Saturday, December 24, 2005

Our Christmas Babies

Our little Reindeer, Carmella, born December 19, 2005
Angelica (Angel) born December 23,2005
Carmella, standing at 30 minutes!



Well, after 11 months of waiting, we finally have our first babies (crias). We are really fortunate that our first additions are both girls, and they are both beautiful and healthy! All those nights of worrying if everything was going to go alright, was not necessary, as both mothers delivered without any assistance, and I found both babies a few minutes after they were born! (I had been checking the mothers every half hour during the due week). This is really exciting as Nueva Vita really has its first "new life".

Friday, December 23, 2005

Baby #2


Well, I guess I worried for nothing as these mothers seem to know exactly what they are doing! Although she was a little later in the day than is "normal" S'mores delivered a beautiful white baby girl this afternoon! Again, the baby was on the ground before I discovered her and she was covered with dirt, so I couldn't even tell what color she was. Again, all the females were standing around checking her out. I picked her up, took her in the barn to dry her off and for number two, everything seemed just a little easier. Putting iodine on the umbilical cord (there seemed to be a little hernia, so I tied her with a string dipped in iodine). Her neck doesn't seem to be as strong as Carmell's was, but each hour that passes seems better. We've called the vet to come and check her tomorrow and draw blood for the IgG test, but she seems to be great, although she is about a week early. I think we will call her Posiedon's Angelica (Angel). She is bigger than Carmella (weighing 16 pounds) and the only way you can tell that she is early is that the covers that are on her toenails in the womb are still there, so he feet look a little funny. I called Rhonda and she said this was normal and that the covers would wear themselves off. This is fun....and makes it really feel real that we are truly alpaca ranchers, now!

Monday, December 19, 2005

Our first baby!



Well, it's been a long day, but very exciting. Carmella (a combination of Carl and Melinda) was born between 11:15 and 12:30 today...I was on a conference call, and when it was over went out to check on Minnie and there the baby was, on the ground with all the girls standing over her and nudging her. I took her in the barn and started drying her off, called Kim in the house, and naturally, got the answering machine! When I tried again, he came running and we started drying her off with the hair dryer and doing all the things that the book says to do! She was pretty alert and active and was standing within a few minutes and looking for the "milk machine" within an hour. We had the vet come out and checked her out (since we are so new to this) and he says she looks fine. She weighed 13.10. So we weigh her tomorrow and if she is gaining weight he seems to think everything is ok. The big question was if she was nursing, which she seems to be doing fine (really cute with a milk mustache)! She is the same color as Minnie, even though her father (Bossman) is light fawn. Can't wait for everyone to see her! She is so fluffy! She is really cute!!