Still Pregnant.

Life just keeps trundling along. Pregnancy is getting harder and harder and harder by the hour. I'm 39 weeks and 3 days today. Due next Thursday.

I don't get up to much these days. Generally, I drag myself out of bed, drive to feed the horses, come home and nap all day on the lounge with the cats and the dog until Andrew gets home and then we have dinner and I attempt to sleep in my bed (which doesn't really work much).

Allie is doing OK on the herbs. Her nose seems less gunky but it is still smelly from the last infection. I'm giving these herbs time to work - really what else can I do? At least she is eating everything (with about 50mL of molasses a day to help).

Natalie rode Allie last weekend. Allie was really good for her - tried really hard. There was no coughing (yay!) and while unfit, she didn't have any issues breathing. You can tell the horse wants more interaction, seems to want a job to do. I'll pop a couple of photos at the end of this post.

Other than that, I'm just preparing mentally for this kid to finally come along, preparing to finally get my body back (at least partially). I'm trying not to think about the big Bowker hoof conference going on at this very moment in Mt Bulla where I am desperate to be, with all my hoof nerd friends talking about feet and learning all about the latest and greatest research and findings. And I'm trying not to feel guilty about missing out on that stuff.

Hopefully next update with have squishy baby photos. We can only hope.

Alternative

So.

I am not happy with how often poor Allie has sinus infections. I also do not want to put her through more surgery to remove the extensive scar tissue that is causing most of these infections.

I think that, after 17 months of lameness, stall rest, in and out of hospital, surgery, etc etc, her immune system is shot. It needs help.

I've turned to McDowell's Herbs in Bathurst to help. They've sent me a specialised tincture for her sinus, a tendon and bone mix, colloidal silver, slippery elm and chamomile. This has cost an absolute bomb, but if it gets her to where she isn't suffering from a runny nose or enlarged lymph node every 2 or 3 weeks, then it is all worth it. She's starting today - doesn't seem to notice that there are extra things in her feed, otherwise I would have to paste her twice a day, which she is totally totally sick of.

So, I have to call McDowell's back in 3 weeks to report how she is doing.

Wish us luck!

This Stunning Creature

I am super biased.

That tail is finally recovering from Tail-Eating-Fence-2012

I think my horse is just the most beautiful creature on the planet. In reality, she is just a ncely put together pretty faced bay mare.

Nothing like a clean popo with a fresh trim and a banged tail!

But I could stare at that horse all day long. Every day when I get to the paddock, I look at my horse and just think wow. I am so lucky to have a horse like that!

Yes, I am rather lovey, aren't I?

Today, I spent a couple of hours waddling around the paddock doing a couple of chores. After I fed them breakfast, I got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed one of Allie's cotton combo rugs clean, hung it on the fence, then got Allie out and washed her. I scrubbed her mane and tail (which she LOVES), and conditioned them both with a protien conditioner. I washed her face (which she was not so pleased about). I sprayed detangler in her tail and combed it out. I even trimmed her tail AND did a hack job of trimming her mane.

She keeps rubbing out the centre of her mane. I think she has found a favorite rubbing spot.

Then, after a green pick to dry off, I popped her back in her yard, made her run around a bit to try to get some video (which uploaded to Youtube sideways?), then rugged her up again to help stop her scrubbing her mane and tail out.

Her scar is looking excellent!

It was awesome just to spend an hour or so pottering around with my pony again, :)