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If you read my last column you won't be too surprised when I tell you that my newest farmer arrived Saturday, Aug. 17. I accomplished my secret goal of being able to milk cows right up until the end of my pregnancy, though I did have to call for help with that morning's chores - contractions tend to slow one down a bit. At 5:17 p.m. Keith and I (and Stacy and Finley) welcomed Henry Peter Davison into our family of busy little boys. At eight pounds, four ounces and 21.5 inches long, he is absolutely perfect. He has hair like Dane did at birth, and makes an old man scrunchy face like Ira always did when he was little. All went well, and Ira and Dane are adjusting quite well considering the chaos present in their worlds lately. It's a wonderful thing that Henry has a full head of hair, otherwise he would certainly have a shiny spot on his head from all the love petting. He is a very mellow baby. Thankfully, he hardly even startles when Ira and Dane run through the house and let the screen door slam.
We have made it through the first week of school without too many tears shed. Ira is much more confident as a first grader than he was as a Kindergartener. Dane has two days of all-day preschool each week. Ira is fulfilling every mother's dream of being a great older brother. He sits with Dane when he gets done with his lunch, and takes him outside at recess and plays kickball with him. Dane froze solid when the bus pulled in the yard Tuesday morning; there was no way he was getting on that big yellow machine. Ira's eyes filled up with tears at the sight of his upset brother, we ended up taking Dane in and letting Ira ride the bus. Upon arrival to school with his skid steer in one hand and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle bookbag in the other, things got better. He was all smiles when the two of them got off the bus that night, and loves to talk about his day. Perhaps next week we can conquer the fear of the bus.
I think my cows might miss me, but they are being very understanding. Stacy, Peter, Lynzie, and Steph have been taking turns milking on my shifts, and taking care of the cow moves and vaccinations. Needless to say, I am lucky to have such a great family that doesn't complain about the extra workload, understanding that mentally I would love to be back in the barn, but physically they know I had better take a break. They seem to be doing fine without me, and are doing a great job of letting me use my brain by asking me what to treat cows with or calling me to ask about certain cows. At least that keeps me somewhat in the farming loop.
Since the arrival of Henry, Ira and Dane seem so much older and taller. Dane seems to grow daily, and Ira has really started to talk like a man. The boys love Henry dearly, and Ira is anxious to be able to carry him around. Dane is content to hold him and rub his back tenderly. I am glad Henry is as happy and healthy as he is; it makes having three boys much easier on me. He is content to sit in his chair on the counter while I fix a meal or snuggle with Keith so I can get Ira and Dane ready for school. As I type this, he is curled up like a kitten on my lap, making those new baby squeak noises and rewarding me with those adorable sleep smiles. No doubt it will only be a matter of time before his antics find their way onto the page of the Dairy Star. Stay tuned.
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