About Me

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Winter Springs, Florida, United States
I was school taught for grooming at FIAA, in Winter Park. I have worked at both large corporate grooming salons and small independent ones. Love this profession! I consider myself talented and gentle and love all the pets that come through my door... I have excellent references.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Open up or open not...

Lexi has decided it's time she sees the world around her.  She started to peek out yesterday and today they were full blown open...  Bella has decided it is not her time yet.  But, it marvels me to think that Lexi had such a bleak prognosis that first night. I can't believe that I had started to prepare myself for the worst with her!  She fought to prove me wrong and I soooo love her for that...



Bella is doing great, just taking her sweet time. They are both nursing and sleeping and now moving a whole lot more in the pool area...  Life is good...

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Bella & Lexi growing and getting to that 2 week mark!


Bella is weighing in at 8.7 oz. while Lexi, her chunkier counterpart is weighing in at 10.5 oz.  They are both so luscious to watch... Both beautiful in their different ways.  Lexi's coloration is the most amazing and unusual, I think we have ever had here at ChihuahuaCrazy!...   I already know I will be struggling much about deciding what to do with her...  Bella is so perfect in her own way--looks so much like mommy.  They both have great heads and square muzzles--which I love...  Their eyes will begin to peep open soon!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Bella & Lexi are flourishing...


I weighed the puppies today, just to keep track of their growth and to make sure they continue to grow(although just by looking at them it can't be denied!)...  So, Bella (Daisy's look alike) weighed in 7.3 oz. and Lexi (Ashy Blue one) weighed in at 9.0 oz. on the mark! Have to say that I feel really good about the both of them, at this point.  I am not even worrying about Lexi anymore...  To me, she is out of the woods and is continuing to grow normally and healthy...  Lexi, I know at this moment, has taken a strong hold on me--and will most certainly be very hard to let go of when it comes time to it... 



Eventhough, they are growing heavily and steadily--I know that they will be small in frame and weight.  Frostee has consistenly proven himself as siring small dogs--no doubt.  So, the weight charts, for now, are for my peace of mind.  They are not indicators of any true adult weight--which so many out there have a fixation on...  They are happily chugging down their mother's very FATTY milk and therefore, the charts cannot be used accurately at this point.  My best assessment of a puppy's true adult size is at around 5 months of age.  By that point, they have been weaned from mommy's milk for a long while and the newer and leaner puppy food is assimilating in their system.  So, their growth declines and becomes more evenly spread out....  Mom's Milk is the Super Formula for all mammals...  No doubt about it!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Thanks to Michelle(Fifi's owner) & her co-workers we now have a name!

Ya, thanks to the list of names Michelle (Fifi's owner in Long Island, NY) and her co-workers have come up with---I can now put a name to both of Daisy's girls...! 

Okay, so here it goes--first born and Daisy look alike is going to be Bella and the last born, which is an ashy blue, will be Lexi--I took one look at her and it just made sense--she is a LEXI! Thanks to all at AquaAmerica!

Naming the puppies...


Any suggestions for names would be greatly appreciated...  Having a hard time figuring out what to call them...  I think it is actually easier when the litter is large to name each and every one--because the task at hand is bigger.  So, you just get to it and do it so much more efficiently... 

Anyway, thinking on what the blue girl was put through to get out (enduring my constant tugging, etc.) this is most certainly a testament to how truly miraculous life can be!!!  I give thanks to the powers of the universe for these moments--especially at this point in my life...

Happy to report that as of last night Minnie Me was weighing 5.7oz and Blue Girl (for now) 7.1 oz!  Yup, that blue girl has really put a lot of faith back into me...  It is always hard when you have a litter in which you lose one (be it that it's stillborn  or losing it shortly after).  But, after what Daisy went through and the trauma that the puppy went through, it is just amazing that Blue Girl pulled through with such vigor for life...

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Daisy and the daily grind...

Daisy is trying her hardest and best to adjust to the neverending cycle of nursing and caring for her puppies...  Remember those days?--you human mothers out there...  Where we would deny ourselves the simple necessities of life like brushing our teeth, enjoying a full meal or taking a bath?  I do...  But, such is life and the role of a mother. 

Daisy is especially weary at night--lucky me, since she sleeps right below me next to my side of the bed...  So, I have had to confine her and the puppies to a closed crate which she cannot escape.  Sounds horrible, but she will have these little freaky stints of trying to get on my bed or of hiding under the bed during the loud calls and crys of her puppies.  As my memory recalls, I think Nini went through the same thing during her first two litters...  Not fun for anyone involved...  Hearing the puppies cry for her is the worst part of it all...  So, incarceration is the only solution, at this point.  I of course make sure all her needs are met before she is put in the closed crate--such as potty time, food/water... Which can be quite fun at 2am in the morning, which is when she seems to be going a bit stir crazy... 

