Morning. Today:

Right now Kit is eating chicken stew that has had the root crops removed from the stew, some apple chunks added, sauteed in the middle eastern seasoned turkey pan and then boiled with pumpkin peanut soup leftovers and water added. Oh, also part of a turkey kabob of her own. Funny.

Last night she ate a huge bowl of this concoction and then a couple of hours later ate big serving of the stew (beef that shredded during cooking with carrot, celery, potato and mushroom) that I didn't finish for dinner, plus a second helping of the beef laced with vegetable bits and some stock. I am amazed at Kit's continued appetite. Of course, she isn't interested in eating anything that isn't fairly deluxe or novel ...

Kit has just reached fullness and is breathing deeply and laying next to her bowl.

Here is a photo of the magic moment.

You can see why I think this will be the best whelping place. The fact that during her entire pregnancy, Kit has been eating in here with me (& with the door closed on the slavering hordes) will probably make her feel that this is out special, private place and make her feel safe and protected for her birthing process. In addition, this is a tiny, narrow room, not suitable for anything more than a computer room or conversion to a walk-in closet, but advertised--when we were buying our 1889, wood frame house--as a "bedroom." Perhaps now that Kit will be using it as a whelping room, the description of it as a "bedroom" will become not entirely inaccurate. The smallness of the room and the medium green walls allow me to imagine Kit seeing this tiny room as a kind of cave for nesting. Of course, her preferred nesting spot is likely to be under my Grandfather's enormous, 1940s, wood desk: completely oversized for this space, but probably just right for a dog wanting to find a nice, cozy, den to nest in.

Needless to say, I will be preparing the under-desk space for whelping--in addition to the formal whelping box sitting next to it--in case Kit is determined to bring pups into the world under the desk.

As you no doubt know only too well, I am easy prey for Kit's determined plans ...

Evening. Today:

Kit's whelping box and area are all set up and she is eating a repeat of the Middle Eastern spiced turkey kabob with chicken and root crop stew. David was so touched by Kit's love of his turkey creation that he made it again tonight so she could have some more.

I should say at this point that normally Kit--like the vast majority of dogs--loves quality dry kibble with a passion that suggests that she thinks she is eating a gourmet meal. It's only when she doesn't feel well or is pregnant that Kit becomes a food critic and connoisseur. I fully expect that after she has the pups for awhile, Kit will return to a dry kibble with occasional treat lifestyle.

The vet appointment and progesterone testing:

The vet said that Kit looked great and is having good milk production. She predicted a Saturday birth based on the exam. Later, the clinic called with the progesterone reading. It is 12.20, so that means that we may be further off than Saturday. When the progesterone is 5 or under, you can be pretty sure that birth is coming within 24-48 hours.

Funny how the progesterone reading agrees with what I thought about Kit's lack of readiness based on how she's acting and how much she's eating.

So, when will the pups arrive? Who can say? Predictions anyone?

Kit's post-dinner snooze.

Eating is hard business and it helps to take a nap immediately after feeling full. Kit's food bowl is just out of frame to the upper right. She is lying right behind me as I sit at the computer. Kit feels that we both need to guard her uneaten food from the "unruly hordes"--Kit's description of the rest of the pack--who slaver and pace hoping that she will abandon her meal. Kit has decided that chicken stew, no matter how delicious and lovingly made, is not a good thing right now. Kit drank all her stock, took a couple of nibbles and then said, enough. This morning, the only thing she would eat was the chicken meat from the stew.

As I write, David is making ground turkey with Middle Eastern seasonings for us and I am hoping that the novel flavors will tempt her to eat some later. She also loves cooked broccoli, so that is what we are having and hopefully she will want a bit as well. Finally, I think that a pumpkin and peanut soup (for us, but of course, she can have some) might tempt her if nothing else will. Who doesn't love peanut butter???? And pumpkin or sweet potato is fantastic for dogs when they are not feeling well. Super nutrious and delicious and vets often recommended this along with rice and white, skinless chicken meat for dogs with stomach upsets. The combo of protein, carbs and vegetable makes a solid, balanced, and easy-on-the-stomach meal. Bananas and peeled apples make a great snack for dogs with upset stomachs as well. My banans should be ripe tomorrow, so I will see if they meet Kit's high banana-quality standards in the morning ...

