Baby Names

What's in a name? Usually a lot!! I know that trying to pick a girl name for Sean and I was a tough thing to do. I've heard countless stories of the arguments that couples have over what to name their children. Also, I feel it's inevitable, if you have a name you've agreed on for one sex and not the other, you're gonna get 'the other'. I have a huge fascination with middle names, likely if you've met me and known me for any amount of time, I've asked you what your middle name is. Then I like to know the stories behind them, if there are any. So, here's the story behind Cala's name and my own...

Cala is Greek for Beautiful, who doesn't want a name that means beautiful?!?! In picking that name, it was one that Sean didn't immediately veto, and I'd been mulling it over for a while, so I was just praying that he'd cave (I mean agree)!! Recently, I was at my sister's house in New Orleans (one of my favorite places in the world), and she had this 'Cala' doll (it's a porcelain figurine, like 2" tall, pictured above). She is the 2010 Cala Lady, Vendor of rice cakes. I'm linking an article from www.neworleans.com that gives the history that was included in our figurine! Esentially, it is like a beignet, but made with rice that is generally left over from the night before. I don't love history in general, but Louisiana history moves me, so I'm excited about this!! We'll be putting our little Cala Lady on Cala's bookshelf! My mother-in-law is from NOLA and I know she has a million and one stories about this great city and I can't wait for her to share them with Cala!
Also, it's like the lily, and in reading this summer a new book by one of my favorite authors, Rebecca Wells (i.e. Ya Ya Sisterhood), her main character was named Calla Lily Ponder. It just solidified the name as I read it chapter after chapter and fell in love with the lull, the southern sweetness that it seemed to posess! My biggest fear was that this book would, too, become very popular and people would start using the name all over the place (like Lillie, after SATC!). So, here's hoping it stays somewhat unique!!

As for Fay, well that is my middle name, and was my Granny's middle name. Granny had a hideous first name, so she went by Fay and I think my mom made her day (if not her whole life) when she chose that for my middle name. I get traits from her that are endearing (and some that may not be so). She used to tell me that I could be anything I wanted to be, that I was beautiful, and as we watched Miss America together each year, she'd tell me I could be Miss America if I wanted to! I'm quite certain she believed that with all her heart (nevermind that I haven't been a size 2 since infancy!!). I found a onesie that says "Miss America" in sequins, no less, you know I bought it for my little one! So, for me, using Fay as a middle name was a lifelong plan, something that was never a question! I never considered that someone else might argue with that, but Sean tried, and bless his sweet heart I think he thought he might win. This, though, as my dad would say "is non-negotiable" and it wasn't his mother!!

So, Cala Fay, lots of goodness to that name I believe, I hope she treasures it as I do mine!

My first name is actually Denise, which is the feminine version of Dennis, my dad's name, that's pretty self explainatory! His family called him Denny (and still does as do some of his old friends, so confusing!), and mom said she'd name me Denise and I could go by Deni. I love this name, though in 3rd grade I believed it was too childish, and asked to be called Denise (much to the confusion of my mom who came to pick me up from school, asked for Deni and was told there was no Deni there). That didn't last long, and now I prefer it, though my dad often calls me Denise, as does my friend Carrie. Throughout college lots of people called me Deni Fay, which I adore. I've always loved having a name that there weren't a lot of, even though I've always had to spell it for everyone!

So, that's in a name, lots of love, lots of history, and some character! I hope Cala Fay Troxclair loves her name as much as I do!!

Our Baby Finding Miracle

So, if you haven't already read the pre-story part of this, please do that as it tells how we came to this decision to adopt.

But if you have, I felt so selfish for not sharing the goodness that God has blessed us with, so here goes...

