More Puppy Pics

Eye to Eye

Reading to the puppies...

We made sure the puppies got some Vitamin D time and excersise outside daily.

It was a chore to keep the puppies in our yard and all in sight.

Maylee loved holding a puppy while swinging. 

The puppies loved it too and often would fall asleep!

Random March 2011 Photos

We were shopping a clearance boot table looking for cheap deals on a couple pairs of boots for "borrowing boots" in my classroom.  We hear a clomp-clomp noise and look down.  Maylee had taken the stuffing out of these SIZE 14 mens boots and was trying to walk in them.  Then she thought it was funny to sit on the backs of the boots and tip back.  After the second time, we put a stop to her new game before she hit her head on the floor.

One morning, driving to the babysitter's house Maylee starts saying "Owee eyes."  It was because the sun was shining in her eyes.  We got her some sunglasses (which she calls "owee eyes")...problem solved.

Maylee loves to climb up into rocking chairs and rock away.  This chair is in her room.  It was her great, great, great grandmother's chair.

Cousins Emma and Sarah came to visit.  Maylee enjoyed wearing Emma's hat and then riding her bike to "crash."

 

Puppies Are Born!

We did an x-ray of Cinder prior to delivery to know how many homes to find for the puppies.  The vet counted skulls and backbones and came up with six with both counts.  He said, "Don't be surprised if one or two more are hiding."

Cinder waited until we got home to have her pups.  We went to the store on our way home from school so we were later than normal and you could tell Cinder knew we were late.  I unloaded groceries while Kev took Cinder outside to go to the bathroom.  He came back in saying she was acting funny and threw up so maybe she was in labor.  He went downstairs to get the kiddie pool and scrap blanket for Cinder.  I started dinner and had two burners going and Maylee at my heels.  Kev put the pool in our bedroom, Cinder went around and around in circles fluffing the blanket and then laid down and popped out a puppy in less than a minute.  Kev yells to me, "Holy ___! Cinder just had a puppy! Call the vet!" I shut off the burners, called the vet, walked Kev through what to do, and tried to keep Maylee out of the way.  I got off the phone and told Kev this is not working in our bedroom - not enough room to move around the pool plus it is messy and I don't want the mess on the carpet.  We slid Cinder in the pool out to the living room.  I got Maylee some food and put her in the high chair so she would be out of the way but could still watch what was going on.  We thought Puppy #1 was a black male until Puppy #2 was born and then we figured out #1 was definately chocolate and #2 was a black male.  Puppies #3 (chocolate female), #4 (chocolate female), & #5 (black male) all came ten minutes apart.  Then there was a long break but we knew there was still another puppy according to the x-ray. 

 

After 40 minutes of nothing, we left a message for the vet to call us.  At this point Maylee is done in the high chair and wanting down.  A few minutes later, the vet calls us back and keep in mind the next part of labor happens in about five minutes....
While talking to the vet Puppy #6 (chocolate male) was born.  He wasn't breathing so Kev rubbed him in a towel and he started moving and breathing after a few seconds.  Maylee was in the way so phone in one hand and Maylee in the other, I scooped her up and flopped her into her crib and went back out to the living room.  After each pup was born, Kev would hold the pup while I tied string around the cord and cut the sack away and put it in the garbage.  Both our hands were gross and very busy.  I was still talking to the vet when Puppy #7 (chocolate female) was born.  She was definately the runt and the vet said one or two may be hiding.  So none of us were surprised.  We hung up with the vet, started to clean up, and Cinder leaves the pool to walk around.  We are thinking we are done with the last pup being a runt.  Cinder followed Kev downstairs when he went to wash the scrap blanket (really gross and smell from labor).  I bundled the pups in old towels to keep them warm.  Five minutes later, Kev turned around from the washing machine and almost got after Cinder for pooping on the floor when he realized that poop was moving.  Puppy #8 (chocolate male) was born - how fitting for it to be chocolate colored. Kev shouted from downstairs "We have another pup!" and we helped Cinder get settled with that pup and the others in new bedding in the pool.  So now we really think we are finished and clean ourselves up.  I went back to tend to Maylee, who patiently waited quietly in her crib.  She said "Hi Mama. Baby" (referring to Cinder's babies).  We got her into pjs, brushed her teeth, and put her properly back to bed.  Twenty-five minutes after Puppy #8 was born out comes #9 (chocolate male).  We were so shocked!  Then Puppy #10 (black female) came almost an hour after Puppy #9.  The last puppy wasn't breathing, Kev rubbed it like the Puppy #6 with no luck.  Then I had him pass it to me.  I had a towel around her, tipped her at a 45 degree angle and rubbed quickly for about 20 seconds before she started breathing!  Twenty seconds seemed like forever!  We stayed up late with Cinder not knowing if for sure #10 was the last pup and to keep an eye out on the runt and the last puppy (also the largest). 

