope you’ll enjoy Roo Watch 2012 as much as I do. I promise to do my best to keep you updated with all the exciting news – including lots of snapshots (gotta love how handy the iPhone is).
Chihuahua Beach!
I was looking through my photos, getting ready to begin edits on the next shoot, when I stumbled upon a couple shots I took of Sweets – the old man Chihuahua. Totally blissed out at the beach. Ever since we made it out to my parent’s cabin a couple weeks ago, I’ve been doing my best to get us back out there… and I think these images explain why.
Sweets really was completely blissed right out, he’s a lake dog if ever I’d met one. Totally and completely in his element, exploring, sunning, and just generally enjoying everything about being at the cabin. And there is little that makes me happier than seeing someone I love so very happy. I have to admit, sometimes I forget just how short a time this old man has been a part of our family. Seems like he’s always been here.
Exploring the Beach!
Siesta in the Shade!
In other news… keep your fingers crossed that our little old man chi may soon be a Daddy (again). Knock on wood, we’re hoping to have puppies this Autumn.
