The Babies Are Here!

If you are a homesteader, 

you know that when the coldest weather strikes,

 your animals will choose that particular time to birth. 

 Animals are just that way. 

 So, with lows in the teens and even colder nights coming this week,

 our does are due.

  Checking them several times a day, 

we were very surprised to find...on our afternoon check, 

the first kid born-  already standing and doing well, 

despite it being the smallest goat kid we have ever had. 

 She is literally smaller than our cats. 

 Rose named her Mabel, which means "lovable."

So here is Mabel!

Yes, she has a sweater on.

  I have often thought about making baby goat blankets,

 but having never gotten around to it, we just dug through the "newborn" tote in the attic

 till we came up with something warm looking.

 The code of the ruralite, you know, is Observe, Adapt, and Improvise.  (O.A.I.)

Mabel and her mama are strong and healthy, which is certainly a blessing with a first time mama. 

 To keep this tiny one warm,

 and the other kids that will soon arrive as well, 

Joe and Rose turned a plastic barrel into a warming coop. 

 Here is the reason I said kids, as in plural...this doe surely has more than one in there!

Here is the warming coop.

There is a heat lamp set into the top of the barrel. 

 Thankfully, our solar panels are soaking up all this sunny weather-

 thus powering both this heat lamp and the one for the chicken's water.  

 In cloudy weather, (normal for this time of year) we would be hard put to accommodate the output of power without running the generator much more than we typically do.

We are doubly blessed with a safe birth and sun power to keep baby warm.

But wait, that is not all!!!

Besides our tiniest goat baby, Mabel,

 our ADORABLE grand daughter, Shiloh, is here for the weekend!!!

Oh those cute little chompers!  

OOOO and the dimpled hands! 

 (squeal)

  TOO CUTE!

SOOO sweet!!!

Grandma is having a fantastic time of it!

Of course, everyone wants to hug and kiss and squeeze her, or make her laugh. 

 Shiloh seems to be enjoying being the center of attention. 

 She is such a people person. 

Between the two babies,

 there is a whole lot of laughing and cuddling being done here this weekend.

Blessings to ya' all this weekend,

Julianne-

the giddy grandma