Mean Jean's Randomness: New Arrival

Good Monday morning. I had a bit of a writer's block this weekend even though I had a big event. I'm back though. Or I think I am back..... I at least have a ton of pictures.

As most of you know, early this winter I got a little Guernsey/Jersey milk cow named Buttermilk. Don't you dig my winter outfit! Thats pretty much what I look like all winter. I never thought I would say this but I love this darn cow, she is the sweetest kindest little girl. I just adore her. (Cant you imagine me on one of those spoiled pet shows where I have my cow in the house? Ok I won't go that far.)

So we have been waiting for what seems FOREVER for Buttermilk to have her first calf. We really didn't have any clue when she was bred or when she would calf. At one point I didn't think she was pregnant so she got "preg" tested. For those of you non-livestock people, when a cow is "preg" tested a veterinarian, with a long glove on, sticks their hand up the cows behind (politically correct) and actually feels for a calf. No pictures to go with that.

That leads to a funny quick story. Working at the horse place this spring, a veterinarian was ultrasounding a mare (same kind of process only they have a ultrasound probe and the vet was checking to see if the mare had ovulated). The horse was kind of jumping around and the vet said something about the mare having no reason for being so uncooperative (it is hard to be politically correct, I feel all proper). So me with my occasional big mouth blurts out "Oh maybe it's because you have her hand up her ass." There goes politically correct and proper, and I don't recommend saying that to a veterinarian. ha-ha!

So on Saturday I drug my happy butt out of bed around 7:30. Grabbed my cup of coffee and sat with Ed at the dining room table while he read the paper. I looked out the window at the pasture like I do every morning and saw something flopping around on the ground. "What the heck is going on out there?!", I ask Ed and (because he is awake and can actually see straight) he informs me its Buttermilk calving.

I got out there just as the calf was half way out.

This moment I knew the calf was ok and it was a huge relief. Buttermilk isn't a very big cow and we knew that she had been bred to a rather large bull. After some more struggling and my attempt at helping her by gently pulling, her new calf was born.

It was hard for me to sit and watch the rest and let nature take its course, I wanted to have towels to dry the baby off. When working with high dollar horses there are certain steps you take to ensure the baby is healthy, but it is different for cows, unless there is an issue its best to just let nature be, so I sat and watched.

There were a few moments there where we thought that she wasn't going to except her new baby. She got up and kind of pushed her around with her horns. Ed reassured me that instincts would kick in, but you wonder, it's got to be confusing for a first time mom.

These are the very first moments a new mom is touching her baby. I feel so lucky to have been there.

I don't believe in asking God for little things, I really feel that it's sort of a selfish thing to do. I feel nature just flows and takes its course, I don't believe (like I have said before) that there is some guy up there like Santa Claus going "Oh little Billy has been good and he asked for a new car." But I did say a little "I sure hope that everything goes smoothly, Buttermilk has an easy delivery, and I'm would sure like a girl so I could keep her." I feel blessed to have gotten all of those wishes.

Somehow, call it instincts kicking in, she realized that this little bundle of calf was her baby, she started cleaning her. That moment of bonding has to be one of the neatest moments on earth. One that is so precious and important but one that is taken for granted.

This is where we left to finish our coffee and let them have some private time. We would return in awhile to make sure that the baby was nursing.

There is a little dance first time moms do. The baby is trying to get back to the right spot to nurse and the mother is still cleaning off the baby and afraid to let it out of their sight.

Round and round and round they went. I was about to put a halter on Buttermilk to hold her still but finally there was success.

I hope that you enjoy these pictures. I left them again so I could help finish chores but had plans to come back one more time to touch the baby again. There is kind of a window of opportunity to really get to touch and imprint yourself on a baby calf, they are sleepy their first day, but in a couple days they are full of themselves and feeling good and touching them isnt as easy. As of now, her name isnt for sure. We are leaning towards Caramel Latte (both my mom and my favorite drink).