The Sweetest Day!

We have puppies! Marley started the party without me and I feel badly for not being here at the beginning. We came home from breakfast to two pups already born - green and orange. I took her temperature before we left and figured I had a little bit of time - it was only 98.0. I really thought we had a few hours before anything started - Oh, boy!

We figure the puppies began arriving shortly before we got home at noon. The the last one, a girl, came at 2:25pm. Anyway, she has 5 boys and 1 girl. I was pulling for girls but it was not to be. I know most of you wanted girls so I will ask you to consider a boy if you are still interested in a Marley/Kirby puppy. Boys are sweet in their own ways and can be very tuned in with their owners, emotionally. Some people would say boys are easier than girls. Guess I'm going to find out! :)

So, we'd been talking about how neat it would be if Marley would have her pups on the Sweetest Day but didn't expect it, obviously! She's such a good girl and has pleased Mom one more time!

I'll post pictures soon - I just wanted to get the word out!

Take care - Audrey and Marley

Marley at 8 Weeks

I'm not quite sure why her ears are down, maybe she didn't want to pose for this picture! Hannah is totally bored - she is sleeping in the background. Could be that she was just tuckered out from having her teeth cleaned.

Anyway, here is Marley at 8 weeks. As you can see, her shape has definitely changed since last week. We went to the vet on Monday for an x-ray and the count is 5, maybe 6 pups. Her milk is already coming in so she could go any time.

No worries, I'll keep you posted.

Take care - Audrey and Marley

To My Girl ~ Happy Birthday!

On October 7th, Marley will turn 5! And to celebrate we might just have to go get an Arby's Roast Beef sandwich or a doggie cone from Dairy Queen. Some would say, "Both!" We'll see. It wouldn't be a party without letting Hannah in on the fun so she'll be treated as well!

Happy Birthday, my constant companion! You are a blessing to me in more ways than one!

Love you ~ Mom

This picture was taken on October 6th - tomorrow she will be at 7 weeks since she was bred.

Quick Note

Just a quick update - Marley's belly continues to grow - the tuck up is definitely gone. She has been hungrier this past week but she isn't being obnoxious about it. The only way I know she's still hungry is that she starts licking both hers and Hannah's bowl. She is beginning to have trouble hopping into the car but can still clear the couch and get up on the bed with no problem.

We spent alot of time in the car today as I had two homechecks to do for rescue. One was in the St John's area of Portland and the other was down in Salem. I also did a little shopping and bought two Pooch Pads to use in the whelping box instead of newspaper. We'll be working on the whelping box this coming week. Brianna has a plan for the paint job it's going to get and she promises it'll be pretty. I'll put up a picture as soon as it's done.

Take care and we hope you are enjoying your weekend~

Marley's Mom, Lena

These are pictures of Lena when she was younger. I have one that's more recent but it's a professional shot and I haven't asked permission to post it. So, for now, until I can take a different picture, these will have to do. The other ones I have are of her pregnant and they don't do her beauty any justice.


Lena was born April 25, 2000, so that makes her 8.5 years old. She had two litters in her life - both with the same sire. The first litter produced 8 show pups and the second litter produced 5 show and 3 pet. Show actually means structurally sound enough to keep in a breeding program but since, technically all breeding stock should be shown to their CH, they end up being called "show."


Lena's full name is CH Opus One Lena of Dunantul. One of her breeders is Ida and that's who is stacking her. Ida's signature color is purple which matches well with Lena since that was her color at birth. Purple continues to be Lena's color to this day as it is also Karen's favorite color.

Marley's Dad, Siskel

This is Marley's dad, Siskel. His full name is CH Gold Run's Two Thumbs Up CD JH RN AX MXJ. He is lovingly owned by Nancy Jones and lives in California. He is retired from the agility course but in his day was quite the competitor and earned several titles. He is a show ring Champion and a Junior Hunter in the field.

As I learned earlier this year, he enjoys licking cheeks and ears. He's very good at getting all the lotion off before he stops, too.

Other relatives in the house are his son, Rio, and the newest addition, granddaughter, Mia. They keep Nancy quite busy when she is not working at her "real" job. But, I also know they are a tremendous source of comfort and company. When they aren't attending classes, they like to curl up on the bed and sleep while Nancy reads a book.

Ultrasound Pictures

I took Marley to see Ray this morning at 10am. Karen (Marley's breeder), Bree (our daughter) and Danielle (her friend who is visiting) all crammed into the ultrasound room to witness that Marley is indeed pregnant. She wasn't too hip on being on her back in a strange room but was able to relax. Personally, I think she enjoyed the attention and belly rubs.

The first picture is the best one. Look closely and you can see its nose, rib cage and heart. Ray tried to get the paw in there as well but it wasn't possible to get both the nose and paw together.

For those of you who might be more used to looking at ultrasound pictures, the pups are there, just not as distinguishable as in the first picture.

About a week before she is due, I will have an x-ray done to count heads and spines. At that time we'll have a more accurate idea of how many pups she is carrying.

Take care - Audrey and Marley