We have a very odd puppy!

Envy came and brought us her "first puppy"...

Then she took the "puppy" to her whelping box...

She's very proud of it, don't you think?

Here is the little gaffer, mind you I've never seen a fawn Dane with a white mask!!

I've tried to tell her to just start pushing and then she would get to have real kids - she didn't seem to care!!

Finally...

Gotcha'!  You thought I meant that she had finally had her puppies - NOPE!  I say finally for her gosh darned temperature to drop to 98.2.

It's a start, what can I say?

Temperature

Not that I am a believer in this whole temperature thing, but last night at 10:30 pm hers was 100.8 and this morning at 8:30 am it was 99.4, IF it continues in this downward trend then they tell us that means puppies.... ya' right! lol

Of course with this delay in whelping it leads me to think that Envy does not ovulate when everyone else does (5-8 ng/ml on progesterone) it makes me wonder if that's why the last two frozen implants didn't work.

I'm going to pop in a movie and try and waste some time, right now it's only Raven, myself and the dogs that are awake, so I'm trying to keep everything quiet.

Sleep

I got sleep last night!!!  Darcy, being the excellent man that he is told me to go to bed last night at 9 pm, so with very little protest I went up stairs and crashed while he did his turn at puppy watch. As much as I am not a morning person being up at 5:30 am does have it's advantages....

... the kids are still asleep and not asking if Envy has "layed her puppies yet".

... I don't have two other dogs staring at me with eyes that say "Why does she get stew?"

... there are not 3 cats to chase away from all my clean puppy towels (mind you, it's more likely that they are just now hanging out on my other clean laundry that I have been too tired to put away!)

I've been wrong before, but I would check back often today...

Envy's walk about

So this is what we have been up to, as you can see she has no interest in having puppies (I think she listened to all the horror stories I tell people about having my kids!).

I haven't been ignoring you guys, there has just not been a whole lot to share!! LOL

Still Waiting

Just to follow through in true Envy style, she ate 2 bowls of homemade beef and rice stew, dug up some more bedding and has promptly fallen asleep!
I will post our last temp for the day later, but I just wanted to make sure that everyone was kept in the loop....would hate to think that everyone wasn't being tormented right along with me!!

More Tummy TV

Well it's early, earlier then sane people get up.  Temp is still hovering at 100... I've never done the temperature thing before, now I know why I don't, its just one more thing to drive me nuts.  All the puppies have moved back and down, Envy only ate a mouthful of food this am and she actually dug at her blankets last night.

Due Date

Here is the whelping box all set up in the kitchen.

...all the supplies for whelping - as you can see towels are a HUGE factor!

And as we all know, as if you couldn't see it coming - here is Envy doing nothing. No panting, no digging, no contractions - she's had her dinner for the night and asks that the paparazzi leave her in peace. You know there is a reason they call female dogs bitches!
I know that my last night of real sleep for the next 8 weeks was last night, and now I get to 'sleep' on the couch waiting to hear the slightest muffle from her - joy of joy! LOL
....now we wait...

Temperature Game

Hope this makes sense to everyone...I made a whole chart but it got screwed up so this is what you get!!

April 7th - 1:55pm 100.4
10:26pm 100.8
April 8th - 7:34am 100
9:50pm 100.4
April 9th - 8:15am 100.2
6:08pm 100.8
8:15pm 101.2

Comparison Pictures

Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of the changes over the past 9 weeks. Keep in mind that the second picture, Envy has got her front legs in a hole that she was digging, and her topline is normally very level!!

Temperature Count down

Well we've made it!  We're on the temperature countdown to puppies.  

For more information go to DebbieJensen.com the website has good information and pictures, too bad she's a back yard breeder (at least it looks like she cares what happens to her pups and does health tests).

Envy's temp at 1:55pm was 100.4 and her due date based not on first date of breeding, but day of ovulation... to learn more about this read this transcript if you don't want to read the whole thing then scroll down to page 10 and start reading.

We know that the blood drawn at 9:13 am on Feb 7 2008 (Thursday) gave us 4.19 ng/ml, now I know that it isn't the 5 ng/ml that Hutch talks about but it's pretty darn close, so we will make the educated guess that within 12 hours of that blood drawn she made it to that all 

important 5 ng/ml.  Then you add 63 days to the Feb 7th date and you have some time around dinner time on April 10 (Thursday).

I think Nava feels along the same lines as we all do...

