Ahhhh home! With two fat bellies! Mrs. Harrell is an ANGEL! I learned more from her in the first 5 minutes of meeting her than two days of hem hawing with the breeders of my babies. I did find out that Pipp couldn't possibly be full pygmy as she has a half white body (Which is really totally fine, they are just pets. But that does show me that the breeders have no idea what they are talking about, period). Mrs. Harrell looked at my bottles and nipples and said they were all fine. She had me throw out my rolled oats and let me know that alfalfa hay was ok (But not ideal) for the girls but if I ever got a boy it had to go. She gave me a big bag full of what she feeds and the label off her bag and told me where to get it (The girls thought it was yummy by the way). Then she looked at me, rubbed Izzy's horn bud's and said.... "These have to go, that's a safety issue". So she told me we'd take care of that after the girls ate. She went inside and brought out two full mountain dew bottles, one with a pritchard teat and took Izzy from me. (She also inspected the girls and said they were lucky I was so persistent because they looked to be ok and not literally starving, lol).She sat down on her steps and sat Izzy beside her with her butt to the back of the step. Gently she wrapped an arm around Izzy, pulling her into her side and squeezed on each side of her mouth, pushing the lips forward to accept the nipple. It went right in but Izzy seemed to be having issues with the nipple. Mrs. Harrell stopped and said she thought she had just the trick. She disappeared inside and returned with a lambs teat (A red rubber one) and switched out the nipples. She put the nipple in Izzy's mouth and Izzy began to suck, still half chewing but better. Mrs. Harrell pulled the nipple forward slowly as if she might take it away and Izzy went NUTS! All of a sudden it was on like Donkey Kong! Izzy sucked down about 6 ounces in a wink of an eye and was fat as a little tick! Pipp followed the same procedure and then fell asleep, standing up, with the nipple in her mouth, lol. After that, and tears of joy from me, I followed Mrs. Harrell back to her little barn and she gave both the girls a shot. She said they had to get a tetanus before they could be disbudded and she didn't have it by itself so she just plain out vaccinated them for me! She stuck Pipp in the little box, shaved her head (She didn't cry or struggle, what a good little girl!), and I stepped out and BOOM, finished. She handed me Pipp with two round holes and a yellow head, lol. Izzy went next and now they have matching little heads (Ouch!). We put the girls back in their big crate and talked and talked. She gave me the mountain dew bottles with the lambs nipples FULL of goats milk from her goats. THEN as if she hadn't done enough already, she went inside and brought back out TWO FULL GALLONS of her goats milk! This woman had no intention of asking me for one red cent! All I had on me was 15 measly dollars and knowing I owed her a CRAPLOAD more than that, I humbly handed her 10 bucks (I needed the 5 for gas, remember she was an hour and a half away, lol, squeezed her neck, and told her that no words could express my gratitude. I will be returning to NC Promised Land with the girls for their next round of vaccines and wormings, etc... She gave me the number of a lady more local to me to purchase milk from if I didn't want to put them on cow's milk (Which she said would work just fine). I also offered to tag along to shows with her when I can so that I can help her however she needs it. I have shown dogs over half of my life and I know how horribly difficult it can be to venture to a show ALONE with even TWO dogs! When I return to see Mrs. Harrell I'll bring a sufficient amount of moolah with me for her trouble. This woman is unbelievable, her heart as pure as they come and a gorgeous little herd of Nigerians to boot. Thank you to everyone that so graciously helped out a newbie and stranger. My only concern is that of my girls, Izzy and Pipp. Elaine

Well you can always try superthrive and see if that will help. I think this drought and then monsoon has really done a number on many trees and shrubs that stress easy.

Aqua, go to a hospital emergency ward - some hospitals have to treat anyone who comes to the ER. Or try a teaching/university hospital. Could you ask your boyfriend to help you find a hospital ER or teaching/university hospital that could help you? A neighbor's relative on disability with diabetes did this for complications from his disease, and got help. Another friend of mine on disability (lives a couple of states away from me) had to drive 5 hours to the nearest hospital that would treat her. Both my neighbor and friend did not have insurance or jobs due to their health problems, but the first got help through a hospital ER and the second one got help at a teaching/university hospital. Please look into these possibilities and let us know how it turns out for you. Hope this helps and that you will keep in touch with us. Karen

