Our Baby Dinosaur

When we got pregnant with our daughter, Grace (aka Bunny), we knew almost instantaneously that I was pregnant.  In fact that is one of my husband’s favorite stories to tell.  But I’ll save that one for another post.  

Anywho, I was a little bummed about our first appointment because it was so early on that I knew she wasn’t gonna look like a baby yet.  She was gonna have a huge t-rex head and little nubs and a tail….  Babies are weird…  This is where Bunny got her first of many nicknames:  Baby Dinosaur. 

8 weeks.  not much to see here.

Let me just say that I literally, no joke, knew from the moment that I got pregnant, shoot, even before that really, that we were gonna have a girl.  Don’t ask me how.  I just knew it.  So when the gender ultrasound came along I was not at all surprised and neither was my husband.  We’re cool like that.

these turned out awesome, I was 15 weeks.  she was looking right at us!

We called her Baby Dinosaur all through my pregnancy (and just FYI, Tristan also had an in-utero nickname, he was “the bean”).  We told Tristan, who at the time was 4 and turned 5 just before she was born.  He was stoked that his baby sister was going to be a dinosaur, in fact he told everyone at church, and in his preschool class.  When other mothers would come up to me to tell me about it, I just laughed, and laughed hard.  It was too darn cute. 

the clueless little booger fishing with Bandad

Because Tristan had been so big, (9 lbs 7oz. 21.5 in) and I had preeclampsia with him my doctor decided to avoid any potential complications and induce me a couple weeks early when we found out she was already 8 lbs.  This was a scary thing.  It’s one thing to just kinda float by waiting for it (labor) to happen to you and to not REALLY know when your bundle’s birthday is gonna be, it’s quite another to know exactly when it’s gonna happen and have it scheduled.  I got scared.  I remember meeting my mom for ice cream the day my doctor told me he was inducing me and just crying because I was so scared.  (I will chock at least some of that outburst up to hormones).   You start to question everything...

Am I ready for this?

Do I have all the stuff I need?

Do I really like that date for her birthday?

Should I say no and leave it up to chance?

Have I gotten enough sleep to last me the next 4 months? (at least)

What if I go into labor before then? 

What if something goes wrong?

What if I’m in labor for days and days?

All of this was just swarming through my pitiful little pregnancy-crazy-brain.  Another added complication was that at this time my husband was in the police academy, and they only allow you to miss so much of any portion of a class before they would basically fail you out, at which point he would have to do it ALL over again and that meant paying OUT OF POCKET.  So we were just hoping and praying that I would hold out for another week.  Which meant since I was already dilated 2 cm there was no “funny business” on the docket for me for a long time.  To say I was bummed is a glaring understatement. 

ooooooo that's a big woman... lol

The night before our induction, we went to Babies R Us and got all the finishing touches, then woke up bright and early to head to the hospital.  Tristan stayed with a wonderful friend of ours because this was during the time that swine flu was all over the news and they weren't allowing “unnecessary children” in the hospital.  All went well (for the most part) and Bunny came only 9 hours later at a whopping 8lbs, 6oz. and 21 in (pretty big for 2 weeks early!).  

she looks like an angry old man in this picture. lol.  can you see her red hair?!

When it was time to head home we went to pick up Tristan and we loaded him in the car. He eagerly looked over and saw teeny tiny little Grace in her seat... he looked utterly perplexed and honestly a little concerned.  He looked up at me and said, “I thought you were having a baby dinosaur...?". 

Priceless. 

I will never forget that look on his face when he thought he was seeing his new baby dinosaur sibling and all we had was a chubby like pink human baby.  Poor kid.  

My baby girl our first full day home.

Sorry for the disappointment Tristan.  She's just a human.  my bad.

Did you have (or do you still) for your little in-uteros??

Please share!  I'd love to hear them!