Wednesday, April 9th, 11:15 pm.
Me: Honey, Hazel is still lying on the bed. She looks very content with herself.
Ben: She's going to have to move eventually, I'm not sharing the bed with her.
Ebony the cat: Mo-om, Hazel's in my spot! That's my sleeping spot, I want it!
Hazel: Knock off the whining feline. Who's the one who gave birth today? Me, that's who!
Me: Sorry Ebony, I gotta go with the birth giver on this one.
Ben: So, are we moving Hazel or what?
Me: I havea better idea, since she's so happy and content on the bed, maybe we should have a quick peek at the nest, just to do a head count and make sure the babies are okay. Plus I have to check for gookies!
Ben: Gookies?
Me: Uh, gross stuff and what have you that she didn't clean off the babies.
Hazel: Like I would leave any gross stuff on my babies. Don't tell him those lies just because you want to see the babies!
Ben: Operation Nest Checking Begins!
Me: Okay, you have the camera ready? I'll just ease back the box. Geesh, there's a lot of fur here, seriously. I can't believe she has any fur left on her body. Man that must have hurt, could you imagine if humans tried to do something like this to keep their babies warm?
Ben: Well, based on how long it's been since you've shaved your legs, I gather we'd have the warmest baby on the block.
Me: Oh, ha, ha. Shut up and get the camera ready.
Ben: Yes dear.
Me: Wow, this is an amazing nest. Look how much fur is here and how deep it is. This is awe inspiring! It's really well built.
Hazel to Smokey: I come from a long line of competent nest builders.
Me: Okay, I'll just move some of this fur aside. Wait, let's move a bit more.... and some more now.
Ben: Find any babies yet?
Me: I'm still moving the fur aside.
Ben: Good grief, maybe there aren't any babies and you only thought you saw the fur moving.
Me: I'm sort of wondering that myself, I mean seriously there is... *gasp*
Ben: What the heck is that?
Me: It's a baby bunny!
Ben: It looks more like my Uncle Stan.
Me: Stop that!
Ben: Seriously, the top of his head is that naked and pink. Have you ever met Uncle Stan? The man has got to be the most...
Me: Honey! Focus!
Ben: Right sorry.
Me: Well, there are two pink babies here, geez for being so fat Hazel sure didn't have many babies.
Hazel: Shut up.
As Ben takes the picture and the flash comes on I gasp again.
Me: There's another little black baby here!
Ben: Cool.
Me: Wait, wait, I think I see another foot under this one.
Ben: Maybe that one just has five limbs? We'll call him Fiver and he'll live with us forever and ever!
Me: Dude, honestly. Concentrate!Look it's another little black one!
Ben: You mean no five limbed bunny we can call Fiver and love forever
Me: No dear.
Ben: Bummer
Not wanting to disturb the perfect nest, I chose not to poke through the babies and do a more accurate head count. Instead we carefully recovered the nest with the fur and replaced the box. I took the camera from Ben and began to look at the pictures.
Me: Huh.
Ben: What?
Me: I could have swore I saw three pink babies.
Ben: Really
Me: Yeah. I thought there was three pink and two black for a total of five. But looking at this picture:
You can clearly see there are three black babies and two pink. How weird. I'm positive I saw three pink. Ididn't even notice the third black one until I looked at this picture.
Ben: Well, maybe the third pink one was under the other two when we took the picture?
Me: Yeah maybe. Either way, we have five for sure, possibly six if I'm right about the other pink baby. I'll actually handle them tonight and do a better head count.
Ben: Who knows, maybe there's seven in there, that nest is pretty deep and Hazel was pretty big at the end.
Hazel: I was not! I was perfectly plump.
Me: Hazel, how many babies did you have?
Hazel: I'm not telling, you called me fat. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed.
Me: It was Ben!
Ben: Don't blame me! Hey, can we name that one pinkbaby Stan?
Me: sigh
Hazel hopped off the bed and back to her cage. We carefully replaced the lid, gave her some fresh water and extra pellets and went to bed ourselves.
This morning Hazel was in the nest with the babies when Ben got out of bed, we're quite pleased that she's being such a good mom!