Here we are at day 2!  Healthy, plump, little red sable girls.  Doing what 2 day old babies do, sleeping, eating and, well, you know.  Mama has left them to go outside and to eat some food, but mostly stays with them, keeping them warm and cozy.
They both have some white on their chests, one more than the other and they will be marked like black and tan dachshunds with lighter legs, underbelly and face markings.  We'll keep you posted as they grow!

Ginger started to have contractions in the early evening.  They stopped for a few hours.  Around 7 pm, they began again sporadically around 8 pm and she had her first around 8:30, the next one followed about a half hour later.  She is a good little mama.  She cleaned them and tucked them into her.
I stayed up in case she had more, but that was all.  I went to bed at 1:30 am and was awakened by commotion!  Puppy crying!  I threw off the covers and ran into the living room, picked up the top of the crate and...only one puppy!  Ginger came from behind me and ran into the crate!  "Where's your baby?" I asked her.  She ran out and over to the basket with the stuffed animal toys...there it was, all tucked in!  So, I retrieved it and put it back into the crate and she cuddled them again.
   We are keeping all warm with a "snugglesafe" heatpad under the bedding.
   I closed the crate after that and went back to bed. (I also gave her the stuffed animal she had tucked around the baby).  
Looks like we have two little girls!  More details (markings) to follow.

Ginger (top), Penny (middle) and Toby (bottom).  All cuddled together!  Only four more days to go.  We expect the puppies around the 18th.

Ginger's crate is ready (she chooses to have puppies in the crate).  There is a new liner in it that feels like fleece and has bumpers around the sides to keep little pups from moving too far.  We will be placing a heat pad (warmed in the microwave and covered up to have just enough heat to keep the babies warm at all times).  The crate will be placed in a back corner of the living room, next to the couch, but behind an end table so the we can access it, but our three year old grandson cannot.  We will be keeping a close eye on our little mother from now on and for a while after the babies are born.  We'll keep you posted!

Only one week to go!  Mom is doing great.

Little Ginger is a drama queen.  She wants to be held and to cuddle, either with me or with her packmates.  She pretends she can't get up or down stairs (unless there is food available).  She sits and stares longingly to be held.

The whole family (Ginger, Penny, Tubee, Gabriel and Rascal) tuck her in.

When she really wants attention, she goes to her big brother, Gabriel!