Fiona the Nile Hippopotamus was born six weeks prematurely on Jan. 24, and the Cincinnati Zoo immediately began to document her care on social media. At just 29 pounds (less than half the weight of the average baby hippo), Fiona was far from living a normal hippo life, but the Cincinnati Zoo and the online world settled in for the long haul as staff and even nurses from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital cared for her around the clock for the first few months of her life.

What the darling grey lump lacked in teeth, she made up for in heart (and perseverance and cuteness). It was that lack of teeth that made her signature hippo pose (mouth wide open, either trying to scare or waiting for a snack) so endearing and delightful. Her earlier days were spent competing with April the Giraffe, the disappointing Animal Adventure Park giraffe whose birth livestream on YouTube took forever and a day, keeping many waiting and watching as she did normal giraffe things like walk around. But in the end, America’s darling won out. Not surprising, since her cute little eyes, adorable teensy ears and winning smile break approximately 17 hearts an hour.

As the months went by, our favorite water pig learned how to hippo, swimming for the first time, learning how to interact with other hippos and eating new snacks (like a whole pumpkin) – with the bulk of the internet cheering her on from behind their computer and phone screens. She’s now a big, healthy girl, just living life in the zoo’s grown up hippo enclosure Hippo Cove where she swims, dazzles crowds and photobombs engagement pictures. (My future husband should take notes.)

You can get your Fiona fix on Etsy, Redbubble and the Cincinnati Zoo’s website.

May Fiona, her cute little ears and Fiona-inspired products live forever!