Spring and new lives!

Spring always brings new life around here and also a different kind of business.  Coops and fences and cages need mending because the little ones will be here soon!   Our first set of chicks arrived today - 50 meat chickens.  Of course, as usual, I seem to be unprepared.  We knew for four weeks they were coming, but time goes too quickly!  Heat lamp, check. Extension cord to plug in heat lamp, missing.  Base for the waterer, check. Top, missing.  And so it has been going so far.
I see Momma cat's belly is hanging low again.  Thankful this litter will be arriving in warm weather! Last litter she hung out in our school room with her little ones and it was just a bit of a distraction. 
Looks like we will be having the first litter out of our newest dog too... and I can't find her papers.... This is going to be a problem..
A mare we took on in the fall also has been filling out and I've had the pleasure of watching the kicks and movements of the baby inside as I water them ever day.   It will be a lot of work when he/she arrives but it is definitely our most exciting arrival.
The calves continue to come. Some with more difficulty than others.  With dairying it is a year round process but they sure seem to come in spurts! We had 9 so far in the last two days and the vet is here now trying to untangle a pair of twins.  One set of twins yesterday arrived dead also.  We never like to see twins around here. They take too much out of their Momma's and yesterday's was a prime example of it.  With mom and both babies dead 8 days before she was due.  One minute up fine, bright-eyed and eating, next minute down and before the vet arrives, dead. Very disappointing but yet, we were blessed with several more healthy calves and then we have to be thankful and say that the Lord is good in everything He does!
Speaking of little ones.... our little one is growing too quickly.  At 95th percentile for height and weights she is quickly growing out of her clothes and has lost the newborn look.... I'm praying for the strength to handle all the little ones with the coming good weather and ..... yes, it seems like my back injury continues to be aggravated with just my regular daily work and I'm not sure how I'm going to get the garden planted, but yet, we have to!  The prices in the stores have us tighter than tight!