Pacing for Puppies

There is a fine art to patience in general, but when it comes to magical little fur beings, that patience is tested to the fullest.

The excitement sits at an all-time high as we wait for their arrival. Calm soothing energy flows through the pack to keep the mamas relaxed and the continued 'baking' steady and strong.

Isla has expanded in every direction by leaps and bounds over just the past few days. It's truly astonishing how much growth happens right at the very end. She's putting the final touches on these fat little squishy squashy potato babies who will soon bless this world with their golden glitter and life-changing presence.

The other dogs have done much better this week giving Isla her space, though she still doesn't correct them when she kindly requests to just rest. Because of that, she occasionally chooses the quiet comfort of the adjacent pen where she can fully relax.

She is doing incredible. Her eyes are bright, her body language peaceful, and her energy beautifully settled throughout her day. We continue to monitor her temperature at least twice daily, as a drop typically signals birth within 24 hrs. of birth. There has been a slight decrease, but not enough to suggest puppies arriving today.

Mother nature follows her own finely tuned plan, deeply thoughtful and careful plan - one that rarely follows the rulebook. It's another reminder in my world that the only choice is to adjust, accept, welcome and embrace whatever unfolds.

So we continue to wait patiently.

We fill our time with yard work, caring for the rest of the animals here, family time, and prepping and organizing our nurseries. Leia's space was set up yesterday on the opposite side of Isla. Isla has settled in this week easily and Leia now has settled in immediately as well. She checked out her cozy whelping box... and, in true golden fashion, both girls chose the floor to nap on. Peeking in on them at 3am they finally decided their boxes where a better overnight option.

The sunshine has been a welcoming change from the cold chilly hours last week brought us. My bathing beauties took full advantage of being outside all day long as I worked in the yard.

Evenings bring on the snuggles, lap time, extra scritches and scratches, and time to re-connect being bed. Everyone of my dogs has perfected this skill perfectly.

A heartfelt thank you to all my 'HAY' & 'BERRY' families who have connected with me this week - sharing their excitement, updates of their prep work, thoughtful questions, and kind words of support as we get ready to welcome these wee bundles into this world. Your anticipation right alongside mine makes this season even more special.

Leia is not yet in her final week of 'puppy baking', but with only 8 days to go, we are getting very close. She hasn't slowed down nearly as much as Isla yet, though this past week - and especially the last few days - Isla has embraced more rest as her body prepares for what's ahead.

Leia, on the other hand, still enjoys the occasional romp with the pack, proudly finds balls to share, and always find a good bone for chewing. Both girls are still eating beautifully and receive extra treats every time they nudge my hand in hopeful request.

At this point, I'm fairly certain every pocket I own contains dog treats.

A loss of appetite can signal approaching labor, but we are still operating at full Golden Retriever foodie drive around here.

So for now, we allow the final touches to be made, supporting each stage exactly as nature intends.

Hang tight, everyone - We are oh so close now!