Fifi + ??? [name our baby!]
☆ March 21, 2016
I knew Fiona was going to calve on Wednesday morning. Rather, on Wednesday morning, I knew Fiona was going to calve that day. Not because I’m psychic but because she was showing all the signs – wandering off by herself, licking her sides. I brushed her whole body for a very long time, to relax her. Throughout the day, I’d go outside, walk around till I found where she was hiding, see if anything was happening, and then force myself to go back inside to work, even though I wanted to sit outside and watch her. The early stages can take hours.
When I checked on her at 2PM, she was swishing her tail in a particular way that is hard to describe but is part of cow labor. I decided to check on her more often. When I checked on her at 2:30, using binoculars from the deck, I saw she had hooves sticking out of her. I went down to the little valley meadow where she was and checked the direction of the hooves – if the front of the hoof is facing up, all is well. If the bottom part of the hoof is facing up, the calf is turned or breech. Thankfully, all was well. I didn’t want to disturb Fiona, so I sat down at the edge of the valley clearing. Even with emerging hooves, the actual delivery can still be a while off – cows might walk around with hooves sticking out of them for an hour. As soon as I sat down, Fiona came over and lay down right next to me. Like, right next to me – when she stretched out, her back hoof rested against my foot. She lay still for a moment, then sighed, then pushed, and delivered her baby.
You know a cow trusts you when she’ll have her baby right in your lap.
I’ve talked before about the “mama moo.” I had my phone with me and got video of this – the calf wobbling her way up to standing, Fiona hovering and licking and mama-mooing.
If the embed doesn’t work for you, the video is here.
Once the calf got her footing, she was prancing in circles around Fiona, with Fiona turning in tight circles herself trying to follow her to continue licking her off. The calf found Fifi’s udder, had her first meal, and was bouncing and bucking before she was an hour old! This calf is so freakin’ cute. Her face is fuzzier than any calf I’ve ever seen. She is solid black with a small white patch in the center of her belly. And we need a name! Please leave your name suggestions in the comments – I can only call this baby “Baby” for so long before Baby gets his feelings hurt.
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March 21st, 2016 @ 8:21 am
Best calving story ever!
March 21st, 2016 @ 8:24 am
Fuzzy! Welcome to the world, little one.
March 21st, 2016 @ 8:33 am
I vote for, “Inky.”
March 21st, 2016 @ 8:37 am
J ~ oh, that’s good… but I already named a neighbor’s cows Inky, Blinky, and Pinky!
(after the pac man ghosts)
March 21st, 2016 @ 8:38 am
Such a miracle!
Names ideas: Jubilee, Pearl, Spring, Simone, Kali, Tara, Magdalena…. I could go on. Whatever you choose will be perfect, because SHE is perfect! And hugs and kisses to Mama Fiona! Congrats to all in the Farmily!
March 21st, 2016 @ 8:40 am
Anya. Lovely account.
March 21st, 2016 @ 8:41 am
Pippa!
March 21st, 2016 @ 8:42 am
I have no idea why, but the name Nori (like the dark seaweed wrappers) popped into my head!
March 21st, 2016 @ 8:43 am
How about Leela? (Sanskrit for “play”)
Lovely story, and it was amazing to finally hear a Mama Moo!
March 21st, 2016 @ 8:43 am
Is there already a Star? I seem to remember there is. If not…the star on her belly, and born on Ostara…..
Or maybe Spring?
March 21st, 2016 @ 8:43 am
Clementine
March 21st, 2016 @ 8:47 am
Opus as in music or Chance (I always liked that name.)
March 21st, 2016 @ 8:48 am
How about Dot or Polka since she likes to dance and has a “polka dot”. Actually I’m not sure if it’s poka or polka but …. I’m rambling.
March 21st, 2016 @ 8:48 am
PS I love that mamma moo.
You teach me so much.
March 21st, 2016 @ 8:50 am
Running like the wind? Gotta be Mariah!
