The other day the kids & I went to my mother’s house to celebrate her birthday. Before I left I checked on the alpacas. The two girls who were (over)due looked fine so we left and had a fun day with my parents in Gulf Shores. I intended to be back before dark, but got back just after the sun went down. As I walked outside to the fields to check on the alpacas I looked down and saw a tiny cria sitting next to Foxy Lady. They were up next to the fence just sitting there like nothing was unusual at all about that.

I rushed inside their pen and picked up the cria. It was dry so it had been born earlier in the day. I wanted to see if it was a boy or girl, but it was too dark, so I had to feel around to try to determine what it was. I was pretty sure it was a girl, and as I held her up in the moonlight, I could see by her face that she was a Magnum daughter. Just the look of her jaw…well, I know what his babies look like and I saw him in her face. (Of course I knew her mom was bred to him, but it was so amazing to see it so clearly in the moonlight like that.) I guessed she was some sort of fawn, but I’d have to see that in the morning. (The whites shine in the moonlight. If you’ve ever seen a garden of white flowers in the moonlight you’ll know what I mean.)

This little girl was not only walking around, she was running around and it looked like she was nursing too. This was excellent news! Her dam, Foxy Lady, was a first time mom. Sometimes first time moms don’t know quite what to do with their babies, or they don’t have milk yet. Various things can happen with them, but it looked like nature had done a perfect job while we were gone that day. A textbook birth and bouncing baby girl.

Since she was born on my mom, Suzy’s birthday, I decided to name this little cutie “Suzy Q” after her. This video was taken the next day. I hope you enjoy it as much as we are enjoying her!