Ms. Pineapple is looking more sausage-like by the day. The second photo really illustrates exactly why she wants nothing to do with food. 
Also don’t worry, despite the odd angle of the second photo, she was fully supported.
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Awww, I feel for Pineapple! Near the end of pregnancy, I remember feeling like I had NO ROOM inside for food. Hang in there, Pineapple. Hopefully soon you’ll be a mama! 
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She’s taken up residence in the lay box after ignoring it until now, hoping it means sooner rather than later. Sienna only leaves her lay box at night these days. I leave in 16 days, so we’re getting down to the wire.
Also, in non-breeding season related news: Two of my adult problem noodles, my Japanese Rat Snake & my adult female Hognose, FINALLY ate for me. The rat snake was a holdout for 130 days, I was this close to a vet visit but I know he likes to go off food when my female corns ovulate so I held off. As for Eevee, the hognose, she occasionally likes to just not eat for a couple months at a time. Huge relief to get meals into them before I leave.
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Good news all around. Hooray for everybody! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that everybody will keep doing just what they need to do so that you and your animals’ caregivers can go into your trip without additional stresses.
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I will say, I could have done without the rat snake trying to eat himself. Mr. overenthusiastic hit both the mouse and his own side. Now I get to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t end up with an infection. 
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Ooh, bad rat snake! Hopefully he’ll not have any consequences and this worry will be your only glitch for 2023!
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So far there appears to be no issues with the rat snake, aside a visible bite mark and some pinpoint bleeding/bruising. He’s active as ever, pooped today as expected, wound seems to have already begun healing. Thankfully I had some isopropyl nearby when he bit himself, put some on my hand then ran it over his nostrils and he released instead of thrashing and making it worse.
Updates on the females:
Sienna stopped accepting food as of yesterday. Tomorrow will be 10 days since she shed, which was the interval between pre-lay shed & laying last year.
Pineapple is…Idk huge isn’t even the right word. She looks like an overstuffed sausage about to burst. Based on the fact that she’s started looking fuller near her vent, I’d expect her to lay any day now. She has not left her lay box in days, as far as I have seen.
Azula is still taking food, albeit quite hesitantly and only a small mouse. She does appear to be gravid this year, despite her pattern being an optical illusion making it difficult to tell.
I do think that Sylvie, my het Palmetto girl, might also be gravid, though I would not be surprised if they were all slugs, as she’s only had about 10 minutes with a male before I changed my mind about breeding her (though she’ll still be watched just in case that time was enough, lol)
As for me, I’m scrambling to get all the instructions together for my dad, all the enclosures clean and ready, setting up the incubator & supplies. I have one of my 2022 hatchlings needing to get sent to their new home before I leave and the weather is refusing to cooperate this week, so I’m down to the wire there.
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Best of luck to you and all the scaley girls!
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Thank you! Doing my best to relax and remember they’ve got this, while I try to get everything done I need. I think I’ll finally relax only when I’m on the plane. 
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It’s breeding season! Can anyone ever truly relax until all the eggs are laid, wait no, until all the babies are out, wait no, until all the babies have taken a meal, wait… 
They’ll be a-okay and I hope you have a great time on your trip!
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So, soooo true. 
Thank you, I will. I’m so excited to get to travel like I never thought I would!
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So much excitement! Glad your silly rat snake is healing well. And oh my, SO much excitement with the girls! And the travel! And everything!!!
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So…Our basement flooded. This is not what I needed right now. 
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Still no luck trying to clear the blockage, so tomorrow it’s the dang auger again. Frustrating but what can you do?
Still nothing as far as eggs.
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The saga of the basement continues. However, in seasonal news, it appears Pineapple is getting ready for her pre-lay shed!
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Oh no!! I’m so sorry to see this! There’s never a good time for a flooded basement, but right before a major trip is an analysis terrible time! I don’t have any words of wisdom but will say some prayers.
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Yay, Pineapple! You go, girl. I imagine that Pineapple will be at least as glad as you are when she’s laid her eggs. May it go easily for her.
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Thankfully this isn’t the first time the basement issue has come up, so it’s more of an inconvenience than anything. As it has happened in the past, we keep a pretty close eye out for any issues and manage to catch it before things get unmanageable or start causing damage. The stress isn’t great, but I know it could easily be so much worse and I’m glad that it’s just an overall annoyance.
At this point I wouldn’t be surprised if she audibly sighed in relief. I do worry based on timing she’ll lay when I’m gone, but not much to do there if that’s the case.
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Gotcha. Still less than ideal but obviously at least a little bit less stressful since up y’all know what to do. I’m glad that you were able to prevent any damage.
Pineapple probably will sigh in relief. I’m pretty sure that’s a common reaction but post-parturient females of every species which doesn’t simply produce oodles of tiny eggs or offspring, like fish do. Know what? I’m pretty sure that a sigh of relief is a common reaction for all keepers who breed their female charges. I know I always do it myself when my girls lay successfully. 
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The basement issue has been dealt with, so that stress is now off the table.
Pineapple looks even more washed out today, so I was right she’s headed into blue. Sienna still looks incredibly plump as well, and Azula looks more gravid by the day. Patiently impatient with these girls!
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