Kids are Kids are Kids!

In 2009 we had so many things to look forward to.  One of which was the goat babies.  This would be our first round of hopefully many and many goat babies.  It was full of turmoil but what isn’t that were a part of.  Right?

So Friday April 23, 2010 originally had a planned a field trip to see the movie Oceans for Autumn’s class.  Instead Joshua and I made her stay home.  She had a headache and sore throat.  I did not know if it could be strep or something contagious so it was decided she was staying home!  Much to her dismay!  Joshua had taken the day off to keep the little girls, so we all walked to the barn to check on everybody.  Unbeknownst to me, this was the beginning of 4 very crazy days.

Ms. 907 was in labor.  At least I think it’s 907.  It was 9 0 something.  I’ve been calling her baby because she is the youngest and one of the sweetest.  Anyway…..  hours later things were just not going well for her our 2 vets were just too busy to leave the office and come here, so we went there.  In My Durango!  What the other cars saw and thought is unknown but I can only imagine!  I think we past 4 cars but I’m sure they all noticed… How could you miss a goat staring out the window?

So at the vet after an hour, it was decided a c-section was needed.  Oh My!  I guess I was unprepared for this option or maybe I did not even know this was an option but our very intelligent vets did thank God!  That’s why we were there after all..  So here is where the pictures start.  I’m not sure what the vet office thinks of me and my camera in their face all of the time but how can I not photograph my new goat babies being born?  I mean, this could be how we pay the bills one day.  (Not today though.  Not even tomorrow or the next year.  Not at this rate.)

Autumn was a little concerned (or if you know her hysterical.)  I felt so bad for her but the Vet has always been so sweet to her and twice he knelt down and told her everything that was going on and why.  He told us we could be in the room with her during her surgery and sat each on of the girls on a table so they could watch.  This is why we like him.

This is ‘Baby’ getting her loopy shot. Poor girl.  This is when I started crying.  I’m not good with animals in this situation but I’m really just a weenie.

 

Haircut…. 

 

Here they go.  Again, here Autumn and I go……

 

And then we saw the baby.  Beautiful and messy.  It’s a GIRL!

 

Papa and the girls.  (Glad Papa was there to see this too!)  He held the girls and entertained them so I could get these pictures.  Thank you Papa!

Then #2!  It’s also a GIRL.  (Those happen to be a favorite of Joshua and I’s)

 

This one had a tear in her cord and lost so so much blood.  (If we had been home, we might not have caught that.)  She was so week.

I love this picture…  She had to beat on that one pretty hard.  All in an effort to get them to breath I think…

The vet put them together and I thought is was so sweet.  They were like limp wet noodles but I could not have been more proud than if they were my own babies.  Seriously.  I looked at Joshua once and he had the same smile he did when our 3 girls were born.  Were in goat love.  (Don’t Judge.)

Beautiful Twin Baby Goat Girls!

 

So I may have been crossing the line a little when I asked for a family picture and the other vet (as you can clearly see in the back) was still working to sew up Baby.  (Yes, we are going to start calling her something else)  Still a cute picture!

 

Autumn could hold off no longer.

 

Their first meeting although Mom was still loopy.

Trying to get them to stand.  No luck!

Time to take them home.  In the Goat Hauling Machine. AKA: My car.

 

We had several people awaiting our arrival.  They were so curious to see!

So tiny.

 

After a few hours and Mom still not coming around, we decided to see if we could encourage some eating.  The baby goats still were not able to stand and it had been some time.  We had absolutely no success.

   

They were still so limp and weak.  The little one would not even hold her head up.    

So, after the advice of our vets, we did what we had to do….

(Not used to seeing pictures of me are you.  Sorry. I’ll quit)

 

After a few attempts force feeding a bottle, they got the hang of it and started getting some strength. 

    

By the end of the day, we were exhausted.  An early morning, long day and late night that turned into feedings every 2 hours and Joshua and I just not sleeping.  After a long night of walking back and forth to the barn, Saturday brought almost new goats

Standing and walking.  And showing Autumn some love.  They had (sometime during the night) figured out how to eat and started eating well.

 

Then, Maddie came by and we drove the girls over for yet another feeding.

 

(I can already hear it…  MOM get that camera out of my face again)

Aubrey loves it though.

So most of Saturday turned into this.  Goat feedings.  Sometimes we just brought the goats home with us.  That just makes life easier and more comfortable for me. (I dislike sitting on shavings.)

 

Between feedings Autumn managed to talk her Dad into letting her MOW.  For the very first time my 8 year old baby mowed.  She was so proud of herself.

Deep in concentration.

 

Watching so carfully where she’s going.

 

Oops, got something in her eyes!  Hate when that happens.

There she goes!

   

Sunday was full of feedings, catching up on sleep we did not get because we decided to just keep the goats at our house.  In our room.  Oh My!  Have any idea how loud 2 goats can be?   Sunday afternoon, I had lots of plans.  Plans to do this post, plans for great pictures of the new babies and just plans.  But our little baby goat goat sick.  Weak again but weaker than before.  My sweet little tiny 2nd baby goat is SICK.  We were not sure if she could make it though the night.  I stayed up with her all night and she stayed with me.  She could not stay warm on her own and would not eat.  So I just held her.  All night!  The next morning (Monday for those still reading and comprehending) I took her to the vet.  Again they treated her like a prize winning show dog instead of a little 6 pound farm animal and gave her tons of stuff.  Know none of what it was but by Monday night she was coming back.  She was walking again and starting to eat on her own.  I took some pictures of her while she was sick.  I wanted to show how teeny she is.

 

By last night, I knew she was going to live.  Her eye’s looked alert again and she was getting loud again.  (Maybe the worst part of her getting better.) 

This is her sleeping next to me last night.  I borrowed the girls doll bed!

  

Today she is all better.  Finishing bottles in one big gulp and playing around the house.  She wants nothing to do with her Mom so she spends most of her time with me.  She follows me all around the house and loves to jump into the laundry piles she’s creating.  (She’s using our towels and blankets pretty fast)  I’m so thankful that she is healthy again and I’m so glad for the Vets!  Now, 6 more goats to go and they are looking pretty ready.  This one makes ‘Baby’ look small.  I’m thinking maybe 3 in there.

Dancer is the first baby born and Cupid is the little sickly one.  (She had 2 perfect hearts on her back.)  I guess the girls are going with the reindeer theme but as Doc informed me, they WILL run out of names!  His suggestion was the 7 dwarfs.  (God help me if we need ALL of those names too.)

Sorry for the long blogging break.  I plan on life being simpler around the time of the others being born.  They are all due this coming weekend, so if you don’t hear from me, you'll know where I’ll be!

And yes, I’m an official Goat Lover.  I’ll need to get me that bumper sticker that says “I Love My Goat”…  Know where you buy those?  I’m also ready for the cows to go!  Adios Cows!  Nice Knowing ya!  Well, most of ya! 

Aubrey just brought me my baby goat back from the barn, and she’s yelling to be feed! LOUDLY!

LOVE HER!