Just like I've heard humans say about their kids for years, these puppies are growing up so fast! We are relieved. We're so eager for them to be strong - especially little #6!

Whether it's her precociousness or how well her eyes show up on her white face, she looks like she'll be the first to open her eyes!

We're still not getting enough sleep, but we think they are!

By the manner of our living we will be known - Jesus is recognized by what he does with bread. How do people recognize you?
Luke 24:13-35 The Road to Emmaus

I find it easier to accept myself as beloved and acceptable if I don't weigh myself every day. We love these puppies by weighing them at least once a day. The largest are over 100 grams heavier than the smallest. It's obvious when we pick them up. But by holding them in our hands we wouldn't know who dropped 15 grams overnight and who gained 20.

Their weight chart has many days remaining and we plan to flip it over and keep tracking #6 and her vulnerable siblings. Hear that, #6 (occasionally know as Olivier)? We're counting you, and counting on you!

If I was in Ezekiel's shoes, I wouldn't know. Not if the dry bones are the nine puppies we're fostering. Not if the dry bones are the church, not if the dry bones are the fragile and front-line folks in our dis-eased world. I don't know which seeds will sprout, which leggy seedlings will transplant and live, which plants will share a harvest.

I planted this garden during Crest Manor's first zoom worship service. I thought the clear vase with dirt would become the most dramatic blooming bulb. Instead that green blade has not arisen. Which of my heartfelt plans and sincere dreams will not bear fruit?

Mabel has 9 puppies and six producing nipples. Two more that might release a little milk, but it might drain more calories from a pup to work away at those than they can gain (same with her vagina, which they often nurse since there aren't enough nipples to go around). We are constantly moving puppies around, rotating in the weakest couple to the best nipples.

We've tried bottle feeding, maybe...20 times? Multiple bottles, nipples, droppers, and a couple kinds of milk replacement. It's nearly useless (we've even tested on the stronger pups - they don't like it either). We may have supplied essential calories to #6 (most vulnerable) a couple days ago when her weight dropped the lowest. Otherwise she sleeps through our attempts. She is latching well on Mabel, but not gaining weight. She nurses longer than the other pups, who can fill their bellies and roll off for a nap. (Yes, we've called all the vets for advice.)

There are more puppies videos if you could use some endorphins!

We lived in a van for our dogs (more or less).

Now we'll stay home with our covid-19 era puppies. But mama Mabel brought them into the air while we were on the road.

We hear about shelters "running out" of dogs throughout the US. Mama Mabel and these 9 puppies will be available for adoption late May/early June. Apply at https://www.pawswapofgreaterlafayette.com/adopting.html Welcome work/life balance and a healthier body, mind and spirit with pets!

Why did Mabel have more puppies than she can nurse? Is this a built-in way to strengthen her litter by sending out a couple extra so the strongest survive? If so, we're hoping to intervene and help all nine survive.

Church friends took turns with us and we (barely) led a Good Friday service while puppy #4 was born. Cyndi and I took Mabel and those four puppies to the vet while Phillip finished the service (and #5-6 were born in the parking lot). Then the Fourmans held a puppy each and we all tried to bottle-feed while Mabel had puppies #7-9.
Phillip and I both had to facilitate the Easter service, so my sister Heidi (in Chicago) and cousin Lydie (in North Carolina) watched the dogs in a zoom meeting (covid-19 era nanny cam?). Taking turns!
Live puppy cam coming tonight!

We hear about shelters "running out" of dogs throughout the US. Mama Mabel and these 9 puppies will be available for adoption late May/early June. Apply at https://www.pawswapofgreaterlafayette.com/adopting.html Welcome work/life balance and a healthier body, mind and spirit with pets!

She'd been a mother for awhile, but today she found out.

We aren't the first (or the last) to be awed by maternal instincts kicking in. But I can't keep from telling you - it was amazing! Through the night she just thought she needed a bathroom break--every ten or twenty minutes. It was a long night for all of us.
Nearly a minute after the first puppy came out, Mabel noticed it and then the licking started. It hasn't stopped.

We hear about shelters "running out" of dogs throughout the US. Mama Mabel and these 9 puppies will be available for adoption late May/early June. Apply at https://www.pawswapofgreaterlafayette.com/adopting.html Welcome work/life balance and a healthier body, mind and spirit with pets!

Hannah died in February and even though we knew that day would come our hearts were broken. Our beloved companion, with Phillip for ten years. A hole remains in our family and we think of Hannah every day. 

And we also knew, well before Hannah died, that we would have a new space in our family, and that while we didn’t want to adopt another dog or pretend that we could fill the hole of Hannah, we did want to foster a dog when the opportunity came along. To provide temporary home for, perhaps, a complicated dog – we've had a variety of those in our lives. 

Ten days ago a dog rescue called us because they needed a pet-free home in a hurry. 
A very pregnant dog had been found, abandoned or lost, and they didn’t want her to give birth at the shelter. 

We hadn’t wanted our home to be pet-free, but only because Hannah is dead, did we have an opportunity, a new beginning, so Mabel came to stay with us. And on Good Friday she had nine puppies – talk about death to life!

We keep getting the question “how many puppies will you keep?” or “Will you keep Mabel?” and, even though I trust this will be harder as the weeks go by, we say no. Because Mabel taught us how important it is to be available. And we will say goodbye to these ten dogs in time, and this ending will create a home for a new beginning.

Gardens don't begin with a seed; they begin with death.