First-time Cowdenbeath mother-to-be Gayle Brotherton is anxiously awaiting the patter of tiny feet in two months.
But while other expectant mums can deservedly put their feet up, Gayle and husband James have another happy family to look after with 52 tiny paws, 13 tiny tails and far too many spots to count.
Not to mention doting mum Xena and proud dad Troy.
They may not have matched Perdita and Pongo’s brood in 101 Dalmatians, but it is a lucky 13 for the canine family.
While a litter of 13 is not unheard of, it is very rare.
Xena actually had 16 pups but sadly one was stillborn and two others were too small to make it.
The litter entered the world on March 26, popping out at 90-minute intervals.
Now Gayle is glad she is only having one baby, and knows it is going to be a boy.
She said, “I’m only having one, and after this lot I’m a bit nervous about it.”
The puppies were born in Gayle’s home, 32 Braemount, the offspring of six-year-old Troy and five-year-old Xena.
Just two years ago they produced nine pups, eight of which survived.
This time Xena stunned Gayle and James by producing the litter of 16.
Gayle said, “I never expected as many as that. The first one came at around 12pm and they just kept coming, one every hour and a half.”
She added, “I kept thinking ‘please let this be the last one’ but then out came another. It was a long day and night.”
Gayle hopes to sell all the puppies, as she did last time, but knows she is in for a lot of work.
It has already begun as, despite her own bump, the childminder slept in her living room for their first week, worried that Xena may accidentally hurt them.
The Brothertons also spent an anxious few days worrying about Xena, who developed mastitis and had to receive treatment which involved her and her pups staying overnight at Inglis Veterinary Hospital in Dunfermline.
Discharged on Thursday, the dogs are now healthy and settling into their home.
At just over two weeks old, some are opening their eyes for the first time and are certainly finding their feet.
Gayle said, “They’re fine. They’re little monkeys, really.”
“They are very cute and I’m just beginning to recognise some of them individually.
“And Xena’s been really good with them-she’s a good wee mummy.”
Depute Inglis head nurse Debbie Miller said the pups had been star attractions during their stay, when staff worked round the clock to feed and care for them.
She said, “While such a large litter is not unheard of, it is unusual.”
Last year, dalmatians in Leicestershire produced a litter of 18 pups.