I need to whine, this was a long tiresome week, my first week on my own doing home health and while I believe I am going to really like the job, it was a challenging week of learning new paperwork, and then duplicating everything on the computer which is such a waste of time, getting lost ( a lot), and since I have been driving my pick up truck for so long but decided to drive the car to save gas I got to find out a little too late that my car has faulty window seals and fills up with water in the rain. I got wet, really really wet. Add to that, the mud and muck that has to be trekked through to do anything around the farm, company arriving for a visit from up north, and a really really messy house and I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. Oh and did I mention the rain, the wind, the tornado warnings with me out driving around in it, showing up to peoples houses looking like a wet poodle? yeah I did I know, well let me say enough rain already!On top of that craziness, my beloved goat Juniper had her babies last night and she had a very difficult time, I tried my hardest to stay with her till she delivered but at about 2 a.m. I had to give up and try to get some sleep since I had to work in the morning. Back up at 5:30 to check on her and she had delivered triplets but one was dead already and the other two are very weak and may not make it. After several hours I had to bring one of the two in the house to try to feed because he could not even latch on, he won't eat for me either, he has no ability to stand, he is like wet noodle. I milked mama and made him a bottle with a goat nipple and tried and tried to teach him to suck on it with no luck. He is still alive but I don't expect for long. The last kid, a little Doe is weak but able to stand and nurse but she does not have the spunk she should. I left her with Juniper and hope she gains some strength overnight.
This has not been the greatest week but I know when the sun comes out and I finally get a decent nights sleep (which is not tonight since its 2 a.m. and I can't sleep) things will look a whole lot brighter. As always, I have to stop and be grateful for all of the blessing in my life and know that I have it pretty good by comparison to so many but sometimes you just have to vent and move on.
This has not been the greatest week but I know when the sun comes out and I finally get a decent nights sleep (which is not tonight since its 2 a.m. and I can't sleep) things will look a whole lot brighter. As always, I have to stop and be grateful for all of the blessing in my life and know that I have it pretty good by comparison to so many but sometimes you just have to vent and move on.
On the up side, I am done whining now, it's not freezing cold here anymore, I can really get serious about my little garden plots. Bring on spring, daylight savings time change to longer days and lots of outside fun.
The song playing while reading this was 'Here comes the Sun'.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to hear about Mama and her kids. Wishing you lots of sunshine. If I lived closer I would come over and help clean up. Even though you have not had any proper sleep I hope that you are blessed with a burst of energy for your company.
....and this too shall pass....just hang in there. I hope this weekend brings you some rest, sunshine and some new found energy! Hugs.
ReplyDeleteSandy
I agree ... some sleep and sunshine will make you feel lots better!
ReplyDeleteWhen you have kids born that are too weak to nurse is when you need to have a large syringe with a tube attached to it so you can feed them with the stomach tube. I've had to do this with a few of mine. It's amazing how fast they get their strength when you get the colostrum into them.
To tube them ... Milk some of the momma's milk/colostrum into a container. Draw some of it into the syringe. Hold the baby goat in your lap with her face pointing away from you. Hold her under the chin with your LEFT hand. With your RIGHT hand ... insert the tube down the RIGHT side of her throat. (Make sure the tube is going down her RIGHT side because the LEFT side will go into her lungs instead of her stomach.) Press the colostrum from the syringe into her stomach. Give the baby several ounces of colostrum this way.
You can save their lives by making sure they have the colostrum they need when they are too weak to nurse it by themselves. Sometimes it only takes one time, but others need to be fed this way more than once.
May the Lord give you His strength today!
I am so sorry about your babies. Hopefully you can do what Brenda suggested. It's so nice and helpful to know fellow bloggers will know exactly what to do. (yea Brenda). Am sorry also that your car is leaky. Maybe you could put those plastic things above the windows. Hope you get some well needed sleep. Good luck with your remaining kids...debbie
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry about your babies. It is heart breaking,and with so little sleep it makes it even harder to deal with. I hope you get some rest,warm weather and sunshine,I am sending good thoughts and prayers your way.
ReplyDelete"Here Comes the Sun" is the song I listen to when I'm feeling down. So much sadness with the three babies and your tiny chicks. But everything always looks more hopeful and bright in the morning when the sun is shining and we've had a chance to sleep away some of our worries. I hope you get some much needed sleep and that your baby worries are over. Stay dry!
ReplyDeleteOh my, what a tough week for you. I always say you learn more from the bad experiences than you do the good. Brenda's advice is good and since I have never tube fed a baby I learned how to do it as well.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have a lot on your plate right now. Spring is right around the corner.
Take Care.
So sorry about Juniper`s lost kid. We had the exact same thing happen last year. Some sleep and sunshine shall bolster you`re flagging spirits I`m sure!
ReplyDeleteI am sorry about your kids ... I hope some will make it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I have weak kids born the first thing I do is get two squirts of Goat Nutri Drench down them, I get it at Tractor Supply... I have no idea if it would have helped your little goaties or not. Sometimes they just can't make it :O(....
and girly a good vent/whine is what we all need sometimes! Hope you feel better after letting it all out!