Agree with Trish, I've got one like that right now and my firstborn was the same. Once they can sit up and crawl, they're much happier. But now junior has graduated to pulling up and is getting frustrated when he can't cruise! ROFL! Oh well! It's a phase, he's not spoiled. He's normal. And yes, your house looks like the aftermath of Hiroshima(like mine), it's frustrating at times, but that won't last forever. Take a deep breath and remind yourself how quickly this time passes. Enlist your dd's help in playing with him. Change rooms and toys frequently. Start dragging safe items out of drawers in your kitchen (utensils, Tupperware, etc.) and make a messy pile on the floor and let him have at it while you load the dishwasher. Or do the same with him sitting in the highchair, TALK with him while you do things.. Have him sit IN the laundry basket with the laundry while you fold. Give him a gentle ride every couple of minutes. Learn how to SLOWLY do things with him. You are now facing one of the unknown to working women challenges of this age. How to get something, anything done while they're awake (Btw, I"ve been a WM too...). Some days it will work, and some days it just doesn't and 'baby' is the only thing that you do. These days, I've got far more of the latter than the former. Dont let this get to you. Get a baby sling. You can walk items back and forth putting them away with him in the sling and one arm holding him. Yes, it's much slower, but it will entertain him somewhat and some things will get put away. Slings are also great for your back as opposed to carrying Mr Two Tons of Fun inyour arms. It's less exhausting. If he sits up well, get one of those backpack carriers. You can even vaccum with those puppies... Enlist help. Give a high school student a job by having them come over for an hour or two, twice a week to play with the baby while you bang out chores. Have a friend come over to do the same once a week (trade off if she has a baby too). Do the same thing with DH. I always give him baby duty after dinner (they play and then take a bath) and I run around trying to do all of the things that I couldn't get done during the day. I also send him to the video store sometimes with the four year old AND the baby, another little break. Get some sing a long videos..Sing along! Teletubbies too... Stick him in the sling and dance together to YOUR favorite music. Take him for a walk in the neighborhood. TALK. Talk about everything that you're doing and why. Raspberries on teh belly. Let him roam naked a bit (they love that). This Little Piggy...Play in the bathtub and watch the tornado go down the drain. Splash..Play Kiss the Baby if you have a fulllength mirro. Hold him standing near the mirror and make faces..then say "kiss the baby", while you "kiss the Mommy" (can kill 20 minutes that way, easy!). Hang out in the five year old's room. Different scenery. Let him play with any of her toys that are safe. Get more active baby toys. Fisher Price has a "whirlin twirlin garden" that I got ds for Christmas. It's loud and annoying but they love it if they can sit up well. They lunged for the spinning wheels, the stackable blocks and knowck the blocks over..You stack, he knocks. Repeat. Get some stacking blocks that are soft and colorful. Do the same. Make crashing sounds! :) Make a basket of baby toys or strange household items, sit it next to him and let him pull out a toy at a time. OR let him dump them. Pt them back, let him dump them again. Read very simple books. Good Night Moon...Hello Baby. Talk about the pictures and how anything is like him. Pull out your camera and take pictures. Take videos... Play on YOUR bed. Peekaboo with a cloth diaper. Take a ride in the car and get the heck out of the house. Go mall-walking. This is a very good shopping age (but not a good driving age, stay near home). "Zoom" with the stroller. Put him in the high chair and give him kitchen things to play with...you do dishes. Give him a popsicle without a stick. BATH TIME after! LOL! Give him pots and pans and metal utensils to bang with... It's all about being creative. Kid is bored. You're frustrated. If you feed your need, kid gets frustrated. You're bored...Remind yourself that this time is fleeting. By his first birthday, he won't want you to pick him up at all, he'll be too busy! You're going to be busy then too, keeping him safe! Btw, this isn't about having 'coping skills'. He's too cognitively immature to have coping skills. There is nothing wrong with him. This is about his developmental age and his personality (more of the former than the latter). Dont be quick to label him. He's a smart cookie. He knows what he wants and babies at this age want MOMMA. I know it's hard to be the only answer at this point, but again, this time is fleeting. Even if he turns out to be an intense kid, he won't always need you to entertain him. Enjoy him now while he still wants to hang with you! And don't forget to get help to have small breaks. Even an hour to yourself can be bliss and gas up your tank.