FergusonK's journal - Goodbye Java Jewel.

[Ferguson K]

About four years ago I was in a bad horse wreck on my little mustang mare. She broke my hip in half vertically, on my ilium. The stress from the baby has caused a hairline crack to form over the calcium scar on my hip. It gets worse every day. Today was a particularly bad day. Some days I can't stand, some days I can't sit. All the time it hurts.

It'll heal again after the baby is out I'm sure but for now it's quite painful.

Today, with my mothers help, we measured/weighed/checked for lice/checked for mites/and wormed most of the show stream. Here's some of my Dutch Bantams:

Really liking how these four are turning out. They're five months old now, should start laying any time. The rooster is finally showing interest in the ladies and they're finally showing interest in the nesting boxes! Woohoo!

 

[Ferguson K]

This little salmon hen is my favorite out of the four keepers.

 

[Bruce]

Nice looking birds, no surprise there.

on the hip thing. Going to get WORSE until the baby is born? Nothing they can do? Seems like sitting doesn't help.

 

[Baymule]

Are you still working? THAT is an on your feet job. Try to take it easy as much as you can, haha, I'm talking to a rock.

 

[Ferguson K]

@Baymule I just started maternity leave this weekend. Although that's not keeping me off my feet. Haha... Today though has been a stay on the couch kind of day. I cleaned the shed out and moved some stuff around but that took about an hour. I'm now Netflixing on the couch with my mom while we rest, this evening we'll get out and finish feeding everyone.

Contractions have been pretty bad the last few days. We've been timing them. Trying to do as little as possible until my appointment Wednesday, and have put a call in for today to see if they can get me in.

Another one of my friends just had her baby yesterday. He's identical to her husband and super cute. I can't wait to go see them once I get the approval from the Dr to travel again. I'm basically home bound right now.

 

[Latestarter]

Kate... Understanding that Doc's tend to be ultra conservative, and we each know our own bodies far better than any doctor possibly could, it does behoove you to TAKE IT EASY and NOT overdo it none the less! I can't even imagine how painful it must be to be living with a broken hip that gets progressively worse with time. I don't want to imagine how much more it's going to hurt when you go through delivery! You say you've started having contractions... Are you that close, or is this happening prematurely? Sorry, I can't recall you saying how far along you are... But then you've started maternity leave, so it must be close to the right time. OK... everything goes smoothly and on time with no complications! Dang... you gonna have a baby!

 

[Ferguson K]

The last few days my mother and I have been weighing, cleaning, and prepping birds for an upcoming show. I slept the day away yesterday and woke up this morning to send in my application.

I got my dates mixed up.

We wont be going to this show.

Which is probably okay considering all the problems I've been having... I find out Wednesday if he's even going to let me keep traveling. My doctor is trying to convince me I'm still doing too much. I'm barely doing anything these days ( compared to normal me ) and he still says I'm doing too much.

@Latestarter Ill be 33 weeks on Thursday, so potentially I can go at any time... My family has a tendency to go into labor between 34 and 36 weeks. He's down and in position and the contractions get worse every day. Yesterday I don't remember having many but I was also horizontal with my eyes closed all day. My mother, a former L&D nurse (many many many years ) has been staying with me and watching over me. Yesterday she said I had dropped, which means I'm getting really close. The Dr didn't rush me in yesterday because I was able to get them to stop.

On another note I have three pictures that are going to be featured in magazines in the upcoming weeks. One online feature in one of the biggest poultry magazines in the US. LOTS of free coverage for my little photography business.

Today is potentially another do nothing day. It takes me about two or three hours to feed and water everyone on the yard with all the breaks I have to take when I'm alone. If I get my mother to help me, since she's still here, we can probably get it done within the hour and I'll be able to have another do nothing day. Nothing but sleep.

I feel bad because I need to move some of the chicken cages out of the mud from all the rain we've been having but I'm not allowed to lift and my mother is handicapped. Between the two of us 'crippled' folk we manage to get things done... until she goes home tomorrow for a few days.

 

[Bruce]

and I'll be able to have another do nothing day. Nothing but sleep.

Do it while you can! In a few weeks you might wish for a "do nothing" day and some uninterrupted sleep.

