“There is a 95% chance you are going to have a baby that is a dwarf”

This was not what I was expecting as I walked into the specialist’s office. I had had a healthy pregnancy for 27 weeks in Los Angeles.  I moved to Nashville, started with an amazing OBGYN and she noticed that my baby girl’s long bones were measuring a bit short. This was no big deal for us because Craig has some shorter family members as do I. That day I had an appointment to see the specialist, we had no concerns other than her legs and arms measuring small while her head and belly circumference were accurate. Craig stayed home with our sick son Jax and I went in carefree. That sentence shook my entire being and to be honest, made the rest of my pregnancy terrifying. 

I came home to Craig and I was a total wreck. I was a sensitive pregnant woman that had gone from pure bliss to fear in an hours time. I remember sitting on the porch with him praying, crying and hugging.  I had done some internet research on the way home and it wasn’t the physical appearance that scared me. Dwarf babies and people in general are beautiful. It was the surgeries and additional problems that can come with having small extremities that really worried me and us. I hope that if anyone reads this who has gone through this particular experience as a pregnant woman or as a dwarf understands that I have the biggest heart for you and if you ever need an ear or shoulder I am here. 

After this, we just prayed. We prayed long and hard every day for guidance, for open hearts and for His will to be a way we would be able to handle or learn to handle. We agreed not to share the news with anyone. It wasn’t 100% and I didn’t want any outside opinions on the matter.  We were always going to have her no matter the situation because she was our love-child and the best thing that ever happened to me aside from Craig and Jax. We opted out of any additional tests to confirm. 

At 37 weeks, two days before Daddy’s birthday, the doctor said she was running out of nutrients (After two babies I now know that my body goes until 37 weeks and then calls it quits).  We decided to have a c-section on New Years Eve which is also Craig’s birthday because why not…(What little girl wouldn’t want to share her birthday with her daddy?) I called my mom in California and said “Mom, Dakota is coming in two days can you be here?” Of course she said yes. Glamma was NOT about to miss the first birth of her second grand baby. That night on the phone, I told her our concerns and that we weren’t sure what to expect but to be ready for one beautiful petite little lady no matter what. 

This post took me longer than the others because… emotions. We walked into the hospital, had the c-section, and with 10+ doctors in the room we had a 4lb 13oz 17.5 inch baby at 5:37PM. She came into this world petite and screaming her lungs out. She is definitely smaller than most and her one year old brother Graydon wears her 2T shirts BUT she is healthy, happy, and my spicy little nugget. I thank God every day for her. She is what I needed to become a better person. She is what I didn’t know I was missing. She is my mini and I will never be able to express my love in words. 

Dakota Lynn Boyd’s first photo shoot with Debbie Wallace was one for the books. She was so tiny we went to the American Girl store and bought her doll gowns because there were very few premie clothes available.  Below are some of her best 🙂 

If you are having a tough pregnancy and if you are scared to share your concerns, know that I am here. I have been through thinking I was going to have a baby with physical disabilities, I have felt like it was my fault, I have been through a miscarriage, I am a stepmom, and I know how it feels to be alone a lot. Our life may sometimes look perfect but in reality we just make it OUR perfect. Know it isn’t always easy. We are all still humans.