Part 3 of my nesting that has been going on is a bit
different. There are 10 things that I
make sure are taken care of in my own home before the calves start to arrive. This is very similar to the list I had and many others have before they have a baby of their own.
1.
I make sure the freezer is stockpiled with meals
that can be warmed up by anyone in the family.
If we have calves that need special attention, I am typically the NICU
nurse (I have a little more mothering instinct than the other members of the
household. This means that Randy or the
boys are in charge of meal time and all 3 of them are at least capable of
running the microwave. Here is a list of items currently in my freezer:
- French Dip
- Cheesy Enchiladas
- Christy’s Not so Famous Pork Loin
- Grandma Jessie’s Zucchini Cake
- No Boil Lasagna
- Easy, Beefy, Cheesy Burritos
- Pork Chalupas
- Smoked Beef Brisket
- Beefy Nacho Potato Soup
- Barbecue Meatballs
2.
A snack supply is a must. If there is a birthing emergency, lunch time
might not come until 2:00 if ever. Often
we keep some packaged emergency snacks in the feed trucks with us just in case.
3.
We get up in the middle of the night, usually
around 3 am to check on the heifers (first time mothers) to make sure they
aren’t having any problems. This means a
nap in the middle of the day is needed or A LOT of caffeine and sugar. I try to stock up on pop before we get started. I am well into week #1 of the nightly checks and have only begged to have a nap twice. Pretty good for me.
4.
Adult beverages are also a necessity in my
household. Some days things don’t go as
they should or we spend a couple of hours with a special patient or two late at
night. When we are wound up on
adrenaline, sometimes a beverage can help you sleep a whole lot better.
5.
I always make sure the mudroom is clean and
organized before calving season. This
room of our home becomes the calf NICU.
Any calf that is having a hard time immediately after birth may get
brought to the house for some special attention (including middle of the night
feedings) and extra monitoring. Just
imagine having a 4 legged newborn in your house, except they don’t cry, instead
they get up and bump around until you feed them or take them back to their
mama. :)
6.
Speaking of the mudroom, lots of laundry
detergent is used in my house over the next 5 weeks. Not only to our clothes get pretty gross
helping new wet, slimy calves, but we also use blankets and towels for the
calves and they need washed as well.
7.
It’s always a good idea to keep a supply of
bleach or other disinfectant around. The
blankets, OB chains and calf bottles all can use a good wash and disinfection
when multiple newborns are involved.
8.
Now, here’s one most wouldn’t have to worry
about: Birthday Treats. Our 7 year old
has a birthday right at the beginning of calving season. I try to make his treats for school ahead of
time and freeze them. I never know when
a weather system will move in and cause
calving to move earlier. Cows are just
like people and that due date is usually plus or minus 10 days.
9.
As a mom, we also try to work on school
Valentines ahead of time. Remember, I
have 2 boys that hate to write and if the weather is cold and wet it is likely
that we will spend more time in the barn than in the house leading up to
Valentine’s Day.
10.
I also try to keep all the laundry washed and
put away while I have time. I also take
advantage of sunny warm days when the calves start arriving to get caught back
up on the laundry. The boys do like to
wash the laundry this year, so maybe they will help out some, but they hate to
fold and put their laundry away.
My friends all think I am organized and I think I have them
all fooled. I try to control what I can
in my life, because I know when I walk out that door in the morning surprises
can be around every corner.
Have a great week everyone and be sure to follow me on
Facebook to see new baby calf pictures.
Nothing like being organized!! Great steps to help keep your home together during calving season. Would love to have a freezer stocked with meals like that. Seems to be one thing I haven't yet been able to master.
ReplyDeletePlease leave a link to my blog. You can find the button for Farm Fun Friday here: http://farmlifeatitsbest.blogspot.com/2013/02/quinoa-farm-fun-friday-16.html
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Tayet
hi, I too am following from a blog hop. You days are busy! And, yes, you do seem so organized by knowing what's coming up and having things prepared for it. Nice work!!
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