Our Newest Farm Baby

For those who are keeping count, we now have twenty-three animals at the farm. Most of them have been raised by us since they were babies, aside from the horses which were rescued. What an amazing adventure it has been!

Some days life is like a dream and it’s hard to believe we went from a postage-stamp sized backyard in suburban California with two dogs, to over five acres in coastal North Carolina with twenty-three farm pets. Other days, I wish for about four more hours in the day because taking care of family, animals, property, and our farmhouse is serious work, y’all! I love it though and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that over the holidays my family surprised me (big-time) with a new farm baby. Her name is Holly. I have a video in my Highlights on Instagram if you’re interested in seeing how my husband and kids surprised me. Sadly, the file is too big to share here.

Holly is a Nigerian Dwarf goat and she’s as sweet as can be. When I got her, she was only ten days old. She is now ten weeks old, and my little shadow. Upon Holly’s arrival, she was the size of a loaf of bread. The day she arrived, I made a trip to Walmart for a baby Pack ‘n Play and puppy pads so she could to stay in the house with us. It was mid-December and too cold for her to be in the barn. The Pack ‘n play was on wheels, so it made it very easy and convenient for me to keep Holly with me throughout the day.Goats are very social animals, so companionship is important. When I was cooking in the kitchen, I wheeled Holly in with me. Folding laundry, Holly came with me. Her favorite time of day was feeding time when she got to go out with me to the barn and pasture and visit all the animals.For the first couple of weeks, Holly stayed in the house. I fed her from a bottle every two to three hours, except at night. Thankfully, unlike a baby, Holly slept through the night. She made herself right at home on the farm and became fast friends with the dogs and cats. She was quite the Christmas treat and I quickly fell in love with this sweet baby!The evenings were my favorite time of day. Holly would sit under the kitchen table and nap while I cooked dinner. Sometimes, she’d even find a comfy spot between my feet as I chopped and stirred. After dinner, once the kitchen was clean, and we settled down as a family to watch a movie, Holly joined us. She would cuddle for hours.Holly even made her way into some of my Instagram posts. She was a wonderful model, except for when she wasn’t. Slowly, Holly transitioned into spending more time outside. As she got bigger, she got more comfortable being around the other animals, and she got more comfortable with being away from me. As much as I loved having her inside, it is always special to see the babies grow and adapt to life on the farm with the other animals. Holly is the best Christmas gift I could have received. Although farm babies are a lot of work, they are such a special treat, and they add special memories to our farm life. I look forward to watching Holly grow and spend time with all of us on the farm.  I’m so happy y’all enjoy her too!