Peanut, Pumpkin & other pet names

By Helene

Friday night I attended a double shower for two co-workers who are both having babies in July (and both boys). During the gift openings, I posed a little question to both of them that I was sure would generate some type of response. But to my surprise, they didn’t have an answer. In fact, they both said that they had never thought about before.

Since then I've been wondering: Were David and I the norm as expectant parents or the exception? Here's what I'm talking about…

From the moment David and I found out we were pregnant, our girls had pet names long before they had their given names. We called Kathryn "Peanut" for her minuscule size in the womb and Jessica "Pumpkin" for her October due date. Even today these names have stuck and have occasionally been expanded to my "little Pumpkin Pie" or "Peanut Butter & Jelly" (the Jelly addition is actually Katie's idea) for endearment's sake.

I thought we were pretty normal in calling our unborn child by a pet name, but when I asked Tami, Jeanenne and their hubbies the question, blank looks appeared on all their faces. After nearly seven months of being pregnant, neither couple had come up with a pet name for their child.

So here's my question: Did you (and/or your spouse) have a pet name for your unborn baby? If so, do you still call your child by it today?

Comments

[Lisa]

Our daughter lima bean, now known as Ava, got her nickname early on, about 5 weeks into my pregnancy. We are expecting again and I am at a loss for a good nickname that is sticking. Thanks for sharing your ideas.

[funny forum]

Interesting question. Our son, "Tony" was called "Baby" while in utero, but we haven't called him that since he was born. His nick names now are Bud, Little Man, and a contraction of his real first and middle names.

[Nike Jordan]

Business underlies everything in our national life, including our spiritual life. Witness the fact that in the Lord's Prayer, the first petition is for daily bread. No one can worship God or love his neighbor on an empty stomach. Do you think so?

[Alexandrea]

I just recently found out that I am pregnant, and instantly started calling my little baby Peanut. It just feels right I guess.. [:

[Jordan 1]

I like the style of your article! I was shocked that you think it!

[teeter hang ups]

The peanut is an important source of protein for human consumption origenvegetal animal. It also generates valuable income to developing countries in the cheese develops 90 percent of world production.

[daddydaycare]

Our kids still all have nicknames and don't use their real names because they are too young to know them. The twins were given the nicknames 'Bo' and 'Belle' and our third is 'Trae' for "third." Maybe you can tell -- my wife is a southerner. Most weird looks come from naming a boy 'Bo' and I have just never understood what people were thinking -- it's not like his name is 'Beau.' First person that I think of when I hear the name Bo is my kid, of course, but before that it was Bo Jackson, who was the epitome of the modern athlete. And at 2 1/2, he's just grown out of his 5T shorts, so I don't think he'll have too much trouble at the playground...especially when I tell him to just say, "My name is Bo and the south will rise again." Nicknames are a no-no in California schools -- so starting in school, they will be forced to use their real names. Bummer, dude.

[JennB]

I'm only 7 weeks along, so no movement or kicking - yet!!
However, we do have a nickname for "the thing growing inside me" - Beebe (pronounced Bee-bee). this was my Grandfather's middle name and we like it better than baby, it's a little sweeter I think. Sometimes it's just Beeb.
Everything must have a nickname in our house! The dogs and cats have many - it's amazing that they don't have a personality disorder. And I'm sure when Beebe comes out, s/he'll have lots of other names besides what is on the birth certificate.

[mjones]

Our son, in utero, was the Pickle (small, curved shape, wrinkled). And yes, we sometimes still call him that, along with dozens of other names.

[Jo]

Oh man, I am the Queen of Nicknames. Every human or animal in our house, LOL, has one. Liam was "peanut" from the day I found out I was pregnant. As we grew together, he became "little guy" and eventually "Mr. Kicker" because he kicked the daylights out of me in utero. Now, he is Lima Bean, Lemur (after a Discovery show I watched with him his first week home featuring, of all creatures, Lemurs...oh brother), Scooter, Bruiser, and still, Mr. Kicker because he kicks the daylights out of me outside of utero ;) I love nicknames; they are endearing and often represent a time in our lives. I am sure Liam will always have one...whether or not he likes it!

[laura]

Though I usually call my unborn child "The Sprog" or "The Little Person" online, I developed a funny habit of referring to it by produce that was roughly the same size as my uterus at different points in time ... so the baby has been called "The Olive", "The Orange", "The Grapefruit", etc. It's not more watermelon-like ...

[Caryn]

Helen, your coworkers obviously lack imagination.

