Puppy photo shoot

Puppy photo shoot! :) Enjoy. Thanks soooo much Courtney :)

Sprinkles and Ally

Dietrich

Runtacus

Blue's Clues

Sprinkles

Click here to see the rest.

Puppy update!

Sorry for the lack of updates. It's been super busy around here between kids, puppies, new apartment, getting ready for vacation, ect;

Puppies are doing great though! They will be 2 weeks old tomorrow! I'm going to do a mini puppy photo shoot tonight so I'll post those pictures later.

All the puppies are "named" as of right now.

Dietrich (Ruby boy)- The biggest of all the puppies and Courtney's new baby. He loves to snuggle and knock other puppies out of the way when it comes time for food. He also whines like a human baby when something doesn't go his way.

Runtacuss (Ruby boy)- he desperately needs a new name. Runtacuss was bestowed upon him at 3 AM one night when I was trying to force him to eat because he was so little. He was a little runt and he made me cuss like a sailor. Therefore he is affectionately known as Runtacuss lol. Luckily the eating and cussing paid off because he's now the 2nd biggest! He has the prettiest markings of all the puppies with a "Kiss of Buddha" on his forehead.

Blues Clues (Ruby girl)- Lexie's mini me! She's absolutely precious and if I didn't already have a ruby I'd keep her. She has the exact same markings as her mommy and much the same personality. Love bug is really the only way to describe this little princess. I thought about naming her "Lady" since that is Lexie's first name. She's the smallest as of right now.

Sprinkles (Blenheim girl)- My new baby. Lexie loves all of her puppies but she's absolutely into Sprinkles. Maybe just because she has a different coloring than the other 3. She's the 2nd smallest and loves to snuggle with her sister. We always find the girls together on one side of the box and the boys on the other. Like I said, I'd keep them both if I didn't want to be labeled a dog hoarder. She's a pretty content puppy until it comes to her dinner. Then watch out... she can't ever seem to find her own nipple so she knocks everyone else off of theirs instead. Problem child much?

Lexie is doing great also! Although I'm pretty sure if she were a human mommy she'd have hired a nanny by now. She loves the puppies, but is too nosey to stay with them all the time. She'd much rather be down with the humans and so we are constantly back and forth up and down stairs putting her with the puppies. We had some issues with getting her to eat in the beginning but a few days ago she discovered food again and is eating everything in site!

Anyway just a quick update. Pictures to come later!

We have puppies!

Around 2PM today Lexie became a Mommy (much to her own dismay)

We got the picture text of 4 beautiful babies while eating lunch at Applebees. I'm pretty sure the staff thought we were crazy when we started screaming about the baby quadruplets that had just been delivered...

2 little ruby boys, 1 ruby girl and 1 blenheim girl. They are all nameless right now except for the blenheim girl named "Addison (my choice) Sprinkles (Ally's choice)". I'll let Mom give the other 3 their temp names since she paid for everything lol.

Lexie did have to have a C-section. She just wouldn't go into labor on her own. When we went to pick her and the puppies up, Lexie was disgusted with them. HATE is really the only word that comes to mind when I try to describe her reaction to them at first. Luckily she is coming around and right now they are all snuggling. She's started licking them, reacting to their cries, and nursing without us holding her down. She'll be a pro in no time. The puppies obviously loooove their mommy and scream like little piglets whenever they are separated from her.

I'll post more later when we are all situated!

NYC

Today I made the decision that New York City just wasn't going to work out this year. I am sad, but there are so many things going on here at home that only happen once. Puppies being one example, getting my new apartment on Thursday being another. Even though I have come to terms with my decision, I will miss NYC with my friends this year :( Luckily, today I got a little taste of NYC and what I'll be missing.

The morning started out with whine...and a lot of it. By whine I obviously mean that prolonged screechy noise that leaks out of Ally and Coopers mouths when I can't magically make the other one disappear. Alcoholic? No. But it ends with the same headache.

This was followed by puke. The whine in the air had obviously affected Lexie as she felt it necessary to vomit all contents of her stomach...on 3 different floors and a total of 6 rooms.

And yes, I know what you are thinking those of you actually from the city... urine. Not to be upstaged by Lexie, the other dogs decided that it really wasn't necessary to pee outside today due to the torrential downpour (dribble) taking place outside.

I have to give it to my canine friends though, it isn't a true day in the city unless you feel like showering after every trip on the subway (upstairs).

But as always, NYC's amazing moments overshadow the bad. And the bad really aren't THAT bad, just different from the ordinary which is why people vacation anyway.

