The formatting in this post is probably all jacked up because I’m trying to do it from my phone, but I figured y’all wouldn’t mind since it’s full of BABY PICTURES!

Michelle called me at 9:30 Wednesday night to let me know that Sadie’s pH had dropped, she hadn’t eaten her dinner, she was being very quiet in her stall, and her milk was super thick. Basically, all signs pointing to BABY SOON. I was almost asleep when she called, but I wanted to go ahead and hit the road since I knew I wouldn’t have been able to sleep at home anyway. Anticipation overload!

So I crawled out of bed, packed a bag, hopped in the car, stopped at the gas station to load up on obscene amounts of caffiene and sugar, and started off on the five hour drive across Texas. It’s a bad enough drive in daylight… do NOT recommend in the middle of the night. But many episodes of the Undisclosed podcast and a serious sugar high later, I rolled into Midland at 3am. Michelle and I spent the rest of the night watching the baby monitors and dozing but alas, no baby yet.

Yesterday morning she was pacing her stall and biting/kicking the walls even more aggressively, so we decided we’d put her outside for a few hours to let her relax. We tested the milk first and now the pH was 6.2, which basically means “imminent”. So we put her out but kept a really close eye on her throughout the day. She was much happier out there and spent the day alternating between pacing the fence line and grazing, pretty much like clockwork.

Around 2:45 we went out to check on her and she was STREAMING milk and had tons of wax, but was still happily munching hay. We walked back up to the barn to grab something to collect some of that precious colostrum and turned back around just in time to see her water break. Ok nevermind, grab the foaling kit! At 2:53 she laid down in the hay pile, and by 3:00 on the dot we had a baby! He started nickering before he was even all the way out (he’s so talkative), and almost immediately tried to stand. 

Not gonna lie, I teared up a bit when I saw his little white nose. This is a second generation homebred for me, which makes it that much more exciting and special.

Sadie immediately went back to eating hay, because apparently she’s an old pro at this foaling stuff by now. What a fantastic girl she was. By the time Baby managed to get to his feet she passed the placenta (which was so perfect the vet called it “beautiful” HA!). And once baby was up, he was off and wobbling around all over the place. Definitely one of the strongest, boldest newborns I’ve ever seen, marching right up to us to nicker his greetings and wanting to investigate everything.

He also has plenty to say and whinnies A LOT.

Within an hour he was trotting around the pasture after mom (who, by the way, snubs her nose at her super fancy foaling stall apparently, and would rather pop a baby out in the middle of the afternoon in a pile of hay #maredoeswhatmarewants). He passed his vet check with flying colors, as did Sadie. He needs to stay stalled for a bit until his tendons get stronger and he straightens out, but that’s not unusual for these big leggy babies. I’m watching him in the stall on the baby monitor as we speak.

His birth and his general appearance sealed the deal on his name – “Like Magic WTW” with Presto as his barn name.  The very definition of presto is “suddenly, as if by magic”… yep, nailed that one! And he definitely looks a lot like his daddy Mighty Magic; he’s dark brown with one white sock, a star, and a snip. I’m totally smitten. His personality is fantastic, his type is perfect for an event horse, and he’s just plain adorable. SO beyond thrilled with this little dude! I can’t wait to see how he continues to unfold and fill out. 

I’ll have pics from the nice camera by Monday, but you’ll have to make due with cell phone ones for now. He’s dang adorable either way.