Babies, Babies, and More Babies!
It’s May! This month was considered the Flower Full Moon on May 26th. Along with all the lovely flowers up here at the North Pole come the newborn babies!
Polar bears, seals, fox, arctic hare, and birds can be found around us and at home we have alpaca, goats, puppies, and of course reindeer! That is just to name a few of the many babies that are born here each May. The excitement of birth and the sounds of the newborn animals always brings warmth to the heart. Not to mention the instant hit of oxytocin that comes along with each smiling or bleating baby – it is music to our ears! It’s the season to appreciate fluffy paws, squishy faces and tiny pointy ears.
Of course, the fact that it is the North Pole – the baby reindeer are our most treasured of all the baby animals. They do have a very important role in Christmas after all! Ferdinand, our Animal Foreman spends many sleepless nights tending to the mama’s as they birth the baby calves. Usually there is only one calf that is born to each reindeer mom, but occasionally we are blessed with twins. What is particularly exciting is what happened during the night of the oh-so-very-bright flower full moon on May 26th. Not only was the sky lit up so bright that Ferdinand and the assisting Elves didn’t need to carry a flashlight, but we experienced multiple births with two sets of twins! It was so special!
Our reindeers Belle, Moiselle, and Gretta each give birth. Of those three very special mama reindeer, Moiselle and Gretta each gave birth to twins! Three mommas and five babies. The Elves picked out some wonderful names too - the two girls are Jezzie and Lolita and the three boys are Zeke, Zeb, and Codia.
There is something else special that happens with the herd of reindeer at the Pole when we have those special nights. The herd will all come together and lay in the front pasture, near the gate close to the birthing barn. The tending Elves, bring out extra hay and oats to feed the herd while we all patiently wait for the bell to be rung. You see, each time a reindeer is born the big bell on the barn is rung; once if it’s a boy, twice if it’s a girl. When the bell rings, the reindeer get up from where they are laying and begin to frolic and jump around, barking and snorting as if to cheer on the newborns. A sight to behold for sure!
When it is all said and done, Patrice, the Reindeer Caregiver, gives each Reindeer their very own candy cane treat before the herd returns to resting. Of course, the mama’s who just gave birth to the new babies get to have two candy canes.
May was nothing short of miraculous this year! I surely hope yours was just as special.
Be good and kind, we’ll see you next time!
