Big changes!

What an amazing few days. I am constantly in awe of these little puppies and of Tioga. In the last two days the puppies eyes have opened nearly all the way and they have started "toddling" in earnest - holding up their weight on wiggly legs for several seconds as the move across the whelping box. They really look like a couple of drunks...eyes half open and stumbling all over the place!! Tioga is an amazing mom. Instinctively, she knows how to care for the pups with gentleness and affection. They are truly creating a beautiful bond, especially now that their eyes have opened. It is almost as if they are trying to memorize her face. They crawl right up to her nose and with their little bobble heads, stare right into her eyes. She licks their little noses (then they open their mouths wide, like baby birds, and she even licks inside their mouths.)

Another big change is that I am no longer camped out beside the whelping box. Last night, I slept in my own bed for the first time in 12 days. I sure did miss my bed, but was very leary about leaving Tioga to manage them on her own. Around 1 am, I heard the pups making quite a racket, so I headed downstairs expecting to find Tioga sleeping in her crate and the pups crying for mom. To my surprise, Tioga was in the whelping box and the pups were NOISLY nursing. What a great mom she is and what a bunch of noisy eaters!!!

The puppies got to be show-and-tell for Sophie at preschool. She was beaming with pride at "her puppies" and loved being able to tell all the kids EVERYTHING she knows about dogs.

Dakota is happy that Tioga is starting to pay a bit more attention to him. She actually cleaned his ears yesterday to his delight! He has missed her companionship.

We spent the last two days decorating for the holidays. I am back to "baby proofing" our holiday displays, thinking to the future of Squirrel and Mudge ramming around the place!