I did get to see an amazingly beautiful drag queen who had more self confidence than I do.

And "Alphalphaba" from Wicked (Ally's name for Elphaba)

Courtney, Rachel, and Michael... I hope you guys have an AMAZING time in NYC! I will miss you guys but I know you will have a BLAST without me :) Just remember...I like shiny pink things lol.

The Poop Chronicles

The title of this blog post should be self explanatory. In fact, if you have not read my previous posts about a certain Pink Pigs pooping issues, let me fill you in: Ally doesn't just pretend to be a pig. She absolutely truly believes with every ounce of her being that she is in fact a real life pink pig. That she made her grand appearance into this world oinking instead of crying.

Now logically, because she is a Pink Pig she poops where a pig would poop. All of which places do not include a potty, no matter how much we try to convince her that baby pigs ONLY poop in the potty.

Again if you haven't read my previous blog posts, these places include but are not limited too: the front yard, the back yard, the bath tub, the swimming pool, and in her underwear (because baby pigs wear underwear, obviously)

Now for todays story.

My mom and were sitting at the computer looking at the new Louis bags. Then we heard it. The unmistakable sound of a pig in trouble (or in our house...a 3 year old that has done something she is very proud of)

Ally: OOOOOINKKKKKKK! OIIIINNNNKKKKK!

Now please understand that this sounds more like a dying goat... not an actual pig. We really aren't sure why she thinks pigs make this noise... much less pigs that are extremely proud of themselves.

Mom and I both looked up after a few minutes of the disgruntled oinks.

Mom: What is that smell?

Ally: Oinky Oink (Big smile)

Jordan: Oh no... Al- I mean Pig did you poop on the floor

Ally: OooOOiIIiiIINnnNNnkkKKKkkk (nod)

Mom/Jordan: WHERE?!?!?!

Ally: Oinky Oinkers OINKKKK

Apparently pigs loose their ability to speak english when they have completed a task such as pooping on the living room floor. So those of us who do not speak squealing 3 year old pig... we just followed the scent.

I'm sure you can guess what we found beside her favorite rock rock chair without me adding details.

We didn't understand until later that the location had been pre-planned. She's been trying to run her 16 year old brother our of "her" chair for 3 weeks now. Needless to say, she's finally succeeded.

She's also managed to become alpha dog in the house. Literally, all 6 dogs now follow her around like she is God. They are probably just in sheer amazement that she managed to poop in the house without being banished to the backyard for 3 hours.

Ally and Cooper update

I haven't written about the kids in a while so I thought I'd update.

Ally

Allyisms for the week.

Ally (yelling): Dog Damn-it!

Jordan: Ally! What did you just say?

Ally: I say Dog Damn it. Like you Sessa. Dog Damn-it! I'm not hungry!

(I've never been so thankful that Ally doesn't know who God is lol. So she just assumed I was saying Dog. It doesn't help that these "words" always slip when I am yelling at a dog about something lol. Obviously I've got to watch my language better lol)

In the car driving to Gymboree.

Jordan: Hey Pig, do you know what a baby pig is called?

Ally: Oinkers!

Jordan: No, They are called piglets.

Ally: No Sessa, they are called oinkers.

Jordan: What about a baby dog?

Ally: Ruffers.

Jordan: Baby cat?

Ally: Meowers.

Jordan Baby person?

Ally: A Cooper.

In the bedroom. Ally is rolling around the floor like she is possessed.

Jordan: Pig, WHAT are you doing?

Ally: Trying to lick my butt like Lexie. I'm a dog.

Currently Ally still begs to poop in the yard on a daily basis. We don't let her but every once in awhile when I take Lexie out to the front yard to pee (she has issues getting up and down our deck stairs now) I'll look over and Ally is squatting in the yard peeing.

She also threatened Cooper last night in the bathtub that if he didn't slide over she was going to "diarrhea him". I don't even want to know what that entails.

Cooper

He refuses to call me Sessa. I'm just Jordan, which is fine. It's just funny because he only does it our of stubbornness. He waits for me to react after he calls me Jordan lol.

We learned this week that he hates music class at Gymboree. His way of coping is to sit with his head in your chest, eyes scrunched closed as night as they will go, and make a whining sound that is equivlent to a goat.

He has no fear what so ever and really prefers not to play with other kids at gymboree. I guess if I had to play with Ally everyday I'd avoid other kids too. He does love however to be given a mission to do, and he listens better than most 2o year olds. His talking is getting better and better every day, but he hasn't hit the point where I can write a whole "Cooperisms" section. He did however decide at 3AM last night with his parents out of town that he was going to kick Ally and I out of bed...literally. And not let us back in. He misses his Mommy and Daddy horribly. It didn't help that Ally told him that they were never coming home... and that they "ever lived in North Carolina now". Poor Cooper.

