Snuf Snuf Snuf! Oink Oink Oink!

The primary noise when they are awake is snuf snuf snuf.  They stumble around (can it really be walking when if you take too quick of a step you roll off of your feet?) smelling everything.  Then of course the other awake noise besides the random squeak is the eating oinking.... my favorite.  Sleeping noises are the random squeaks bordering on barking and lots of groaning.  Occasionally there is a scream that sounds like someone is being actively injured.  I think it actually means - "Oh my goodness!  I'm a McTurtle!  I've fallen and I can't get up!"  Almost always the screaming puppy is on his back trying to roll back over.

We had the girls and Susie visit along with Wendy.   The puppies like their new toys.  Thanks girls!

McPinwheel

Nimble (green - I think)

Jack (orange), always wash behind your ears

Quick (blue) getting ready to gnaw

Me too

McTurtle

Stop!  That tickles!

Quick

Jack

Chewy time

Nimble

Two Weeks Old Today!

Surprise for me is that Nimble did not have his eyes completely open this morning!  That's OK.  Neighbor Terri came over for weighing in which case Nimble wins that race paws down.

 Nimble (green) 1lb 8.7oz (1 week old) --> 2lb 14.3 oz (2 weeks old)

 Jack (orange) 1lb 3.9oz (1 week old) --> 2lb 8.4 oz (2 weeks old)

 Quick (blue) 1lb 1.8oz (1 week old) --> 2lb 3.3 oz (2 weeks old)

And Then There Was One

I came home from work this am and Quick also has his eyes fully open!  Nimble has glimmers of both eyes peaking so I expect him to be completely bright eyed by tomorrow am if he follows his brothers' example but today he is the last of the Three Blind Mice.  Jack and Quick have become champion walkers.  Jack also just came over and pooped on his mother's leg.  That is just gross though in a way thoughtful because he came to her and was in an easy to reach location.  They have been without collars because they outgrew what I had on them.  Will re-collar them tomorrow with 2 week weigh-in.

Nimble (green) left, Quick (blue) center, Jack (orange) right

Nimble (green)

Quick (blue)

L > R Quick, Nimble, Jack

The End of Week One

Here's how Pixie likes to start the day - Chasing squirrels!  Too bad I missed catching most of her fun.  She seemed a little shocked when the tree rat started to come down the tree closer to her.

Oh!  These crying kids!  What's a momma to do?

Me (Quick) and my shadow

Nimble (green) 10.6 (birth wt) --> 1lb 8.7oz
Quick (blue) 7.9 --> 1lb 1.8oz
Jack (orange) 9.0 --> 1lb 3.9oz
Quick's rate of gain is increasing (2.4 oz yesterday) but it doesn't look like it can even begin to catch Nimble's (2.9 yesterday).  He's trying though.  Jack was a little slower yesterday at slightly less than a 2 oz gain.
Eyes and ears are starting to loosen up a little.  Now instead of looking like their eyes are tightly shut they look like they are just sleeping.

Smilin' Jack

Sleeping Nimble

Content Quick

The Cutest Visit Ever and a Trip, Snip and Clip!

Yesterday afternoon

Don't they look HUGE here!?!?

Nimble (green) and Quick (blue)

 

The McBoys met the girls today!  One of the boys has a home with an adorable set of twins who came to visit today with their Mom and cousin.  They just happen to be the nieces of Wendy who owns Pixie's dam, Lannie and sister Aerial.  The girls were so good with the puppies that Pixie, who has determined that she is actually a mother lion, fell asleep while they each had one of her McCubs.

Introductions

 

Taking turns

Did I mention that they each want their own puppy?

Weights today are:
Nimble (green) 10.6 --> 11.8 --> 13.9
Quick (blue) 7.9 --> 9.0 --> 10.3
Jack (orange) 9.0 --> 10.2 --> 12.0
I don't expect them to gain as much tomorrow.  They seem to have managed to fit more sleeping in between the feedings.  Pixie and I are still feeling pretty sleepy by the time evening rolls around from all of the night time squeaking.

Last night I found them stacked.  Very cute.

