Wow. I honestly never thought I would be typing this so soon. If you follow me on Social media you know that our baby Grace had a baby herself this past week, yup! Grace’s Lamb!! We are still in shock & can’t believe she has a baby. We had no idea she was pregnant & what a wonderful surprise she was to find on the barn floor one morning. If you have read about Grace [HERE] & what a miracle she was to us, you understand the magnitude of what this little lamb means to us as well…
It’s kind of a funny story… You see the night before her surprise birth I was lying in bed & I couldn’t sleep so naturally I was on instagram chatting in my stories about how on this infertility journey I’m so thankful that God allows us to take care of his creatures here on the farm. I shared photos of our baby animals from the kitties, to the puppies, to the hens, to the sheep, & more… I shared how much joy they brought & just how I’m so glad that God entrusted us with them. I fell asleep posting these stories on Instagram & woke up to a bright & sunny day on the farm the next morning. I was getting ready for the day when Jose came in the bathroom to tell me that I had to come to the barn. I honestly at that point thought it was bad, like the sheep had broken something or there was something weird like a big spider or something haha. I came in the barn & peered into the stall where he told me to look & to my shock there was Grace with a tiny baby lamb. The tears… I cried so hard for an hour after seeing that lovely sight. If you follow me on Instagram you probably saw the video of me ugly crying when Jose surprised me with the lamb. I was so overjoyed & so was Jose. I cried on and off that entire day & was just overwhelmed with joy. The next day after that I woke up and thought it was a dream, but there she was… a dream come true…
We have been having some issues with feeding, so just like Grace, the new lamb has been a bottle fed baby. Thankfully we are able to milk Grace to supplement her along with the milk replacer. The lamb is just not latching on to Grace even though her udder is fully exposed & readily available to her. The lamb seems to be super healthy and we are no strangers to bottle feeding so this path isn’t a burden to us at all. Of course it’s a life changer because every four hours you have to be in the barn feeding her, but it’s so rewarding & I actually kind of missed bottle feeding when Grace was weaned. One question we have been getting is if we are going to shear the sheep & the answer is YES! Typically you wait a year to do your first shear & we are doing it right before they all turn a year old so we are right on time in that aspect. We wished we would have done it before Grace gave birth, but this is where we are.
One of the biggest questions we got when we announced her birth & how shocked we were was “But you own male sheep, why was this a shock?” That’s a great question! The answer is that when mating season came, Jose & I made the decision to separate the girls and the boys because we weren’t sure we were prepared for babies. Well, we had a few breakouts by that pesky ram & here we are today. Grace really never showed symptoms and honestly didn’t look any larger than normal so we just really thought that both girls were not pregnant… & now we are on lamb watch with Baby. Is she pregnant? Is she not? We will see!! God must have thought we needed a baby lamb on the farm & I’m so thankful that she is here!
Now on to the important part… HER NAME! So we wanted a name with a special meaning for such a special surprise lamb. We also wanted a name we love. Her name? BEATRIX. It means “bringer of joy” & that is exactly what this little lamb did… brought so much joy to our farm. Also, you guys know my love for Peter Rabbit so Beatrix Potter has always been a love of mine. To name a lamb after Beatrix Potter is well, another dream come true. We will call her “Bee” for short & she seems super cool with that name choice. So, welcome little Beatrix to White Cottage Farm.
Grace had a baby. Last summer Grace was my little bottle fed lamb & now I’m bottle feeding her little lamb… God is so good! Thank you guys so much for being on this farming journey with us along with all the other journeys… I can’t say thank you enough!! Also, thank you for stopping by the blog daily to see what we are up to. It means the world to us! So, what do you think of little miss Beatrix? Let me know in the comments below & be sure to follow me on Facebook & Instagram for more photos and stories about her & the rest of the farm babies. xx
It’s perfect….and not just because it was what I had suggested…? welcome Ms. B!!
So perfect! Congratulations!
Awe! What a perfect name!! ?
So great!!
I was thinking it could be Joy but Beatrix is great!
