'I want to make sure our baby girl gets to know my dad,' the mom-to-be said.
Bindi Irwin's nickname for her unborn child is a nod to her late dad. In an interview with The Bump, the 22-year-old conservationist, who's currently expecting her first child with husband Chandler Powell, reveals how Steve Irwin, who died in 2006, inspired her daughter-to-be's nickname.
"I’m so excited for our daughter to grow up learning about the importance of giving back and making a difference in the world for the future generations," Bindi gushed. "... My dad was the first person to create the term 'Wildlife Warrior'. Being a Wildlife Warrior means to stand up and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. We’ve been referring to our daughter as our Baby Wildlife Warrior."
"I know in my heart that she will forge her own path to make our planet a better place through her connections with the gorgeous animals that we protect here at Australia Zoo and the conservation work we do with animal species around the globe," she added.
While Steve isn't here to meet his granddaughter, Bindi has no doubt that he would've been "the best grandfather."
"I always joke that if he was still here we’d never see our baby because he’d take her on all kinds of adventures! I want to make sure our baby girl gets to know my dad and thankfully we have many documentaries and photos we can share with her," she mused. "I think she’ll love getting to watch footage of Dad working with all kinds of animals and learning about his legacy."
Though Steve is greatly missed during this otherwise happy time, Bindi is thankful for her "incredible" mom and brother, Terri and Robert Irwin, both of whom have already decided what they want the family's newest addition to call them.
"We spent a long time searching for grandma names that also had an animal link. We decided that she’s going to be called 'Bunny,'" Bindi shared of her mom. "When she was growing up in Oregon her neighbor down the street was always called 'Bunny.' It only just dawned on us that it wasn’t her name but rather what everyone called her since she was a grandmother figure to the entire neighborhood."
Terri's grandmother name actually inspired the nursery that Bindi and Chandler designed for their daughter. "With my sweetheart mum being called 'Bunny' I had to include some woodland creatures in our nursery designs. Bunnies seemed like the perfect theme for our girl’s nursery."
As for her younger brother, Bindi noted, "Robert has decided that 'uncle' needed an upgrade and he’s now calling himself the 'funcle' which means fun uncle. I love it!"
While Terri and Robert are sure of their new names, Bindi and Chandler have yet to pick a moniker for their daughter.
"We are waiting to meet her before we decide on a name. We want to hold her and make sure the name that we choose fits her perfectly," Bindi said. "We have been looking through family history on both my side and Chandler’s side for family name inspiration. Once she arrives I think we’ll know exactly what to name her."
As Bindi, who's been craving seaweed and lettuce wraps throughout her pregnancy, awaits the arrival of her daughter, she's already thinking ahead to the wonderful life the little one will lead.
"I want to give our daughter the opportunity to experience as much as possible in the world to set her up for life," Bindi said. "The greatest gift my parents ever gave me was their unconditional love and support. They encouraged me to travel my own path while always being there to lend support if I needed it."
"... I can’t wait to experience the magic of the world all over again through her eyes. Watching her grow and find her own passions in life will be such a gift," she added. "My hope for her through life is that she follows her heart to do what she loves. She’s going to be the most beautiful light in this world, it’s a blessing that I’ll get to support her on the journey that she chooses to take."
As for the birth itself, Bindi previously told ET's Lauren Zima that she's not worried about welcoming her daughter into the world.
"'I've watched so many giraffes give birth and mother giraffes actually give birth standing up and the poor little calf has to drop so far to the ground," Bindi said. "And you know it's a little bit terrifying when you watch that. So I figure, as long as it's easier than a giraffe birth, I'll be fine."
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