Yet, happy to say, that besides this little glitch in the chain of Mothering, she is doing very well with them.  They have grown, in my eyes.  Both are exuding healthiness, lots of movement and much shine to their coats.  I am guessing they will both be longcoated.  Two longcoated parents can produce smoothcoated(shortcoated) babies--it all depends on what they carry in their lineage... And vice versa...

The circle of life--especially the beginning of life--is such a beautiful facet of living... Happy to be experiencing it with her...   :)

Monday, March 22, 2010

Skyla (Moo Moo from Lucy's last litter) stayover at our house...

Lucy had her daughter here for the weekend...  We baby sat her...  It's been a weekend full of activity and non-stop playing for Lucy and Skyla.  It's funny to watch them together--they are such mirror images of one another...  It seems Skyla knew exactly where she was from day one... No whining or whimpering because she was not at home...  She took to the group as if she had never really left.  Love to see that.  It's been fun to see them going and going.  Funny how they seem to remember (have a memory) about their mothers and previous home...  :)

Boogie has been vying for Skyla's attention to no avail-Lucy won in that department...

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Update on Daisy's pups...

Quick post just to let everyone know that Blue Girl (until I come up with a better name???) is doing really well.  No need for supplementing--she is doing all the work herself by nursing from Mom...  Both puppies have each gained .8 of an ounce since their birth.  Am really happy with what I thought was going to be a bleak week.  Life always has a way of throwing you a nice surprise when you least expect it...   :)

Friday, March 19, 2010

Blue girl is sooo much better--like new... Let's hope...

Well there is always one little one that will surprise you in any given litter...  This litter it happens to be our sandy blue girl, which was born last.  She was put through the ringer by being head out (only head) for the longest time.  Daisy, it seemed, was not going to be able to push her out.  I actually had to insert my pointer finger (with surgical gloves on and lots of KY) in her vaginal canal to try to shift the puppy's position.  It worked and out she came. But, for a while we weren't sure if the puppy or even Daisy would live through it all...  Very scary and draining for all of us. 

But, low and behold--Blue Girl has come back with a vengence!  Each and everytime you look at Daisy, she is latched on and suckling away with vigor!  Such a relief.  But, I cannot say that she is completely out of the woods until she turns that two week mark.  And again, I ask, you send your positive thoughts her way... 

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Daisy's St. Patrick's Puppies...

In conclusion of my prior blog, yes, Daisy did whelp her puppies yesterday on St. Patty's day...  She had a total of 3 females.  One which was stillborn  :( 

The whelping was excrutiating for Daisy.  She screamed like a human woman, from the get go, when the first puppy was descending into the vaginal canal...  All she could do was scream and bite down on anything that was in the vicinity of her bottom. Unfortunately, the very first time, my finger happened to be in that vicinity and it took the brunt of her her agony...

Anyway, first girl was born at 4.0 oz. on the nose, second (stillborn) was 4.5 oz. and the third was an exact 5.0 oz..  The last she gave birth to was a sandy blue color, which I assume will get lighter either on the blue side or fawn side... Well, this girl, was stuck head first and out, for sometime.  I had to, with the help of Carlos (my husband) holding Daisy upright to let gravity on our side, help her by pulling gently with each contraction that she had.  It was horrific in my mind.  And, yes, boo hoo to me, who put myself and Daisy in this position...  And yes, you know how I rant and rave about breeders wanting to genetically control and modify Chi size all for the sake of vanity (because apparently Mother Nature had no clue as to what was going to be "in MODA" years down the line of Chihuahuas even appearing on Earth....). Well, I just got a taste of that medicine--and crap was it SOUR!  I don't ever want to put her in that position again or myself...  It was nearly a twelve hour labor from beginning to end for just 3 puppies!  Big decision ahead for Daisy's breeding future--spay or let her do this again with a male that is twice as small as her???  I'm not sure.  If I do the latter, it would be hypocritical of what I think is right...  We'll see. 

So, now her sandy blue girl, girl #3, is hanging in the balance; did not feed very well last night--cryed most of the time.  I tried as best I could, through chronic cough and much needed shut eye, to adjust her and help her find a teet (nipple).  Many times she was not interested--heartbreaking...  I don't want to experience another Vida scenario here but, it looks to be moving in that direction... In all likelyhood, Daisy will only raise one surviving pup...   :(    

I do not want to think negatively, but I have to be realistic and try to let go sooner this time, if that should be the case...  So, please send your positive thoughts my way--u know how I feel about that; it works.  (Vida lasted a whole 14 days, a miracle within itself....)  More pics and info on their condition to come soon... Hoping to get some needed rest today...

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Daisy will be a momma for the first time... Maybe today???


Daisy, which is due on the 19th official 63rd day of gestation, had a really uncomfortable and rough time last night.  I am hoping, if she whelps, that it will be during working hours, incase I need to rush her over to the vet.  If it happens after 6pm, I always run the risk of having to take her to the emergency Vet Clinic, which doesn't seem to appreciate the fact that people out there breed... They just make you feel so belittled by the time you hand the dog over to them--but, hey they have no qualms about charging you double and a half and then taking that credit card number from you!  But, yes, have to say--I don't want to have to go the Emer. Vet with her...  So, please send your positive thoughts her way--so, that is not the case.  It's is just that you really never know.  And when it comes to the smaller chis (like Daisy) it can be a gamble.  So, we shall see... 

