Bad Farm Wife! Bad!

It's 3:24 am. Do you know where you're piglets are? Mine are in the kitchen...Again. Sow #2 has picked the coldest night in weeks to give birth (which incidentally is called farrowing...A fact I keep forgetting to mention). It is currently 15 degrees outside. And how am I helping in this endeavor? Not at all.

I have returned to my City Gal, Gen X, Slacker ways and slept through most of it. I'm only up now because it is near to impossible to sleep through piglets getting their shots.

I heard Husband come in from work tonight which is unusual for me. Shortly after B.B. woke up and demanded to sleep with his mommy. Since sleep is of the utmost priority, I let him.

I had just dozed back off when Andrew started whining. I couldn't figure out why; He only does that when someone is here. Then the Guinea Pigs began squealing. Husband kept opening and closing the door. It was all very strange.

I finally woke up enough to realize I wasn't hearing the G.P.'s but actual pigs! I came out of my room to find 4 piglets in a bucket in my laundry room. Husband said the sow tried to maul the first piglet. That happens on occasions with first piglets from first litters.

I saw the piglets and headed back to bed. I tossed and turned for 40 minutes before finally falling asleep when I awoke with a jolt. I could hear not one, but two voices calling my name. My Husband's Baritone and my son's soprano, "Farm Wife...Farm Wife..." Not, "Mommy... Mommy." #1 Son was pattering around the kitchen at 2:30, "Farm Wife, We got free (that's #1 Son speak for 3) new baby pigs!" Actually there were 5 or 6. He let me take him back to bed and tuck him in with Macaroni his horse. Surprisingly he hasn't come back out once.

In all she delivered 11 piglets. All of which are doing well at the moment. The very late/early moment. And Husband assured me they would have between 6 & 9 piglets per litter for their first try.

The question is, do I feel guilty that I didn't get up and lend a hand? Nope. I've been on stomach bug patrol all night with no help. He can deliver one lousy litter of piglets by him self!

Actually, I'm very proud of him. He's out side right now putting down fresh straw, moving a tarp, and stringing up another heat lamp. And we have to leave the house at 7:30 in the morning... But that's another surprise in it's self. Right now we're hoping the sow doesn't try to maul the piglets when he puts them back in with her.

*Update* As of 1:30 pm all the piglets are doing well and nursing. We have 5 boars and 6 gilts. The Sow gets a little nervous when they squeal, but Husband has her pinned in pretty good so we're not too worried about her mauling them.