It happened!! Alice is a mum again 🥰. Finally… after days of false alarms & stalking her… trying to cop a feel of her udder at feeding time (which, I have to say, I never managed).

Alice came from my friend Pam, I bottle fed her but she was always very feisty - had her own way of doing things, wasn’t cuddly, & could tell you to f-off with her ears! (Alice - not Pam!!)

Mike knew I didn’t want to miss this birth so he’d text her whereabouts & if we thought ‘this is it!’ I’d tippy toe to observe… then after what felt like an hour of nothing I’d have to move to wake up my sleeping legs.

Alice was pregnant last year & had triplets, but being the ace farmers we are didn’t even realize she was in the family way till we heard the bleating of lambs! That was so much easier, I became obsessed with when is it going to happen.

But on Monday she went in the shed ~ her babies from last year followed & Forrest of course, Mr Nosey!! Then I watched as they all left her alone… I crept into the adjoining shed & I knew this is it. It was quite hard to watch her in that much pain. She pushed out a baby ~ it wasn’t moving & Alice wasn’t in a hurry to unblock anything or check vitals. I went in & checked the airways ~ & started resuscitating… I called Dr Higgins at the same time ~ he picked up & I bet he was in the middle of something major but still offered advice! Thank you! (I imagined him James Herriot style with is arm up a cow.) I kept going & going… Mike saw me from a distance on my knees with my head down & called out what are you doing? I turned my head around to answer & slimy sheep goo dripped off my chin… He look pretty ‘amazed’ & when I replay that scene - I can see why… I resembled a zombie feasting on the lamb…

The lamb was a male, so perfect, full term - I had found it extremely difficult to stop trying to kick start it to life. Mike asked me to leave them alone, that Alice was getting stressed out - so defeated & sad I picked myself up went inside.

Mike thought it was time I went back to check on Alice & when I did… there were 2 more beautiful lambs (both girls)! The total concentrated joy! I wish wish wish I could bottle that. It feels thick & heavy but in a really good way.