The Curse Is Come Upon Me

Today was a happy day for Isaiah.

The calendar showed today as Bitsy's due date. She had noticeably dropped yesterday morning, and this morning, when she tried to enter the motor home ahead of me—very unusual—I figured this would be the day. Once inside, she hopped up on the sofa and began pawing, a definite sign of labor.

I took her into the tiny bathroom and brought in a little space heater. Puppies apparently like the temperature about 80 degrees, and since the weather is a good 50 degrees colder in the morning, the space heater would be a life saver.

She was still nesting while I made eggs, but when we finished eating, I heard unfamiliar squeaks as I reentered the motor home. Two tiny black puppies born during breakfast!

Half an hour later, I peeked in again to see a third baby born.

From then on, I spent the morning standing and squatting in the shower while Bitsy continued to labor and deliver, like this.

She would stop licking her pups, stretch out, maybe stand up and turn around. After a moment of what appeared to be internal focus, a little black water balloon would emerge swiftly. Bitsy would whip her head around, tug open the sac around the baby, and eat it in a few seconds, along with the placenta that followed instantly (I only saw it on the last puppy: this was the most incredibly clean birth ever). The little baby would sneeze, and Bitsy would lick the baby off.

She would keep licking until the next baby arrived. The fourth came. Then, for the only time, Bitsy stood up and pawed the carpet again, this time in what looked like pain management.

The puppies were all piled up around the heater. She had nudged them there, usually before they were allowed to eat. They were all crying pitiful little mews, but they were warm and safe, out of the birthing area.

Though the actual space was a bit small.

Then she settled in for the fifth.

The sixth followed only a few minutes later.

Then a seventh.

After lunch, Abraham wanted to see the puppies, so we went over to find an eight.

Bitsy drank then, for the first time. She looked tired.

And Abraham and I were sitting there when the ninth and final baby came out.

Almost immediately, all nine headed straight for the teats, and piled up for a good drink.

And that was our February 6!