Why Are We Waiting?

So it turns out I've been shown up....by a dogs uterus.  Just a few days ago I wrote that it was looking like Pups Ahoy for the weekend. Yet here we are on Sunday night with no little balls of fluff in sight, just an increasingly round and full figured Leela. Of course, the main  thing is that Leela is still well in herself. It's only really our human frustration that can't help asking, "why are we waiting?"

UPDATE
Adopting Leela has inspired a collection of dog-themed poems and illustrations:
Love, Fluff and Chasing Butterflies - 50% of profits are donated to the Dog's Trust 

To be honest the delay in puppy arrival is probably a blessing in disguise as we have just relocated once more. Today we found ourselves settling into another beautiful villa, this time at Pueblo Namara 6. Again, a massive thank you to Nina at SanJoseSpain.com for arranging such a wonderful place for us to stay for the next 5 weeks or so. That she has done so much to make sure we have dog friendly places to stay for the weeks ahead as our unexpected puppy litter is imminent is something we are incredibly grateful for. 

Plus, I honestly can't say how amazing it is in our newest base at Pueblo Namara 6. With magnificent views over the Mediterranean Sea and 4 separate levels to the villa I will soon have to write a dedicated post to capture how amazing it is. This is an unexpected adventure ahead of us compared to our normal hiking and cycling exploits and we know there are going to be many challenges in the weeks ahead. Having somewhere beautiful and inspiring to help with our own mental wellbeing, especially as we expect to be home and inside a lot more than usual, is exactly what we need.

Back to the matter of puppies, however, and having just one dog and an empty whelping box to move was definitely a far easier task than with 6 or 7 newborn puppies to worry about. Leela seems to have coped well with our relocation too. I can see her now gently snoring in her box.

She certainly seems determined to keep everyone playing the guessing the game and since we have no idea exactly when she got pregnant guessing is all we can do. One moment she is running on the beach like a puppy herself and people are asking if she has had the puppies already as she seems so bouncy. Then a few hours later she is 'nesting' in her whelping box and seems off her food. Then active again?!! 

We get excited, then nervous, then it's a false alarm, then we calm down only to get excited all over again. 

Yet one thing we can't get over is just how incredible it is to see nature in action. To watch Leela changing from day to day (can she really get any bigger?). Being able to see and feel the pups moving inside her - that to both of us has been such a huge gift. Watching how calm and natural it all is. 

For all the uncertainty ahead and the occasional doubts and wobbles we have from time to time, it can't detract from how grateful we are to find ourselves on this adventure and be in a position, with the time and the resources right now, to help an animal in need at all. 

We might not be able to reply to everyone directly at the moment, but we also want to say here how grateful we are for all of the kind words and encouraging messages people are sending us, and more importantly Leela. Thank you.

UPDATE
Adopting Leela has inspired a collection of dog-themed poems and illustrations:
Love, Fluff and Chasing Butterflies - 50% of profits are donated to the Dog's Trust