"All we do is wait!"

Thoughts and Ideas

I believe that I have narrowed some things down in my mind (of course that is a world full of voices, familiars, a time machine, sugar and a poor three legged hamster on a squeaky wheel).

If we have all 8 puppies that are live and healthy I think we will go for a "Power" theme, examples:

MiHi's I Have The Power
MiHi's Powerful Phenomenon
MiHi's Power Surge
MiHi's Feel The Power
MiHi's Higher Power
MiHi's Solar Powered
MiHi's Power To Please
MiHi's Girl Power
MiHi's She's Got Will Power
MiHi's Pure Power
MiHi's Paw Power
MiHi's Xtreme Power
MiHi's Power Of Luv
MiHi's Flower Power
MiHi's I Cause Power Outages

...anyways you get the idea...

Let me know what ya' think, any additional ideas welcome (Power House can not be used as there is already a Dane with that name).

Envy Tummy TV

If the video above doesn't work you can see it on YouTube

Week #8

I find more and more I get Envy with all four feet in the air.  Below it really shows that Envy's belly is getting big!

I took some video of Envy's belly and will post it once I have a chance to edit it.

The Xray

Since the other picture didn't enlarge I thought I wold repost it for those "crazy" puppy people...teeheehee - you know who you are!!!

Week #7.4

Envy in her favourite position nowadays.

This is Envy on the Xray table at the vets waiting for her xray to be developed...

Here is the xray...

I'm not sure if you can click on the picture to make it bigger, but if you can, you might be able to count all the kids in there.  

I know how many - do you??

New video

I took some quick video of Envy enjoying a good role in the grass, that I thought might make you all giggle! Click here to watch the video on Utube.

Week #7

Look at me being so good!  I took pictures I spent a good portion of this weekends nights trying to figure out how to hook up my Mac to Ustream the whelping live.  I have managed to figure out all of it except how to turn on the Mac's camera....I'm starting to really hate Mac!!

Depending on how the week plays out anytime after Tuesday, we can have an xray done to find out numbers.  I would rather wait until next week, but we all know how well I wait! LOL

If anyone is a Mac expert and can solve the camera issue, drop me a line.

Name thoughts

As I sit and watch Envy's belly grow bigger and bigger, I find myself in a mental battle with myself (I know those are never good and hard to win!)
I have to date, always stuck with an alphabet theme with my litters...first litter had to have A's in it, the second litter B and so on...but (and it's a big but - not as big as my butt, but I digress) I think I would rather do theme litters. I love the rational behind doing the alphabet, but I really like the fun of themes. Now if I was to do a theme litter, what theme would I pick?? Oh the torture!! My brain is on overload. My first instinct is to do something along the lines of "wonder" or maybe a "super heroes" theme, but those things don't seem to capture the heart ache, waiting and final triumph of this litter.
Of course the really superstitious part of me still doesn't want to acknowledge the litter for fear that things will be jinxed, but then at what point do I let my guard down to enjoy it?

So now that you know how pathetic my brain waves are, any thoughts?

Oh and before I forget Envy's weigh in was 137.7 lbs

Week #6.3

I'm trying to be a good girl and post lots of pictures to keep everyone in the loop.  If I remember to bring my other camera home from work, I will post a video.  I guess I should figure out how to set my Mac book up to do a live feed, that way you guys could just log on and watch the whelping.....I'd just have to remember not to put my big butt in front of the camera!! LOL

Envy was sure that I wasn't going to give her a cookie I had out on the counter and started pouting...

I thought this picture showed the roundness of her tummy.  I will try to take her in for a weight in and hope that she has managed to put a lot of her weight back on.

Week #6

I was always told that the Easter Bunny was a rabbit but here is photographic proof that in fact the Easter "bunny" is a Dane...Here is Envy showing off her belly....

Week # 6

Sorry to be so remiss about adding photos! It seems I spend most of my time trying to get Envy to eat the item of the day. When I went to Save-On-Foods I was most likely heard muttering "Why is everything low or non fat, what if we want fat! Geesh!"
Envy's breakfast was a couple pounts of regular ground beef, her lunch was stewed beef, veggies and rice over kibble with an egg stirred in for luck.
A friend of mine's bitch is due this weekend, so I may post a few pictures of her spotted kids to give you a taste of puppy breath. But I wanted to warn you ahead of time that we could not have spotted babies!! So don't worry!

