I felt just like Fern this morning. Let me explain . . . . Yesterday afternoon our Mini Lop bunny YoYo started to show signs that she was going to give birth, (a planned pregnancy). The kids were thrilled, the buzz of excitement at the possibility of soon having baby bunnies was filling the air with happiness. I can only describe it as the excitement of Christmas Eve. Only at 10 pm last night I found she had given birth to two kits, (baby bunnies), they were lying away from her and both were still, and very cold. I began rubbing one, but there was no hope for it, but I was able to rub one enough that it began to warm, and then squirm. I popped it to my chest and watched as it gained strength before retuning it to its mother. YoYo had not made a nest, she seemed confused, and was shaking. Aspen sat up with me for an hour whilst we comforted poor YoYo.

Hours later YoYo gave birth to 2 more kits. I stayed with her and made sure they were warm together. 3 little kits cuddled up. It truly was like witnessing the miracle of life. By this morning we had nicknamed them Biscuit, Shortbread, and Oreo. Sadly Shortbread died mid morning. We are now having to pop the tiny babies onto her nipples and make sure they are getting some milk. The 2 little survivors are warm and their tummies are nice and round with some milk. There is no denying this will be touch and go, and we have a uphill road to climb with YoYo in order for her kits to make it. We will do all we can to ensure they make it, for them, for us and mostly for YoYo.

I guess in some ways it mimics our lives too. Watching this all couldn’t help but make me think of our 3 babies that didn’t get to take a breath. It reminded me of what loss and heartache I felt, the confusion, the emptiness in my heart, and in my arms. My heart ached for YoYo. And maybe rabbits don’t have the capacity to feel the emotions we feel, I don’t know? But watching her shake, and hearing the noises she made broke my heart. I will not breed her again, she won’t go through this, but I truly hope her precious kits survive.

It all makes me think of the miracle that life truly is, the cycle of life, and the blessings that being a parent brings. Being a mum is challenging and there are so many days I am so tired, but I am blessed beyond words. All children are a blessing, whether they are our own, or not. So today I am celebrating life, I am celebrating the happiness and joy children bring us through their curiosity, their vibrance and their laughter.

Hug your children a little closer today, tell them they are amazing, and tell them they make your world a better place to live every single day! 

 

Celebrating parenthood is what #MummyShot is all about! Each Saturday I will feature my favourite photographs that have been shared with Catie and myself. You can check out Catie’s blog too and see her favourite photos from this week.

Here are the precious moments shared with us this week that I have chosen as my favourite.

Let me introduce you to the photographers of these very cute pics!

TopLeft is by @missbettyandme, it was impossible to not choose this dreamy shot. I want to have a teddy bears picnic there too.

TopRight is by @four_acorns  how adorable is this photograph! Little Penguin in the woods, this photo truly makes me smile.

BottomLeft is by @earthslittletreasures, this photograph just captured my heart, the wind in his hair, just beautiful. I love how his mummy just captioned it “I love him“, it says it all!

BottomRight is by @natashaoxley80 how amazing is that door! I just adore this photo, it reminds me of the magic of a child’s curiosity.

Click to Tweet: Come and join @macglanville & @animperfectmum for IG community #mummyshot celebrating images of our children without showing their faces.

My favourite from Catie’s and my own mummy shots are ….

 

Thank you so much for all of you who have shared your images with us!

Hope you can join us again this week, and we would love to see some new people join in too.

If you would like more information about what #MummyShot is you can read “Introducing Mummy Shot”

It is really all about capturing emotion, or a story without seeing your child’s full face in the photograph.

Thanks for joining me, love Mac xx

You can find me on Instagram @macglanville 

 #mg link up is back. Hope you can join me, stop by  Monday, through until Thursday to link up.

Also don’t forget to tag #livingfearlesslyauthentic with any real life photos you share on Instagram. Only Rule is ‘Real Life!’ 

 

Cuddle Fairy