One of the reasons I am not so hung up on "Oh, will he/she weigh more than 4 lbs. as an adult?" is the very fact that the little ones have such a hard time when it comes to whelping (labor)... So, what does that indicate to me? ---Mother Nature knew very well that and intended the for the Chihuahua to be small, but not that small...  So, many of the Chi lines out there modifying the specifics of the naturally intended bone/frame structure of the Chihuahua are just playing with fire...  Not to mention that genetically speaking, the Tea Cup Chi, is just not fit for a long life--the great majority of the teeny ones end up dying by age 6.  Chihuahuas are meant to live anywhere from 14 to 20 years... 

Again, here we will be-waiting and seeing what Daisy produces and how well she will get through the whelping of her babies...  Wish us luck!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Cold and Icky days...

We humans, here at ChihuahuaCrazy, have been a bit under the weather for some time now...  I am, personally, really SICK (no pun intended) of it!  But, I guess it's the constant change in weather this winter--Damn "El Nino" carrajo (bad word in Spanish). 

But, my long haired chis--specifically Nini and her son Lobo don't seem to mind the chill in the air.  I have a couple of doggie beds set up in my back porch area that leads to the pool and yard.  Well, that is where they want to be day and night--although, I don't allow them to be there as soon as the late afternoon hits--too chilly in my opinion...   

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Blanca left today... :(

So, now it's really down to the wire...  Blanca left us bright and early to her new home accompanied by her brother, Australian Shepherd Minnie (yes, minnie!--obviously not as small as a chi, but small for an A.S.). 

And, now--LOBO is all alone.  He looked for her over and over again throughout the span of the morning.  It was heart wrenching to watch... He will not leave us until the 2nd of April. 

Blanquita woke up with me and received a warm yummy bath this morning (not so yummy, though, in her mind).  But, nonetheless, she was smelling fragrant and looking as bright as the sun when I was done with her...  Momma Nini sensed something was going down--she was extra watchful of Blanca and Lobo this morning.  Funny how they have that 6th sense. 

So, when Alex came knocking on the door--all hell broke loose in the barking dept...  But, Nini, above all, managed to settle quickly.  I, of course, had to shed my tears before I was able to hand her completely over.  It never changes with me; guess it never will...  My husband, Carlos, just does not get it.  He kind of apologizes on my behalf to whichever new owner is sitting across from me, at the time.  I guess all the stress of getting the house ready for sale and the thought of uprooting our family--dogs and horses included--just has me a bit over stressed lately...  Each departure of everyone of my pups, lately, has been extra heartfelt...  But, heck--I don't care nor am I embarassed--I am, as they say, pretty much an "open book."

Life is still good and is even better for Blanca's new owner, at least for today...  :)

Friday, March 12, 2010

Bad at posting lately...

Sorry for lack of posts.  It has been a hard week between my children who are sick, getting the puppies that were leaving ready for their departures (Diego, Maya & Blanca) and just plain life here around the house, which is in shambles due to our working on it to get it ready for sale....  Yadda yadda, yaddi yaddi..

Maya left for Gasport, NY (flying into Buffalo) yesterday morning.  I had to be at the airport with her at 7am; her flight left at 8:10am.  And as always, I was running late...  I am not a morning person--never have been--blahhh to mornings...  Yeah, imagine me with little newborns human or not--it's a scary thought...

Anyway, she arrived fine but took forever to come out of the belly of the plane because luggage was backed up.  So, here I was on this end, biting my fingernails (figuratively) waiting to hear from Brittney...  Felt like forever.  But, when I did get the call I was like, "Ahhhhhh."  And the topping to that conversation was Maya crying her head off once she heard my voice through the phone!  I was put on speaker and it was unbearable.  No one could talk or hear each other because of her whining and yelping.  It MELTED MY HEART and like the goober I am--I immediately started to sob (trying to hide it as best I could) and had to hang up with Brittney. It was so sad for Maya and I, yet such a spectacular feeling to experience because I knew what I meant to that little one by her reaction...  Ok, no more cheezy weezy stories...

Blanca will be leaving us on Sun-and that will be another hard one... She is a little beautie with the most spectacular green eyes and playful soul...  I think she will bring so much joyful youth to her new family--which recently lost one of their 18 yr old chis...  And she will certainly be cultured and trained in the classical music genre, being that her owners are both musicians for the Orlando Philharmonic...  Love it... 
 Loving my little ones and loving life at the moment!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

More visits from Chili's visit

Just wanted to include more photos from our play date yesterday, 3/8/10, with Chili, Trang, Marty & Dolce--who is elusive in the pics... They are too cute to just archive in the depths of one's computer...

Trang was ready to run for it with one or two in her purse!

Mom, Pop & ChiliMom, Pop & Chili