Well today was day two. And just to give myself props I actually got up and immediately started preparations to milk Miss. Lucy. It was later than I wanted but that is the story of my life. Today, the goats had already been fed before I got out there so again we dealt with the fact that Lucy could have cared less about the alluringly dangling feed bucket. The hubs sent the kids to find some cherry tomatoes or half grown cucumbers from our bumbling mini garden to woo her. I caught her quickly this morning and lifted her onto the stand with no issues. We rigged her up with no problems but she did back out of the strange guillotine type head harness once. She only tried to lay down once and was overall very well behaved. She likes the contact, maybe not the prodding, desperate attempts to get milk but the conversation and the hand feeding of edible people produce seems to be working. Lucy was a little skittish and if I got too rough she let me know. I tried to sit more behind her today and milk both teats simultaneously. I am not the Princess of Coordination so that was an interesting effort. I also found that my carpal tunnel was a hindrance. My hands went numb as I was milking. I am sure I am making it harder than it has to be. I would really love to go somewhere and watch in person someone else milking a goat so I could at least visualize a technique. Go figure I should have prepared better.
So this is still a learning experience for me. I am not focusing on quantity, just on building a routine and technique. But, I still need to empty her enough so she produces more and also to relieve the pressure. I remember what nursing was like and I know that engorged breasts (or teats) are sheer agony. At some point tugging and squeezing on them is a kindness.
Today I filled my plastic tea pitcher about 1/4 or maybe even a 1/3 of the way up. While I was still going strong and milking away Lucy kicked it over. I ended up covered in goat hair and milk. I started again and got roughly a cup before I tapped out. I was of course reminding myself the whole time that I am not focusing on quantity.
No matter how rough I got I could not have been worse than Miss Snow White was when she finally was able to get to Mama Lucy. She actually head butted her still semi full udder repeatedly and watching her reminded me of my own kid, #2 eating. #2 was like that, an aggressive nurser. She acted like every meal was a challenge. It was not sweet bonding but rather her conquering the boob every feeding. Incidentally I only nursed her for ten months before I tapped out then too.
Anyway, aside from the spill the goat milking was successful today. If for no other reason than that it took place. I am looking forward to tomorrow as even calmer and more productive. I am also dreaming of the fresh butter I hope to make next week.
After harassing Lucy I got ready for the rest of my day. I had an interview that was completely non productive at the local Community College hoping to register for classes. Forgot some paperwork I was supposed to drop off in town and the hubs met me at an exit off the hwy to give it to me. Of course I then after the interview promptly decided to just deliver it tomorrow. Came home, cooked a fast dinner of steak fajitas and dressed for my Nursing Assistant Class this evening. While there (at a clinical site) a lovely, tiny little waif of a women with late stage Alzheimer's leaned in very closely during a feeding and whispered pretty as you please to me "you bitch". I replied by offering her a bite of cole slaw and pureed hot dog. Another resident, a gentleman on the same hall asked me if I would "Come on over and just have a seat on it". Instead I offered him a snack. :) Came home early to the kids + 1 running amuck and completely filthy.
I cracked open the cheap wine, heated up a fajita, admired my two cups of fresh and untouched goats milk in the fridge and then did homework while directing the kids through baths and bedtime.
I want to call this a freakishly productive day although other than the cup of goats milk I don't seem to have any tangible accomplishments. It's all good though because my biggest drama today was in fact.....spilled milk. No sense in crying over that.
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