I'm not totally sure what the deal is with puppies and rocks. I think the one thing they like more than chewing on rocks is sitting on the sofa, but sitting on the sofa while chewing on a rock... Now that's living! Miss S found this rock in the yard and brought it in with her.

A couple of days ago the strangest thing happened. This really bright ball appeared in the sky and almost dried up the yard. General consensus was that it is a rare creature called a "sun." We haven't seen it in a while. I was beginning to think that it was merely a thing of legend. But sure enough, it does exist. From what I understand, we are supposed to get more rain again later in the week, but I am trying hard not to think about that right now. 
The puppies have been enjoying being able to play in the yard without their sweatshirts. The first few times we took them out, Miss M looked like she was trapped in a tractor beam whenever she got out into the sun. She slowed down, stretched out and just soaked in the rays.

It's been a while since they've really been able to get out and run. Miss M isn't quite finished with her puppy shots yet, so we haven't been taking the bigger puppies on walks so that we can avoid them being exposed to something around the neighborhood and then bringing it back to her and making her sick. So for the past few weeks, we have just been playing in the house, which is fun but fairly limited. 
So finally, they were allowed to play unrestricted in the yard. They took turns finding little sticks and then showing the others so that they could chase each other around the yard and try to keep the stick from the others. Miss M is surprisingly fast and good at keeping the stick away from the bigger puppies. 

Mr. M and Miss S are on the mend, and the countdown is on until we can take off the bandages and the cones of shame. We cannot wait for those cones to come off! Miss B and Mr. C are getting more and more attached to the littles every day. They have even started napping cuddled up with them- which is something I have secretly been hoping for since we brought them home. I decided to use this waiting time to post a public service announcement of sorts about owning pitbulls.
The pitbull parents out there know (and can tell non pitbull parents) that pitbulls are not the mindless killing machines that the media paints them to be. I was surfing Google one day and read that you are more likely to be killed by a shark than you are a pitbull, and I believe it. But the truth of the matter is that a great many normally logical people believe the hype in the media. Of course, I am not sure why we believe much of anything in the media these days, but that is an entirely different post topic. The point is that there are people out there who are just looking for an excuse to rid the world of pitbulls if you give them the chance.
Having a pitbull is not like having other dogs- not because pitbulls are that much different than other dogs- but because they are easy targets. Being a pitbull parent is a serious role that shouldn't be taken lightly. You are responsible for your dog in ways that others don't have to be. Not only do you have to watch out for the usual things, like making sure they don't eat anything that is bad for them or swallowing something that could get stuck, you also have to worry about them being targeted by viscious people.
If a different kind of dog barks and wags its tail, most people will assume that it is friendly and wants to play. If a pitbull barks while wagging its tail in front of the wrong person, the person could overreact and think the dog wants to eat them, resulting horrible consequences for the dog. This was exactly what happened in this example. (Warning, the video is disturbing).
People who don't have pitbulls won't understand their activity level or their play style. A coworker of mine recently told me about her friend who was fostering a pitbull lab mix puppy. The foster mom took the pitbull to a dog park (mistake #1) and let it play off leash (mistake #2). She watched calmly as the puppy who was less than a year old, went up to another dog and started playing tug with the other dog's toy (mistake #3). The owner of the other dog freaked out and reached down between the two dogs to pull the toy out of the mouth of a dog she didn't know (which is totally stupid on her part). In the confusion, the pitbull mouthed the lady's hand after mistaking it for the toy. She didn't break the skin and released as soon as she realized it was the lady and not the toy. The lady didn't like pitbulls and called animal control to have the dog confiscated, quaranteened and tested for rabies. This is mostly likely a death sentence for the pitbull based on the Houston SPCA's anti-pitbull policies.
The foster mom wasn't bothered at all and was immediately given a different kind of dog to foster.
The point here is that if anything negative happens, your pitbull is likely to be blamed even if he didn't start it or do anything to contribute.
It is your responsibility as a pitbull parent to put your pitbull is situations where he or she can succeed and keep them away from situations where they could fail.
If you know you dog doesn't like kids, don't take him to a playground. If she doesn't like loud noises, don't take her to a fireworks show or parade. You know your dog better than anyone else, and you should have an idea of what he or she can handle.
NEVER let them run off leash in a public area, and if possible, avoid taking them to dog parks. There are a lot of strange people at dog parks. Plus, you don't know how healthy the other dogs are. They could have worms or illnesses that your well cared for dog could catch.

Becoming a pitbull parent is not something that should be taken lightly. Most of the time pitbulls need protection from humans way more than humans need from them, and it is your job to make sure that they get that protection.
Pitbulls are amazing dogs. As a pitbull owner, you have the chance to show the world how wonderful they are, but only if you put them in situations they can handle. Know your dog's strengths and use them to let him or her shine.

So lately, we've just been hanging out at home, waiting for the cones to come off. The littles get their stitches out this weekend; then we just have to wait a little bit longer. We are definitely ready for these stupid cones to come off. I mean seriously, they are at that stage where you just want to play with them and kiss them on their cute little heads, but we can't because the cones are in the way!! I get that they are necessary, but enough already!
In the meantime, they have been growing and playing. We have been starting to work with the little ones on their leashes. They are so used to following us around, that so far they just walk with us wherever we go without noticing that the leash is there. Hopefully we can keep this up. It's so much more enjoyable when they don't pull on the leash! Miss B and Mr. C aren't quite there yet, but I kind of think it was harder with them because they were older when we got them. Plus Miss B's hyper and gets distracted easily.
Here are some random cute pictures from the yard.

I am not sure how it is that they grow so fast! The littles are already big enough to follow us outside. They have been learning all kinds of things by watching the bigger puppies. The other day I told Miss B to sit before opening the door to go outside. When I did, Miss S sat right down and looked up at me. So cute!!
The littles were too small to potty train when we brought them home, so we have been using newspaper instead. They seek out the newspaper now to use the potty anytime they find it. Sometimes, they don't realize that they are not all the way on the paper just because they have their front feet on it and end up pottying on the floor instead, but they are trying. They out grew the carrier that they have been sleeping in at nights, and are now sleeping for most of the night in the bathroom- with newspaper on a tile floor so that it is easier to clean up.
It is amazing to me that they can grow so fast in such a short period of time.
The girls here are playing with the same stick. Notice how much bigger Miss S is next to Miss B!

Here, all four of the puppies are playing with one stick. Miss B is about to take it from Mr. C as the littles look on, trying to figure out how to get the stick from the big ones.

"You can't get me. I'm by Dad." Miss S heard a noise and ran for cover beside Dad. Notice the very serious look.

Miss B and Mr. C in a brief time out. Being still is sooo hard for a puppy!