There is once again new life in our home! Mia gave birth to one puppy today; and although we sincerely were hoping for more babies, we are very grateful for the one, healthy puppy we have.

We are happy to introduce Noel. I chose a Christmas name, because this little girl will be ready to go to a new home in time for Christmas this year.

I sincerely apologize for this less than ideal picture. Noel was unhappy and crying about having her picture taken. Mia, being the very good mother that she is, would not allow me to take any pictures without comforting her baby. You can at least see her beautiful dark color. I’ll post some better pictures when Noel is feeling more cooperative. I don’t like stressing little puppies more than necessary.

Raising a singleton puppy will definitely present some new challenges, but we are prepared to make the necessary adjustments. I am currently arranging for Noel to have some “foster siblings.” I’m blessed to know of two people close by me with a young litter of puppies that will be able to help give our puppy the proper socialization she should have from litter mates. I also made a trip to the store tonight to buy her some stuffed toys to snuggle with and crawl over. We’re also making some adjustments to our whelping box to keep it warmer. Usually, litter mates depend upon each other for warmth when mama has to leave the nest. We have to be more careful to keep the temperature warmer than is usually necessary.

My most immediate concern, though, is milk supply. Some mamas don’t receive enough stimulation from just one puppy to keep up a milk supply. In some cases, however, this isn’t a problem. It really depends on the mama. So far, Mia has plenty of milk for Noel, and Noel has been steadily gaining weight even in the first 24 hours. This is excellent. We will still very closely monitor her weight for the first several days to make sure Mia continues to keep a good milk supply. I am hopeful that no intervention will be necessary. I am prepared to supplement if needed, but I try to avoid those situations if at all possible. Mama’s milk is best, so I will be praying that Mia keeps her milk.

That’s all for tonight! Thanks for reading!