New Kid on the Farm

Hey friends! As most of y'all know, last Saturday we welcomed our sweet doeling into the world. Jordan and I were lucky enough to be there for the entire, very quick, delivery. We both were so anxious as we awaited this little girl's arrival. Thankfully Paris did an amazing job!

Since this was our first farm delivery we were very watchful of her behavior as we neared her due date. Saturday morning we noticed her udder was really starting to fill up. She was acting normal, still eating and hanging out with the herd. But by mid-afternoon Paris was showing signs of early labor. She had secluded herself to the goat pen while the rest of the herd was out grazing on hay. Paris was not interested in eating and her udder was full. That was our sign that baby was coming soon!

We moved her into the nursery pen and got all our supplies ready. Since she wasn't in active labor yet we knew we had time to go grab some food and then return to the barn for the delivery. Y'all I really thought we were going to be camped out in the barn so we were getting our lanterns, chairs, blankets, and plenty of water packed up. As we headed back to the barn we could hear mama and we knew she was in labor. If you don't know already... goats scream during labor. I mean can you blame 'em?

As soon as we got to her stall we saw that baby was on her way out! But the one thing we forgot to bring... our phones! Terrified that I would miss capturing this amazing moment, I ran back to the house. Y'all I am not a runner and my asthma reminded me of why I don't run, but I made it back just in time. Jordan sat by Paris's head to comfort her through the labor pains. I stayed at her other end waiting for baby's arrival. 5 minutes and baby girl was on the ground.

Jordan helped get her nose and mouth cleaned off and then mama took over. Paris cleaned her up and within just a few minutes baby girl was trying to stand up. We tried not to interfere much but since it was only about 20º we needed to dry her off. We initially used towels to dry her off but for fear of hypothermia, we opted to just blow-dry her. I am so glad we did. As soon as baby girl was fully dry she went right to nursing on mama and getting the much needed colostrum. We gave Paris some warm molasses water and made sure she had plenty of fresh hay. After a few hours we decided to head in for the night. As much as we wanted to stay out there we knew it would be best to let mama have her space.

The next few days we watched them closely to ensure she was getting enough milk and that mama was recovering well. We noticed that baby girl was favoring one teat so we had to start milking a little sooner than anticipated. We definitely didn't want Paris to develop mastitis or be uncomfortable. I was so nervous about milking her, but with a little coaching from Jordan (and YouTube) I found a technique that works well for me. I think Jordan has already become a pro at milking.

The next hardest task we faced was naming her! We went back and forth with several names, but we ultimately decided on.... Amelia. I think it suits her sweet and spunky personality. I can't wait for Kissy's kids to join the herd. It will be so nice for her to have playmates her own size. Kissy is due March 9th, but Jordan and I think she will deliver a little early. We just pray that her delivery is as smooth and easy as Paris's.

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How can I pray for you?

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