When deciding to adopt, Sean and I were just not comfortable with any agencies that we came across. Please don't think that I mean that they are bad, or anything like that, just know that everyone's travel down this road is different. I continually felt that what I needed to do was to put the word out there and wait. Sounds ridiculous, but when I discussed it with Sean he said that he felt that too! Crazy!! I had to steel my mind from the thoughts that doing it like this could take FOREVER!!! Being able to do this came from the complete peace that I had that God was guiding that decision and that it was going to happen rather quickly. I know this isn't everyone's experience, but I continually felt that in my heart. My friend, I'll call her Precious, had sent me the verse from Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God". Then when I was listening to a song that day, that I had never really listened to, it repeated that over and over. The song is "Meet You in the Silence" by Mark Sorensen, get on itunes and get it today!! I listened to that song over and over and over (along with "Desperation" and "Dance Like David" also from that album). This for me was just confirmation that God was at work and I didn't need to fret, so there's the background to that!!

Right around New Year's I got a fb friend request from OB, she asked me some questions about running, which you all know I love to answer and love to encourage people! Then a few days later I got a message saying something along these lines...

I was just wondering, HYPOTHETICALLY, if I had a patient who wanted to put her baby up for adoption, would you like to be put in contact with her? How would you like to do that?...

I responded back that I'd need to check with my attorney, but never did that. We had a possible adoption situation in our midst at that time with a baby who had already been born and was connected through a friend of mine who has adopted, anyhow that didn't work out (totally God's plan, and I felt that peace completely too). So, with this opportunity, I wanted to 'evaluate' the birthmother myself, to see how she really felt, to check my gut feelings and see what would come of it, if in fact, there was an actual birthmother to meet.

Well, about a week later, she sent me another message asking if I had talked to my attorney as she really did HAVE a patient who wanted to put her baby up for adoption. I told her that I just wanted her to contact me directly.

Little did I know that this was what had happened on the other end...
OB had some extra time waiting for her partner to go eat lunch, so she was playing on fb and read my blog, realizing that we wanted to adopt. THAT afternoon Baby Mama came in a said that she wanted to put her baby up for adoption and wondered if OB could be any help (Divine Intervention, I KNOW so!!). She responded very calmly that she had read a friend's blog that morning and we wanted to adopt and gave Baby Mama some time to think about it. Well, a few days later Baby Mama contacted her and wanted our information. OB offered my phone number, which freaked Baby Mama out completely, she said, "I thought yeah right, I'm going to call up this complete stranger and be like, Hey! You want my baby?!!?". So she got my email address instead.

Baby Mama emailed me and I immediately felt this peace overcome me and I could just tell that she was a good person in a tough position. We decided to meet that Saturday (which I briefly mentioned here after), thoroughly hit it off and were so completely content that I know that though neither of us wanted to say it immediately, we were done!! Sean needed to meet her, but I knew that they would completely hit it off because Baby Mama is funny and sarcastic like him, but I also knew she was genuine. Sean and I are both put off by fake people, and people who try to push their agenda too much. I knew that Baby Mama wasn't like that and wouldn't do that. We decided we would meet again with him the following Friday.

To say that the next week went by like a constipated snail is a gross understatement. I DRUUUUUUUUUUG on, for me, Baby Mama, and Sean. The closer the meeting came the more fidgety Sean got, the more panicked Baby Mama got, and bless both of their hearts, I knew that it was going to be fine, but they were so worried that one wouldn't like the other!! You know the rest of the story...

I'll tell you some other really funny things that some people chalk up to coincidence, but that I know are controlled by the one who controls it all.

1. I've always wanted to have a baby in the summer so that we could do swimming pool parties, because my birthday was always too early for that!

2. I've always wanted a blonde baby and both Baby Mama and birthfather were blondy babies!

3. My sister and BIL are now financially stable and can spoil our baby the way they want to!

4. This won't interfere with any of my marathon training (until July when I'll be too busy staring at my baby to run!! Though plans for a jogging stroller are in the works and recommendations are more than welcome!)

Now for the two questions that everyone wants an answer to...

Baby girl Troxclair is due July 8th, though she may come a little earlier than that! And yes! We do have a name (we've only been talking about this for three years!!) Her name will be Cala Fay Troxclair. Cala is greek for beautiful. Fay is my middle name and my granny's middle name, so there was no question about that!!

Thank you all for your love, prayers, and encouragment! We are so greatful to God for blessing us in this special way and can't wait to meet our sweet girl. I'm headed to the appointment with Baby Mama tomorrow, so hopefully we'll have some pictures that I can scan in to share!!