Saturday Morning Babies!!!!

All week Patty, my LaMancha doe, has been bagging up with a nice size udder. Now because I am so smart like that, I failed to write down on the calendar when she was bred; therefore I had to rely on her udder size and tail ligaments to clue me in. Yesterday she was bagging up pretty good, almost twice in size so I figured today she would have babies.

Yesterday was a snow day for me and once again, was slammed hard with serious snow fall so I am glad she waited for at least today. I got up early and was out in the barn by 6:15 am and sure enough the babies had dropped into the birth canal as she was hollowed out along the spinal area. Of course, because she is a grain pig she got her grain and was content to eat hay with everyone. I finished feeding everyone else and started cleaning out a stall, out fresh, thick straw down, and hung 2 heat lamps. By 7:30 Patty was starting to have contractions and settled herself into the stall with me.

By 7:45, mucus appeared along with 2 large hoofs. Now of course because Patty is a goof, she was content eating the fresh straw, staring at the birds in the loft, having an occasional contraction, and just driving me nuts as if this was no big deal. By 8:05 inside of presenting a nose for a nice easy delivery, I see another hoof. A smaller hoof. Probably twins I am thinking or a total fiasco of a single birth. Not good.

Why can't anything be easy?

So I wait a few more contractions and nothing so on the next contraction, I reach in to find a head. Found the head contacted to the first 2 hooves. I push the third hood back and with much effort pull a nice size baby out. Patty was very happy to start cleaning this boy up. I noticed the third hoof reappear so instead of waiting for Patty I reached in and pulled the baby out as I was afraid the sack had broke or something along that line. This baby came out nice and easy. A small doeling!! I cleaned her up real quickly with a towel and gave her to Patty to finish.

Above is the black boy trying to find his legs for the first time.

Above is the little girl, she is definitely more active and of course was the first to find the nipple. Boys always seen to be a tad slower at that:)

By 9:30 am Patty had them both all cleaned up and they had started nursing. The little boy is enjoying laying under the heat lamp and the doe is very curious. Patty is enjoying her special privilege stall and will be enjoying her extra grain rations in the weeks to come:)

So, a busy morning and keeping my fingers crossed that all stays well with them!

I love goat babies and its nice to have a bright spot going into March!!

And shall I be keeping both, or one or none?

Come back to see more baby pics and I will keep you posted;)

Fun Tag

Since there is not much to discuss, I thought Claire's idea from Whispering Acres was fun while I watched some of the Olympics and avoided grading school papers. Thanks Claire:)

"Your Cell Phone? LG

Your Hair? ponytail

Your Mother? friend

Your Father? worries

Your Favorite Food? chips

Your Dream Last Night? vampires

Your Favorite Drink? Coke

Your Dream/Goal? spin

What Room Are You In? living room

Your Hobby? farming

Your Fear? flying

Where Do You See Yourself In Six Years? happier

Where Were You Last Night? home

Something That You Aren't? quiet

Muffins? chocolatechip

Wish List Item? mudroom

Where Did You Grow Up? ohio

Last Thing You Did? swore

What Are You Wearing? hoodie

Your TV? on

Your Pets? spoiled

Friends? select

Your Life? pleasant

Your Mood? irritated

Missing Someone? grandma

Vehicle? minivan

Something You Aren't Wearing? makeup

Your Favorite Store? TSC

Your Favorite Color? blue

When Was The Last Time You Laughed? school

Last Time You Cried? December

Your Best Friend? sister

One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? Petsmart

Facebook? nope

Twitter? stupid

Favorite Place To Eat? mom's

Tag to anyone that stops by to read my "so exciting" life:) I would love to stop by anyone's blog who reads my to see your one word responses............one word is so hard to do because I tend to talk too much!!!!!

"I Say Try."

One of the things I like to do in my "spare time" is reconnect with my love of American history. Teaching American history to 8th graders is great and I love it but sometimes I just need to reconnect with history at a more "intellectual" level. Throughout the year I take a few seminars for history teachers and if I am lucky I get to participate in a week long seminar. The seminars are at Ashland University, a prestigious college, about 40 minutes south of where I live. This Saturday I took a seminar on Abraham Lincoln. The seminars are taught by affluent scholars/writers of American History. David McCullough was one of most exciting authors I saw:)

The speaker this past Saturday had many interesting side notes on Lincoln that were inspiring and rewarding to hear. One of my favorite quotes from Lincoln that I often use in class is:

"I say "try". If we never try, we shall never succeed."

The past few weeks have been quite a struggle with the weather, a few animal complications, a lot of thinking and deciding on the direction I want to take with the animals and the garden, and I guess just life "stuff". My motivation has been quite low the past month and usually I am pretty motivated. Taking the class was good for me and seeing the sun helped too.

Trying has actually been one of things I have been putting off lately......always finding an excuse to do something else or saying I will do something later or another day. The other morning was just beautiful and Dixie and I took advantage in enjoying the country landscape. The hardest trying time is going to be when all of this snow melts and becomes one big muddy mess.

March rolls in next week and it is historically the longest month for me on a personal and school level. But I promise not to complain and in order to prevail:

"I say try."