I can see you!

Bella and Tank's eyes are open! So cute. They look so confused. :) Our mini Grif is just the cutest thing. If it is any indication this early on, he will be so much like his dad. He sleeps with his mouth wide open, sticking his tongue out every now and then. If I hold him in my hands while he is on his back, he sucks on his foot. Speaking of which, they all got their nails trimmed for the first time today because they are scratching the *you know what* out of their mother. Mama is good and stitches are out!

Grif tries to get a look at the pups, but Anouk won't allow it. This is an improvement believe it or not, he usually isn't allowed past the gate. And hey, she is not baring her teeth in this shot! Close though.

That's right, keep walking!

12 days and growing!

I suppose it doesn't look like they have grown much, but boy have they! Anouk allowed me to weigh the pups today. Tank and mini Grif both topped the scale at 14 ounces each. While Bella and Blue both reached 10 ounces each. Bella has nearly doubled her weight in just 12 days!

They are all well and absolutely beautiful. Anouk seems to have a bit of the blues, when I left last night she was desperate to go with me! She is still a champion mother, and also my hero. :)

It's hard to tell exactly who is who but that's Bella on the top (she either goes under or over, her size allows it!) and that's Tank under her (size difference? Whoa!), with Blue under them. Mini Grif is alseep behind his mother. You can see his behind by Anouk's head.

It's a puppy minefield around here!

I think it's safe to say that Anouk it back to her old self. She looks great, she plays just as hard as she did pre-pregnancy, and eats like no tomorrow. Part of her *back to normal* means she jumps into bed with me as soon as I crawl in. The problem is that she is so happy to jump into bed at night, that she leaps out of her whelping box with usually at least one pup still latched on! We have to be so careful going into our room now. Three times there has been a pup on the floor just outside the box. She also goes in and out of bed throughout the night. I found Tank on the floor at 3 am. Thank goodness they are hearty little pups! While I am aghast, everyone else is just fine. So, she's not the most graceful dachshund, but she sure is the funniest! You would think she would turn back, knowing there was a pup on the floor. But no, she's off to the newest adventure.

I'll be in this house until Spring! :~)

Mini G, Bella's twin. Bella, and tank

My girl and her puppies

One week old today! What a week. It is amazing to me how much they have grown in just a week. The changes Anouk has gone through in just one week are stunning also. I'd bet she doesn't weigh more than a pound than she did pre pups. Her incision has healed up beautifully, and she is back to her old self. She started jumping back into bed with me yesterday (What a happy surprise!) and napped with me today. She laid on the edge of the bed for a good hour and a half (usually she is under the blankets with me) with a bird's eye view of her puppies. Almost as if she needed a break, but wasn't going too far. We are looking forward to the next week when eyes start opening and personalities become stronger. Our cream colored doxie is the strongest and most adventurous so far, and baby Bella has found her voice, just like her mother, and doesn't hesitate to vocalize if she feels short changed. They are all beautiful and healthy, we couldn't ask for more.

Miss Bella has grown!

Hot dog on a bun!

#7!

The Dachshund makes #7 in AKC's Best in breed: The top 10 dogs of the year. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/28695663?GT1=43001

Go Doxies!

I caved

Grif lays on the other side of the gate watching for hours at a time, so I snuck "Mini G" out to meet his papa. I had to hold him back for a moment because Grif was so excited, but it went very well!

We take Grif in several times a day in our arms, but Anouk is no more welcoming than the day before, so we will keep trying and occasionally hijack a pup so Grif can see his family.

He loves Mini G!

Nattie loves Tank!

Natalie and Katie visit Anouk and puppies. Anouk is still not too friendly, but was coaxed with a teaspoon of cottage cheese and we were able to slip one by her!