Roly-Poly Puppies

Leah's little family isn't so little any more! In 12 days they have more than doubled their birth weight, coming in at over two pounds each now. They are round and roly-poly and sturdy.

They are still doing a lot of eating and sleeping and growing. They can crawl around pretty well now, but have not really tried to stand up yet. I love listening to them as much as watching them. They make quite a variety of sounds to be so young, and once in a while there are some little barks and growls.

The puppies haven't outgrown our hearth yet. It's actually quite a nice place to have them. In case you've been wondering, there's no fire in the wood stove! Our heat comes from an outdoor wood furnace and the pretty stove on the hearth is only for emergencies.

Yesterday, the two black and tan little girls opened their eyes! I don't think they are seeing much yet, but it won't be long.

Leah is such a good mama. She is comfortable leaving them for as long as an hour now, glad to get outdoors for some fresh air and exercise. Although she is committed, I think she's also bored sometimes, so a break is good for her. She's also eating twice as much as normal, reminding us in the mornings to feed her, since she usually eats just once a day in the evening. By the way, that cut on her leg has healed almost completely now, thank goodness.

Here are a few more pictures to enjoy. Someday it will be hard to believe they were ever this small.

Seeing the Forest and the Trees

You've heard the saying, "Can't see the forest for the trees," I'm sure. When you live within spittin' distance of the forest, however, you don't get to use that excuse for not appreciating the beauty around you.

Yesterday was unseasonably warm all across the mid-Atlantic. Here in our neck of the woods, temperatures soared close to 70 degrees. Robin and I took advantage of this mid-winter rarity to go hiking in the woods with some friends. We walked,

and hiked our way through the woods for nearly three hours, relishing the fact that we needed only a light jacket or sweatshirt on a January afternoon.

You might think there wouldn't be much to see in the woods in the middle of winter, but you'd be wrong! We marveled at God's handiwork, both large and small. There were lots of rocks.

There were rocks with water rushing over them, creating that wonderful sound only rocks and swift water can make.

There were towering rocks

and rocks weeping tears of blue.

There were several different kinds of moss underfoot

and a limb of gold glowing in the afternoon light.

There were gnarly tree roots

and stunning views.

Before we turned around and headed back to where we started, there were some snacks and cold drinks and a few minutes to rest.

Although we were surrounded by all the wonders of the woods, we were grateful to have the curiosity of youth

and the wisdom of experience.

As we made our way back to civilization, we were all tired and satisfied. I can think of no sweeter way to end a day.

Puppy Progress

Leah's puppies are doing fine: eating, sleeping, and growing all the time. The first day or two they needed their mama constantly, not only for food but for comfort. If they were not touching her in some way they were unhappy. Now, at almost six days old, they are quite content to sleep alone or in the classic pile of puppy siblings.

I find it quite relaxing just to sit and watch them sleep. Even more entertaining is listening to all the sweet puppy sounds they make. They do a lot of grunting, especially at meal time, but they also squeal quite loudly if Leah happens to lay on one. They squeak for no apparent reason and they twitch and yip in their sleep sometimes, just like Leah and Red do when they're dreaming. Robin doubts the puppies could be dreaming already: after all, what could they possibly have to dream about yet?

Just this morning one of the black and tan little girls has learned to growl! It's a cute little growl, nothing like a grown-up one, and just like human children with a new word or skill, she seems fascinated with practicing it.

Leah is eating a lot now, making sure she has enough milk for her family. At first we could hardly get her away from her babies, even to relieve herself. Now she has figured out that they'll be fine while she's outside for  little while. She accompanies Cheyenne and me on our morning walks, leaving the pups for at least 15 or 20 minutes. Other times she takes off into the woods after a squirrel, getting some much-needed exercise  I think she's feeling a little confined, evidenced by her big sighs from time to time. Nevertheless, she's committed to being a good mommy and always rushes straight to her babies when she comes in from outdoors.

The puppies are still on the hearth in our living room, right where they were born. I'm so glad they're not in the basement. I'd be wearing myself out going up and down the stairs to look at them. On the other hand, that might be a good idea: maybe I'd shed a few holiday pounds! They'll be in the basement soon enough, though. Once they get their eyes open and start moving around, they'll be able to climb over the boards Robin put up to make a box out of the hearth. Then we'll have to create a better puppy palace downstairs, where they'll have more room to play. For now, though, I'm quite glad to have them in the heart of our home,  where we can savor their innocence and contentment.

We've Got Puppies!!

We've got puppies, yes we do!! Six of 'em, all strong and healthy, all just as sweet and beautiful as can be. And Leah is such a good mama. She had no trouble bringing her babies into the world and had them clean and content in no time.

The whelping box sits dark and empty in the basement. Leah spent yesterday evening on the hearth where she and Red have a piece of carpet for a bed. I guess I should have put her in the box, but she was moving around so much that I thought she would be too cramped for space. When the puppies started coming, we just grabbed some towels and watched, right there in the living room.

The first puppy made its appearance at 9:20 p.m. and the last one arrived at 2:00 this morning. There are three males and three females, two black & tans like Leah, one brown (probably like Red), and three "combos" that might turn out to be brindle or blue. No wonder Leah was miserable: I just weighed the biggest puppy (but they're all pretty much the same size) and it weighs a pound! It protested loudly at being taken away from Mama's warm tummy and Mama immediately got up to see what all the fuss was about. I tried to get a photo, but Leah didn't have any patience for that.

For a few days, at least, we'll leave the little family on the hearth, where we can watch the wonder unfold. We're mighty thankful that all are safe and well. Thanks as well to all you readers for waiting and watching with us. We appreciate all your messages of encouragement and congratulations! And now, let the puppy fun begin!!

They're Coming!!

WE HAVE PUPPIES!!! I'm not sure if we have them all yet, but we have three beautiful babies! After a restless and evidently painful evening, Leah produced the first one around 9:20 this evening. An hour later there were three! It looks like there are two males and one female. Determining colors is a bit trickier, although the female seems to look more like Red and the two males like Leah. I'll post a lot more details tomorrow, but for now, here are a few photos:

The first puppy meets Mom face to face...

...and gets some breakfast.

The second puppy arrives!

Isn't it sweet?

It's a family of three...so far.

Make that four!! Another puppy arrived while I was uploading these photos! More tomorrow. Or make that more later...much later...today, since it's now after midnight, which makes it tomorrow, right?

My New Look

As you can see, I've made a few changes to the design of This Sweet Life. What do you think? I've long wondered how to do something beyond the basic templates offered by Blogger software. Many thanks to Emily from Sweetly Scrapped for helping me out!! She was the only blogger who responded to my cries for help. Please bear with me as I learn and experiment. There may be some more changes in the days to come. But then again, maybe not. It all depends on when the puppies come! We're still waiting...can you hear my fingers drumming on the table???

No Puppies Yet...

Well, it's just past noon, and we have no puppies yet!  Leah had a rough night: restless, up and down the basement stairs, barking, whining, "talking," groaning, just totally miserable. Finally, when Robin left to go to the farm at 5:30 this morning, he put her in our bedroom, where I was finally getting some sleep, and shut the door. After snooping around and trying out several spots, she finally settled on Cheyenne's bed and was quiet for several hours. Cheyenne isn't too happy about losing her bed, but at least Leah doesn't seem so uncomfortable.

She's been outside for a while, and is asleep again on Cheyenne's bed, which I moved downstairs. So, we wait some more. Thanks to all of you who have sent your good wishes and concern! It's nice to know we're not waiting alone!