Baby

Yes-- we're expecting!! Okay, let's be real.  The "we" is more "me" :)

It all started back in January.  I started looking for baby daddies and was able to find one in Ohio I just couldn't shake.  I talked to Grandpa and was able to lease a mare from him.  I signed the breeding contract and sent in the stud fee.

'Lil Mama came into heat and I called the vet.  We started trying to artificially inseminate (AI) in April.  I took her back in May and found out she was open.  She was also not coming into heat again. Apparently that happens to maiden mares sometimes, as it's the first time for them to be "violated."  We had to swab her and send it to the lab to make sure she was clean and we weren't going to run into further issues.  This also happened around Memorial Day weekend, which my vet was leaving for, so we decided to wait until she should be coming in again on her own.

June comes and we were able to AI her again.  I go back for the ultrasound and she came up open.  I was crushed.  We decided to try one more time.

I went and picked her up to bring her home and when I opened the trailer to unload her, there was sweat running across the floor.  I opened the divider up and saw she had gotten her leg stuck on the escape door.  Luckily, she let me get her loose without a fight.  A week before I was supposed to take her back to get ultrasounded, she could barely walk.  Naturally, it was the day before I was supposed to be leaving for a weekend trip.  I called the vet and we decided it was most likely a bruise or abscess,  The farrier came out and instantly thought abscess.  He found nothing.  I went ahead and soaked it and wrapped it each day before I left.  Peter came up and did the same while I was gone,  I continued when I got back on Sunday.  I took her down to get ultrasounded and get a lameness exam.  Good news: she wasn't lame anymore.  We're still not real sure what happened-- guessing a bad bruise.  Bad news: she's open.  I had pretty much already accepted that with all the stress she'd had that go.

New options:  find a stud close enough to take her to live cover within three days or buy a proven mare to AI to next year.  (Yes, I already had one in mind.)

Peter and I both started searching for a stud close by that I could afford.  She found a few options.  I found a few options.  I wasn't in love with any or I just couldn't afford it after all the vet bills had been paid.  And then I remembered one I found when I was still on Facebook, Tres of Salt.  I Googled his name quick and found their contact info.  I called James and he said to wait a couple days until she got closer to ovulating and I said I'd rather bring her up early and pay the mare care as to miss it (she tends to go fast when she goes).  He said okay!  I met Peter and we dropped her off.  Within ten minutes of being together, he bred her.  BAZINGA!!

James called back a couple days later saying she was done.  Char and I went and picked her up.

I took her to the vet a couple weeks later and he said she was pregnant.  I asked if he was serious.  He said he wouldn't lie to me at this point!  Hot Damn we're having a baby!!

I did a happy dance out of there.  Yes, I'll be having a late June (hopefully) or July baby.  Yes, people will judge.  Yes, I'm okay with that.  Yes, it will probably be brown.  Yes, it's already named.  Yes, 'Lil Mama is getting spoiled.  Yes, Pongo is super excited to have another baby pal.  Yes, I can still breed to the original stud next year or the year after.  TWO BABIES.  DJ is thrilled...