March 21st, 2016 @ 8:58 am
Instagram poster was right “Joy”
March 21st, 2016 @ 9:00 am
Phoebe :)
March 21st, 2016 @ 9:04 am
Jocelyn means playful
March 21st, 2016 @ 9:07 am
How about Star?
March 21st, 2016 @ 9:23 am
Hour about Noir?
March 21st, 2016 @ 9:27 am
What about Domino?
March 21st, 2016 @ 9:42 am
Thanks for sharing, congratulations on a safe birth and a wonderful little newcomer!
March 21st, 2016 @ 9:49 am
Did someone say, “Joy?” We all can use a bit of JOY.
March 21st, 2016 @ 9:51 am
bellisimo – bella for short!
March 21st, 2016 @ 9:52 am
Bruna
March 21st, 2016 @ 10:00 am
What a heartwarming story and video.
I’d call the baby Star. Because from your description she is one.
Congratulations!
March 21st, 2016 @ 10:00 am
Your girl is lovely, Hubbell… I mean Fifi! I agree with those who suggested Joy! It would be great to start this year with Joy!
March 21st, 2016 @ 10:03 am
How about Patience?
You had to learn patience; it was a delivery in patience. :)
March 21st, 2016 @ 10:06 am
Elsa…after the lioness in Born Free.
March 21st, 2016 @ 10:17 am
Delightful account, great “mama moo” video. Beautiful mom and calf. Thank you for sharing it all with us. What love, what an honor to be invited to Fiona’s birthing.
I agree that Joy is a wonderful name.
Then there’s the French word that denotes joy:
Elan (“panache, dash; ‘to dance with great elan.'”)
March 21st, 2016 @ 10:19 am
I agree with the one who suggested Bella.
March 21st, 2016 @ 10:34 am
Naomi or Heidi
March 21st, 2016 @ 10:47 am
Keeping with the star theme, I propose Nova for the white spot in a patch of darkness (and the newness implied doesn’t hurt, either.)
March 21st, 2016 @ 10:50 am
Such a sweet story! Do you have a Lulu in your farmily yet??
March 21st, 2016 @ 10:50 am
LOL, Spot! For the white spot on its belly
March 21st, 2016 @ 11:02 am
A bright white spot in a field of black?
Why Sirius, the brightest star in the sky!
March 21st, 2016 @ 11:05 am
“Lyra” – Lyra may be easily picked out in the sky because it contains Vega, at zero magnitude the second brightest star visible from the northern hemisphere.
March 21st, 2016 @ 11:08 am
Sounds like the new baby is a little ballerina. How about “Cadence” for a name?
Congratulations to you and Fiona!
March 21st, 2016 @ 11:14 am
Liberty – Libby for short while she’s a baby and Lady Libby when she’s grown.
March 21st, 2016 @ 11:17 am
Wasn’t Fiona named after the wife character in Shrek? Or am I dreaming that? Anyway…it would be cute to name the calf after one of the ‘kids’ Shrek and Fiona have on the movie. Girl – Felicia. Boy – Farkle.
March 21st, 2016 @ 11:46 am
Wow – how incredible!!!
March 21st, 2016 @ 11:54 am
What a beautiful story–how lucky you are.
How about “Dayo”. It means joy arrives.
March 21st, 2016 @ 11:56 am
Oh I like all of the suggestions! I just wanted to say that you an a very special person to have that level of trust with your livestock! Congratulations on the babe!
March 21st, 2016 @ 12:21 pm
Maybe Cupcake (like the Hostess ones) or Oreo?
March 21st, 2016 @ 12:27 pm
I just loved this wonderful birth story. Thank you for sharing it with us.
How about Masie? Or Mazal, which means “luck” or to be very specific, it refers to the root or main part of the soul.
ANYWAY Congratulations! :-) I’m so happy for Fiona, you, and the whole farmily!
