Couple Notices Squirrel Nesting on the Balcony of Their New Home. Days Later They Come Home to a Big Surprise (Exclusive)

Alexia Sanchez and her girlfriend recently moved into a new apartment in Florida, but they weren’t the only ones making themselves at home.

A squirrel, whom they later named Lola, had already built a nest on their balcony. What started as a surprising discovery quickly turned into a heartwarming experience documented in a now-viral TikTok, as the couple realized Lola was actually pregnant.

Alexia’s girlfriend first noticed the nest while she was moving in from out of state. Initially, the couple thought it might be a bird’s nest, but they soon realized they had a squirrel as a tenant. “I heard something run across the screen behind me and scared me,” Alexia recalls exclusively to PEOPLE of the moment she first saw Lola.

And despite what some might find a nuisance, the couple is actually quite happy to have Lola hanging at their home, Alexia shares. “We have been looking around other people’s balconies to see if other squirrels are kind of doing the same thing, but it’s just ours,” she says.

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While settling in, the pair began researching squirrel pregnancies, estimating that Lola would give birth a month from when they first saw her. However, nature had a different timeline. “We were so wrong because literally the same day that we were discussing, she ended up having two babies while we were sitting in the living room,” Alexia recalls.

Since becoming a mother, Lola has established a routine. “In the morning, I get up and she’ll be in [the nest] and then she decides to leave. I’m assuming she’s going to get breakfast or do little mom things,” Alexia notes. “Then she comes back to feed the babies and she’ll go back out.”

Alexia says Lola even has “mom time” in the afternoon, leaving the babies for a few hours again. In that time period, the couple watches over them from a distance.

Related: Squirrels Share Personality Traits with Humans, Study Finds: 'Individuals Matter' 

Despite the temptation to intervene, Alexia is committed to letting nature take its course. “I want her to feel as comfortable as possible being in the area,” she notes. While she's considered leaving water and unsalted nuts out for Lola, she decided against it, trusting that Lola is capable of providing for her babies on her own.

Alexia has also refrained from contacting wildlife support, fearing that it might draw unwanted attention and potentially jeopardize Lola’s nest.

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The TikTok community has fully embraced Lola’s story with enthusiasm. “Everyone has been so supportive,” Alexia says, adding that she is contemplating making Lola her own TikTok account in the near future. However, she adds, “It’s a beautiful thing to watch and I want her to be able to stay as long as she needs to, so I’m just keeping my distance.”

Read the original article on People