After a lovely visit the pups got a little rest and then off to have tails and dewclaws done.  Pixie was not happy that the boys were taken away from her but she survived and so did they with no ill effects at all.  Henry has had a lot of firsts with this litter.  He came along for his first tails and dewclaws.  Each pup fell asleep instantly with him afterward. When all was done they went back to Pixie who waited in the car. Not that they were aware of it at all but the car ride was fine.  They got checked out thoroughly, ate a little and went right to sleep.
 

More visitors:  Drew and one of his friends sat in the box again after school and Wendy came by later this afternoon to watch the McSquirmers so I could go grocery shopping and Henry and Drew could go work out.  Pixie is pretty careful about laying down around the pups but it can be a little difficult with they get spread out.

Sweet dreams.

The Next Day

Today has not been what I envisioned.  First of all, I thought we'd be whelping today.  Not!  But that's ok.  I'm glad the night went great and I don't even have a crick in my neck.  Pixie has figured out how to lay down carefully for the most part.  Her protective instincts have kicked in.  She is having none of Roady coming anywhere near the box.  She is such a sweet dog who rarely has taken offense to much.  However, her Snake Face came out with a vengeance when Roady got about 3 feet from her box.  Second, I thought I'd be able to sit in the box all morning watching puppies.  Not!  This morning I found a FLEA on Nimble (green) and then one on Pixie!  YUK!  I hate fleas!  Give me a tick any day over a flea.  So almost all of the cleaning and preparing I did had to be redone! And so much for Pixie being the perfect little mother!  What good mother would give her beloved pups fleas?  LOL  All of the bedding is being washed including couch covers, linens, anything that could harbor a flea.  Dogs including puppies have been washed - Thanks Mom!

Poor Pixie-rat was not pleased with all of this washing and fussing over her babies!  She quickly settled into her Happy Place once everyone was dried and put back in the box.  No pictures of the washing bc it went too fast in our efforts to cause as little chilling as possible - heater in the bathroom, rubbed dry and finished in a small box w heating pad.  Were they hungry afterward!  But then I'm discovering that they are always hungry!
 

Neighbor Terri came by for about 30 minutes this am and they ate about 4 times while she was here!  McPiglets!  They also got weighed this am less than 24 hours after birth.  It would be normal for them to have lost a slight amount of weight.  Not the McPiggies!  They each gained over and ounce!  I'll weigh daily for the first week and then weekly.
Nimble (green) 10.6 --> 11.8
Quick (blue) 7.9 --> 9.0
Jack (orange) 9.0 --> 10.2

Terri meets Nimble but thinks Quick is her favorite

Clean and resting

Brotherly Love

The puppy in the front of the video is Quick (blue).  The puppy being cleaned is Nimble (green).

Multiple videos and pictures can be accessed from the links to the right.

They Have Arrived!

Today has turned out to be whelping day!  Thank you Deb for strongly suggesting the xray last week rather than tomorrow which is what I had originally planned!  We have three healthy happy boys.  One of the whelps didn't survive which is very disappointing but I'm happy with the boys that arrived.  In keeping with the Nursery Rhyme theme they are in order of birth: Nimble (green collar), Quick (blue collar) and Jack (orange collar). 

Pixie is a terrific mother!  Gentle and attentive, she took to the first puppy without a moments hesitation.  She may get a little obsessive with the cleaning but I'm sure they'll survive being sparkling clean puppies.  All three of the boys came out vigorous and hungry.  Each started sucking their paw while I was cleaning them up!  Many thanks to the whelping team of Henry (reluctant though he was, he did a great job tying off the umbilical cord for me), Lisa, Wendy and Mom.  Despite several litters being born in our home, Henry has managed to not be in the same room for any of them.

So the details of each pup are as follows:

 

Nimble:  green collar;  10.6 oz; born at 1:03pm; head presentation; dry; placenta later with another pup.

Quick: Blue collar: 7.9 oz; born at 1:45; head presentation w placenta.

 

Jack: Orange collar; 9 oz; born at 2:35; breech presentation w 2 placentas; small white spot on chest and top of head

(An additional placenta was delivered between pups 2 and 3)

Where's the milk?

Ahhh!  That's more like it!

 

Nimble going up my pants leg.