Thanks! We appreciate all encouragement. I am going to be here a while yet. The current plan is to return home the 27th or 28th.
I fully expect another female to lay while I’m gone. Possibly two. For the sake of Dan’s stress level, I hope it’s only one more and that it goes smoothly.
My update is not much of an update; Annelie still has those two eggs down by her vent. Dan offered her a fuzzy this morning. When she hadn’t eaten it after an hour, he reheated it and put it back in with her. Hopefully she’ll take the meal. Annelie had refused food for a while before her prelay shed. (My records are at home but I know she’d refused at least two regular offerings, maybe three.) I know it’s not unusual but I never like it. She’s definitely drinking, at least.
Keep those positive thoughts coming! Thanks, everybody.
There’s been no change, alas. Those two eggs are still in the same place by Annelie’s vent. She wouldn’t eat the fuzzy Dan offered again yesterday. She’s still drinking, which is good anyway. Annelie and Dan have just arrived at the vet.
Fingers crossed for them.
You can uncross those fingers! Just got a message from Dan and it’s all good news! 
Annelie is fine and has been relieved of her eggs. He said that the clinic staff is in love with my beautiful, sweet girl. Very much to my surprise, the vet was able to sedate her, lubricate her, and get the eggs out intact. We were expecting that at least one would be aspirated. I don’t know if they’ll hatch, but we’ll give them a shot. Dan, Annelie, and two more eggs are en route home.
I really think that Annelie just ran out of energy trying to lay. She started refusing meals after 17 March, as her eggs took up more internal space. I was concerned that she might have trouble as a result. Thank God it wasn’t worse!
Thanks, everyone, for your encouragement. It means a lot. 
Excellent! It would be cool if those hatched too. 
That would be very cool, I’ll certainly take two more babies from this pairing. I’m just so tremendously relieved that Annelie is all right!
So happy to hear all it took was a little lube and some elbow grease to sort things out! Best possible outcome when vet intervention is needed. I’m sure you, Dan, and Annalie are all relieved now!
That’s great to hear! And your husband handled things like a champ! You can breathe a sigh of relief and continue enjoying the precious quality time with your grandbaby and your loved ones knowing all is well at home; and reassure Dan he’s doing an amazing job!
Thank you! I have been having stress dreams the past couple of nights. No need for that tonight.
Perfect summation, truly! 
Thanks so much!
He really did. I’m proud of him. We knew that there would be eggs laid while I was away. He was fretting about it. I wanted to be there, of course, but I was completely confident that Dan could deal with whatever occurred. He’s certainly proven me right. I appreciate him more than I can say.
THEY ARE PIPPING! The first nose appeared last night, which was day 58. (I thought today was day 60, but I was wrong). So far one is out, and seven others have pipped. Breeding season always brings surprises, and this one is already doing that. First things first, though; obligatory pippy picture.
Here’s one surprise, which is a very happy one. I guess maybe proving a known “possible het” isn’t a huge surprise, but it is still uncovering something unknown. Annelie has proven het Amel with two Strawberry Fire nodes so far. Gonna be some reeeeally red babies! 
Woo hoo! Can’t wait to see what you end up with!
The other surprise is very surprising. It’s currently a bit of a puzzle. A couple of babies aren’t Strawberry Bloodred or Strawberry Fire. They’re Strawberry (unclear). The sire Allstar is RF Strawberry Granite het Amel. Annelie is RF Strawberry Bloodred Het Amel 66% ph Charcoal. This pairing shouldn’t have produced any homozygous anery-type babies, but it looks like they have. One parent is het for something I didn’t expect.
Woo hoo indeed! Seeing their sweet little faces is always a thrill. Can’t wait to see them all the way out. The one who’s out of the egg is currently buried deep under the moss. Haven’t really gotten a great look at anything except its face and belly. Its belly looks a lot like an earthworm; solid pinky-red. 
Ooh this is sooooo exciting Caryl! This is like Christmas in June!!! Ho Ho Ho!!!
Exactly! The best presents are the self-opening kind! 
Yeah! You are right!