March 21st, 2016 @ 12:29 pm
Lolo (after Lolo Jones)
March 21st, 2016 @ 12:53 pm
My vote is Ramona, for one of my favorite childhood book characters…Ramona Quimby.
March 21st, 2016 @ 1:07 pm
One more “Jaunty” but said with more of an accent – Jaunte? ;-)
March 21st, 2016 @ 1:11 pm
A second vote for Nori!
March 21st, 2016 @ 1:34 pm
I like Nori too! That was the mama mooing? It looked and sounded like the calf! :)
March 21st, 2016 @ 1:37 pm
What an amazing story! And here I feel lucky and trusted when my cats let me touch their bellies.
I have no name suggestions right now, but like Nori. Wait, I take that back- I have a cat named Milk because she looks like a cow, so maybe there can be a cow named Cat?
March 21st, 2016 @ 1:45 pm
Beauty.
March 21st, 2016 @ 1:46 pm
C ~ yep, all Fiona. The mama moo is like baby talk for cows.
—-
THESE NAMES ARE ALL AWESOME!!!
March 21st, 2016 @ 1:53 pm
Oreo! (or Cookie!)
March 21st, 2016 @ 2:35 pm
Felicity!!!
March 21st, 2016 @ 2:40 pm
Star
March 21st, 2016 @ 2:45 pm
My first thought was she resembles licorice, shorten her name to “Corey”
March 21st, 2016 @ 3:24 pm
How about “Fizzy” – combining Fiona with fuzzy with a nod towards the calf’s effervescent playfulness!
March 21st, 2016 @ 3:37 pm
Button, since she is as cute as a button and has a white button on her middle.
March 21st, 2016 @ 4:06 pm
Nina !!!
March 21st, 2016 @ 4:12 pm
Faith
March 21st, 2016 @ 4:17 pm
You’ve already received so many great names! I don’t know how you’ll pick one!
Glad mama & baby are doing well & I hope you’ll make a video of that gorgeous calf running around, too!
March 21st, 2016 @ 4:23 pm
(Black) Velvet
March 21st, 2016 @ 4:24 pm
Freda
March 21st, 2016 @ 4:24 pm
oops meant to say Frida like the artist
March 21st, 2016 @ 4:33 pm
How about LaRue
March 21st, 2016 @ 4:49 pm
Wasabi, because she’s a hot little number!
March 21st, 2016 @ 4:57 pm
Gertie, Briget, Saffron, Laira, or Camille?
March 21st, 2016 @ 5:17 pm
Beautiful birthing story, glad it was an easy delivery for Fiona.
Fuzz in French is Duvet. Or if you want to keep the F in the family Flou is Fuzzy
March 21st, 2016 @ 5:52 pm
For such a feisty girl, how about Storm?
March 21st, 2016 @ 6:04 pm
FiFi’s daughter needs to be Wee-Fee!
March 21st, 2016 @ 6:35 pm
She’s a Beauty…
March 21st, 2016 @ 7:07 pm
Fritz! I love this! Baby cows are so cute
March 21st, 2016 @ 7:58 pm
Uma. It means lap in Maori. In Sanskrit, it can mean night, splendor, or tranquility. It also sounds a little like that mama moo!
March 21st, 2016 @ 8:18 pm
Wow, awesome experience! She sounds like a sprightly little Cricket to me!
March 21st, 2016 @ 8:26 pm
Trudy
Lucy
Love the birth story. spoken like a true L & D nurse! (mid wife!)
March 21st, 2016 @ 9:27 pm
if that belly spot looks the faintest bit like a star, I would call her Sneetch
March 21st, 2016 @ 9:29 pm
How about Celeste, for the way she circled and orbited when she was born? In general, I’m gravitating toward the names having to do with space, because of her circling and her color and the star on her belly. She makes me think of galaxies.
March 21st, 2016 @ 9:34 pm
I vote for Jubilee.
March 21st, 2016 @ 10:04 pm
Congratulations on your new calf! How about Finny?