Enough about food, I'm sure!

Kit seems comfortable and normal today, so we can probably look forward to another uneventful night and day tomorrow. David will be home with Kit tomorrow in case her labor begins, but I expect she is not ready yet. Thursday she goes to the vet for progesterone testing and to my office with me after the vet to hang out and socialize with her office friends. Although Kit would probably be fine if I just took her home, I like to be sure and keep her with me if I can. Luckily, now that she knows everyone I work with and has a sense of the rhythms of the day, she is very well-behaved at the office, so she is welcome.

A final, hopeful thought: I talked with Lori, Kit's breeder, and she said that some girls she has bred have ended up having more pups than the number that appeared on xrays. So, fingers crossed, and if we are very lucky, Kit might surprise us with a pup or two more than the 6 seen yesterday. This would be wonderful because there are so many great families and people hoping for a KitXJohnny Cash pup and I hate to disappoint anyone. Only time will tell, though.

Fingers crossed. As I close, Kit is playing with Mira and acting like a pup. Funny. Even weighed down with pups and almost due, the schnauzer playfulness will not be denied ...

Kit says, "the Pup Count is ....

6!"

Congratulations to Jacob, who was the only person to correctly estimate the number of pups! Way to go, Jacob!

The vet estimated that Kit will have the pups later this week, Friday? Saturday? I will take Kit in to the vet on Thursday for a progesterone test to see if we can get a better idea. The reason I am concerned is that Kit had to have a cesarian section for her first litter and, according to our vet, a reproductive specialist, 75% of girls who have a c-section, will need one for any additional litters. I want to give Kit the chance to have the pups naturally because many bitches have c-sections and then go on to deliver naturally thereafter, but I also want to be careful and aware and proactive in getting her in for a c-section if it might mean Kit's or the pups' health.

One funny thing the vet noticed is that Kit is carrying the pups unevenly. The canine uterus is shaped like a chicken wishbone and often the pups are evenly distributed between the two sides. Kit apparently is carrying more pups on one side than another. At the ultrasound, the vet noticed that Kit had 4 pups on one side and 1 pup on the other. Now that we know that she has 6 pups coming, I bet she has 4 pups on one side and 2 pups on the other. I wonder if she feels unbalanced as she moves. She has been particularly clumsy lately ...

Puppies are Active Today!

Here is Kit this afternoon enjoying the warm weather and sunshine.

Kit's pups are so active today that it was very easy to feel them moving by holding my hand on her side while she was laying down. If Kit is on schedule, pups should be here this week. She made me a bit nervous this afternoon by nesting under my computer desk and by seriously eyeing my closet as if she was scoping out places to give birth. Tomorrow, after our visit to the vets, we will hopefully have some idea of how close they are to arriving. I am really excited about learning the number of pups. People have estimated all kinds of numbers, but 9 seems to have the most votes thus far.

Today, Kit helped me cook a delicious (her word) chicken stock for her. While mothers are giving birth, it is a good idea to give them meat stock to drink because they love it and the stock has more nutrients than water. Girls need to stay hydrated and take in nutrients while they are whelping. In addition to the stock, Kit will have condensed milk with egg yolk while she is whelping to help keep her energy up and assist with milk production. Tomorrow, after the vet, Kit will supervise the cooking of a beef stock so that she has a choice of flavors in case she decides to be finicky. She has been really picky about what she will eat lately. Here are some things that she has deigned to eat in the past week: no onion meat and vegetable lasagna, chicken stew, linguini with clam sauce, cheese toast, strawberry yoghurt, peeled apples, raw carrots, cheese and collard greens omelet, and a variety of canned dog food. While she would not normally be eating this much "people" food, all of these things are nutritious and our vet recommends keeping Kit eating whatever she is willing to eat at this point.