I agree – she is amazing!!! And soooo darn cute❣️❣️ I love her name…I too am a lover of Beatrix Potter ??? I’m so happy for the joy she is bringing into your lives! – Annette
I cried with you when I saw your video of finding Grace and her little newborn, Bee. Happy for you all!
I so love your little lamb and her name! What a joy it is indeed! And Liz – I follow you and absolutely love watching your life – God has BIG things planned in your life – and it’s amazing the way He is showing up in your story! xxoo
So happy for you at your farm! These babies of yours are bringing so much joy to so many people. Your journey continues and I am sure you will have children of your own. We never know how our families come to us. Mine are step-sons who have given me daughter-in-laws and three grandsons. I Also have a niece and nephew through adoption. I have never had children of my own, but I love all mine as if they were. With all these families we also have a lot of fur babies who I love deeply. Enjoy your ride and know you are every bit a farm momma. ❤️
Her name is perfect! Well done! 🙂
This just made me cry,I can’t even finish reading,I was so happy and excited I skipped ahead to her name!
I love it and her!
I will try and read it though later!
Hugs !❤
I love Beatrix, aka Bee! Looking forward to watching her grow. Love how Grace tucked her safe behind the concrete to protect her. It would be awesome if Baby had a lamb too!
Love her name and calling her Bee for short. She is so cute with her coloring and fluff I just want to cuddle her. I’m glad Grace and Beatrix are doing well. Also very happy that she came at this time for you and Jose, what an amazing surprise to the farm.
Liz, That is soo amazing that baby Bee is now a part of your family. So happy for you guys that such a gift showed up when you needed it. God is GOOD!! And Thank you Jose for serving our country. Love from Nashville, Joanne
I cried right along with you, I still get teary thinking about it! And you’ve chosen the perfect name for her! ?
I love the name Beatrix. We have and Easter Egger hen with that name. It just seems to fit because you think of Peter Rabbit at Easter and she lays colored eggs. Congrats on your new addition, she is a cutie!
It seems like Grace was just a baby! I love her and little Bee❤️
Love her name and so funny that when you asked for suggestions, Beatrix just came to me right away. I looked up the meaning and thought it was perfect! Love your new little lamb, Bee!
Congratulations! She’s as beautiful as her Mom!
Love the name! It’s perfect! Your excitement on IG when you saw her for the first time brought me down to the ugly cry with you ?. So happy for you!
Sweet name for a sweet lamb. ?
I am thrilled with her name!! I had suggested Joy so it is perfect!!❤️ God always provides everything you need in Hiis timing!! God bless you!!?
It’s the perfect name for your new baby lamb!
Hi LizMarie. I want you to know that every morning when I awake, I go immediately to your IG to see your sweet sweet animals.. I love them all .. as if they were mine .. and want to Thank You sooo much for sharing your beautiful farm with all of us. Your stories are such a joy .. and full of not only beautiful design elements and fun vlogs, but thru your words and pictures comes a deep earthly sentiment of pure love and comfort. Kiss All the babies for me … and tell Bee she is a star !!!
What a perfect choice! I’m excited to watch her grow! ♥️
Love her name so much! It’s perfect!
Perfect name! Yours is a journey of love. I cried tears of joy for you and Grace. I cannot imagine a greater surprise! Now we get to watch this little one grow! Thanks for taking us for the ride ❤️
How perfect! Little Bee ❤️?
Love the name for Grace’s Baby. Beatrix, Bee, so perfect. I love to show my 4 and 1/2 year old granddaughter the pictures of your farm animals as she is crazy about them. Every time it’s “can we go see them, I love them!”. And then I have to be the bad guy and tell her “sorry baby girl, it’s too far to drive there today.” Love from Wichita, KS
Love , love the name ! It’s perfect ! And what a wonderful story of your continued life on the farm ! You are a shinning star Liz and a great testament to God’s love and faithfulness! Can’t wait to hear future stories !! Blessings friend !!
It’s perfect! My vote was for Joy so this is even better! Love it! What an exciting time! God is using you and preparing you for mighty things!?
Such a sweet story and I love the name! It fits her well! So glad we get to follow along and see her grow up. She is absolutely precious!!
Love her name, love the pictures so happy for y’all!!