Any day!

We are getting closer and closer to puppies! Lexie's temperature was a low this afternoon of 98.9 (dogs usually run between 101 and 102). Once she gets down to about 98.0- 97.0 that means puppies within 24 hours! She has lost her appetite today too. I prepared her usual mixture of Royal Cannon Puppy Chow, dog food mixins, and scrambled eggs and she basically ignored it. A normal Lexie would have devoured this whole plate even though it's 3 servings worth! She's also been lying around all day. Even though she follows me everywhere, if I stop for just a second she lays down right in her tracks. Hopefully she'll have these puppies soon so she can get back to feeling better!

Lexie's dinner (made in bulk)

Puppy journal, notes, and Lady puppy

The puppy room! Whelping supplies are under the bed for quick access.

Lexie shrine

Puppy Mama hanging out in her bed :)

AMAZING Puppy Mill video by Rachel!

This is a video by my best friend Rachel for a film class. I thought it was important to post because it really captures the sadness of puppy mills. With all the happy posts about Lexie's puppies I thought it was important to remember those puppies born that aren't as lucky.

Puppy Mill Video

Puppy progress

We're getting close! The puppies ranged from 8-10 cm's today which seems huge to me. All I keep thinking is poor Lexie lol. They are all kicking and squirming around. It's a REAL party in her tummy! She loves me to hold her like a baby (on her back, stomach in the air) so it's the perfect position to feel the puppies kick. I'm not totally sure she knows what they are though because every time one gives her a big kick she jumps, then looks utterly annoyed haha. Inpatient mommy already. She's become super clingy within the past week so I've been letting her sleep in the bed with Ally and I again so she's definitely enjoying that haha.

We tried to go on our nightly walk about a week ago but Lexie only made it about 1/3 of the way before stopping, looking up at me, then whining excessively. In Lexie language that means carry me. So I got to push a stroller and carry an 11 pound dog. That is love.

What do pregnant dogs crave? Apples. She is obsessed. So much so she will stalk the kids out and take them (gently) right out of their hands lol. I've also been bribing her to eat her dog food by covering it with Spaghetti O's with hotdogs and heating it up in the microwave for 15 seconds. Can we say spoiled?

Her puppy room is all ready complete with everything a human baby would need, so we're definitely covered when it comes to puppies lol. I'll post pictures on my next post.

Everyone please cross you fingers that all goes well! We want a smooth and uneventful delivery with healthy Cavalier puppies!

AKC breeding...my opinion

I discovered yesterday that people are stricter on the birth of puppies than the birth of human babies. Why do I say this? Because it's true. No one has to be qualified to have a baby. No one has to be "Show standard and perfect". That is called discrimination.

Where does this rant stem from? I posted an ultrasound video on a Cavalier message board of Lexie's puppies. They locked it because they don't encourage discussions of breeding from people who aren't AKC "breeders" due to the fact that basically I don't know what I'm doing and I am possibly putting the entire Cavalier breed in jeopardy because of Lexie's puppies. (Possibly being a little melodramatic but thats the basic gist)

I would like to know how many AKC breeders can get 4D ultrasounds of their Cavalier's puppies to make sure everything is okay?

For those of you confused, I'll explain. In the online Cavalier community (facebook, message boards, myspace, ect;) as long as you have a Cavalier you are allowed into the group. They quietly pity you if your Cavalier isn't "Breed Standard" or show quality. I only know this because our male Max is show quality. He's perfect in the sense of the breed. When we got him and I joined this "community" I received so many messages about how beautiful he was. How he was so perfect and should be a stud. People actually told me that they didn't know why they even sold Cavalier puppies that weren't "Show Quality".

My Lexie on the other hand is considered pet quality, being under the weight limit with white markings. When I shared her pictures, the brag comments never came. Only questions like "Oh she has some white" and "You know Cavaliers are supposed to weigh between 12 and 18 pounds". I never cared. The whole reason I hand picked Lexie was because she was different. She looked just like Lady from "Lady and the Tramp". I honestly don't know why you'd ever try to purchase a puppy for any reason other than they are perfect in your mind, like Lexie was in mine.

They also criticize you for not feeding your dog the "raw" diet. You are judged for letting your dog sleep in the bed with you or run around in the backyard "like a dog". For taking your dog to the dog park and for boarding them when you have to go out of town. But all of this can be ignored and forgiven apparently. The real crime in the Cavalier community... breeding.