We were definately surprised to get 10 puppies and it was interesting playing an active role in the process.  We took the pups to the vet three days later for their dew claws to be removed and a check-up.  Their weights ranged from 11.75oz to 1 pound 4.5 oz.  A few days later we let Maylee hold them.  She loves them!

Maylee's Ski Season Report

Maylee's total ski trips: 5
Maylee's total bunny hill runs: 60
Watching our 17 month old love skiing: PRICELESS

By the end of the season she knew:
-how her boots hooked onto her skis (but she needed help pushing down on the bindings)
-how to walk forward while wearing skis
-how to turn on flat ground with skis on
-that you hold onto the rope to get to the top (just rested her hand on the rope while we held her)
-snow is fun to eat (she liked getting a bite before going back up the hill)
-and, that the lodge has yummy hot chocolate :-)

By the way, STONZ Wear makes the best baby mittens and boots!!  We LOVE them!!

Maylee Skiing

Knowing Maylee likes to play in the snow and loves to wear adult shoes and does well walking in them, we decided to have her try skiing.  We got the smallest set of old skis my dad had and Maylee had great interest in them at the house.  Next, we had her try it in the side yard and driveway.  She liked it but the equipment was too big. 

A couple of weekends later, my parents came up to go skiing with Maylee and me while Kev was in Boise for a meeting.  I rented the smallest skis and boots for Maylee.  She did two runs and then a break in the lodge with Papa while Mom and I skied.  After lunch, Maylee did four more runs.  Using sign language, she would tell us if she wanted "more" or if she was "all done."  For run number five and six, Maylee was trying to hook her boots in the skis on her own because she wanted more.

Heading to the lodge...the sled is a must for hauling Maylee and gear

Maylee thinks, "Ammie, why are you having me put all this stuff on?"



First run...(16 months old)

Here are more pictures from the first trip.  Notice how she tends to look down because she likes to watch her skis go over the snow.  She also usually makes a "motor" noise when we go fast.  After lunch we tried the harness on her to help her stay more upright, but she still likes to look down at the snow.

Headed back to the car...

We decided to go ahead and buy Maylee her own equipment vs. renting and I found a decent deal on ebay.  We figured this set should last her through next season and possibly the one after that too, plus can be used for future sibling(s).  Kev was bummed that he missed her first time skiing so the next time we went his back and legs got a turn of skiing with her.  :-)  Again, Maylee loved skiing and beat her previous score of six runs by doing sixteen on this day!  She kept telling us "more."  Kev's back and knees were done after twelve runs and he skied over to the sled with Maylee to end the day.  She saw him take his skis off and said "No Dada! More!" Then she started shuffling her skis back over to the rope tow so they did four more runs.

She LOVES to go fast!!

We also taught our cousins Emma and Sarah how to ski this season, and brushed the rust of their dad.  :-)

Aunt Patty watched Maylee most of the times we skied with the girls and Wes.  However, the first time Emma and Sarah came with us Maylee joined them on the bunny hill.  Maybe in a couple more seasons, Maylee will be on the big hill with them.