New belly photo!

DAY 30

We've officially hit the HALFWAY POINT! We're on day #30 now and Rini is feeling great. We just got home from the annual Timbreblue Reunion in Harrisonburg, Virginia and she had a great time.

She was impatient with Chippy's young puppies but figured out pretty quickly that they don't know how to jump up on the hotel room bed and she does ... so she retreated to the pillows and I wrapped her up in a blanket so she could glare at the puppies from afar.

I have some bad news for her, some puppies are in her future... LOL!

Henry loves his bunny...

Henry with his bunny

Daddy Henry's favorite toy in the Whole Wide World is his little bunny. I've attached a photo of sweet Henry with his bunny. He loves his bunny soooo much and he gets very sad if another dog plays with it. He isn't an aggressive dog, so he doesn't try to take it back, he just stares at me very sadly and looks over at the other dog and back at me. "Pleeeease Mommy, get my bunny back..." and I always do. =)

Henry was so good!

Daddy Henry

We took Henry to the Timbreblue family reunion this weekend and he was a perfect gentleman! We weren't sure how he was going to react to a huge dog park full of other whippets but he was absolutely wonderful. I was running around helping to organize the reunion most of the day, and he stuck right by my side.

He was friendly with other dogs, and the ONE time I heard him growl was a very small minor growl when a younger male got up in his face and was bugging him. I told him to cut it out and he quit immediately. I think that's quite good for an intact stud dog who is not used to a lot of other males. He's not "sharp" with other males the way a lot of intact males are. I'm very happy with his temperament!

Feeling much better now...

DAY 26

Thank goodness, it seems like Rini's morning sickness is pretty much over. She's eating regular meals now, where a few days ago she was skipping every other meal and never wanted breakfast. I was worried about her getting enough nutrients for the babies. Right now she is growing organs for the babies so it's critical that she have a balanced diet with enough of everything.

Rini's belly on day 26

She's starting to put on weight gradually, which is what we want to see in a whippet momma-to-be. Her tuck-up is filling in, and she's looking a tad chubby =)  I have been reassuring her that she is gorgeous as always. She is always eager for any leftover bit of chicken from our dinner or a little yogurt.

She's sleeping a LOT so she must be going through that pregnancy phase where you are simply exhausted all the time. Lots of photo ops, I am attaching a "belly photo" and a photo of her sleeping, taken today.

Is she or isn't she?

DAY 24

Well it's getting close to the time when we will know if Rini is truly pregnant or not. Her nipples are enlarged, and she's starting to turn down breakfast, which could indicate morning sickness. We'll know for sure if she throws up, that is usually a dead giveaway.

It LOOKS LIKE her belly is a little bigger, especially up under her ribs, which is where the baby bump usually starts. She's been a little moody lately and clingy, which is also associated with pregnancy hormones.

Of course we've been giving her a daily folic acid tablet with her food, along with omega 3 and vitamin E gelcaps. I've also been trying to give her additional fish with her dinner whenever possible to increase the omega 3 content.

Big belly ... my girl's got it ...

DAY 21

First belly pic attached ... she's starting to fill out a little bit, and since I dropped her food from one cup per day to 3/4 cup the only way she's putting on weight is if she's preggers. She seems to be lying on her back a lot more lately and sleeping on the floor more. She's a little more clingy and seems more affectionate, but maybe I'm imagining that...?

A little about Henry...

DAY 4

We got Henry from Debbie Butt of Sporting Fields Whippets in 2009. Henry is "Sporting Fields Move On" son of Ch Sporting Fields Live On. Every dog or bitch in his pedigree for three generations is a champion. He himself has 14 points, one major, in limited AKC showing. It takes two majors to get a championship in AKC.

He has gorgeous movement, is very elegant, and has beautiful lines. He has a gorgeous head and expression. If I was to improve on him, I'd give him a better topline and better rear angulation, both of which Rini has! So it's a match made in heaven.

As far as temperament, Henry is a dream. He is SWEET sweet sweet and so affectionate. It's hard to believe he is a stud dog, because he is so easy to live with. He gets along great with our other male dog, Chase, and he is friendly and playful with all of the dogs in our household. It's hard to believe he was raised in a show kennel since he is so well-adjusted and easy to live with. He crates well, he eats great, and he's a happy-go-lucky dog all around. He's even picked up obedience training quickly and easily and is eager to learn new things.