And we shall call her...

Rosemary Louise Staton. 
(Rosemary: Latin; "dew of the sea")
(Louise: German; "famous warrior")

When we first got pregnant, we both really thought it would be a boy. We weren't sure why, it was just an initial feeling. But as weeks went on and I started to show a little more, I really felt like it was a girl. Something about the way I was carrying her and the way I felt made me change my mind. We both knew we would be happy with whichever, but we were dying to know. When we finally found out, I thought Kip was going to either faint or jump around the room with joy. He's a Daddy to a little girl.

Of course, we had already picked a boy name but hadn't even come close to choosing a girl name. So, we started throwing a few names around, but never could decide on anything. Rosemary had always been an idea, but we weren't ready to commit to a decision yet. One evening, my friend, Carol, mentioned a friend of hers with a little girl called "Rosie-Lou." Her full name was Rosemary Louise, but the cute little nickname had stuck with her. Well, it stuck with me too, and the more Kip and I talked about it, the more we loved it.

You see, these are our grandmothers' names. I can't believe we didn't think of it sooner! They are both so special to us, and I just love the classic names. The more we talked about the name and about the baby, the more the two became synonymous. "Oohf, Rosie just kicked me in the rib." "I can't wait to take Rosie to such-and-such place." "When Rosie gets here..."

My Grandma (Mildred Louise) and I at Easter 2 years ago.

Rosemary is Kip's Grandma (in the video), and Louise is the middle name of my Grandma. Both of their reactions when we told them were priceless... and I'm so glad we got video of at least one of them! And of course, Louise is also the middle name of both of our Mothers! I love the meanings of both of the names, dew of the sea and famous warrior. So soft and strong at the same time, like we pray our little one will be.




My little Rosebud,

You're only a few weeks from your grand entrance to the world, and you have so many people here who love you already. You are named after four precious, beautiful, strong women, and I know you'll be the same. We can't wait to watch you grow, smile, and laugh. We can't wait for girly little dresses, silly made up dances and trips to the gun range with your Daddy. He's already knows you'll be a perfect shot. And I already know you'll be the cutest one out there. I'm praying for you, so very often. I long for the day you're in my arms. Keep growing, but don't make us wait too long. :) 

I love you,
Mama.