Puppies!!

Rori had her puppies right on schedule and I must say that they are the cutest and tiniest little things I have ever seen! She was in labor almost all of Sunday afternoon and evening so I prep'd a few different beds for her. I wanted for her to find a spot to have them where she was most comfortable, but naturally she had other plans. I attempted to go to bed about 10, but her behavior kept me awake and anxious for the delivery. Poor thing was panting like it was the end of the world and she was running around digging/nesting everywhere she could find. She was doing really well lying in one of the beds in my room while I laid next to her but she immediately jumped up- darted under the bed- and popped out the first pup! Go figure.

She did amazing and didn't even cry like I had expected her to. I read that the first pup of the very first liter is usually really difficult and scary for them, but she did amazing. After she cleaned it up I moved it to the bed and she followed. She had her second pup 40 minutes later and this one really worried me. She seemed more concerned with cleaning up herself than the baby and its breathing was very labored. I kept persuading her to lick her puppy (because that is what helps to stimulate the breathing and the bonding)but she was very inconsistent. Levi and I both rubbed its body and helped increase Rori's attention to it. The final pup came at 3:30 in the morning and it was another simple and safe delivery. All of the puppies are doing wonderful and mama is attached to them like no other. I couldn't even get her to come out of the room to eat, drink, or potty for 17 whole hours. I guess that's a perfect example of motherly love!

The final count came to three puppies...the first two born were females and the final a male. They are so tiny that I can cover all three of them up with a single hand! Lucas' initial reaction to them was priceless. We've been telling him for a few days that Rori had baby puppies in her belly but when he saw them for the first time he looked over at me with a very confused expression and asks "baby cows?" HAHA! I suppose their black and white coloring does make them look a little like baby cows. Leave it to Lucas to make the most off the wall and unexpected comment. Makes me curious what he'll say whenever the time comes for him to be a big brother!

This was such a fun experience and I am so glad that I was there to witness the birth of all three of these precious little companions. It definitely reassures my decision to work in Labor and Delivery. Babies or puppies...its still a beautiful thing!♥

Sunshine, sales, and puppy dog tails!

I now realize that I took mother nature for granted when I lived in California. Here in Alaska, the sunshine is definitely not a force to be taken lightly. We spend months on end without receiving much of it at all, but then are blessed with long summer days where the sun decides to rest well after we do. Fortunate for us, the weekends have been fairly nice…despite the unpleasant weekdays. I’m not sure what is it about the fresh air and the nature scene, but being in the beautiful outdoors always seems to make me happier and more relaxed. Whether you’re sitting on the grass reading a book, hiking a mountain, or just exploring some trails, GET YOURSELF A DOSE OF NATURE! It definitely does the body good.

Our little family loves to hike. Plain and simple. When the weather is nice we usually pack up the bags, grab the dogs (and a gun!) and hit the trails! I’m so thrilled that Lucas enjoys being dragged along on our journeys….we all know how an unhappy toddler can ruin the fun. It’s amazing to see his excitement when exploring the great outdoors! Children are amused by the tiniest of things, and it truly does make a simple task more enjoyable to see their curiosity blossom. Lucas is our little nature explorer in the making!

I am an absolute bargain shopper, just like my grandmother, and a sale almost always gets my attention. I have found myself in Michael's three times in the past few days because I just have to use my coupons!! But I’m happy to say that I found myself a new hobby…making picture frames! I’ve been using all my scrapbook papers and embellishments to cover $1 wooden frames and I am really proud of the outcomes. I’ll post some pictures of my creations once I have a bit more completed.

And finally, puppies! We decided to go ahead with our initial plan of breeding our baby girl, Rori. We found a handsome little stud (with Hawaiian bloodline) and we let nature takes its course. We should have a litter of fully papered Jack Russell puppies during the second week in July! When Levi came home from work that evening she jumped into his lap and stared at him with the guiltiest little look I’ve ever seen. It was as if she was so ashamed to let her daddy know that she actually did the deed! It was hilarious, but exactly why having girls scares me!