Andi went to the vet today for an ultrasound and bloodwork.  The good news is that she IS pregnant with 3-5 puppies.  If you have kept track of Andi though, you will remember that her last litter was 2 weeks early and the one the year before that was a week early.  I am praying that this litter will make it to term.  Because of her history, the vet and I decided to put her on progesterone to try to keep her pregnant until the babies are term.  This means a daily dose of oral medicine.  I must wear gloves when giving it to her, (not that at 50 anything would happen to me, I am NOT expecting!  The vet said it might make me cramp though)   Andi will take the medicine for three weeks.  We will stop it about three days before her due date.  The vet expects that Andi will not be likely to have the puppies on her own though, so we have already scheduled a C-section just incase inertia does occur.  I will also need to watch her milk production closely as it may be slow to come in.  This will be Andi's last litter, as she will be spayed during the C-section.  No need to put her through this with each pregnancy.  She does love puppies though and will get in with whatever puppies I have.  Praying that God will see that I have a nice girl or even a boy to keep her bloodlines going.  She is such a beautiful dog and did so well in the show ring.  I have not been able to keep any of her other puppies.  The girls have been way too small and I really wasn't looking for a boy. 

Yep, I am 50 now!  My paraprofessional had the classroom all decorated in black streamers today.  She told the students to wear black clothes.  I have had so many birthday wishes from friends that it makes turning 50 worth it!  Just in the last few years I have made some wonderful friends with the dogs.  I do truly feel that my puppy adoptees are part of my family.  I wonder about them and my babies when we lose touch and LOVE receiving updates about how things are going with the new families.  I started the blog because I was hoping that puppy adoptees would check in occasionally and let me know how things are going with them while they checked up on things in Kansas.  I know it can be quite boring to follow the life of a small town Kansas teacher and her pack of dogs, but each day I have people that check in from West to East coast.  (Yes, I can see where people are checking in from each day, the time of day that they check in, how long they were on, and which pages they checked out.)

Dana and Dereck both called tonight.  I can't believe that I will get to see them both this week!  It will be so great to have all the kids together for a couple of days.  Dereck and Kysha have left their Christmas tree up for our Christmas in February!  We will also be celebrating birthdays.  Mine of course, but also Dereck's is February 18 (29 years!) and Dana's is March 12 (26 years.  Can I really be old enough to have kids these ages?!)   Dave's b-day is in October and Kysha's is in December. 

Chowder's last night home is tomorrow night.  The last two boys are leaving me so quickly and close together.  So sad not to have their wagging tails to make me smile, but Rita and Pudge are getting to the cute stage to help fill the void. 

Always lots to do around here, so I had better get moving.  Just a couple of things to do before I can get ready for bed, and old people need their sleep!

I have gotten pictures, videos and updates from Spot's (now known as Yukio) mom.  He is doing so well.  He seems to get along well with his fur siblings, even if he asks for trouble occasionally.


The puppies' weights tonight at 4 weeks, one day
Rita    1.85   (Est. adult weight from chart is 8.5-9 pounds)
Pudge 1.65   (Est. adult weight from chart is 8 pounds)
Maybe this will slowly come down as they play and romp.  Would be surprised if they really got that big. 

 
Andi's bath is still needed tonight.  Her vet visit is tomorrow! 

Snow is gone and even though the day started out very cold it did get up into the 40's today.

School the next two days and then I am off for Dana's visit.  So much to do before I can be gone!!!  Lesson plans to write out for each day, all work to compile into folders for the substitute to find easily.  

Yesterday rain, today snow.
It did not get bad until this evening though. 

So, Chowder is lonely without Spot.  He cried and carried on last night until I went and got Monique and put her in his expen with him.  That settled him down enough that we could sleep.  Today he was alone again, while we went to Topeka.  After we got home he started crying again, so Dave picked him up and was comforting him.  Chowder is fine when he is out of the expen, even if we are not directly with him.  He will play down in the kitchen while I am upstairs with the other dogs following me.  Go figure,  I guess being alone in a pen is much different than alone but free. 

