We have had a glorious and sad weekend. Saturday morning I went to the barn and Tisha was showing signs of "today is the day Lady." Today she would give us a baby. I stayed with her aaaaaaaalllllllllllll day. I never left her side only to come to the house and eat and I would go back down. I had my chair and plenty of magazines to read. I put her in her private stall that dear hubby built her. Then the waiting begins. You should have seen us, I took a picture of me, Aunt Cocoa, and Socks sitting by the stall just waiting and almost falling asleep. It was a sight. Now I know how a father feels waiting on his wife to give birth. Finally at 7:30pm she starts grunting and straining. So I call up to the house and tell everyone to come, its time. They came in and I got in the stall. Tisha was already lying down and pushing. Boom, in 10 minutes its out. I take it and hand it to her to lick and I wrap it up a little. I was scared to look and see what it was. Because were not keeping any boys. We all prayed for a girl. It looked just like Tisha, it could be her twin. Same markings, color and everything. I finally got my nerve to look and see what it was. It was a GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! David had been reading out of my book and helping me to remember what to do next. We got it all clean and I put Iodine on the umbilical cord. I noticed it was awfully short. Tisha cleaned her really good and was so careful with it. She turned out to be the best mother. It has calmed her down alot.Her whole personality has changed. She took are of it. We stayed there another hour and a half to make sure she didnt have anymore and to clean the stall. We left momma and baby together snuggling and we tucked them all in.
The next morning me and the boys get up to go see them. Dakota beat me to the barn. The look on his face gave it away. The baby was gone. My heart just sank. Tisha was licking around a wound she had been trying to make better. It had been bleeding from its belly button. I knew then the  umbilical cord didnt harden and dry up. Tisha was trying to get it to stop bleeding. She tried her best. David took care of the baby while I cleaned Tisha up and helped her relieve her udders. She was swollen. David and the boys buried the baby for me and put a little cross on it. We like to never have gotten Tisha out of the stall. She kept looking back knowing she was leaving something behind. She finally came out. But kept going back to the stall looking. We had to come in and get ready for church. This is one time when I wasnt for sure if I wanted to go or not. I was not all there. I have cried all weekend and Tisha has grieved too. She talks to herself and me like crazy, when I have to come to the house she just starts balling and yelling. She is so pitiful right now. Cocoa is glad to have her buddy back though. This is one time I really felt like giving up and selling everything. But David comforted me and reassured me. We will try again in the fall and have both bred. We will know more next year and next year I will personally take care of the cord myself. And I will spend the night down there to make sure both are fine through the night. It has been so heart breaking around here. The boys saw a new life brought into the world and saw God take it away. Dallas was so excited it was a girl. They watched from over the stall wall. He went to church the next morning and educated his SS teacher. Dakota comforted me all morning too. He told me he wasnt for sure if he should tell me not to go in there or not when he saw it first. I told him it was OK I would have seen anyway. Right now I just need to concentrate on taking care of them.
And getting them ready for next season. Tisha actually stands and lets me milk her and love on her. Its like were not looking at the same Tisha. She has become very affectionate. She even lets Dakota milk her. The only time she moves her leg is if we pinch her teet or pull too hard, Ive had milk in my face, on my legs, arms, on the ground. You name it its got some. We will get the hang of this yet and so will she. Were all still learning. Cocoa is still up to her tricks by butting Dallas all over the barn. We have to get onto her. Im trying to milk, Cocoa is chasing Dallas and Dallas is running and climbing the fence as fast as he can before she gets him in the little hiny!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It can be hilarous at times. Next week we will trim Cocoas  hooves again and that should correct them. She has been sore from the last trimming. But getting better. When Tisha gets over being sore, David is going to help me get her onto the milk stand and that is where we will milk from now on. Then weve got to work with Cocoa to get on it.
Ive only got a few more things to plant in the garden. It has been busy the past few weeks getting ready for baby. Friday we spent the rest of the day cleaning out the barn, spraying and sanatizing the floors and replacing the bedding with fresh shavings. That is a job. I havent had a chance to use my Papas tiller yet in my garden, Maybe I will get to soon when everything calms down. I go out and work in the garden while Dakota does his classes. Then I take care of the girls, and then come in and cook and take a shower and get ready for ballgames. Then we just crash when we get home. But I love it, if I just sit at home Id be bored. So why not?  I finally got the house clean again.
Dakota  and I only have 16  lessons left. Halleluliah. (sp).
Im still horse and cant hardly talk. As long as Im helping coach Dallas team I will be.
Well Im getting tired and its time to go to bed. Just say a prayer that God will comfort us and help us to move on over our loss and things will be better next year. Thank You guys.