in a name

What is in a name? a single word that one carries with them for the rest of their lives... forever. Can it define you? Does it have a hand in who you will become? What if we were born with a name tattooed to the inside of our arms or stamped on the back of our heels? Would society as a whole be different? I have a hard time naming a person.

Dan driving, me shaking, on route to the hospital, Aerosmith's Jaded was on the radio. This was "a sign" because the names we had chosen for this baby were Jaden or Tyler, and Aerosmith's singer is Steven Tyler.

Ty was named Travis the night he was born. Of the 10 bundles in bassinets that night, 4 of them were named Tyler (3blue,1 pink). Too bad, because I really wanted mine to be Tyler, too. Exhaustion kicked in and the papers were left blank for the night. With the rising sun came a friend with a spoon etched with the name Tyler. It was just meant to be. Something like "well, you did do all the work" tumbled out of Dan's mouth while he scribbled the name down on the paperwork. I guess that means I won (thanks Merrie Lou!).

Three days later, I decided he looked more like a Briggs.

For two years, if and when we had a girl she would be Macy. (see what I mean, be Macy, what does that mean, who would she be?) But the little peanut was and always has been Chelsey, never doubted that one. She has my mom's name for her middle name (which is also my middle name).

Kami was born in the year of Kami's (there are 3 other Kami's we know that are her age). She was either going to be Brynlee or Kamryn but we had just made some friends that had a Brynlee so we went with Kamryn and Jean after her Grandma because they share a birthday. I struggled to keep her Kamryn but everyone else used Kami and it just sort of snuck it's way into my mouth one day and has been hiding out there ever since.

We knew Paige was going to be a girl and we loved the name Paige. No questions, no doubts. Her middle name was a toss up. We almost used Justine (after Elder Smiley, seriously), we debated Danielle (after Dan, both being born in Saskatoon) but for some reason settled on Elizabeth. We just liked that name.

So that brings us to Natalie, Natty, Nat, Natters. Well, that is for every other member of my family. For me, she is "baby girl, babe, princess, tootsie" (a name I use for all my baby girls, one that my mom used for me), or even June, pretty much anything but Natalie. "It will take time to get used to it" people say. The problem is that our list of baby girl names came to mind while envisioning a baby that looked somewhat like our others.... and she just doesn't. So my little June-bug, I hope that you grow up with a strong idea of who you are, and who you can become regardless of your name and whatever you might be called. The baby sister of "T-man", "Beaner ball", "Scampers", and "Paigers". The baby in a family who loves your new lop-sided smiles, your teeny toes, even your crossed-eyes are adorable.

Oh, and a side-note for her baby book when I get the chance to record it: my little ...uh.... sweet pea has slept through the night for 3 nights in a row.

One thing I can call her is the best baby ever.