Looks like Chowder will be leaving on Wednesday morning. The two boys are leaving just in time for the two new puppies to claim the kitchen puppy expen.  Well, not quite yet as the two new puppies are just now starting to move around and play.  They have at least another week upstairs, if not two.  They are making more noise now too.  Growling at each other and crying for Te. 

When we were in Topeka we went to the Harley dealership.  Dave looked and drooled, but we cannot take that plunge yet.  Hopefully within the next two years he can.  I then always think about a couple of people around here that have either died young or have severe health problems.  Will two years be too late?   I sure hope not! 

I can't wait for Monday to see if Andi is pregnant.  She is such a compact and full bodied girl that it is hard to tell until after 6 weeks.  Maggie is built just the opposite, long and lean so every little ounce shows up on her. 

Two of the companies that I wrote to for samples for renewing club members have sent me things!  Yea!  I will send out the first round of renewal membership packets at the end of February since February is when dues are due. 

I need to get the puppies weighed and 4 week pictures taken!  Probably won't get posted tonight though.

Vet visit went well.  Everyone is doing well  Te needs a dental, but that will have to wait until the babies are weaned.  Taking her for 45 minutes away from her babies is greatly different than taking her all day and having surgery done. 

Chowder is now alone.   Spot did leave today.  He has a great new mom and fur siblings.  He will enjoy his new home with so much attention.  Poor Chowder is here all alone.  He has no one close to his age to play with now.    

I think it is about nap time since I had to get up at regular time today.  Still need to get 40 Science tests graded and grades onto the computer today.  I promised they would be posted by tonight.   I may need to run in to school on Sunday.  I don't feel quite ready for this week.  We are redoing our Math groups and I need to finish lesson plans.

Nap while watching Grey's from last night, then Science, then Chowder a bath.  Hmm, need to fit fixing supper in there somewhere too! 

Our weather is changing.  The thunderstorm moved in last night, so the dogs were barking quit a bit.  Really it was only a few of them.  Te, Tobi, and Sis were the biggest offenders!. I finally shut the bedroom door.  Te quieted down once she could not hear the others as much, plus the storm had settled down to just rain. 
Rain today with possible snow tonight (2-4 inches).

The two babies are finally getting more mobile.  They were walking around and playing last night when I got home from school at 8:30.  Still sleeping this morning.

Te got a bath last night.  First one since the babies!   Spot is getting a bath today because he and I are going to visit with a lady that might be his new mom later today. 

Vet appointment at 9, so I had better get going.  Not sure how much this weather will slow us down today.

  


January is GONE! 
We have had such NICE days.  It has been in the 60's the last few days.  I took Spot and Chowder outside for the first time today.  They ran and played like they had been there a million times.  Spot was a little more tentative about it and stuck pretty close to me.  Surprise since he has always been the outgoing one.   I took a few pictures and a video. One pix and the video are above.  We did not stay out very long, but they did enjoy it quite a bit. 

Tomorrow is the last day of school this week.  We do have to work late though.  It is also suppose to turn cold tomorrow with maybe snow tomorrow evening. 
Spot, Chowder and Te are supose to go to the vet on Friday morning for their shots.  Hope I don't have to cancel it.  Wish Friday would be as warm as the rest of the week, when we have been cooped up inside!   I need to start working the girls to see which one(s) might go with me to the show.

The last of the tax stuff has arrived, so I will take it in tomorrow. 

Maggie is starting to get a little belly on her!   Yea!   Should be puppies at the end of February.  Andi goes in Monday for an ultrasound.

I took this picture this morning of the two puppies sleeping on their backs.  I hope you can see just how FAT these two are!   Pudge is on the left and Rita is on the right or bottom.

Trip to Manhattan today to get out of the house for a bit.  Picked up some pee pads from Walgreens.  It was so nice today that we were running around without coats on! 

Talked to both kids today.  So looking forward to our Christmas in February in just over a week!  I am pretty sure that Taylor and her mother will be taking care of dogs while we are gone.  Probably two nights away.  Andi may be on medication by then, but at least the 7 that had dentals will be done with antibiotics way before that.

