Choosing a Name

With approximately 6 weeks to go we thought that it was about time to let everyone in on the name we have chosen for our little girl. It was actually a lot harder than we thought. We wanted to make sure that the name ended in 'a' like the other 3, we wanted it to be rather short like the other 3 and we wanted it to have a nice meaning.

We have always loved the name Evangeline and thought that it would be such an appropriate name for our little girl as it means 'bearer of good news'. When we said all four names however, Calla, Maya, Georgia and Evangeline, it just didn't sound right. Someone suggested Evangelina but then it just seemed so much longer than the other 3. If you shorten Evangeline to Eva it means 'life' or to Lena it means 'warrior'. I admit that I love both of these and we did consider these names for quite some time. For whatever reason it still wasn't sitting. I'd look at the ultrasound picture and just know that she wasn't any of these names.

Mike and I went back to our list and then back to the baby name book thinking that perhaps Evangeline would be a middle name. Sometime in January I came across the name Aria. Aria means 'melody or song'. It actually wasn't my favorite name at that point but I did love the meaning. Mike decided immediately that this was the name for our daughter. I still wasn't convinced and kept staring at our list playing with the names and looking at the ultrasound picture.

That was until one night I had a dream that I was walking to school with a happy little toddler. She was about 3 years old and had pig tails in her hair. I knew that we were going to pick up Calla and Maya and that this was the daughter that we have been waiting for. It was such a happy dream and in it I called this little girl Aria. So that settled it.

We are happily awaiting the arrival of Aria Evangeline. Our little 'song of good news'.

It is important to us that Aria understands that we considered her name for a long time and that we have chosen one that reflects how we feel about her. We never want her to believe that she was born as some type of replacement for Georgia or that she was some kind of accident. She is just one more gift that we have been granted and we are starting to get excited about meeting her.

The girls have been calling her Aria for a couple of months now but every once in a while they'll say, "What happens if she's a boy?"

Stay tuned! : )

Love to you all,

Kristen

Mike!

Today is Mike's birthday! He kind of gets the shaft when it comes to this blog. It has become my online journal and tends to focus mostly on the girls and me. I actually do this intentionally as I try to respect his privacy. He does have full access to the blog and will occasionally write or comment as many of you know but he doesn't seem to feel the need to write like I do. I could sit here today and write about what a hard day today was last year or even how we're struggling with our grief today but instead I think that I'll share some of the reasons that the girls and I think that he is fabulous.

Here in the Lucas household we haven't bought a loaf of bread since January. Why? Because my amazing husband jumped on the idea of trying a little bit harder (our new year's resolution) and started baking it. No, he doesn't use a bread maker. He prefers to make a few loaves at a time so that we always have bread when we need it. He has even started making his own 'starter' and makes sour dough. He also makes sourdough pancakes. I know that they don't sound very good but they are actually delicious! He also makes pizza from scratch almost every weekend. : )

Mike is also famous in our family for eating or at least trying just about anything. Remember that old commercial about Mikey? Well that's our Mike! He hates food going to waste.

As a father, Mike spends more time playing with his girls than many men I know. He loves all of the imaginative play and while he does try to keep some of his maculinity, "How about I be a prince?", he will still play the princess when his girls insist.

When Mike found out that we were expecting a girl during our second pregnancy he cried. Not because he wanted a boy, but because he was so thrilled that Calla would get to grow up with a sister. In fact, Mike has never bought into the idea of wanting a boy. He considers each one of our girls a blessing. Wanting a boy has had nothing to do with us having 4 children. Loving family live remains the only reason.

Mike is a brilliant problem solver and an amazingly patient husband and father. He works hard so that I can stay at home and continue to raise our daughters. He never complains about the food that I cook or the toys on the floor. He is trust worthy and unbelievably loyal. He can also be very silly, a side that not many people get to see unless he is with the girls. He makes us laugh pretty much every day. He is gentle and compassionate, kind and loving. We think that he's the best!

Happy Birthday Mike!

Love to you all,

Kristen