The origin of your nickname

Dear Baby Boots,

It's 6 in the morning on Sunday and I have just been furloughed from work, yehey! I was looking forward to spending a relaxing day with you and your daddy. It's supposed to go up to 90 degrees today and it's only April 26th. I'm happy though because I miss the heat so much.

I was awake since 4 in the morning because I just couldn't sleep and you or my stomach started growling. After a few growls, I decided to be nice and ate a small bowl of rice and beef nilaga. Now that you and my stomach are satisfied, I decided to go online and write you a long due letter from the past few weeks.

You are 18 weeks and 5 days as of today. I cannot believe how fast time has gone by. I am trying to cherish each moment that I have you in my belly. I know it's not easy to be pregnant and all because of all the changes one's body goes through, but I would not trade it for anything. Hopefully, I can share this experience with you one day and tell you how happy I am to be carrying you in me.

Before I keep blabbering on, let me tell you how your nickname Butiki came about and how it has evolved to Boots, and Bootsie : ).

Your great grandfather or Lolo Carmelo (my mom's father) was so eager to have a great grandchild as soon as your Papa and I were married in January of 2008. Everytime we spoke on the phone, he would ask us if we had a Butiki on the way. A Butiki is a small white lizard in our Filipino language. It's those little gecko looking things you will see on the walls when you are in a tropical climate like the Philippines. So, when I found out I was pregnant and having you, the first name that came to my head was Butiki because your grand Lolo mentioned it all the time. Your Papa and I thought it was a cute name and decided to call you that early on. Everyone in the family including your Grammy, Auntie Mandie, Uncle Tim, and Tophe thought it was a cute name to call you so it stuck ever since. Your Gramps wasn't too happy about it because he said Butiki sounded so little and that he was proud to say that you were not going to be little, but a giant baby instead : ).

From Butiki, came the name Boots. I was relaxing with your dad one day when the name just popped into my head. I thought it was a cute nickname for Butiki and have started to call you that since. We still call you Butiki sometimes, but Boots sounds sooo much cuter and people here in America can pronounce the word a lot easier that Butiki. Bootsie is my special nickname for you when I'm talking to you all by myself. I find myself talking to you a lot when I'm alone because I like to let you know what is going on around me and also, it doesn't make me as lonely.

So there you go...now you know where your nickname came from. I have a feeling it's going to stick around even after you are born. You will always be my Boots!

Love you dearly,
Your Mama