Bought screens for a couple of drains.  I think the dog hair is clogging up our pipes.  Powerful cleaner put down the pipes that last couple of days has things running better, but keeping the hair out completely will be the best.  It might help if I did not clip ear hair (and feet) in the sink where I bath them!  LOL.  It is so much easier to have them raised to my height to work on them though.  I try to scoop it up and throw it in the trash, but probably miss just enough that the drains are complaining!. 

Here are the babies in their new "home"   Hopefully they will start moving around more since they have twice the room as their whelping box.    TeTe has adapted well to their move and jumps the little fence easily to be with them or away from them.  Both babies are over a pound in weight.  BIG babies!!!

Wrote six letters begging for sample items to send out to the members that renew their BTCA membership.  Hopefully at least one company will respond.    I will send them off in the mail on Monday. 

The two babies are three weeks old!   I need to take them down to the baby scale to weigh them, as they have outgrown the food scale.  To wiggly to stay on it now.  They still sleep quite a bit.  I may be moving them to a larger area this week to encourage them to start moving around.  They seem kind of lazy for three week old babies.  I have had a few babies that I can't keep in the whelping box at this age!

We had our tax appointment this morning.  The only things we are missing is 1099 from Dave grading roads and from his life insurance.    When we got home Dave made some phone calls and I went to the life insurance web site.  I struck out as I could get almost all of the other info, just not able to print a 1099.  Anyway, it looks like we will be getting a bit back this year.  The dog's were in the hole.  Sometimes I forget that I have an automatic deposit from my paycheck each month into the dogs' checking account.  I want to make sure they are taken care of the right way!

Drove with Dave out to his parents.  Dave bought a tractor from his dad. Now Dave won't have the excuse that he needs to borrow a tractor for some of the things that are needing done.  The tractor comes with a blade and a mower.  Dave is already talking about getting a loader for the front of it.  It will be so much easier for him to mow the front pasture with this farm tractor vs. the garden lawn mower tractor. 

If you are a BTCA member, it is time to get your dues paid!   We are working on a gift to send out this year.  Nothing will top the bows and leads sent out last year, but I hope the members still like it!  

February should be a GREAT month.  Dana coming home, celebrating Dereck and Dana's birthdays (Dana's is in March, but she will be here now and not then).  At the end of the month Maggie is due and then Andi in early March.  Plus we normally think of it as the end of winter.  Yes, we get cold and snow in March occasionally, but it doesn't count!  LOL

March brings, Spring Break, hopefully a dog show, warm weather, Andi's puppies, and both litters to play with!

Time to get the sheets in the washer, as it just quit cycling with the items in it now. 

Maybe pix and weights later?

I keep forgetting to tell you that I finally realized some of the header pictures were wrong!  No one even told me!  LOL  I now have A-Emmelie with her description and Mick with his description. 

All of the dogs are now home.  I stayed at school later tonight to work on papers then was going straight to the vet to pick up Gracie.  I guess I was speeding up too soon!  Yep!  I received a speeding ticket!  It has been ages since I have done this, but the police officer took no mercy on me!   LOL  Once back on the road I called the vets' office and told them I would be a bit late since I had been detained. 

Everyone has their medicine for tonight already.  Gracie is over 12 pounds so she has capsules to take.  The tiny pills are easy to hide in a small piece of Puperroni.  I sliced a piece and put the capsule in and Gracie gulped it down.  Hope that keeps continuing!

Did I ever tell you that Spot's ears are up?   The last taping did the job.  They have been up for quite awhile without tape now.  I guess they just weren't ready. 

Te's puppies haven't had the heating pad for 2 days now.  They don't seem to notice.  They don't move around much, but I am sure that will change quickly as they are now three weeks old.  (On Saturday anyway). 

Tax documents and figures are ready for Saturday!  So glad.  This way I can get my shower early and snuggle with my babies to watch Grey's.  

Another beautiful day. The kids did not want to wear coats to recess at noon.

Better go get Dave some supper, I hear him pulling in.