6? 8? 9? 5? 7? 11?--the guesses are coming in!

What do you think? Use the comment feature below to let us know your prediction for number of pups. Kit's last litter was 8--4 boys & 4 girls. What will this one be?

Kit's not telling ... but Monday we will probably know when she has an xray at the vets.

"Babies? What Babies?," asks Kit.

Here Kit is hiding her belly. Though this was taken yesterday, it's hard to see that Kit is even pregnant in this shot. Notice her dark dorsal stripe? Some schnauzers have this dark stripe down their backs after being shaved.

"How Many Puppies?," asks Kit.

This is Kit and a belly full of pups this morning.

How many do you think she will have? If the ultrasound said at least 5 pups and she is this big about a week before her first possible due date, what would you estimate?

Lori, Kit's breeder, made an estimate, but I am not going to share that with you just yet. See what you think first. Feel free to post estimates as comments or just to keep to yourself and wait and see.

So, next Friday is Kit's first possible due date. This is calculated using the 63 day standard canine gestation schedule counted forward from the first day that a girl was bred. Kit was bred 5 days in a row and there is no way to tell which day she was most fertile, and she could be early in whelping or late in whelping, so it's anybody's guess what day she will have the pups.

As you can see, Kit has had a "beauty parlor" session (actually, about 6, because it is difficult for her to stand on the grooming table for long these days, so I did what I could until she seemed weary, then gave her a break and did some more over 3 evenings before dinner, which would add even more weight to carry for her).

Although Kit is an AKC conformation champion and has a lovely, harsh schnauzer coat, she is now mostly shaved to give her the schnauzer look. Because Kit is retired from the show ring, it is not necessary to keep up her hand-stripped, naturally correct schnauzer harsh coat. Most former show schnauzers of all 3 sizes are clipped/shaved after they retire because it is often easier on the dog and the human. When Kit was showing, her coat was not the light grey that it is now. Shaving cuts the black and white banded hairs before they have a chance to develop the characteristic Pepper and Salt coloration. What we are left with is grey, usually light, silvery, and the hair often becomes silky, rather than harsh, as a dog is shaved over time.

Notice that Kit's legs are trimmed fairly short? That's because both giving birth and raising pups is very hard on the longer leg hairs, called "furnishings." Normally, Kit would have a bit more length on her legs when groomed.

Another thing that pups are really, really hard on is the soft, fine, belly hair of a girl. Kit's belly has not yet been shaved (very gently and with extreme care!), but before she gives birth I will clear the belly and nipple regions of hair so that the pups do not give poor Kit lots of matted hair as they nurse and knead the teats to produce more milk.

"It's tough having pups," says Kit. But she looks awfully cute doing it, I say. Plus, Kit adores pups and you will see that she is a devoted and loving mother.

While the rest of the pack races ...

Kit manages a only a trot.

"It's hard to be light on your feet when you're carrying pups," says Kit. You can see how large her belly has become and that she needs a good pre-whelping grooming.

"It's all for me!," says Kit.

What you don't see here are the dogs out of the frame who were hoping that they might manage to snatch the ice cream.

As you can see, this is summer and Kit is looking svelte and sleek. Though she is far from svelte and sleek today, she had the same joyful, contented expression when she finished her souffle this evening.

As I am sure you can tell, both Kit and I are particular about, but also really love food. And, as I am sure you can tell, I love making food for Kit and watching her enjoy it. As I write, I am making a chicken soup/stew for everyone (humans and dogs) for tomorrow. I am sure Kit will end up eating more of it than anyone else ...

"What could be more appropriate?," asks the mother-to-be Kit.

Ice cream snatch accomplished!

Here Kit shows you her ice cream eating style ...

Kit says she loves Soufflé!

I am sitting with Kit in my office while she inhales a make-shift, microwave soufflé atop kibble.

