Bella at 156 Days: Katie Van Slyke Believes the Long Wait May Finally Be Nearing Its End

For weeks, Katie Van Slyke has been watching Bella closely and asking the same question over and over again:

Is this finally the day?

Bella’s pregnancy has turned into one of the most closely followed waiting games on the farm. Each new morning has brought another inspection of her belly, udder, tail and behavior. Some nights have seemed so convincing that Katie stayed awake believing babies could arrive at any moment.

And yet Bella kept everyone waiting.

Now, at 156 days post exposure, Katie says something looks different enough that she finally feels more confident than she has in days.

Looking at Bella’s dramatically fuller udder, Katie immediately asked whether this was the long-awaited “pop.”

For once, she did not quickly talk herself out of it.

“I feel very confident that that is the pop,” Katie said.

After weeks of uncertainty, that sounded like a major shift.

Bella Is 156 Days Post Exposure

Katie explained that Bella is currently 156 days post exposure, although she also acknowledged that the exact pregnancy timing could be a little different.

Bella was given Lutalyse before breeding, and Katie expected her to come into heat fairly quickly while the buck was present. However, she pointed out that conception could still have happened a couple of days later than the first possible date.

That means the pregnancy may be slightly less advanced than the exposure count alone suggests.

Even with that uncertainty, Bella is clearly in the very late stage of pregnancy.

And Katie believes this may be the closest they have come to the moment everyone has been waiting for.

The Udder Looks Completely Different

Bella’s udder has become one of the biggest topics of this entire pregnancy.

Katie has been checking it constantly.

Every day she has asked whether it looks fuller, tighter or more developed.

Sometimes she thought it had changed dramatically, only to question herself again later.

This time, however, Katie sounded much more convinced.

She described Bella’s udder as so full and tight that it looked almost painful.

Katie even joked that it looked as though it could be popped with a pin because of how stretched and full it appeared.

That visual change immediately raised Katie’s hopes that the wait may finally be ending.

Katie Has Been Awake Since 4 A.M.

The update also showed just how much Bella’s pregnancy has affected Katie’s sleep.

Katie said she had been awake since around 4:00 a.m.

Bella had been standing on all four feet and staring at a wall for hours, which kept Katie watching closely.

From early morning until around 8:00 a.m., Katie continued monitoring her and wondering whether labor might finally begin.

Despite being exhausted, Katie seemed more excited than tired.

After so many false alarms, Bella was finally showing enough changes that Katie felt hopeful again.

Bella Still Has Plenty of Personality

Even though Bella looks extremely pregnant, she has not lost her attitude.

Katie pointed out that she was still trying to headbutt the other goats.

That detail made the update both reassuring and funny.

Bella may look uncomfortable.

Her udder may be completely different.

Katie may be losing sleep.

But Bella is still acting like Bella.

Katie also noticed changes in how Bella was holding her tail and thought the position looked more significant than before.

Still, after so many days of trying to predict the exact moment, Katie remained careful.

She was hopeful, but not claiming that active labor had officially started.

The Rain Could Complicate Things

The weather was not cooperating either.

Katie said it was raining and muddy outside.

She wanted Bella to have some time outdoors while she could check her constantly, but she was already considering bringing her into the stall earlier than normal.

Privacy was one reason.

Mud was another.

Katie joked that Bella absolutely would be the type of goat to decide to have her babies in the mud if given the opportunity.

So the plan was to let Bella remain outside for a little while and then move her into a cleaner, more private space where Katie could watch her closely.

“I Feel Like This Isn’t a Drill”

Then Katie said the sentence followers had been waiting to hear.

“I feel like this isn’t a drill.”

For weeks, nearly every update came with some version of uncertainty.

Maybe tonight.

Maybe tomorrow.

Maybe the udder changed.

Maybe the babies moved.

This time Katie said she truly felt like they might finally be there.

“I think we’re finally there,” she said.

That still was not a birth announcement.

Bella had not started delivering in the transcript.

But emotionally, it marked one of the strongest updates yet.

Katie Skipped Her Trip to Stay With Bella

Bella’s pregnancy has also changed Katie’s schedule in a very real way.

Katie confirmed that she skipped her trip.

She has already spent days changing plans because she wants to be present if Bella needs her.

At 156 days post exposure, Katie was not willing to leave and risk missing the arrival.

She joked that she has gotten everyone else just as invested in Bella as she is.

But beneath the humor, the reason is simple.

Bella matters deeply to Katie.

She wants to be there when the waiting finally ends.

Katie Hopes Bella Delivers During the Day

Katie admitted she would love for Bella to have the babies during daylight hours.

A daytime delivery would mean extra hands nearby and more help available if needed.

But Katie also joked that Bella would probably wait until around 7:00 p.m., when fewer people were available.

At this point, Katie said the only real plan is to stay on call all day.

Bella has already ignored enough predictions.

Nobody wants to make another one too confidently.

A Story About Patience

Bella’s pregnancy has become more than another farm update.

It has turned into a story about patience.

Katie can prepare everything.

She can change her schedule.

She can watch the cameras.

She can check Bella every hour.

But she cannot force the moment to happen.

Sometimes all you can do is stay ready and wait.

That is exactly what Katie has done.

She has stayed close through the sleepless nights, changing plans, false alarms and daily uncertainty.

And now, at 156 days post exposure, she believes Bella may finally be giving the clearest signs yet.

“This Is the Closest We’ve Been”

Katie ended the update with her strongest statement of the day:

“I think this is the closest we’ve been.” 1103.txtTXT

The babies still had not arrived at the time of the update.

There was no confirmed labor.

But Bella’s udder looked dramatically different, Katie had been awake since 4:00 a.m., the stall was ready and all plans were centered around watching her.

After such a long wait, Katie finally sounded willing to believe the end might truly be near.

For now, all anyone can do is watch and wait.

Bella is 156 days post exposure, Katie is staying close, and this may finally be the moment when one very long pregnancy countdown turns into the birth story everyone has been waiting for. 🐐❤️