the waiting is the hardest part.

our donkey, stella, is pregnant. expecting any day now. thought it was gonna happen last night. i swear she was having contractions at sunset. so, we stayed up and checked on her every hour. from what i've read, predicting when a donkey is gonna foal is difficult. their gestation period can last 11 to 13 months. she was pregnant when we got her and we don't know the conception date. but they usually don't go into heat past july. so we're thinking this is right on track with how she looks..... full as a tick and ready to drop!

stella's big belly as photographed on 7/11/08

donkeys usually give birth at dawn. but it is not unheard of that they will do it in broad daylight right in the middle of a yard sale or family barbeque. so, who knows? what i do know is that her milk bag has dropped. she has waxed nipples (sorry if that's a bit graphic). and today it looks as if she has the classic "pointy belly" which means baby is getting into position to make the big dive out into the world.

i'm a nervous wreck. this will be our first birth on the farm.