Baby Goats Are Here

This post is a long time coming. It seems with trying to squish a year of fun into a summer, running the farm, having a baby and getting ready for a new school year with seven kids, I just ran out of spare time! Anyway, we had been waiting on pins and needles for these girls to go into labor. I thought I knew when they conceived. I was wrong! So, after much back and forth between Robert and I on whether they were actually pregnant, we came out early one morning, to find this little guy. He was only minutes old. I was a combination of thrilled he was here and sad I missed it. I forgot what a brat his mama was though until I went in to check him over. She is SASSY! He is a good sturdy boy and she is just doing her job.


Sarah and I started Goat watch 2010 at that point on our second mama to be. We went out every 15 minutes to see if anything was going on. It could have been days or weeks but lucky us it was only hours. I want to send out a warning that the photos to follow are graphic birth shots.

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Between pushes Delilah and her new baby would come over and Gretyl would kiss on the baby. It was the cutest thing I ever saw.



She would push and then she would look over and check to make sure I was there. She would bleat at me as if to say "HELLO...A little help"









Right about here I think I went into sympathy labor. I caught myself breathing through a few contractions. Thank God we don't have neighbors...can you imagine! Can't you just feel her determination. She was amazing.



The kids were glued to the spot. They whispered , quietly cheered her on, asked a lot of questions and were very concerned. They were so good! Ok, ok so they were slightly grossed out too!





It sounds weird but it was so amazing and beautiful to watch.






Finally after about 45 minutes of hard labor the baby was born.








Gretyl was very generous about sharing her baby and letting me check him out. He is another beauty. We were a bit disapointed we did not get a girl (boy goats are stinky and not cuddly) but then she sneezed and this fell out.



I kid you not! She just fell out onto the ground! I was completely shocked.



I looked a little like this I think!


I stepped in at this point and cleaned and dried the baby and got her nursing. Mama was a bit overwhelmed and seemed to appreciate the help. She kept giving me little kisses. She is a sweet goat by nature but this experience really was special. Baby girl's name is Cleo but the boys need names. Any ideas?