Sometimes the best laid plans just turn out a little differently than the script we prepare in our heads. Such was the case on Wednesday night. Before I begin, the Wook-lets have arrived in all their glory. Seven round little bellies swell as they nurse happily next to Wookie. In a flash, they’ll be up and running, so these first few days are a time to marvel at their perfection while they lay together in a little pile.
Wookie wasn’t herself on Wednesday. A dog of intense energy, she was lethargic. She would pick up her ball, lay it on the coffee table and stare at it. If the ball was thrown, she would just look at it and then lay down. Her tail was hanging. The sparkle in her eye wasn’t there. The saddest thing of all was that Wookie stopped smiling. She lost her attitude of gratitude and was down and out. Even cottage cheese and freshly baked chicken weren’t enough to excite her taste buds. Wookie was one sad dog with a very full belly of puppies. Feeling them kick was easy. Heck, you could watch her belly move.
A very wise and wonderful woman told MM that Wookie would deliver on Wednesday. All well and good, except that Wookie’s due date was Sunday. A healthy delivery that early didn’t seem possible. We were prepared for a Sunday surprise, even though Wookie wasn’t looking like she’d wait that long. This wise and wonderful woman never doubted the day of the birth. She just KNEW.
I’d been hanging out at MM’s house watching the latest news Wednesday. Priscilla Presley (RIP) was still alive doing whatever she did during her normal day. Biden’s documents were still sitting in his locked garage behind the Corvette. Thursday news stories hadn’t happened yet, while the threats of flooding were still very real. Late in the afternoon, Wookie was moping around when I decided I needed to return home to Oliver.
Ollie has been moping himself. He knows when I leave I am going to have fun somewhere. These days, he sits at the back door waiting for a ride to see his beloved Wookie. Having no thumbs and very short legs, he needs me to drive him there. Unfortunately, he won’t be see Wookie for the next eight weeks. Please don’t tell him that. He’d be crushed.
Male dogs aren’t to be trusted with the tiniest of little puppies. In Oliver’s case, I’ve seen him kill a baby bird and a toad. Violent and vicious, he ate them both in front of me. With Oliver safely watching over Winterpast and the Wook-lets on the other side of town, there is no chance of an unthinkable accident. Oliver will need to visit her in his dreams for a couple months.
Winterpast has been delightfully clean the past few weeks. Christmas is put away. Wednesday’s laundry was folded and put away, and I settled in for a quiet night with Ollie. Dreaming peacefully, I’d been asleep for a few hours when the phone woke me. The time was 11:50 PM and I was greeted by an awake and alert MM on the other end of the line.
“One puppy is here.”
“No.”
“Wait!”
“The second pup is here.”
“Come.”
“Quick.”
Just like that the race was on. Ollie, who is a very sound sleeper, was confused. What was his beloved Mom-Oh doing??? It made no sense! Where did the night go? He rolled with the action, figuring an early breakfast would be great. In minutes, I was on the road to MM’s mansion on the east side of town.
There, in the middle of MM’s beautiful comforter, I found four little Wook-let’s peeping and squeaking with Wookie soon to deliver three more. Who wants to deliver puppies in a prepared whelping bed when there is a very expensive, comfortable, and luxurious mattress on which to give birth? Wookie chose her own spot to deliver. In two hours, the show was over she now has a family of seven healthy babies of her own.
Thank goodness she knows me well and thinks I’m pretty special. She welcomed me to the big event. After all, I’m Oliver’s mom. Wookie is the best dog mom I’ve ever met. Every squeak grabbed her full attention, with lots of vigorous licking and nuzzling, she had this under control. She was happy to be with her full pack, sharing the moment equally with MM and me.
Now, hours of observations begin. I’m on call to Wookie-sit at a moment’s notice. The babies are thriving. A beautiful bunch of black and white, with hints of brown to come. They squeak. They hiccup. They snuggle. All this activity under the watchful eye of Wookie.
If there was one thing I needed once more in my life, it was the scent and sound of a litter of newborn puppies. Puppy breath is a magical thing. It can melt the heart of anyone that is lucky enough to get a whiff. Wookie knows exactly what she is doing with her lucky group of Wook-lets.
Whatever you choose to do this weekend, don’t forget to love on your pet. If you need a puppy fix, try Explore.org. Once there, choose “DogBless” and you’ll have a variety of puppies to watch. My favorite is Service Dog Project, or SDP. Canine Warriors is also a good group. At any rate, Explore.Org is a great internet site on which you will find something wonderful to watch. If you are lucky enough to have access to a real litter of puppies, go see them. Cuddle them and don’t forget to get a whiff of the puppy breath. It’ll cure what ails you.
Have a great weekend. More on Monday.