What's in a Name?

a ruby.

When we learned we were having a girl in February of 2010, I was pretty sure I was going to name my daughter-to-be after my great-grandmother. Pretty sure. I always answered "We think we're going to name her 'Ruby' but we'll see," when asked if we had picked out a name. Ever since I birthed Cade thinking he was a daughter, I decided I couldn't be sure of a name before I had the baby.  "There's always that "gotta double check that they look like a ____" before you actually do it. It really rocks your world when your child comes out a different gender than you were anticipating. 

So that's why I feel the way I do about names.

When my third-born came into this world, I was hesitant. I wasn't sure if the name fit. She looked so dainty and fragile. To me, Ruby was for a strong, spunky, free-spirited soul. Like my great grandmother. At first sight, my new child looked more like and Elise...or something. Kyle immediately began posting pictures of our newest addition and tagging them with "Ruby" so I just went with it. But I was uncertain. For almost a month I was unsure of her name and finally brought it up to Kyle. She just didn't look like a Ruby. So then we experimented and tried to call her something else. We brought it up to the kids but they were not having it. Her name is RUBY, Cade told us. He was certain of it and we were not going to change it. Even when Kyle and I said we were going to try out other names (he liked Isabelle) we always fell to Ruby or Rubers or "the Dubes" when referring to her. 

And so it stuck.

About the time she turned 6 weeks, I noticed her cheeks were fattening and her eyes were bluer than ever, like my grandmother's. And almost overnight, she looked like a Ruby. 

Just like that. 

Now I am certain the name fits her perfectly.

Below is a cherished photo I have of my Great Grandparents. Grandma Ruby is holding me and resting her cheek on my head. It almost looks as if my Grandma Ruby is holding my baby Ruby. Our cheeks are the same, and you can't quite tell the color of my eyes, so they cold pass for blue ones. And like her mama, my Ruby loves her pacifier, too.

I feel especially fortunate I was able to make so many wonderful memories with Grandma Ruby before she left this life. I'll always remember her for her bright red Avon lipstick and hearing her whistle her Swedish accent that sounded like home whenever she said my name. She made the best angel food cake and never let you get away with just a single serving of anything. "You're a growing boy," she would tell my brother Austin and load up his plate with more pancakes. 

I miss her.

But' I'm glad her name lives on.

Now don't you think our little girl needs shoes like this one?