I remember the night before reading about your infertility, and how caring for your fur babies gave you joy and purpose!! You weren’t the only one ugly crying that next morning!
Your shear “joy” was infectious.
Beatrix is perfect! I had no idea of the meaning until now…. It’s like God knew all along!
Hmmmm yep, of course he did ?
Aw, I love Beatrix Potter too! I keep my (now 29 & 25 years old) daughter’s Peter Rabbit lamp on my kitchen counter and it makes me happy to see it every time I turn it on. Happy you have your own little Bea to bring you even more smiles. Keep the Winnie pics coming too. That girl is a doll! ??❤️
What a beautiful story! Beatrix is the perfect perfect name for such a sweet blessing. I like every reading your blog, may God continue to bless you, Jose and the farm.
Congrats. She is so cute.
Awww her name is perfect just like her!! I’m still getting over the fact that Grace is a Mumma!! Blessings to you all!
She is just the sweetest – and what a perfect name! Congratulations ?
Joy needed to be in there somewhere….I think you nailed it!
That is a perfect name! Such a joyful moment that we were all allowed to see. You’re “ugly” crying was anything but… it was pure surprise, shock, and most importantly, joyful. I started following you a little over a year ago after I went to The Found Cottage (loved it). So, as I became an Instgramer, I realized who you were and how many times I had pinned something of yours ? Even though I am old enough to be your mom, I live vicariously through you as my younger self. I love your stories about the animals, as I am an animal lover also. I love your stories about your journey to have a baby. I can’t relate to what you’ve gone through, but I had an amazing mother-in-law, who unable to have children of her own, adopted 9, just down the road from The Found Cottage in Jenison. My husband and I lived in Hudsonville for the first 2 years we were married, in the downstairs of a farmhouse that had been converted into a 2 apartment home. I love your design and decor stories, as I became a late bloomer in finding what I love to do. So you are a great inspiration to so many in so many ways. I live in Georgia now, but next time I come home I will be back to Found Cottage. Who knows, I may just get to meet you and hug your neck. Stay strong, keep your grace, and always be filled with hope.
What a great example of how great or God is!
I have a friend (originally from France) who’s name is Beatrice and she goes by ” Bee-ah”. That would be another great nickname! ?
What a beautiful story and such a sweet surprise!! I love the name you chose and its meaning. So special. I have so enjoyed reading your blog and following you on Instagram.
Wow! That was so kind. Thank you for all the kind words and support, that is an amazing story – 9 adoptions she is a strong women. I am so happy you could make it to our little store, I hope you got some fun little items, I hope you make it back from Georgia soon. We miss the south so much.
Bee-ah! I love it. We were going to go with “B” but all of our pets have multiple nicknames, its a surprise they know who they are. i.e. Winnie, a.k.a Winnifred; a.k.a Wee-Wee. haha.. We’ll be adding Bee-ah to the list for the little one!
Thank you so much Jenn!
I know, it is so crazy. And honestly the more surprising fact is that she was rejected by her momma, and brought to us only a few days… So she’s is running completely off of instincts!
Thank you so much Peggy. We love the blessings!
Peter Rabbit lamp! That is adorable! We will… she’s a bit messy right now… so another bath photo coming soon, I just don’t know if we can get her in the sink anymore, haha!
Precious. Congratulations. Sometimes God answers our prayers that we didn’t even know to pray.
I have been dealing with infertility all of my adult life. I have always had fur babies. My husband and I adopted three children (siblings) and they have brought so much joy to my life! A part of me will always miss the wonder and joy of having a child growing inside me, but I cannot help but feel that my husband and I were meant to adopt my children. I couldn’t love them any more.
Congratulations!! She is such a cutie and I love her name!!
I’m so happy for you and Jose. That was what was needed. Congratulations !!
Love the name.!
Love the name – it is a perfect! she is so cute. Loved when you showed Grace at that age – mini-Grace. thank you for sharing your stories, they are so inspiring.
It’s the perfect name! Congratulations!
Cutest story ever!
Shame your boy sheep aren’t named. 🙁 Beatrix is such a cutie.