Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Babies. Chicken And Otherwise.



Well, there's Curly Sue and Unamed Banty. We've got another banty in the incubator, hatched and drying and there's like three more cracked and workin' on it. Mr. Moon is planted firmly in front of Central Operations. He's enthralled. He is the chicken mama, far more than I.



Curly Sue is so named due to the little curl on her head. Or his head. Chicken sexing is something I don't even attempt. If they grow up and start crowing- it's a boy. If it grows up and starts laying eggs, it's a girl. An even more advanced form of determining the sexes is to watch who mates with whom.

Meanwhile, I'm exhausted. We stayed up way too late and then got up periodically to check the birth progress. And then I woke up at three-something with hay fever and had to take an antihistamine and so I'm still groggy from that. I keep drinking coffee and walking back and forth across the house aimlessly and texting my kids.

It's going to be one of those days. I have a feeling that if I found any dog poop on the floor, I'd fall down and weep. I don't do well with tired. This is seriously the main reason I decided not to go into midwifery. If three baby chick hatchings can do this to me, you can only imagine how smart and peppy I am after an all-night, all-day, into-the-night-again birth.
Not someone you want making life-or-death decisions.
It is good to know your innate limitations. Too bad more politicians don't.
Just because they tell you that you can grow up to be ANYTHING YOU WANT don't make it true.

Lily says that Gibson is doing well this morning. She went to a lactation consultant yesterday, worried that Gibson wasn't getting enough milk and that he was losing weight. She never did make quite enough milk for Owen and had to supplement but we were hoping that the second time around would be different. Sadly, it does not appear to be. But she knows that she's not doing anything "wrong" and she also knows that you can nurse and supplement with formula and have a thriving child who loves to nurse. She's giving him the extra feedings with those little tube things that the baby actually gets while nursing. I am so proud of her for working so hard at it instead of just giving up and giving her babies the bottle. Owen nursed until he was almost two and he still loved it. Long after the need for formula is gone, babies still need the breast occasionally. Or often, depending on the child. So she's my hero, that Lily girl.

Well, baby chicks are born knowing how to eat and drink and have funny huge feet to get them around from feeder to waterer and thank god for that.

I swear. I don't even have the energy to figure out how to end this thing so I'll just say, "Happy One Week Birthday, Gibson Monroe!" and "Happy Birthday, Curly Sue and Others!" May you all thrive and grow up to be big strong whatever-you-are's and let's all have a happy life.

15 comments:

  1. May you all thrive and grow up to be big strong whatever-you-are's and let's all have a happy life.

    I like that very much.

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  2. I just knew those baby chicks would hatch. You and Mr. Moon are good chicken parents. congrats!

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  3. Congratulations again! Chicken parents now, what fun!

    Hope you get a chance for nap today and yes indeed, let's all have a happy life!

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  4. Mr. Moon looks so happy in that photo it made me laugh. Love to you all.
    xo

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  5. Hooray for Lily, not giving up!

    Now, go get some rest.

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  6. Ach, I just don't believe it about the milk! Ok, I know that's not very helpful, but there's ways to up your supply.

    Does she know about fennel tea and fenugreek and eating porridge and having some Prosecco?

    Also, pumping after feeds to increase the supply-and -demand?

    I'm a bit surprised the LC didn't start a plan for increasing her supply instead of suggesting supplementing.

    Do the chicks get an adoptive mama, now, or does Mr M have to show them how to find worms, etc?

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  7. Stephanie- Seemed appropriate.

    Jill- The books make it sound so technical that you're surprised any baby chicks ever hatch.

    liv- Nap. Yes! Happy life? Oh very much yes.

    Madame King- Oh, he's thrilled! Believe me.

    messymimi- Lily NEVER gives up.

    Jo- Of COURSE the lactation consultant told her to do all of those things and of course Lily did them all with Owen. And more! And will do with Gibson. But Gibson's weight was dropping too quickly and he was sleeping too much and needed more calories. I mean, you reach a point where you are endangering your child. If he is too sleepy to nurse then the milk that CAN be made is not being made and even with stimulation and waking him, he was just too tired. Lily is amazing and doing everything humanly and womanly possible. I assure you. At this point, she knows more about breastfeeding and how to improve supply than you and I together.
    And Gibson is getting more milk now and Lily is nursing him nonstop and he is more wakeful and more eager at the breast.

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  8. I'm happy that Gibson is happy and eating well. And I am delighted about the baby chickens. Mr. Moon is a good chicken daddy.

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  9. I'm not good with tired either. Just think - your chicks are just in time for Easter! I don't know what they have to do with Easter.

    I breast fed twins for a little over a year - my poor boobs would get sooo full before a feeding - milk veins were raised on the skin - and then, afterward, they'd be saggy little sacs. My babies were little but seemed to get enough. They never took bottles at all - one thought they were hilarious and the other gagged.

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  10. Ah, the breastfeeding days. I should have had a standing appointment with lactation consultant. In fact, I saw her the other day in the grocery store and she remembered me enough to say hello. I feel bad for Lily. It is frustrating to try so hard and not get the results you want. Tell her she is a good Mama for me.

    And tell Mr. Moon he is a good Mama too!

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  11. Did these peepers come from your hens or did you purchase the eggs? I missed that portion of the story.

    Yay for Lily!
    xo

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  12. I am thrilled about the baby chickens.......what kind o bird did you say they were? Do I remember guinea hens? Whatever...bless 'em and bless Mr. Moon.

    Wish my eyes were better so I could see the photo but I am sure I will get another chance when they are bigger.

    Try to get some rest.

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  13. Gibson is beautiful. Congratulations to the whole ding-dang family!

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  14. Syd- I am NEVER DOING THIS AGAIN! I can't take the being responsible for the life of baby chickens. We could have just eaten those eggs!
    But you're right- Mr. Moon is amazing.
    And Gibson is doing well. Thank you. As always.

    Jeannie- I think I could have breastfed twins but I will never have to prove it. Yay for you!

    Birdie- Will do and thank-you, sugar. Thank-you so much.

    Ms. Fleur- These are all Lloyd eggs. Every one.

    Lo- Did you click on the picture? They are all chicken babys but the yellow one is one of our regular hens and the little black one is one of our neighbor's banties.

    Taradharma- Thank you, sweetie!

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.