"On the 7th day of christmas my true love gave to me, 7 four week old puppies"

At 4 weeks old, right around christmas the puppies eyes had finally begun to really open up, and you were able to feel the outline of where there teeth were soon to pop up.  They were too big to stay inside the pool so it was time for a new design by the boys.  They took out the pool and divided the room by 1 1/2 ft wall that Iris was able to jump over to nurse.   

There were days when Iris didn't want to nurse, not because she was neglecting her pups, but simly because they didn't always make it the most pleasant for their mother.   It sometimes could seem like an attack as the puppies forced themselves to the largest boob.  Iris came to us malnourished, from living in the wild and having just given birth to 6 pups, but regardless of the 2 cans of wet food, 6 cups of dry, and countless treats a day, it seemed everyday the puppies got larger and larger and Iris became smaller and smaller.  

One point I don't want overlooked, is how much joy these puppies and Iris brought to my family.  Over the Holidays although they are special, they sometimes begin to be a blur over the many years. Holding a puppy gives you a special feeling that can not be replicated easily, a feeling of love spiked all the way through your body, a glimpse of pure happiness.  You can't help but smile. 

Some people think babies do the same thing.  Maybe my parents are right, maybe somewhere along the way I missed the boat of loving hairless alien looking miniature people, maybe I have a heart only reserved for the furry animals on the planet.  I like to believe that its not the repulsion of babies that makes me believe that animals, in this case puppies, have special powers, but more so that there is a bond unlike any other between a person and an animal.  Despite how small they are, they develop much faster than any baby does, I don't see any 4 week old baby playing tug of war, let alone understanding the concept.