Over on the right sidebar I will posting three projects to complete during the current month. I went ahead and made a master list. By picking out three I am really hoping to focus my energy. Of course I may do more, thise three are the goals. 

So at the end of March I hope to have complete these three:

• Turned old comforter into duvet cover (It is lovely but needs some reinventing)
• Turned framed piece into hindged door for electrical panel
• Add nursing clips to sport bras or tanks

We will see how I do!

Ezekiel slept for five whole hours! Bonus that I was able to sleep too. One of the benefits of not having a pregnant bladder being squished under a kickboxing baby. It felt wonderfully refreshing! I was able to hop up, change a diaper and enjoy his giggling stretch. Oh yeah, now that is refreshing.

Here is was just a month ago getting ready to fight someone. 

Ezekiel was born on Sunday night at home after a 30 hour labor. Birthing him into this world was by far the sweetest moment of my life. He was pink, alert, and extremely healthy. He already had a ton of fat rolls and hair! It took a few hours for the midwives to get me together so we could settle in for the evening. During that time Ezekiel started to grunt and his breathing became labored. The midwives began monitoring him and the discussion of possible issues began. Their pediatrician on call was consulted and it became clear that we need to move to the hospital. Ezekiel's respiratory responses were becoming worrisome.  We were in the car in no time and the midwives had him on oxygen. 

The ER took he right back (we had called ahead), and were amazing. Sutter Amador was incredibly compassion and hard working to help our child. An x-ray determined that he had some fluid still in his lungs, a very common issue. He wasn't absorbing it and there was a concern of infection. Due to the lack of a NICU at Amador the decision to move him to Sutter Memorial NICU. The First Response NICU unit was mobilize from Sacramento and came for him. As soon as the came he was placed on a CPAC and he began to stabilize. We followed them down. When we arrived him was already in a isolated unit. We have been here even since that night. Will and I have been staying at a hotel down the street and have with him most hours of every day. On the second day he was cleared to be held and fed. On the three we were moved to D Room! This meant he could take off IV fluids, and most monitors and is in a bassinet for easy access. Will and I have 24 hour access to him - are there to feed, change, and bond with him. He has to run a complete course of antibiotics thru an IV as a precaution. Blood cultures take 3 day to come back and by then if he had an infection it would be too late. Today we just got back new results and he is clear of infection, and his white blood cell are back to normal. Right now he has jaundice, but they are predicting to release us on Saturday. 

Will and I have been amazed at the amazing staff at the NICU. This has been incredibly painful and frightening experience, but we could not have ask a better team to work with from our midwives, the ER team, Transport team, to the NICU - even admin and our hotel staff.  We are so looking forward to coming home with Ezekiel. 

Stats: Sutter Amador weighted him in at 9lbs 12oz after his first diaper. His feet are 3 1/2 inches long, and they had lift up his neck folds to measure. 

Photographer: Kris Lane Photography (Ezekiel's first few hours)

Everything is measuring well. I have put back the nine pounds I lost in the first trimester with morning sickness and then some. I believe I am up sixteen pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. My midwife is pleased. Fundal height is right on the money. 

I have to say I feel pretty good. Sure I somehow got under my elaborate pillow arrangement during the night to sleep on my back (as I have been a back sleeper my entire life) and the blood was cut off from my leg. I awoke unable to move it, and my calf hurt for a few days. This problem was solved with the Boppy Total Body Pillow. I love this pillow. It has contours for my boobs and everything. For the first time I am only waking up to go pee, which is still often. Hey, the kid punches my butt, the bladder is not out of the question for him. 

There is the update, now to put that pillow to use.

So each goat is checked every day. Every day means every day at least once if not several times. The herd at my folks pasture is seen in the morning and usually once in the afternoon. The herd at my home pastures gets morning checks when we open the shelter (everyone stretchs and gets head scratches), then counted and checked out when they go in the evening. Most days have at least two or three fence walks and head counts, as we don't have a dog with them. It is isn't a big pasture, so the walk only takes ten to fifteen minutes.

Buttercup and Bashful weren't feeling well the week before last, and we had the vet out right away. Buttercup bounced right back after a week of probiotics, a few injections, and the proper diagnoses. We never figured out what was going on with Bashful. We treated the symptoms as best we could. Anti-diarrhea, B-12, probiotics and anything else we throw at her. She showed signs of edema, and was very weak. We protected her while she fed, and gave pain meds to keep her functioning. She began to look better, but was very easily stressed. We knew the chance of a recovery was slim, but I wanted to do everything we could. The morning came that she didn't wake-up. It was sad, but I understood. I had really looked forward to her future in the herd. Will dug a grave and I kept the herd out of his way. 

Around noon today, one of the girls got her head stuck....again. The others seem to understand the fence concept, but not this one. We set her free and off she goes. I do a head count around 3pm, and everyone is there demanding grain, but accounted for. So off to count the herd at my folk's place. 

When I return Will and I go out for an evening walk. Both Samson and I are on strict orders to get a walk - not run - walk in every day. Samson for his injured CCL and myself because I am in training to push out a mini person. 

