Finally, after a very drawn out labor, the maiden bitch, Tiara Norma
Jean, lets the monsters out! At 2:30AM the lovely and wandering
"Braveheart" appeared. My photographer fell asleep until
the next one arrived at 3:42AM, the big beautiful girl "Beebee."
That was a textbook presentation of Beebee compared to her brother
Braveheart who had to swing from a standing birth, (oh, we got his
picture doing this act - will post later). Norma Jean thinks she
has this down now . . . coffee is perking and mother is a licking these
new Aquarians.
At 4:38 AM - "Boing" arrives shot out of his mother as if he
were going to land on a trampoline, and instead he lands in my hands.
Norma just stood up, presented her back end and with a thrust of her
haunched body here is this adorable male. He's got to have a great
sense of humor! Just 20 mins later at 4:58AM arrives
"Betty" the best . . . and easiest delivery. . . . . after
which, this is where we all fall asleep . . mother Norma, photographer
and cheerman Kirk and the ever watchful breeder, Julie. Three cups
of coffee and there is no getting past this waiting. . . I
have put together paperwork (11 OFA VWD registrations) 'till my eyes
went blurry. I thought I would just rest my eyes for a bit. . .
Ha! Next thing I know, I've been asleep . . still the peace in the
room is so quiet that I hear a rooster crow . . . . am I imagining?
No one has a rooster in La Jolla -- do they? Possibly someone
in the neighborhood has an alarm clock that crows? I shake my
head and go to the computer to catch up on typing my notes.
FINALLY, (we're certain : ) the last pup is presented.
Because of the long pause (break) I name her "Breakitta" on
the spot. Four mins shy of 3 hours, at 7:54 AM is this lovely
birth. Norma Jean is beside herself with duty. Her sister
Nike, that has 13 day olds on the other side of the room, stops by often
to wish her well and to nose the pups. Later in the day, a nice
couple from Hawaii visiting the poodles couldn't believe how all
the dogs are fond of one another and of one another's puppies.
It's the way I expect everyone to live together.
It's about 8:30 AM, the camera man is drowsy and calls in
"late" for work (yea, turns out until tomorrow). I
have just given a quick call to each client and re-scheduled all the
grooming appointments for the day until later in the week . .
Mid-morning, we took one of the cutest pictures I have ever taken of my
puppies. All of the pups and dam assembled for the official Tiara
"B" litter photo. I have included it here. Kirk
goes straight to work on the computer pictures, as I take care of
the dogs and of course, for the picture we placed the brand new towels
in the whelping box (that Sally Ciraolo dropped off over the weekend ).
. . . when, . . . you guessed it . . . 4 1/2 hours after his
sister, at 12;28 PM, comes such a little bronco buckaroo, wiggling and
flailing to become unstuck from his mother's ring of capture, we helped
him out and said "BRAVO!" Those perfect towels
will never be the same.
These puppies would have been fully-developed for delivery earlier
yesterday, but Norma Jean actually stopped her labor a few times since
Sunday. Almost as if she couldn't believe that this is how it was
suppose to go. She watched Nike, her sister breeze through the
delivery of 7 pups in about 2 hours recently and I believe was really
surprised it wasn't that easy. My dear Norma Jean, your puppies
were each near a pound compared to the little squimmies Nike whelped.
.Hers are 3 times the size now, but just think about how much easier
that would have been to deliver. Please have another helping
of tripe and a turkey neck and close your eyes for rest. I'll
clean the dirty bottoms for a while as you sleep.
Tiara "B" Litter 2001
01/23/01
2:30 AM "Braveheart"
3:42 AM "Beebee"
4:38 AM "Boing"
4:58 AM "Betty"
7:54 AM "Breakitta"
