A Rosie Dozen

There have been a few times throughout this experience that I have spoken to soon and yesterday saw the majority of those moments. At the end of yesterdays post I said we had 9 puppies. Well shortly after that Rosie produced another 3, bringing the total to a whopping 12 puppies. Wow- what else can I say!?
As I saw Rosie with her puppies I got a little nervous for her (okay maybe really nervous). She is a first time mom, and I can't even begin to imagine what that's like. Add to that, the idea of being a mom to 12 puppies, and being a nervous is justified. However, these last 24 hours have been incredibly comforting on that front.
Rosie is a very attentive mother that does not like to be separated from her puppies any longer then necessary. From time to time I will need to move the puppies from their enclosure, to either inspect them, clean their space, or just to hold them. The whole time I have them Rosie will look at me nervously, as though to ask me to give them back. Then when she feels I've had them long enough she will, ever so gently, pick each puppy up and move it back into the cage with her.
Rosie also makes sure that her puppies are all clean, and eating. She will often reposition puppies to make sure they are all getting a chance to suckle, so the bigger puppies can't bully the little ones to much. She also spends the majority of her time licking each puppy.
Seeing these dogs together is beyond heartwarming. Rosie constantly has a big grin on her face when she's with her puppies, and it is clear she is happy despite the massive ordeal she just went through. When she is sleeping with the puppies, it is adorable how they all cuddle up with mama, and with each other. The enclosure is pretty crowded, but this big family makes it work.