We return and put up the goats. A quick counts comes up one short. The goats dart from dish to dish making sure they are missing out, so counting can be difficult. One short each time, but who is missing? I begin to trot around looking the fences, but no one is making a peep. My heart is sinking into my stomach. Then I see her leg. She is no more than fifty feet from the shelter. I screamed. Ginger and some of the girl rushed out of the shelter and gathered around me. I yelled them to get back and they did. They are pretty fimiliar with the basic go where I point command. At least Ginger is, and everyone follows her. Will gets up close before me, as I lock up stall doors. Her head is severed and something has been eating at her. 

From what we can gather she stuck her head throught the fence again and either snapped her own horn off, or something did it for her. She wouldn't have lasted long with gone like that. From there she was eaten between the jaw and the shoulder. It couldn't get the rest of her throught the fence, but tried. It could have been a bobcat, fox, or a number of other animals. What concerns me is that it happen close to the buildings and during light hours. 

This has really made me feel awful. I am out for a walk and one of the girls is being eaten through my own fence. She was a beautiful little goat, and had a great temperament. 

Will dug until it was dark and I held the light and water. We buried her and covered her with and mound of stones. 

I know that loss is part of the deal, but I do get attach to my does and work hard to keep them healthy and safe. I know the rest of the herd has a clean bill of health, fat and happy. Life goes on. 

Sometime in the day I go out to check walk, fencing, and straighten up their stalls. While I am doing this my goats, lead by Little Man and Runtie, head to the gate I use and take a nap right in front of it. It is the perfect spot to completely get in my way. Forget about bringing the wheelbarrow or carts. They are poise to inspect everything that comes in on the off chance that I could be dragging in a giant bag of treats, and if that fails they could make an escape attempt. 

Usually push them out of my way, but lately it has been harder to get them to move. At first I thought it was probably the baby weaken my state, plus my center of gravity is way off. Way off. 

Then I took a real look. It seems that I am not the only one putting on some weight. 

Runtie and Little ManI think they won that race, and won't be seeing treats for a very long time. 

Two days ago I noticed Buttercup had some swelling in jaw/chin area. At first it just looked like she had gotten out of control with her cud, but I knew something was up. She has been looking a bit thinner too. Of course, her twins are still nursing in a crazed attack-style. It really is something to see them descend on her. She normally tries to walk over them now.

Next day the swelling is up and she is noticeably thinner. Bashful is not looking so hot either. The goats get wormed through feed on a schedule, but the girls came right after the last dose. Hmmm. Time to call the farm vet and we set-up for this morning. After tending to the goats at our house, I head over to the pasture with Bashful and Buttercup - which has stalls. How I love having stalls. With the promise of dry cob both girls and Buttercup's twins are contained in minutes.

It worked out great because I had to feed Shadow and Jumbo (the only two not in a stall) in order to prevent a screaming frenzy by Shadow. Up until now, Shadow has been our in-house fit thrower, and boy does she have a real talent. She has tricked several people into the forest only to have requests for treats and ear scrubs hurdled at them. She will chase down and throw herself between you a the nearest gate. Most of us can now tell her bleating from the others. I often shake my head thinking of the day when she is a real trouble.

Besides Shadow being out, so is 4 month old Jumbo (nicknamed for an obvious reason) and is not that sure of me. His mother, Bashful, is -well- bashful. This was my time to sit with some lovely oat forage and let him adjust. He kept a very wide eye and flatten out ears on me just in case I decided to become a coyote. I didn't touch him today, but by the end he could stand near me and that was good enough. 

I really prefer my goats to be just tame enough so I can handle them with relative ease. It has made vet check, and moving very easy. 

In comes the vet and her assistant. Temps are normal and it is not bottlejaw - thank goodness. There is a possible lung worm and some edemia in Buttercup. So we agree to "throw the truck at them" since she is here. Get them up on vaccines, worming and what not. 

Buttercup is doing fine on a lead, and takes the first two shot without too much fuss. But curiosity got the best of her and she looked back at the vet as the third was going in. Her eyes bugged out, she screamed bloody murder with her tongue as far out as it could possibly go, and then slide against me to the ground. She proceeded to stay there and scream. And scream. And scream. Not moving or thrashing, just screaming with that tongue. It was impressive. Her twins anxiously approach in attempts to comfort. This goat had birthed those twins without so much as a groan, but a tiny shot sent her over the edge. Then came the yogurt tasting probiotics and POOF! new goat. She happy, still lying on the straw (on my feet), being stroked, and demanding more of that delicious treat. If I didn't know better I would swear she saw the tube of goodness, and this was a ploy. How would she know we were planning on gioving it anyway?

So here is my question - did I just witness the creation of a treat driven monster? Is she going to put together in her head that screaming equals sweet treat?

Oh, and Bashful - not a peep, groan... nothing.

Mr McGregor PiesI highly suggest reading through the Sweetest Kitchen for creative ideas for your plates!