Meal Time

Here are all the ingredients for Envy's meals (there is pasta in the bowl):

You can see the pasta mixed with yogurt and whipping cream

This is everything mixed up, 1.5lbs regular ground beef (the entire package pictured), 5 organic free-range eggs (scrambled with the garlic), 1 tablespoon of garlic, 1/2 cup whipping cream and 1/2 cup yogurt.

Envy looking at dinner, she will happily look at it but I have to hand feed her at least 3 times a day with this concoction.

This picture was from last night.

And the answer is.....

I know that normally I am pretty good at posting pictures, but I only have news today.
I was going to take Envy in to the vet on Tuesday for a palpation, but was quickly going insane with not knowing what was going on - so I phoned up my friend (she owns 2 of our kids) at the vet clinic and begged her to put me out of my misery. Thankfully there was a cancellation and we were squeaked in on Friday at noon.
Dr. Brian palpated her abdomen and said "No puppies!"
Dr. Anita came in asking "How many puppies?!"
"None" exclaimed both of us.
"Impossible! You have done every test under the sun, there are puppies. We just have to find them. Follow me, it's time for an ultrasound."
Off to ultrasound we went - we weren't going to have an ultrasound done for various reasons, but Dr. Anita was worried that if there were no puppies, then Envy might have other issues that remained undiagnosed.
On went the ultrasound and Envy was smeared with goo.
"There's the bladder....there is the pancreas...Oh there's a - no that's the bladder again.....One!, two!, three!, four!, five!, six!...."
"Stop counting! Stop counting!! I don't care how many, I just care that she's pregnant!!"

So there we are Ladies and Gentlemen - we have puppies!

The first due date is April 10th, keep checking back. I actually had a great night of sleep - it always amazes me how much I can drive myself nutty! Well not really. lol

Week #4 - I have a secret

Here are pictures from today, week 4. She's down to 221 lbs, but doesn't look like she's lost a pound....

Week #3

Here is a picture of Envy impersonating a mime trapped in a box...Figured I should stop teasing you guys and take a picture of Envy with no dinner in her gut!

Here is another of her playing goofy in the kitchen...

A front shot of her belly, with no dinner in it.

So now that I am done torturing you guys I will go back to torturing myself by staring at her to the oint were Darcy is convinced that I am going to give her a complex!!

Week #2 Pictures

Today Giblet and Envy were having a cuddle session, poor Envy puts up with so much from Giblet. Giblet constantly head-butts Envy for attention, so this is how Envy deals with it, she rests her head on the cat.

As for the next photos I will apologize for my need to exam her from ever angle - the down side to taking a photography course and being neurotic with a huge dose of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). Keep in mind that these pictures are a couple of hours post dinner...

....Maybe???

Birds eye view...I'm sticking with the dinner story, I think we are seeing a big belly of kibble, but I can always hope - right?

Guinness's Video

Since I can't seem to make it work by embedding it, you need to follow the link!

Week 1 Pictures

Here are a few pictures of Envy lounging around in the kitchen. Nava was very jealous that she wasn't getting her picture taken, hence the legs in the picture below!

Below are a few more pictures of Guinness for everyone to enjoy...

I am also putting the finishing touches on a little video of Guinness so I will post a link when I get a chance...gotta keep you coming back for more! LOL

Please remember that all pictures are property of M.Grenkow Inc. 2008 and are copy written. They may not be reproduced, copied, or used in any way without express written permission from Michele Grenkow.

Edmonton Trip

Here is Envy getting cozy for the long trip to Edmonton in the back seat of Darcy's truck.

A view of the road traveling to see Guinness.

Here is another pictures of Guinness. Thanks again to the hospitality of Dave, Noreen and Sonia! Now we wait...*sigh*
Over the next few weeks I will try and post all the pictures from the trip so you have something to look at while we all wait!

Dear Lord, here we go again!

Mark it on your calendars - "Envy Day #1"

This means that Feb 9th - 12th I'm off to Edmonton for a natural breeding.
I expect EVERYONE to wear their lucky socks, underwear and any
other 'lucky' garment that weekend!!

Ho Hum...

I don't know if it is because I have 2 weeks off and am already bored our of my mind or if this is the plotting scheme of a very evil Great Dane named Envy, to slowly drive me crazy. No, she's not in heat yet, I'm starting to think this is her longest wait between cycles. On the up side with my new camera I get to catch in insanity in 4x7 stills!