Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Kidding Season 2015 Begins...

The first week of Sean being home with us left some rather spacious room for improvement in my mind. A lot of time was spent driving hither and yon and my dreams of banging out projects long sitting fizzled with reality. All the driving was necessary; appointments to keep, roofs to rake, and children to be taken to their jobs. It fit neatly in between family worship time, hauling hay and grain, clearing the snow from more storms, and animal chores and ate up all the "extra" time I was hoping Sean would have to devote to other projects. Sean and I talked about our expectations and the needs we each have balanced with the needs of those in our care. We have a plan to make our time management better.

Four days into week two has seen a remarkable difference. On Sunday while we were snowed in,
Sean learned how to make our soy based scent tarts by himself from my notes. He did a fantastic job. I spent much of Monday creating new jewelry pieces while Sean took a couple hours to help friends clear the driveway of snow. Sean devoted Tuesday to cutting a stack of wood for our stove down to the proper length during the day while I worked on more jewelry designs and then, we studied together for our Theocratic Ministry School class on Tuesday night.
Which brings us to today. We planned to go snow tubing tonight with a group of friends after a day spent finishing jewelry, working on more wood cutting, and making Bee's Wax Wraps. I made a batch of cinnamon buns from scratch this morning for the girls to enjoy during school time. A nice, easy day.

The barn had different plans. We knew that Abigail is due to kid any time now and Sean has been watching for signs that her time has come. The sure signs of kidding to commence include Abby's udder bagging up to the size of a football, the kids dropping leaving a hollow look near her spine, and the beginning of a mucus show from her vagina. Overnight, she went from looking pregnant to looking imminently due. No tubing tonight! And, maybe no plans for tomorrow- if kidding doesn't happen today. And, that is okay with me. All I pray for now is healthy kid(s)!
We
have our bag of barn towels, kid coats, and medical equipment by the door. Additionally, I have the marble stone warming on the wood stove. This creates good ambient heat without the worry of fire. And, as a bonus to safety, there are no cords to chew either.

We are all about Abby right now. Sean frequents the barn to check for signs that active labor has begun regularly. And, so the 2015 Kidding Season starts for us. Like nervous grandparents waiting on the arrival of their little bundles of happiness, we wait. I am sick to death with worry. After last year's experience with both routine and terrible kidding, I won't rest easy again until this is over.

This view shows well Abby's hollowed out sides near her spine, swollen udder, and bits. We'll stay close to home and check her frequently for labor to actively begin.
This is what a well formed udder looks like when labor is impending. It will get a little bigger after birthing her kid(s).

So, what do you think? Will Abby have a doe, two does, a buck, two bucks, one of each, or triplets? Will it be today, tomorrow, or Friday? Post your comment to us with your guess. I will send the person(s) who guesses the right number of kids, their gender, and when they were born a couple 5 oz bars of our Lally Broch Farm Goat's Milk Soaps. :) This contest will end after I post the results. Obviously, no guesses will be accepted after I post the correct answers. The winner will be contacted via comments and has 48 hours to respond to claim their prize. Let the guessing begin!

~Sean & Sonja ♥





1 comment:

  1. I am worried right along with you! But, she didn't have any problems with the birthing last time, just the I don't want to be a mommy bit. I am happy Sean can help out with your soy tarts now. It really is quite fun, very sciencey. Exciting times on the farm!!!

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