I'm sure it'll be funny in a few weeks...

I notice I really only blog about our soon-to-be-born baby :) and our crazy dogs, and since I've had so many baby updates, I thought it was about time to add a dog one, thankfully not our dog...anymore!! But first, it just so happens to be my birthday today, the big 3-0(!!!!) and I was thankfully feeling good enough to grab a quick lunch at Abuelos, with Nich who happened to have a few hours off, after a very good NST! Here's a picture to capture all the glory of being gigantic and 30! And yes, I think my face is definitely getting that "chubby" look to it all pregnant women seem to get in their last month, but at least my belly doesn't have stretch marks yet, knock on wood!! Of course, now that I've said that, I'm sure to wake up to a whole purple spider web drawn around my disappeared belly button tomorrow morning...

Ok, so on to the dog story. About a week and a half ago, a VERY sweet, white-faced golden retriever sat in our front yard and refused to leave. Nich saw the dog smiling at him with all teeth showing, and it took a minute to realize this was a happy face, not a growling, stay-away-from-me face. He quickly made friends with this sweet-natured dog and suprised me awake with this golden by bringing the somewhat dirty dog into the bedroom! He had to leave and so there I was with a dog, and I checked to see if it was male or female, but with my big belly and the somewhat matted fur, I couldn't really tell...so I dubbed the dog "Roger" and perhaps "Shirley." The dog didn't care, but I quite liked the name Roger.

Roger spent the day outside with a big bucket of water and some food, and wouldn't leave. Spent the next day outside right next to the front door, which is designed like an oven and is the hottest place outside. Poor Roger! I decided to crate this sweet dog inside since I wasn't ready to deal with FOUR inside dogs. We did this for a few days and nights until it was clear all the dogs got along, meanwhile having put up "FOUND" signs, an ad on craigslist, and an ad in the paper. No nibbles by any possible owners at any of our efforts.

Then my mom came into town to take over for Nich's mom, and she took one look at this sweet dog and knew a family in Houston who would LOVE to take this golden to replace their very sweet, OLD golden whom they lost a few months ago, YES!! We made arrangements for my dad to drive the dog back to Houston the next day, but decided to get Roger checked out at the vet just to make sure all was fine. As it turned out, Roger was pregnant with about 3 pups (via ultrasound), due anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks from then, and about 8 years old. I figured that's why she refused to lift her leg to pee...she's a she. That ruled the Houston family out, and we made a phone call to the Humane Society of West Texas, whom we used to do a lot of fostering for. The HSWT has a freeze on all animals since all foster homes are full, but after hearing our sob story managed to find a foster who could take her on Tuesday.

That night, Roger was really growly with the other dogs and so slept in the room with my mom, the future nursery. I woke up to dogs barking to what sounded like the smoke detector chirping, and my mother woke up from a dream wondering how you could hear puppies barking from within the womb. "So far, there's 9 of them" was all I heard when I went to check out the smoke detector...9 whats? Only 9 puppies! YIKES! Roger gave birth all over the carpet to 9 cute, whiny, blind, puppies all struggling to get to the too few 8 teets; afterbirth all over and their cords still hanging off of them. My mother's comment? "This is why I wouldn't recommend a home birth." Ha ha ha ha ha! The blood and GREEN amniotic fluid was everywhere!

Oh the smell. We couldn't really clean anything very well with all the pups, and our dogs were just way to interested in everything, so my mother (oh, my poor mom, thank you mom!!!!) cleaned up Roger from head to toe of all the bodily fluids, and got the carpet as clean as one can get it with soapy water and rags. Another phone call to the HSWT to explain how 2-3 weeks turned into 12 hours, and 3 pups turned into 9...he would get in contact with us soon. One day, two days, three days...we would call with no answers back. Oh dear, surely they couldn't be avoiding us... And after a bunch of online research, my sweet mother was feeding special food to Roger every few hours, trying to get her away from her puppies to go potty at least a few times a day, and sleeping in the room with one ear on Roger and a smell that is unlike any other.

FINALLY we heard back from the HSWT, YES!! The foster family was going to come get them the next day, woohoo! The next day, I get a phone call at 5:30 PM, "No, we can't come out because my dad is sick today. How about tomorrow after 6:30 PM?" Noooooooo! My mom offered to drive Roger, whom she renamed Ethel and Goldie, yes two names for this very seasoned dog, and puppies out to Post herself. They were fine with that, and I snapped a few pictures to remember these sweet puppies, this really wonderful mamma dog, and the whole craziness surrounding this fun-filled week!

Everyone made it to Post where "Goldie" immediately made herself at home (again), and we were trying to figure out how to replace the carpet before our baby gets here. Well, thank goodness for Carpet Tech! They came the next day and cleaned, steamed, sprayed, and did all kinds of fancy things to the carpet, and now it looks brand new! Can't tell a single thing happened in there, and now my mother can sleep in peace and a nice smelling room again - and all sterilized for baby when he gets here :)

"Roger"

All the puppies were black (labs mixes?) with one tan one with boxer markings.

Cute puppies!

The odd one out, but also the PUSHIEST!!