Thursday

By the time I got over to our friends' house at 8:30 a.m. yesterday to care for the animals, the backhoe operator had already come and gone. He had buried the horse pretty much where he lay, and it wasn't until you got right on top of the spot that you could even tell the ground had been disturbed. The remaining draft horse, Charlie, and I spent a few minutes standing down by the grave. Charlie would sniff at the disturbed ground for a few moments and then raise his head and give a loud knicker that echoed throughout the field, waiting for a reply that didn't come. He was really breaking my heart.

My dad and brother came up again to continue with the yurt deck building. It is SOO exciting to see real progress being made! I had intended to spend the day helping them, but right after I got home from my petsitting chores, my little sister called to say that her water had just broken. She has been impatiently awaiting the arrival of her fourth child for many weeks now, although technically it was a still one day until her due date. Her birthing history has been one of very quick deliveries, the last two of which I barely made it in time for. I wasted no time on this one and got down there shortly after 10 a.m. Like her previous births, this was to be a home birth, and one of the midwives was already there when I arrived and the other one was on her way. For once time was on my side. Besides her water breaking, Jenny was having no other signs of impending labor. The other midwife arrived and we all had lunch together and then spent the afternoon playing games, watching movies, chatting, just waiting for things to kick into high gear. Finally, at 7:15 PM, Jenny went to the bathroom and came out a few minutes later with a grimace on her face. At 7:49, after only two pushes, the baby was born in a birthing pool set up in the kitchen. Another 15 minutes or so and she was propped up in bed, happily nursing her baby girl. Elizabeth Rose was 8 pounds 11 ounces and as beautiful and healthy as can be.

My niece Savannah and her new little sister. She was there for the whole birth and was worried it wasn't going to happen before her bedtime!


"...and then you give a REALLY big sneeze, and that's how a baby is born!"


This is the progress that occurred on the yurt while we ladies were playing games, I mean having babies. Looks like weather will put a halt on the project for a little while, but it is actually looking like something now! In fact, it's actually looking like a square, which is very comforting. :)