I arrived in the barn for my shift, computer and internet cord in hand. I was hoping to get three blog posts written in my three hour shift, and I needed the internet to upload them.
Dad came around the corner of the stall. “Hey.” He leaned against the stall, watching the kids.
I set my stuff down on the chair and stood next to him. “Are you going to bed? You’ve got the 12-4 shift – you’ve gotta get some sleep if you’re going to.”
He shook his head. “I think Red Bird’s going. I’m going to sit with her.”
I looked around the barn, trying to locate Red. There she was – in the stall that I couldn’t see her from if I was using the internet. I sighed – it looked like I wouldn’t be getting my posts written.
Mom and the boys came out and sat with us for a couple of minutes. Dad sent them all to bed. “We’ll come get you. Go to bed.”
I pleaded with Red Bird. “Red, sweetie, listen. If you’re going to kid, either go now, so I can get to bed as soon as my shift is over, or wait until after midnight, so Mom can have birthday goats. Okay? Can you do that for me?”
Her response was a groan.
Dad sat down in the corner (so she wouldn’t be able to) and Red decided that sitting next to him would be a good idea. Dad grimaced as she settled down. “Um, thanks Red. That’s exactly what I wanted.”
Dad and Red
At eleven, we could tell that something had changed. Dad gloved up and went in to check everything out. I was holding Red, which didn’t go so well. Every time she pushed I slid another inch down the wall. Finally I couldn’t go any farther – my leg was pinned against a beam.
Fortunately, that beam made it easier to hold her. After a couple of minutes, Dad said “The babies are tangled. Call Mom and tell her to come down here.”
I pulled out my phone and waited for Mom to answer. “She’s not answering. I’m going to go wake her up.”
I ran to the soaproom, woke her up, and went to get a banana. I was hungry, and I didn’t know how long this would take.
When I got back down there I looked at my watch. “Okay Red, you’ve got 27 minutes until Mom’s birthday. Do you think you can wait?”
Dad started rearranging the babies once Mom got there, and soon we were ready to go. Five minutes later we had a little black baby on the ground. (There’s no pictures because I was needed to help.)
“It’s a boy.”
Well, that was disappointing. We were going to keep a girl out of Red.
“Raleigh?”
“Randal?”
“Rainbow?”
“Rambling.
“Rambo!”
“Okay, I like Rambo.”
The moment we were done decided his name, the second baby was coming out. I caught it and brought it over next to Rambo.
“Another boy.”
I looked at my watch.
“Seriously, Red? You couldn’t wait FOUR minutes?”
“It’s 11:56?”
“Yeah. Well, that stinks. I wanted Mom to have a birthday goat! And so did Indigo!”
After a couple of minutes, we decided on the name Rebel and Mom sent me to wake up Colter.
I walked into the milk room and shook Colter. “Colter?” I whispered, not wanted to wake up the other boys.
He didn’t do anything. He didn’t even move.
I took out my phone and turned on the flashlight app, covering the light with my hand. Then I found his face, moved my hand and shone the light full force into his face.
He might have been a little mad at me. 😀
It didn’t really matter though, because Mom came through the door with Rebel and turned the light on. Emery and Greyden woke up and they took care of the babies.
Greyden with Rambo
Rebel standing up for the first time
Rebel
I went to bed then – it was almost 12:30 and I was SO tired!
A week later I went to take their pictures:
Rambo
Rebel
We were SO close to being done with kidding season!