After watching Kit not eat much or seem very interested in her meals yesterday and this morning, I decided to make her something she would probably love. Kit has always adored eggs and with a bit of heavy whipping cream standing in for a sauce, a microwave soufflé was born. She wolfed down a large first serving and followed me to the kitchen, eyes pleading for more. I was very happy to see her manage a good part of a second serving before becoming too full and falling asleep next to her bowl.

By the way, Kit is generous and shares her left-overs with her 3 pack members, Gamera, Mira & Ursa. I can hear them eagerly waiting outside the office door right now, as dogs seem to have a psychic ability to tell when someone else is finished eating.

Kit's belly grows everyday and last night I imagined that I felt a pup moving inside her. Because she is still more than 2 weeks away from whelping, what I felt was more likely to be gas than a pup, but it was still fun to pretend and prepare for feeling the real thing.

It snowed all day today and after work I took some shots of Kit and the pack outside in the snow in hopes of showing Kit's current belly size. I left my download cords at the office, so will have to wait until tomorrow to post a photo of Kit in the snow. Sadly, it was overcast, so it won't be the most exciting photo, but it should give you a sense of her size.

Kit is due for a tidying up, pre-puppies grooming. This weekend I plan to get out my clippers and sheers for Kit's "beauty shop" experience. I will be sure to take her photo after she is looking lovely and post the photo this weekend.

Puppies make Kit sleepy & cuddly ...

They also are now big enough to have made her stomach less able to hold a lot of food at one feeding. While last week Kit was eating about 6 cups a day of kibble mixed with either various wet foods or homemade meat and vegetable (but no onion) stews, starting yesterday, Kit is now only able to eat about a cup in one meal (compared to 2 cups previously), no matter how tempting the fare.

Beginning now, I will be giving Kit several smaller meals throughout the day so that her stomach can handle it and she also gets enough nutrition for herself and the growing pups.

Here is a photo of Kit from her first litter showing how she will look in about a week and what she will be doing with most of her time until the pups come.

Isn't she sweet?

Kit is getting big in the belly & eating lots of yummy food.

This is a pic of Kit from her first litter. Her belly is not quite this big now. I will try to get a photo of her current belly very soon.

Kit is a finicky eater when pregnant. She has been eating specialty meals (aka, not just plain kibble) since about 2.5 weeks after being bred. She does not like to eat the same thing 2 meals in a row. If I serve her the same meal, she makes this queasy-looking face and moves her mouth like she is feeling ill.

Needless to say, I haven't served her the same meal twice in a row in 3 weeks ...

Tonight, as I write, Kit is beside me in the office (where she has been eating since pregnant because she takes sooooo long to eat and because she won't eat unless I am with her) eating kibble with a chicken breast, carrot, cauliflower, zucchini stew/soup I made for her this evening. She is getting 2 cups of kibble 3 times a day now as I try to put some weight on her before the pups are so large that her stomach can only take several very small meals a day. Sometimes, Kit eats all her food. Sometimes, she does not.

Almost always, Kit has been falling asleep, stretched out on her side, next to her food bowl as soon as she is full. Picture the photo above with a food bowl next to Kit and her eyes closed and you get the idea. This has been happening for about a week. It's very cute and funny and I suspect it means that the pups (at least 5, according to the ultrasound) are making her tired and she needs to recover from the effort of eating. I can't help it, but I love Kit sooooo much that this undoubtedly common thing is very special to me. I suppose that one reason she won't eat without me is that I really love to be with her and see how she reacts to what I have put together for her "specialty" meals.

I will take a photo of her snoozing next to her bowl tomorrow. What will she eat? I made a lot of chicken stew ...

Kit is formally known as AKC Ch. Dinsdale Meerkat.

I named her Meerkat because when I met her at 8 weeks, she loved to stand up on her back legs and stretch out her long, long neck and her beautiful, long head would point in the direction of her interest like a Meerkat. Plus, she was very playful and funny like a Meerkat. As she has grown, I have also discovered her intense Meerkat-like loyalty and devotion to her family.

Kit says "Hi"! She is a happy girl, always smiling.