Lucky’s First Shopping Trip

After we decided that our only choice was to keep Lucky, we found that we were highly unprepared. In need of supplies, we went to Tractor Supply to stock up on food, a harness and a travel crate for him.

The harness was the smallest they had, and it was too big. 

Since he was so small when we found him, we figured he couldn’t be more than a couple of weeks old. If his young life had been ideal, then he probably would still be nursing. Therefore, we started him on a multi-animal powered colostrum. He was hungry and took to this right away. I think it was a good idea, since colostrum is so important to development and basic health and we didn’t know if he’d received any.

The 16 oz bag lasted about 3 days. When we started running low on colostrum, we mixed the formula with multi-species powered milk. Lucky transitioned to milk without any issues. Both drinks seemed to make him happy, fill his tummy and sustain him.

These formulas are reminiscent of baby formula, also can also be compared to a protein shake. Add water, add powder, shake and serve from a bottle!

Since Lucky was only a few weeks old (determined by his less-than half gallon of milk weight and shorter-than-a-watermelon height), we decided that since he would normally still nurse and since we’re making him warm water and formula drinks, the best way to feed him would be from a bottle.

We went next door to Dollar Tree, where we picked up two baby bottles and a few dish towels, which were the largest towels they had.

The larger opening also allows Lucky to drink quicker. I don’t mind sitting with him, giving him belly scratches, watching him fall asleep while he drinks. I can easily spend an hour or more with him. However, middle of the night feedings are much faster when I use a bottle with a sliced nipple. Rather than spending twenty minutes cuddling and nursing him, I can wake up, make a fresh bottle, feed him and return to bed in less than 15 minutes. The larger opening allows my hungry babe to down as much milk as he wants within a few minutes. As you can imagine, this makes the “night shift” much easier than with my son or daughter who would nurse for longer than half an hour. 

While Lucky seems indifferent to a small or large hole, there’s a notable drawback. The larger hole yields a messier eating experience. I don’t mind washing my hands, arms or even showering just before bed, however a middle-of-the-night shower or even multiple showers throughout the day isn’t usually at the top of my “let’s do it!” list. 

We wanted a larger towel and a blanket for Lucky, so my husband went to the closest retail store, Dollar General. Without fail, he purchased bath towels, a fuzzy blanket and two rubber pig toys for each of our kids.