Puppy skulls and spines!!!

Rave had her xray yesterday and it shows six well formed pups.  I think it's the perfect number for our first litter---both for Rave and me!  Six puppies means there are enough to go around for everyone that wants one, but is also a very manageable number for raising them and making sure each puppy gets lots of attention and care.

Many breeders cautioned me that doing an AI on a maiden bitch may not result in any pups. But clearly Rave and Keen are very fertile, healthy dogs and I trusted my vet to help me get the timing right.  I also knew that Rave's dam had produced very large litters with ease, so I was hopeful that genetics were on our side.  I am so very excited to see what Keen and Rave produce!  Now I just need to be patient and let those pups finish cooking!!!

Rave feels fabulous and I can see how keeping her in such good physical shape during her pregnancy has really been so good for her.  She's still active, strong and happy to catch a frisbee.  I obsessed over her diet and how much exercise to allow so it makes me very happy to see her feeling so good.

Just a few more days to go!!!!

One week to go!!!

Rave enjoyed her last trip to the beach for a few months.  And she took her pups for one last dip on the ocean before they come out!

I am pretty much all consumed by the puppies at this point.  I think about them all the time, and Rave, making sure she's getting everything she needs.  She's become much more needy the last few days, constantly looking for attention.  She's significantly bigger and has slowed down a lot now.  When Rival and Stormy are retrieving, she thinks she wants to give chase, but just can't do it.  She's resting more but still feels great.  She's strong, super fit and in great shape going into this so I am hopeful she'll whelp like a pro.  Rave's dam is an easy whelper and easily raised 11 pups for her recent litter.  Always good!

She's always happy to show off her belly and have it rubbed.  Silly girl!!!  She doesn't look that big when she's upside but her belly is really, really large now.  Two days to the xray!

One week to xray!

Rave continues to get bigger and bigger!  I can actually feel puppies now too.  Like the bones of the puppies!  It's so cool.  Rave seems ravenous now, but she seems to fill up more easily because it takes her forever to eat her meals.  I am going to have to give her smaller amounts now.  I guess seven puppies in her abdomen leaves much less room for food.

We'll do an xray in one week to make sure that seven pups do need to come out.  The countdown has begun!!!

Puppy Nursery!

We spent a good part of the weekend rearranging some things in the house to turn my much loved exercise room into the puppy nursery.  I'll have to deal for a few months by exercising in another part of the house!  We got the whelping box all set up and Rave made herself comfortable in it immediately.  All of my whelping supplies are organized and ready to go.

Rave has started laying around more now and resting as she's getting quite big now.  Her appetite has gone through the roof as well.  Counting the days now!!

The babies are kicking!

All week long, I've been laying with Rave hoping to feel her little babies moving.  It finally happened!  Last night as we layed on the floor, I finally felt one of the babies kicking.  It was the coolest thing.  Rave isn't acting too differently.  When she's running, she's a bit slower now and isn't trying to keep up with Rival all the time anymore, but she's still keen to run and play.  And she is definitely seeking out more attention and affection, which I am happy to provide.  I've also had to up her food a bit this week, as she's pretty thin and I really want her to have some reserves on her as she goes into whelping and rearing the pups.

This weekend, we are going to set up the puppy nursery and whelping box.  I feel pretty prepared at this point, though I still need to pick up a few things for the whelping.  I am starting to get really, really excited to meet these little ones!!!

The growing belly!

Here is Rave's belly at about 5.5 weeks pregnant.  She's definitely starting to slow down a bit now.  Only three more weeks to go!!!

Rave is losing her girlish figure!

Rave has always been a very thin, fit, athletic girl.  But just in the last two days, her girlish figure is disappearing!  Her belly is growing and she's always eager to eat more.  I don't want to up her food too much yet, as it's a bit early to do that and I do want to keep her as fit as I can until the delivery.  She's still keen to go on our daily off leash walks and wants to play ball or frisbee, though I am being paranoid and not letting her do that, except in the pond.  Rave has some crazy moves and I don't want her to hurt the little babies growing inside her!!!

I'll try to get a picture of her belly, she's upside down all the time looking for belly rubs so should be pretty easy.  :-)