 

[Ferguson K]

I am not a blogger, but lately I’ve sure wanted to be. Everything that’s been going on around here I feel needs to be written down somewhere.

Wednesday I had an appointment with my OB. After some consultations we decided that my next appointment well set the date to get Baby into the world. My hip has been killing me and I spend about 20 hours a day laying with my hips rested in a special position. It’s becoming quite hard to do basic things like keeping the animals fed. My mother got the call that she needed to be back at the ranch through Thursday, then I get her back over the weekend. So the next few days I’ll be alone.

I’ve been nesting. Building furniture and rabbit/chicken cages. Things I can do sitting on the couch. I’ve built SEVERAL of these guys:

Reusing an image from earlier cages because I haven’t taken any of the new ones.

Over the weekend (after getting the go ahead from the doctor, with limitations) my mother and I traveled to OK to a big poultry show. I took a TON of pictures and videos. Haven’t uploaded anything yet because my internet has kicked the bucket.

Between the drive and all the walking (the expo center was enourmous and I had to see EVERYTHING) my poor joints are still swollen and I’m still hurting. It was worth it. We had SO MUCH FUN.

We detoured along the way to see my nephews for my youngests 6th birthday party. Two hours out of the way but SO WORTH IT to see M light up at the sight of his grannie and gummie. I passed out shortly after we got there and slept through the whole party on the couch. Kids screaming everywhere and adults telling bad jokes, slept right through it.

ALSO. I may or may not have accidentally brought home these guys:

A pair of RIR bantams from one of my idols. I’m picking up more pullets this weekend that are from his lines but not his direct birds. These two are currently quarantined in the rabbit barn.

Speaking of rabbits I must really hate myself because every doe in my barn that is a breeding age is currently bred. I have six does due this week, and seven does due in 30 days. And 10 of them are bred to the same buck. I can’t wait for this new chapter on the rabbit because most of them that our bred have been bred for the Houston livestock show and rodeo. All of these kits will be evaluated come January/ February with the hopes of being entered. This buck is a finished champions and some of the foes are too. Should be a good year.

I have also decided to sell a majority of my non exhibition flock in the poultry. I’m starting over with fresh lines, lines that represent the goal that I’m trying to reach... Much to my DH displeasure the incubators are full and humming right now. Serama, which I fell in love with many years ago and keep going back to, are on the way!

I have more eggs coming but I’ve forgotton what all I’ve ordered because of my pregnancy blinders. Eggs keep showing up!! Thankfully I’ve limited myself to three breeds for the eggs.

I have about half my Bantam flock listed for sale and will be bringing a majority of them to a show a few hours north of us this weekend to try and sell, cheap, to get them off the feed bill before the baby gets here. In my standards all I have are my two layer flocks. About 20 assorted free range layers and 12 Black Australorps. Most of the free range flock of birds of my own creation inbreeding over the last few years and are very hearty birds. Crosses between American game and layers selectively bred over the years have created a bird that can withstand the extreme Texas heat, very little food, and can out run and out smart most predators. They come in all shapes and sizes that are all beautiful to me.

This brings me down to less than 100 chicks for the first time in over 10 years. It’s odd. Easier, but odd.

In the large livestock we have cut back down to for horses and one pony. A lot of changes have been made over the last few weeks, but hopefully they’re all for the better.

I still need to rehome my two LGD ladies, Connie and Maddie, to get down to a more reasonable number of dogs. Something easier to manage but also to put the girls back to work. They’re bored. Connie guards the chickens but she’s not “bonded” to them like she was the goats.

That being said I have re-home to these girls three times now and all three times they have been returned to me for various reasons. Nothing to do with their livestock guardian ship, just fake seems to want to leave these girls here. Never seems to work out.

Not sure if I mentioned it but the 14th we schedule our delivery day and I’m nervous and excited all at the same time.

More to come later. I have to finish supper.

 

[Baymule]

Girl you have a full schedule even without being pregnant and your hip splitting in two! I have a visual of you with one of those baby wraps, where you wrap up the baby and wrap it around you, it's hands free! I can see you outside feeding animals and doing what you do, toting baby along like it's nothing. LOL LOL