Before I go any further I should state the obvious. We are not backyard breeders, puppy mill peddlers, ect; We are family who love Cavaliers. We are a family who are so in love with our two Cav's, that have so many people in love with Lexie and Max that we would like to continue their good traits, their personality quarks that are important to us. Lexie and Max have had every vaccine on time. They have both been tested for every possible Cavalier health problem, and we had the okay from BOTH of the veterinarians at the practice that we go to to breed them.

So what's the problem? We aren't "AKC breeders". We don't have AKC registered show dogs. Our dogs don't have names like "Stars Happiness of Morning Dew" but go by "Pinky". We don't have 12 Cavaliers that we breed between each other constantly to create the perfect puppy.

Oops... my bad. I thought that loving and spending quality time along with appropriate health tests were enough.

When purchasing a purebred puppy you are told to look for a reputable AKC breeder. We did this with all of our dogs except for Max. AKC breeders have supposably bred the bad out of the breeds. Their puppies are supposed to be healthy, good quality, and up to AKC standard for show or pet quality.

Another thing I should mention. We consider all of our dogs except for Max rescue dogs. Funny enough, ALL of our dogs except for Max came from AKC breeders.

My mom's two chihuahuas came from a reputable AKC breeder in North Carolina. When you google this lady everything about her is what the books tell you to look for. After purchasing the boys, both came home with horrible diarrhea. They ended up having Giardia. A year or so later we found our that both of our Chihuahuas have fatal liver shunts. Liver shunts are genetic, painful, progressive, and cause horrible neurological damage after only a short amount of time. We have spent thousands as pet owners to keep these dogs as healthy for as long as possible. But ultimately they will die most likely 7-8 years before their projected lifespan.

Lexie also came from a reputable AKC breeder. When we got her she was a sickly 1 pound. Her stomach was so bloated and full of worms that she couldn't use her back legs. She was malnourished. She ate herself sick from having to compete for food her whole life. She had a abdominal hernia. She was SICK.

My sisters Papillon came from an AKC breeder in North Carolina. She was covered in flea bites. She was terrified of humans. Her ears had been shaved. When we took her to the vet the first time the vet was convinced she was at least 3 or 4 years old and not an 8 month old puppy. Why? Because her teeth were rotting out of her mouth and they could ONLY be that bad on an older dog he said. She also had a baby tooth that had abscessed, severe allergic reactions to bug bites and fatty tissue tumors.

Are these really the kind of dogs you want to pay thousands of dollars for? AKC breeders goal in life is to breed the perfect puppy. They want the perfect pick of the litter. Then they keep that puppy to show and breed for another "perfect" puppy.

Definition of AKC perfect: headshape, coloring, size, attitude.

Nothing about health. A Cavalier can still be considered "perfect show quality" even when they have mitral valve disease or SM. Here is a list of diseases Cavaliers can develop, but still be considered "perfect" in the eyes of the AKC. I'm not saying all AKC breeders condone this behavior. In fact I know there are many out there that love their dogs and only want what is best for the breed. But rules and guidelines need to be changed. And if no one is going to take the initiative... then I certainly shouldn't be judged for breeding "imperfect" but HEALTHY Cavaliers.

Back to our Cavalier Max. He came from a pet store at a mall. The number one rule when buying a puppy is to never buy from a pet store. Max was completely healthy. I DO NOT support buying dogs from pet stores because they most likely come from puppy mills. But it's kind of sad when your puppy mill dog is healthier than ALL of your AKC pedigree dogs.

The ironic part of all of this is how many breeders and message boards claim that they breed the problems out of their AKC dogs. That their puppies are perfect and healthy because they are AKC registered. If this is the case, then why worry about me breeding my two AKC Cavaliers? If the AKC dogs are perfect...there shouldn't be a problem.

More information on how you can Stop the AKC from breeding deformities and start breeding Healthy Dogs. This is a great blog that goes along with the website. Everyone should watch the documentary on this site called "Pedigree Dogs Exposed". Even with all of this proven information, the website says:

"The UK Kennel Club initially protested the documentary, claiming it was unfairly edited and inaccurate. Yet a few months later, they started making changes. So far, the American Kennel Club(AKC) is ignoring the documentary, pretending as if their breed standards don't cause the same crippling deformities in once-healthy breeds."

I do not support the AKC and I am proud to say that Lexie and Max's HEALTHY puppies will NOT be AKC registered.

Puppies part 2

Here is a quick ultrasound! Enjoy! This is just one clip of many but today we saw at least

4-5 puppies! Kind of looks like a dinosaur! lol