I named my baby after a wild dog – people openly torment me & even the hospital nurses laughed, it really suits her
PUTTING a picnic blanket under a tree, Kerrie Goodwin lays out the sandwiches and snacks she’s prepared as an afternoon treat for her nearly-two-year-old daughter.
Watching the little girl toddle in the grass chasing a ball with her nan, the 43-year old’s face erupts into a huge smile.
And once the treats are ready, the mum calls her tot’s name to let her know it’s time to eat: “Riley Coyote. Riley Coyote,” she says.
But it isn’t just her daughter who responds. A group of women are practising yoga nearby and it’s then that Kerrie spots the confused looks on one of the women’s faces.
“Is she calling a wild dog?” she sneers, aiming her harsh words at Kerrie. “I hope so. I thought dogs were allowed in this area of the park.
“Oh, no look, it’s her daughter. Seriously?” says another woman.
Yes, I named her after a wild dog
It is a comment Kerrie is used to and instead of reacting she just waves politely and hugs her much-loved daughter before enjoying her picnic.
“Yes, I named her after a wild dog,” she says. “People think that’s crazy. Some people are shocked, others troll me. I don’t care, I love the name,” Kerrie tells Fabulous.
“Riley Coyote is the perfect name for my little girl – It’s original. It’s unusual and you will never meet another child called the same.
The struggle of choosing a baby name
CHLOE Morgan, a Senior Writer at Fabulous, has revealed her dilemma on choosing a baby name...
At 35 weeks pregnant, by far the trickiest part of pregnancy for me in the past few months (minus the insomnia and countless night-time wee breaks!) has been trying to decide on a baby name.
The dilemmas are endless…
My partner and I went for a private scan to find out the gender as early as we could – partly due to the fact we thought it would make baby naming so much easier because we’d only have to come up with a list of names for one gender rather than two.
How wrong we were…
I was absolutely thrilled to be told I was expecting the baby girl I’d already dreamed of, but being one of the last of my friends to fall pregnant, I’ve had countless conversations over the years with excited pals discussing their top baby names…something which I wish I could go back in time and un-hear.
With each friend mentioning at least 10 possible monikers, I can’t help but feel like several are now a no-go even though I know it’s something that none of them would mind in the slightest – it’s a total me problem!
The debate comes up time and time again on social media forums – can you choose the same name that was a ‘potential’ for a friend’s baby?
It’s a very divisive topic and opinions are always mixed…and I don’t want to be THAT person.
While some will argue there’s thousands of other names out there to choose from, others will say you need to choose YOUR favourite…after all, there’s no guarantee that person will even have another baby.
Then there’s also the issue of finding a name you adore…only to research it online and read one negative comment amongst hundreds of positives that you just can’t shake off.
I made that very mistake when I fell in love with a certain name (I won’t reveal it because I don’t want to ruin it for others!) …only to see someone point out that it constantly gets autocorrected on a phone to something rather rude instead. So, back to the drawing board we went..
Just five weeks to go and it looks like our little one is going to be known as ‘baby gal’ for a little while longer!
“When she was born and I told the nurses what she’d be called, some thought I was playing a practical joke. Others told me to change it.
“But many other people think it’s brilliant. I refuse to use a boring name and her name is better than Olivia, Alfie or Louis.”
Divorced Kerrie, who lives in Tintagel, Cornwall, with her daughter who who was conceived after a brief relationship, says she is proud to be a single mum.
“I was almost 40 and my GP had said due to my age and weight, I was a size 24, that I was unlikely to fall pregnant.
“I was determined to be the best mum ever and was proud to be single.”
Kerrie’s pregnancy was a difficult one with regular high blood pressure tests, careful monitoring due to her age and diabetes testing.
Struggle in pregnancy
At 31 weeks Kerrie developed pre-eclampsia, which is when an expectant mum’s blood pressure becomes too high.
She also suffered severe headaches, changes in vision, shortness of breath, and pain under her ribs as well as tooth infections and vomiting.
“I went back and forth to the hospital multiple times,” she says.
Then, in July 2022, Kerrie went into early labour at 32 weeks.
She had to undergo an emergency C-Section and her daughter was born weighing 4lb,.
“She was so tiny,” says Kerrie. “She had to be resuscitated and was rushed to intensive care.
Baby Coyote’s struggle
Riley-Coyote spent five weeks in hospital and had to be tube fed for four of them.
“She was a fighter and despite multiple complications survived and thrived,” Kerrie explains. “I knew she needed a unique name.”
Kerrie didn’t have a list of names to choose from but says if she’d had a boy, she would have named him after Superman.
She says: “When I had a little girl, I went back to the drawing board. I knew she was a fighter. In hospital she’d suffer a setback and always rally.
Road Runner to the rescue
That’s when Kerrie turned to her love of Road Runner cartoons for name inspiration.
“I am a huge Wile E Coyote fan” she says. “I love wild dogs and he’s a coyote. He is completely misunderstood. Wile E Coyote is smart and always trying.
“I know he fails all the time but despite constantly being beaten by the beeping Road Runner he always gets up and tries again.
“I’m like that and so was my baby girl as she had to fight back after almost dying.
Nurses thought she was teasing
“It pays tribute to her spirit. It’s a nod to Wile E Coyote’s determination and for once the coyote comes out ahead of Road Runner with my baby naming choice.”
When Kerrie first announced her name choice many of the nursing staff thought she was joking.
“When they found out I was serious they were shocked,” she says. “I have lost track of the number of people who told me the name would see her teased or bullied. Others thought it was bonkers.”
However, supporters of Kerrie’s unique name combination loved the inspired title.
The online keyboard warriors will have a field day but I don’t care. It is jealousy, they clearly have too much time on their hands. They should bother about their own issues
Kerrie
“Some friends loved that I had combined a solid first name like Riley with Coyote,” she says. “Others loved the fun sound of the name and all Road Runner fans gushed.
“I tell people when she is older that she can choose what name she uses – Riley or Coyote.
“She’s allowed to grow into what suits her best.”
Kerrie says people gossip more about the baby’s name than the fact she’s a single mum.
“You’d think being a single mum would be the centre of gossip,” she says. “It’s not. It’s my darling daughter’s name that gets people so hot and bothered!
Who cares what people say!
“It makes me laugh. I do like courting controversy. I don’t care what people say.”
Kerrie says she is often trolled for her decision.
“The online keyboard warriors will have a field day but I don’t care. It is jealousy. They clearly have too much time on their hands. They should bother about their own issues.
“I chose to be a late in life mum and went through pregnancy, health problems and an emergency operation to have my beautiful daughter and she’s a fighter too.
“I know when she grows up, she will love the name. I’m collecting Road Runner and Wile E Coyote books and figurines for her and like Wile E Coyote she’ll carry on being a fighter.
“I love to say Beep! Watch out world, here comes Riley Coyote.”