Grandbabies

I realized I forgot a very monumental development in my last post - my grandbabies! They are just 2 months old as of Friday and the loves of my life. For those of you who don't know me well you may assume I would be talking about homo sapiens but for those that do know me well you should realize I am speaking about a more furry variety. And, yes, you are correct I am referring to my dear dog friend Hannah's puppy litter of 7. They are the most beautiful, adorable, sweet, amazing, wild, vicious, chewy, klutzy, fast-growing, sharp-teethed grand babies in the whole world. There are 2 girls and 5 boys: Ripley (the eldest), Holden, Cooper, Parker, Badger (the sharpest teeth, though that wasn't why he got that name), Claire, and Francine.

I was pet-sitting when Hannah gave birth so had to play 'midwife' during the event. It was terrifying and amazing and it is why I feel I have the right to call them my 'grandbabies'. Ripley came out paw first so I freaked out a bit but luckily had a helper that was able to google info and keep me calm. Hannah had a really hard time pushing Ripley out but eventually he plopped out and was just fine. I got a little teary of course. There was one more that came out foot first, but the rest were the proper way (coming out with the sac intact). Hannah did all the hard work of course, eating the sac and chewing off the umbilical cord, so all I really did was sit by her with a worried expression and try to keep her as calm and comfortable as possible. It was a long stressful experience for all of us, but the puppies were all good and have been growing like weeds. I can't believe how big they have gotten already. And they all have very unique personalities already. They all love running and playing and eating and attention. But, a few of them are much bolder and more confident, particularly Francine. Badger was named badger because when he came out he had a dark stripe on his butt that reminded me of a badger, but now the stripe is gone and he is honouring his name by being a big biter. Cooper is the biggest and he watches his surroundings and seems to think about things before he acts. Claire is the smallest and very sweet, she is the biggest cuddle monkey. Parker can be very sweet too but he also gets a bit bratty and will play rough, though that really applies to them all on some level. Ripley tends to go off on his own the most, exploring and is one of the more bold ones. Holden can be cuddly but will scream bloody murder if he does not want to be picked up and taken somewhere (Badger does that too). I have bites on my nose, cheeks, neck, and especially my hands. They also love chewing my hair. If you have to be mauled by anything I think puppies are a good option.

That's about it really. They continue to grow and it makes me sad but is also exciting to see. I hope they all find good homes so I can avoid the temptation to adopt one myself. It is sometimes very very hard to work with dogs and not have one (or 7) of my own!