Holly is approaching her 7th week of pregnancy. Soon, we will begin to take her temperature daily and do that for about a week. A dogs normal temperature typically is between 101 and 102.5 but usually it will drop below 100 as labor approaches. We'll monitor Holly's temperature more frequently as her due date gets closer and record it on a chart. Sometimes temps will fluctuate a few times, but when it drops below 100 and stays there, and continues to drop further we know we can expect to see puppies born within a certain time frame. There are other signs that take place of course and we will be watching for them all!
Holly has become especially fond of her belly rubs lately. Maryann sent me a picture of Miss Toph also obviously enjoying them too. Yesterday, as I was obliging Holly I noticed that the hair on her tummy has started to shed. It will continue to do so, leaving a hairless belly which makes it easier for her puppies to make their way to nurse. And speaking of puppies, they are ever so subtly making their presence known under the lightest touch of my hand. 
The 'puppy cave' is almost fully prepared. Each night I spend about an hour there with Holly, her mother Treasure, and grandmother Pippin. They all lay down together on the quilts and blankets. Holly seems to look forward to this at the end of the day. She's very big now and even has a little waddle to her walk! 
I have been enjoying the correspondence with those who will be joining our ATB family. If the estimate given for the number of Bullet and Holly puppies is accurate, then this litter is fully reserved. We do still have puppy availability for Toph and True's litter but that window is closing too.
We will bring her back for an actual x-ray closer to her due date. This will help us to determine when she has actually finished whelping her last puppy. When Treasure whelped the litter Holly was born into (sired by Hemi) we thought her mother was finished. Our vet stopped by the next day and suggested we bring Treasure in for an x-ray. We did and were shocked to learn she still was carrying one puppy. No one expected that it could still be alive but a c-section proved us all wrong and one beautiful little healthy boy puppy arrived! Thus the importance of the x-ray.
In the meantime, I learned that my sister fell and fractured a hip and underwent an emergency partial hip transplant! She is in rehab now. I would covet and appreciate your ongoing prayers for her, for my nephew as he fights cancer, and
also for our son, daughter in law, and grandson who are on a Missions Trip to Ghana, Africa.
As my dad use to say 'today is yesterday's tomorrow' and the clock just struck midnight! Time to wrap it up. Take care and God bless you and yours always. Thanks for your interest. John, Ann, and All Things Brittany
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