Namesakes

One really neat thing about receiving Aaron and Owen has been naming them. Naming your children is a parental right. After all, you will be the one yelling their name the most. When we first received Aaron and Owen, Luke named them Paukey and Schnuppa. And we called them that for several months because it helped Luke and we didn't know what to call them anyway. We wanted their names to go together, since they came together. Aaron and Owen both start with vowels and end in n, just like our last name ends in n. Also, their first names given to them by their birth parents also end in n. When people get them confused, I tell them the names are alphabetical, A and then O.

When I looked up Aaron it meant "mountain". I think this suits him. He tends to stand still and strong watching and observing. He is also wise for his age. When I looked up Owen it meant "little warrior". When we first received Owen he was very sick. He was a pre-me with breathing problems and needed extra care. But he hung on and didn't seem to mind he was sick at all. "Just a minor flesh wound." Who needs lungs anyway? He fought hard at the hospital in February when he had RSV and pneumonia. And he is strong. He's not a little warrior anymore, he's gotten pretty big. He outweighs his older brother now.

It took us a while to pick middle names. But we decided on them a couple months ago. Aaron will be Aaron Judd after my dad, who is Judd Harold. Aaron reminds me of my dad. He loves to give hugs. He is intuitive and sensitive. He often is a quiet observer. He is thoughtful and sincere. Injustice bothers him. And he is athletic and coordinated. This is a picture of the two of them at California Adventure Land at Disneyland. They bonded that day and did a lot of rides together.

Owen will be Owen Brady after my grandpa Melvin Brady. Owen has a lot of spirit just like my grandpa. We decided against Melvin because I just have a hard time naming my son anything that has ever been synonymous with wedgie. Growing up I lived close to my grandparents--my mom's parents. And they were part of my everyday life. And when I went away to college my grandpa was there again too. And we have always been good friends. He is 81 now and not so well. But he still loves family and children. Here's Owen and Grandpa, same Disneyland visit.

Luke means "light", as Luke was the light at the end of a long dark tunnel. And I guess now he is the lighter brother. ( = Andrew means "manly" after his dad Michael Andrew. Both are pretty manly and their personalities are quite similar.

I think names are important. My middle name is Jane after my mom Cynthia Jane and my great grandma, "Nana", who was Jane. I love them both and growing up always thought that I would be great like them, since I was named after them. I hope my boys grow up to be as great as the men they are named after. I look forward to the end of the adoption process when their names are official and final.