Hey baby!

No, I'm not an aunt -- yet. But check out #8, the first c-section calf of the year. This big little sucker was pretty stressful for her mom, but both are healthy and doing fine.

Right now cowboy is night-calving. He watches during the night, and at 4am his dad takes over and Spencer gets to sleep. Why must someone always be watching? He is on guard in case any of the heifers (first time moms) have any trouble during their labor or delivery. Which, I've learned, is much like any birth of real babies, minus having a snack of hay after you deliver. And, to a pregnant woman, (or to anyone for that matter) the instruments used to "pull" calves are a little more scary than ones you'd find in the hospital. I'll spare you the details. (or save them for another time)

Calving is a time where newcomers to the ranch have the opportunity to learn a lot of valuable information. It happens to be one of my favorite times around here. And not that it's not busy, because it is in fact the busiest time of the year. Let me clarify: it's busy for everyone else; Ella and I just get to take walks and check out the new babies.

Around every corner you'll see a mama and her calf. There are all sorts of mamas around here: "good" moms, who feed their babies, lick and call to them, and protect them from any danger, and other moms who don't quite bond with their little one. There are mamas who watch nervously as their wobbly legged calf leaps and jumps and plays in the grass, while others keep close tabs and can even charge if they're really ornery.

We have a good time watching the calves race around. They remind me a lot of my own little one, so excited to be out and learning about her world.

Of course we pick a lot of rocks.

And feed them to Leroy.