The Puppy Learning Curve

Things I didn't realize about having puppies until now:

1.  The puppies and their mother's milk have a very distinct smell.  I am putting a lot of clothing into the laundry after a day spent caring for them and we are running an air purifier in their room to keep the air smelling a little better in there.

2.  No need for a personal weight-loss plan in the new year.  Caring for puppies instead of myself 24/7 means unintended weight loss by virtue of the fact that I either keep forgetting to eat or put it off when something needs to be done for either them or my 5 children. 

3.  How even though the puppies aren't at their cutest when they are born, they still tug at your heartstrings when you look at their vulnerable, little faces and hold their tender, soft little bodies.  I know the challenge is not getting too attached because they will go to a new home in a couple of months.  Needless to say, they will be well-loved and used to lots of family attention. 

4.  I didn't know if Lilah would be a great mama dog or not, but she is wonderful.  She is so patient and lays with the puppies for hours on end as they eat and sleep.  She is anxious to get back to them even when she needs to get up for  a eat/stretch/potty break. 

5.  On Day 1, I said to myself, "I don't think I can do this again"; that's how exhausting delivering and caring for puppies on Day 1 was.  By Day 4-5, I'm saying, "OK, this gets a little easier with each day; I think I can do this again."