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This story wouldn't be complete without a little history and a very special man I love. (In the time it takes to read the photos will be loading anyway!) For the last three years my mares (according to Ben) have all waited for him to be present for the births of their kids. I, (knock on wood) haven't missed one yet and am the one who loses sleep over the whole ordeal, but with Ben's busy work and travel schedule it amazes me that he hasn't missed one either. In 2003 Ben was in Iraq, when we would speak on the phone he told me over and over again Lucy was waiting for him to come home before she would foal, I didn't believe him. Lucy kept me in the barn for 2 weeks in anticipation of her first foal, at day 352 (average gestation is 340 days) I drove up to Washington to pick up Ben at Dulles whom I hadn't seen in 3 months! When we arrived home I jumped out to check on Lucy and Ben took some things into the house. I had her in crossties and she looked the same as she had for the last week. Her milk was a honey color and she was perfectly happy to stand there being groomed. There were no outward signs that she was any closer to foaling than when I had left her. Ben walked in the barn to see his mare, as we chatted up by her head I could hear something dripping on to the mats we were standing on. I looked back and Lucy was streaming white milk. She pawed at the mat and I put her in her stall. Her water broke 12 minutes later (20 minutes after Ben's arrival) and foaling was under way. Last year Ben was working in D.C. for the week when he came home moments before Julio was born (Same mare, this time at day 329). Well, this year would be different. He would miss Fuerte's baby for sure. He is working on a project for MCI in Atlanta GA a days drive away. He is scheduled to come home Feb 20th. Fuerte was not going to wait until the 20th to have this foal but we joked she would since Ben had a 3 and 0 track record so far! Unlike Lucy who had shown no outward signs of imminent partruition, Fu had been iminent for days! Her milk had turned and was ready 36 hours prior, her body was shaping up and I had expected her to go on the 12th, for sure on the 13th, what the heck was she waiting for? Ben had been out of town for 2 weeks. Before I fed dinner he called me from Atlanta to wish me a Happy Valentine's day. An hour later I heard a car I didn't recognise pull up as I finished evening chores. It was Ben! He got out of the rental with a rose in his teeth. He had called me from his cell keeping his pop in a suprise. He had flown back from GA for Valentine's day and wanted to take me out for a special dinner as he would have to fly back in the morning. Well, I was on foal duty so our dinner out would have to wait. He picked up Mexican take out instead. Fuerte foaled before he left. I sometimes wonder if Ben was being his romantic self or just trying to keep his record clean, now 4-0. With one down and two to go this year let's see if he can keep it up! Enjoy the photos of our little girl!

A very pregnant Fu!	Jenni's "sleeping" quarters. HAH, sleeping? yeah right!	Here she comes	almost here	welcome to the world little one!	Imprinting done, time to get up and eat!
"here I go"	"hmmm, let's try that again"	"DOH!"	"look look, I can do it"	"I know it's around here somewhere"	"no food here"
"Hi mom, do I nurse your nose?"	"I'm feeling a little wobbly"	"mom, not in front of everyone, geesh"	"the indignity"	"this is different"	"this isn't so bad afterall"
"this is actually kind of fun"	"aaaah, found it!"	"Good stuff!"	2 hours old, nursed and napped and ready to go again	and nap again!	12 hours old. First romp in the arena.
"I love my momma"	"Isn't she lovely?"	"and she loves me too!"	"She REALLY loves me!"	"Where do my legs go again?"	"That was exhausting!"