March 21st, 2016 @ 10:05 pm
awesome video! Trixie….it’s a playful name ;)
March 21st, 2016 @ 10:09 pm
Fayna which means Joyful in old English
March 21st, 2016 @ 10:20 pm
Oh a second for STAR..that is so cute with her white spot!
March 21st, 2016 @ 10:50 pm
Laila also spelled Leila – meaning night
March 22nd, 2016 @ 6:16 am
Congratulations on your beautiful new baby girl! She looks and sounds like a Coco to me!!
March 22nd, 2016 @ 6:51 am
That is so very sweet. How about Sugar? I know – white cows should be named sugar, but with Fiona being so sweet – and Baby (I assume Dad is BABY) being such a sweet bull -> wouldn’t thier off spring be sweet as sugar? (Or I guess Sorgum since is it almost black)
March 22nd, 2016 @ 7:01 am
Frannie….
March 22nd, 2016 @ 7:49 am
Amazing how you are so close to your farmily! I love reading your updates. Great story. She totally looks like a Piper.
March 22nd, 2016 @ 8:08 am
Such a lovely story! Thanks for sharing this with us. I love your posts and can’t wait for the next book:)
March 22nd, 2016 @ 8:31 am
Shreve – please remind us – is this Fiona’s first baby ? (I recall that she lost one some time ago)
So many good names suggested!
How about CIARA: Feminine form of Irish Gaelic Ciarán, meaning “little black one.”
(but I’m really liking Nori too…)
March 22nd, 2016 @ 8:38 am
Raven
March 22nd, 2016 @ 9:09 am
I know I said Star (and still like it) but I’m leaning HARD towards Nori.
Shreve, you’ve opened up a nest on this one!!
March 22nd, 2016 @ 9:54 am
Sweet! Maybe KEIRA: Irish female name means Black Haired. Great narrative!
March 22nd, 2016 @ 10:38 am
Persephone, the Greek goddess of spring…
March 22nd, 2016 @ 11:08 am
LeiLei
March 22nd, 2016 @ 11:44 am
Stella!
She’s so cute :)
March 22nd, 2016 @ 11:49 am
Watching the video, Black Beauty came to mind….how about Beauty?
Or considering how easy the birth was and how trusting Fiona was, what about Tranquility?
March 22nd, 2016 @ 1:24 pm
I’m going to call your new baby calf, “Wiona,” because it rhymes with “Fiona.” Like a mother/daughter connection. Enjoyed the birth story of your new little one. She is beautiful like her Mama. Cows are such sweet beasts. God has given us some magnificent creatures, all great and small!
March 22nd, 2016 @ 1:53 pm
Me again…. since the highlight is the “mama mooing” it reminded me of Mama Mia so how about Mia ?????
March 22nd, 2016 @ 3:27 pm
What a wonderful display of trust and love! And such a fantastic story. Thanks for sharing it. I cried! Love from NYC! Lindsey
March 22nd, 2016 @ 6:18 pm
Wonderful story and video! And I read all of the comments and great suggestions for names. I like Nori. And I thought of Ohna.
March 22nd, 2016 @ 9:06 pm
What Jackie said: Licorice. :-)
Wonderful story. Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with us.
March 22nd, 2016 @ 9:21 pm
Amy’s suggestion in 33 (Nova) is awesome. Galaxies, travel, and curiosity all come to mind with that. Also, I’ve recently discovered that NOVA is a popular holistic lifestyle/living magazine here in Australia (http://novaholisticjournal.com/)… this lovely bub would certainly have a holistic life with Shreve and the farmily.
March 22nd, 2016 @ 9:28 pm
Sweetpea
Mocha
Chocolatte
Midnight
Tiny Dancer
March 23rd, 2016 @ 12:00 am
Fiona’s kid could be Phoebe (fee-bee), like Phoenix, or fo-bee if you prefer.
March 23rd, 2016 @ 6:49 am
So many great names! Will be waiting to see which one you choose Shreve. Thanks for the beautiful video.
