A New Hope, A New Beginning

Annie became a mother yesterday night around 11pm! Most of my family had been in our living room watching TV while my younger siblings were asleep. All of a sudden my younger sister came in and said she thought Annaliese was having her baby out there because she was bleating really loudly in pain. So up I went off the couch, grabbed my coat and boots - also a flashlight...and finally headed down with running feet. Yes, it was Annaliese. Her bleat is very unmistakable. I walked into the goat house and there she was laying down with the baby's head just peeking out. I had come just in time. Immediately I went to her, patted her head and began helping her by pulling the baby when she pushed. It was very big, so there's almost no way she could have been able to birth it without assistance. Within maybe five long minutes she gave one last huge push and out slid the baby's head, neck, stomach, and then legs - all in one piece of course! I'm sure Anna was breathing relief as she just sat there for a couple seconds. At first the baby didn't seem to move very much, so I thought it could possibly be a stillborn. I moved her around a little, trying to get all the sack goop off of her face - and she moved! SHE WAS ALIVE. What a relief that was to me I'm sure you'd know if you have read previous posts of mine. So I started cleaning her off with some paper towels, but at the same time leaving some stuff for mommy to get herself so she knows it's her baby. I showed Annaliese her beautiful baby she had just birthed. The poor mother didn't seem extremely interested for the first few minutes, probably because she was still in shock from all the pain she had just gone through. But after a little while I made her get up and start being a mommy - by licking off her first baby GIRL. Yes, it was another little doeling...I always get really excited when they are girls. :)
She is a beautiful creamy, white patched, and black striped baby girl whom I almost immediately named Starlene. Thankfully the others agreed on it, because I was pretty set on it! :) Starlene possesses VERY long legs and a VERY loud, consistent bleat. The legs are fine, and I guess the bleat will have to do as well! :)
So that's how it all began, but the other hour we spent down there was not so much fun. For some reason we COULD NOT get Starlene to get the teat. She was surely looking for it - quite a bit actually. And sometimes she might have been just an inch away from it, but no. NO TEAT. I would work with her and my sister would work with her...but nothing. After a long while, me and my sister finally gave up and hoped for better results in the morning - after all it wasn't that far off anyway! :)
With the beautiful sunlight shining in the window this morning promising a good day I slipped out of bed, got ready to go outside and began heading to the goats. When I got to the goat house pen I was only praying and hoping that Starlene would still be alright - after loosing seven babies, this goatmother has a right to be a little panicky! I walked in and there the little darling was - laying down very comfortably in the hay with Annaliese looking up at me with sweet eyes. She was okay!! But the real test was...could she get to the teat yet? So I watched in anticipation. Not long I saw Starlene getting ready to go find her food and just a minute later I heard the smacking of the lips against the teat...SHE WAS EATING!! HALLELUJAH!! That's when all my worries about her vanished. She is a healthy, strong, beautiful doeling who knows how to eat. That's all I've ever wanted this year with each baby we've had. But it just wasn't meant to be. Winter is over, Spring with all it's glorious promises has come! Starlene has arrived! She's brought HOPE AND A NEW BEGINNING FOR US ALL.