Sleep

Today I have a strong appreciation for sleep - more than usual, that is. Since being pregnant with my first child over five years ago, I started realizing how important and enjoyable a good night's rest really is. I haven't had much sleep this week. I think it all started with our best milk goat, Snowflake going into labor. She went into labor last Friday at three in the afternoon. There was still no sign of her kids by bedtime, so I ended up getting up a few times during the night to check on her. I would check to see how close the kid was to the opening, give her water and some "energy" snacks (oats and molasses), pet her, say some encouraging words (whether she understood me or not, I tried!) Finally, by 2:30 a.m. when the kid was near the opening I realized it was in the wrong position. I couldn't tell what position. It felt like a butt to me, but there was no tail. I reached in trying to find a grabbing point so I could help bring her out before poor Snowflake died of exhaustion. I couldn't find anything, so I went and woke my hubby up who came out and took care of the job. The kid was dead. I cried from the feeling of failure and feeling so bad for Snowflake. The kid goat had probably been in the birth canal too long. It had had its head in-between it's front legs making it very difficult to get through. Snowflake quickly began licking her kid to clean it off before she realized it was dead. She looked sad, laid back down, and concentrated on her contractions again. By then it was 4:30 a.m. and I was really tired. I went to bed figuring Snowflake would probably be able to push the next kid out on her own since, most likely, it was in a fine position. I was praying it would live even though I knew the chances were slim. The next morning the kid still wasn't out all the way - just part of its head. So, my husband pulled that one out the rest of the way. Snowflake didn't tear either time and her uterus stayed intact, which was good. Both kids were dead and as sad as I felt about that, I was glad my favorite milk goat had survived. That was my first night with only 5 1/2 hours of interrupted sleep this week. The following night, after having had no nap all day I went to bed early only to be woke up a half of an hour later to my son calling me. That was only the beginning to a very bad night. He had come down with a cold and didn't sleep well that whole night. He woke me up every 30 minutes to an hour until about 5 a.m.. Basically, except for one night, my whole week has been like that sleep-wise. So, I'm tired.

Snowflake ended up dying yesterday morning. I'm not really sure why. Ever since her exhausting night she hadn't been eating or drinking much and was acting pretty depressed. Maybe there was internal bleeding, infection, or something else we were unable to detect. It was the first time I felt so, so sad about a goat dying on our little farm. She was our first goat. Both my husband and I learned how to milk on Snowflake. She was patient, a good milker, strong, had good mothering instincts, was quiet, and was what we called the "Queen Bee goat". She'll be missed.

Well, I better get to cleaning, give my son his reading lesson, and try to find time for a nap! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!