March 23rd, 2016 @ 10:44 am
Well, I’d like to suggest Equinox, but that’s a little awkward. Imagine shouting that each time you call her. How about Spring?
March 23rd, 2016 @ 11:10 am
I agree with Scottie. After I read the story, it was faith that led Fiona to lay down next to you. Fiona and Faith or Fiona’s Faith…both have a nice ring to them.
Love to the whole farmily. :)
March 23rd, 2016 @ 12:29 pm
How about the Hebrew name Ziva? The meaning of the name Ziva is “radiance, brilliance, light, God, brightness”. Its pronunciation sounds like Zeeva. I’m sure whatever you pick will be just perfect.
March 23rd, 2016 @ 12:37 pm
I like Nori, but I REALLY like the suggestion of Lyra, one of my favorite constellations. Plus I remember with the naming of Fiona you explained that it has to be a name you can bellow out to call the cow, and I can so hear Ly-ra! being called out. Congrats on your new Farmily member!
March 23rd, 2016 @ 2:42 pm
Fiona is from Gaelic/Scottish heritage and means white and fair. So, since the little one is dark, how about Ciaran, which means “little dark one” in Gaelic/Scottish. There is a little ‘ thing above the second a in Ciaran, but I’ve no idea how to put that in. It’s pronounced like Keer-in.
March 23rd, 2016 @ 4:18 pm
I suggest Bailey. No reason other than it came to mind when I saw her.
March 23rd, 2016 @ 5:35 pm
Solo cute! For names…Jolene or Cora
March 23rd, 2016 @ 10:47 pm
Mavel Tov, and welcome to the farmily new calf!
March 24th, 2016 @ 1:43 am
Dancing around?
I’m thinking Isadora (Duncan).
Or Martha (Graham).
Or Anna (Pavlova).
Or Misty (Copland).
Do you see a theme emerging here?
March 24th, 2016 @ 1:48 am
That mamma moo sounds so familiar.
Not quite like those moo voice boxes they put in toys that don’t really sound like a cow.
More like the growlers they put in Teddy Bears that don’t sound like growls or bears.
Mamma mooing sounds like my Teddy Bears.
March 24th, 2016 @ 7:32 am
Finnegan.
Love to your whole farmily!
March 24th, 2016 @ 3:24 pm
I think Flurina is the perfect name – so perfect that I decided to post here for the first time even though I’ve followed your blog since Charlie arrived on your door steps. Flurina is a Swiss name derived from the goddess of spring and flowers and it is often used for cows here in Switzerland.
March 24th, 2016 @ 4:22 pm
She needs a name that starts with F, right? Fiona, Fifi … Frances? Frieda? Fleur?
March 24th, 2016 @ 8:50 pm
My name nominations are: Fizzy (since she is so full of pep already and fuzzy) and Inky!
March 25th, 2016 @ 4:00 am
Nina~ the Native American meaning is “strong” or “mighty”.
March 25th, 2016 @ 10:31 am
Onyx or Gem (as in precious)
March 25th, 2016 @ 4:14 pm
This name came to me as I was drifting off to sleep: Frisky! It alludes to her dancing/prancing and is an adaptation of the beloved Frisco.
March 26th, 2016 @ 11:39 pm
TULIP
March 27th, 2016 @ 2:23 pm
I saw a Sirius – which would be better than mine – but for Bowie (Black Star), Star? And for you and the farmily, brand etc…
April 5th, 2016 @ 9:29 am
You haven’t mentioned Mike lately, is everything okay?
October 29th, 2016 @ 6:03 pm
I grew up on a farm for Thoroughbreds.Maybe you have seen foals born too? Anyway, the mama moo reminded me that horses also make a particular sound after their baby is born. A kind of greeting wickering. Cats, I’ve noticed, trill to their babies. Not particularly after birth only. But a special mama sound.
April 5th, 2018 @ 9:17 am
I’ve always loved the name lorelei :)
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