My daughter started out as Osbert. Then I had a dream that I gave birth to her at work and she was so small that I made a carrier out of an envelope. After that dream I often referred to her as Thumbelina, and once the ultrasound confirmed that she was a girl, Osbert became Osberta. Other people were much more comfortable with the nickname Thumbelina, even afer it became evident that she couldn't fit into the palm of anyone's hand.

[Courtney]

I babysit for two young children 4 days a week. I started watching the now-15-month-old back in October, and he is STILL my little Pumpkin! He now has a baby sister, and the second she was born, she became the little Peanut, so I'm sure Peanut & Pumpkin will stick for quite a while. I just found it humorous that you chose the exact two names for your babies before they were even born!

[psquared]

We call(ed) our daughter Cletus (as in Cletus the Fetus) Monkey, 'P' (short for sweetpea) and our munchkin in the oven shammy (because it's alreading being shammed by Eleanor (the older sister).

[Mary]

I agree, I think your co-workers must be from Mars! I thought everyone gave their kids nicknames in utero!

We called my son something that I can't even figure out how to type - phonetically pronounced "a-dud-ee-bah" ... which came from a very funny moment when I was about 5 months pregnant. My husband had been drinking with "the boys" and in his somewhat inebriated state voiced his concerns over his lack of knowledge about "baby talk" ... and that's what he came up with. We still call him "dud" from time to time. My daughter was always "the petit fleur". Now that she's more tom boy than princess, when we do use it these days, it is usually dripping with sarcasm!

[mvh]

We called my daughter 'Wiggles' when I was pregnant, usually 'Baby Wiggles'. She moved SO MUCH - it was well deserved. For probably the first 3 months of her life, everyone called her 'Wiggles'. I was starting to develop genuine concern that her proper name (Lillian) would never make it! 9 months later, the time of calling her Wiggles has passed. Now her daddy likes to call her 'Stinky Pete'. It's always something ...

[Tomi]

One of my co-workers had a nickname for Ella when she was in utero: the Bun. The Bun, as she grew bigger, also came to be known as the Kaiser. However, Bun is the name that stuck--we still call her that!

[VJ]

Interesting question. Our son, "Tony" was called "Baby" while in utero, but we haven't called him that since he was born. His nick names now are Bud, Little Man, and a contraction of his real first and middle names.

[toni]

Luke was Peep-eye, mostly because he was so strong, I was going to call him "Pop-eye" -- but Carl said he was little, hence the "peep"... and Jake was "Thumper" because he kicked so hard and so often. Both names stuck for a little while after they were born, but Carl made me quit calling Jake "Thumper" because it was too fitting... when he walked, he'd take two steps and plop down, then up two steps then plop down. Carl was afraid it would stick forever and no teenage boy wants to be called "Thumper" by his mom. Although, I do occasionally slip up, particularly when their rooms are a wreck and the hint of public humiliation will motivate them. (evil grin)

[Susan]

Erin was 'June Bug' (or sometimes just 'Bug') because she was due in June. Teddy was 'The Little Squirt' and I have no idea why. :) I also sometimes called Teddy Pele' because of his kicking ability.

[rachel]

Impy. We have not called him that since he was born.

[sarah]

Our baby has been La Petite Banane since the first trimester. My blog is covered in bananas and we had a banana-themed baby shower. I also sometimes call her Lumpy or Hiccup-head now that she is getting big and hiccupy. Whether or not these nicknames will stick remains to be seen, as she is due in three weeks. I thought everybody nicknamed their babies before they were born.

[terrilynn]

Liam was Butterbean in utero, or Skeletor sometimes, due to the way he looked on one of the ultrasound pictures.

Once he was born, I often called him Otis, because that blissed out post-nursing face reminded me of Otis Campbell (the town drunk on the Andy Griffith Show). My mama was horrified by that one.

[Robin]

Are your pregnant friends from another planet? I thought everyone had pet names for their kids too.

When Rich and I saw Lillianna's face on the ultrasound at 6 months she had a little moon face so we called her "Moon pie" during the whole pregnancy. When she was born we called her "Poozle" because I said she looked like a poozle even though I wasn't sure what a poozle was! That stuck for a couple of years and then we added a million more. Rich has called her "Boo Boo" for as long as I can remember. I switch around. I call her "Pumpkin doodle bug" (also an October birthday!), "Hoop de doodle" "Lillsy-Pie" or "Scooter pop". She loves them all!

[Meg]

We called Alex, "Hiccup" while he was in the womb - because from the time I was halfway through my pregnancy until I delivered, he hiccupped several times a day. He continued this little habit after he was born, too, until he was a few months old. I think after he stopped hiccupping, we stopped calling him that.