What's in a name

Assigning you a name has been much harder then we imagined. After pouring over name books and looking through our genealogy charts, we had created several short lists but made no conclusions. It was a conundrum but we weren't worried yet. The theory was that you would arrive and your face would speak to us revealing the final answer.

Well, you are here and your face speaks volumes. Mostly is says "OMG - YOU HAVE A BABY!" It has yet to reveal a single suitable name.

Alas, you left us on our own and boy did we struggle.

You were Josephine for one day (it is a name we still love and if you end up with a sister, it may pop back up again). Then we called you Lucy and then it went back and forth for the rest of our three days in the hospital. Checkout time arrived and we had only to write down your name on the hospital forms before we could pack up and go home. We studied your face again and again. Your dad is captured doing so in the photo below. 

Finally, your dad gave me the pen and told me to write down whichever I thought best. It got so tense, grandma had to leave the room. After a few agonizing minutes and a gallon of sweat, I took a deep breath and made it official. 

Lucy B Josephine

Lucy is the name of two of your great aunts on your dad's side. Jeremy remembers Grandpa Crow talking about one of them as Granny Lucy. I don't quite have the stories of the two women straight so I won't attempt to write them down yet but we are finding out they were unique and spirited people. Some of their adventures sound a little wild but I certainly admire their spunk. It will be fun to learn more about them.

What does Lucy mean to me?
Kind, spirited, intelligent, humorous, strong, happy, adventurous, calm, down-to-earth, fun, always goes to bed on time, always eats her vegetables. Well, maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself. But I do love the name and I dearly hope you will too.

Your middle name B is for your great grandmother Beula Worthen who has gone by the endearment B for most of her life. B has been a kindred spirit to Jeremy since he was a very little boy and she helped to take care of him. Over the past 10 years, we have spent a lot of time with B and her home has become a haven to us both. She is funny and intelligent and wonderfully human. I just adore her. Right after we found out you were a girl, we were both certain your middle name should connect you with and honor her.

B is the family historian and has written several books chronicling the Worthen family life. She is now 81 and still in good health. I hope there will be time for you to get to know her in life but I'm also glad you'll always have her books to guide you when she has passed on.

And after all that, these days I mostly call you baby cakes, sweet pea, cuddle muffin or other deliciously sweet names. I can't help it. You are just so adorable I could eat you up.