YiIiiPpIIIIIEEEEEE!!!!   I am SUPER happy.

All the stumbling over myself to decide what to do, all the doubt, all the stress… and here is our first lamb born on The Farm.

This little guy, Jacob, was born between 2 and 4:30 pm yesterday.  These pictures of a lamb that is less than 2 hours old.  Born at about 6 pounds, which is pretty amazing, since that’s the same size as many human babies (bigger than I was born at) and in this case, mama is only about 55 pounds.

Yesterday morning, this particular ewe’s teats were HUuUUUuUGE.  Their bags swelled up a number of weeks ago, and they had been extremely swollen for about a week, but this morning, it was officially in the realm of GINORMOS.  I was really hoping I was right in seeing that as a sign it would be today.

So I was checking the pasture about every 2-3 hours.

One time… waaaAAaAaay in the back, was a tiny little lamb clamoring around behind Flossie (our new mama).  So I snuck up.  Here was the first good picture I got.  (Jacob is the little black spot next to the ewe)

I SloooOoOowly got closer until I could see Jacob better.  In this next shot, take a close look at Mama’s teat.  You can see how crazy swollen the thing is, and it’s even pointed inward a bit, so the lamb, when he’s next to her, facing towards the back, has the perfect angle.

I was so happy to see him so happy and healthy.  He was boping around, having a good ‘ole time.  This next pic you can see him climbing on the roots of the tree.  King of the Hill is a common game played by lambs, and it looks like he’s ready to go!!

Also, look close, that red thing that looks like it’s dripping from him, that’s actually the end of the umbilical cord.

Pretty amazing, huh?

So I carried him inside.  I expected it to be hard to grab him.  I was wrong.  He actually hopped right into my lap at one point (completely accidentally)  So I snatched him up.  At first, Mama just looked at me and I was concerned that she might not follow.  But Jacob let out a loud CRY, and she came FLYING towards me.  So I walked them both into the barn.

I iodined his umbilical cord (some people dip it, I had a spray that I used), weighed him, and “stripped” her teats (meaning, I basically milked her just a tiny bit, to make sure that the plugs had come out)

Mama followed him right into the jug.  Happy together again:

I’m also including these next three shots, because this is just plain adorabale.  He was playing, and sort of pawing at her, as if to say, PLAY WITH ME.  Then he climbed OVER Mama’s back, and I got a few quick snapshots of it:

First he just leaned real hard and looked over there like, “hey, maybe I can get over there!”

Then the front legs:

And then one more BIiIiG stretch:

And PLOP he was over.  Then I got the return climb on video in hopes that I could post it here.  I like the loving licks that mom gives in the end too!  (you can hear his little bleat (cry) in here too!)

More updates will follow about how little man is doing, and when is joined by another lamb from our other pregnant ewe, Elsie.

Thanks everyone for helping me welcome Jacob to The Farm!!!