baby horse.

something happened this week that will forever be imprinted in my mind & on my heart. I'm not sure if everyone remembers, but I have the most amazing job for a college student in the entire world. I am fortunate enough to laugh, teach, trust, grow, explore, learn, & love with the two sweetest girls - Mayson & Braxton.

it's ironic how their parents pay me to teach / educate them, yet the girls teach more more about life than i could imagine. they continually open my eyes to the beauty & simplicity of life. they also love horses and I am just a wanna be cowgirl. I'm actually kind of allergic & a little bit scared of horses - but i love them, deeply. I love them because they are beautiful, striking, intimidating, and so fun to ride.. but let's be real, I mostly love them because the girls love them & i love anything they love.

Recently the talk about the Brackin household has been about Emmie's pregnancy.

[[these photos of Emmie were taken last fall. she's a beauty.]]

Emmie's due date was last week!! We have truly been anticipating this day with hopeful hearts, yet still knowing that their last horse gave birth a month late! When Emmie's due date hit - the girls were serious about keeping an eye on her. Their fabulous brand new barn isn't quite finished yet, aka it doesn't have a bed, but the girls did not care. Mays, Braxie, & their sweet daddy started sleeping in the barn - on something like this...

i cannot even begin to express how happy this little pallet makes me. all 3 of them slept on this the first night, but the next night called for a bit different sleeping arrangements. Anyway, they had someone wake up every hour to check on Emmie and see if she was laying down. talk about dedication!!

During school, we would take a break every hour and give Emmie some lovin, feed her apples, & check all the signs that tell us the baby is coming soon. So needless to say, I've been praying && waiting anxiously for this little foal to arrive.

The girls and I discussed how we hoped Emmie would give birth during school so I could be there, but if not to contact me immediately. So, at 12:38 am Wednesday night (thursday morning) Braxie calls me and tells me the baby is coming! I say, "if I come, do you think I'll make it?" she says, "yes! just hurry!!!"

I was frantic. I literally had just gotten ready for bed so I put my contacts back in, ran out the door, & sped the entire way there. I got there a little before 1 am and Emmie was laying down in the barn with two little hooves sticking out! AH! We were oh so excited and slightly nervous at the same time.

I was asking countless questions and quickly realized that wasn't the best idea. As they taught me, from the time the water breaks - a horse has about an hour to deliver the baby or things just aren't good.

After watching for what seemed about 10-15 minutes, our excitement turned into pure nervousness, quick. Emmie was not progressing at all. She had two hooves sticking out of her and barley a nose & mouth. In a panic, we decide to call the vet. This nice girl vet arrives after about 10 minutes. So when she gets there.. we are pushing 25 minutes since Emmie's water broke. this girl was working her magic and trying to figure out what was going on, she was pushing, pulling, readjusting, and not really getting anywhere. we are all pleading before the throne for something good to happen.

we still weren't seeing any progress and that was starting to freak us out. the vet kept saying she wasn't too worried because the baby was breathing, but of course she ultimately had no idea what was going to happen and her face said it all - she was nervous too. she sedates Emmie to see if that decreases her contractions so maybe she (the vet) could help out more.. that doesn't work.. the sedation starts wearing off and Emmie is stumbling everywhere. granted.. we're at about 45 minutes now. we call Josh (the Brackin's friend / vet) && the main vet, who can also perform surgery in case Emmie has to have a c-section. oh dear.

It's 1:57 am and the main vet isn't there.

A few moments later the main vet comes flying down the pasture. He figures out that the baby isn't necessarily in a terrible position, his shoulder is just getting stuck because he's so big & Emmie has never given birth before. So, by this time Emmie is fully standing up and Cole & this older vet are literally pulling with all their strength on the same leg to get this baby out. They pull, twist, turn, strain, fight like crazy to get this baby out.

At about 2:04 am the baby was out!! PRAISE THE LORD! There were some serious happy hearts in that barn! Next there proceeded to be lots of questions being asked, talk of what to name the foal, taking photos, bathing, administering shots, & ultimately, believing / trusting that the baby will be 100% normal.

[photo of Maysie & the baby - probably taken about 27 seconds after it was born. she was serious about taking photos! ha :)]

[yay! Emmie & Maximus. they love each other already!]

if we could visibly detect emotions on a scale - i'm sure the 8 of ours would have hit every single emotion possible!!! I was not expecting it to be like that, but I guess that's what I get for having expectations! :)

I cherish memories with that family and am so grateful to have been able to witness that.

one step closer to being a cowgirl,

Callyn