Those are two job titles I’ve earned since deciding to engage in our homesteading adventure. The former I earned today, assisting Suki through her first delivery.
Suki had been showing signs of labor all weekend. She’d been pawing, contorting, heavy breathing, groaning, dripping mucous, contracting. I spent so much time in the goat shed. Some of it was very tranquil. It’s quite nice to take a nap with a goat. Other times, like at night during torrential downpour, being eaten alive by mosquitos dressed in a sopping hoody while staring at the goats ass…. not so idyllic. My (marvelous and infinitely helpful) WOOFer Katie took shifts. Auntie Alexis took shifts and even had the pleasure of helping hold Suks while I performed my first cervical exam as the vet was up North for a family gathering. (We were worried she her amniotic sac had burst and there may be issues with potential kids.) Through all of this Suk’s was the suckiest she had ever been, literally becoming a lap goat. Laying across my legs, nuzzling my neck, putting herself under my hands. She really wanted love. So we gave it.
This afternoon her udder looked like it was going to burst. Each teat looked like a jumbo cartoon breast from Playboy. Her hind end had gone from very puffy to sunken and she began bellowing through her contractions. Scott eventually heard this and came dashing out to the goat shed just in time to see a little nose emerging from within the fluid filled sac. With a little manoevering and a few good pushes on her part we were soon helping clean off her beautiful little doeling.
Suki took instantly to mothering; licking furiously and keeping a hawk eye on her precious one. Little Cindy Ray took quickly and easily to nursing. It was such a wonderful experience to get to share alongside my wonderful husband. He caught Bob when he was born and played a huge role in supporting me during my labour with Meeps. It was so fantastic to be able to help support our wonderful little goat through her labour, together. Definitely softens the sadness of knowing we will not be having anymore kids ourselves.
And now I will shut up and show off some pictures.
On the topic of daughters, here is a recent picture of four generations of lovely ladies.
It is my precious little daughter’s birthday tomorrow. But the Great Grandparents started their journey back to Hawaii today, so we shared presents for her yesterday. We had a Blessingway planned, but given the unrelenting rain, the 7 or 8 desserts that failed miserably and the fact that I smelled like a goat… we decided to postpone.
There are plenty of people who think we are nuts over one component of our parenting ethos or another and one of those things involves toys. We eschew plastic toys, specifically those containing BPA and pthalates. We do this for two reasons: (1) I’d rather not expose my kids to said chemicals and (2) them toys is ugly. I’ve gotten my share of “but you’re depriving them of play!” Most certainly, I am not. Mags presents included such wonders as a wooden coffee maker; a stash of handsewn finger puppets; a wool stuffed fairy and a fantastic set of felted peas in a pod, which I didn’t manage to take a picture of in daylight today, but I assure you are achingly adorable. BEHOLD!
Maggie wore the dress I sewed for her from Anna Maria Horner fabrics (so wonderful) and Bob wore the Amish pattern based shorts I sewed for him over the winter. He performed what he called Amish Dances all over the living room that day. They involved a lot of twisting and writhing, much akin to Suki’s recent behaviour.
And now it’s time for me to sleep, not in the manger, but in my own bed.
Good night all. Thanks for checking in.
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