The Name Game

When I first found out I was pregnant I was so sick - "so sick" actually doesn't even begin to describe it. I was "lying in bed wishing to die" sick. I was "living in the doctor's office attached to IV's" sick. I was "laying on my bathroom floor in between throwing up while Ella colored next to me" sick. I ended up being diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum (more on that later) but that is not what this post is about. The point is, I was so sick I could not find any excitement in me at all about the pregnancy. I told Lance that he had to be excited for both of us and that he got naming rights. For the most part, I named the other two kids so I wanted him to have a turn. I retained veto rights but I wanted him to name this baby. He was convinced that I would go back on this, so I dug my heels in and let him name Elizabeth.

Luckily, he chose a name I LOVE. All of our names have special meaning and so does Elizabeth which I won't go into here. Our kids middle names are all named after relatives who have had a special place in our lives (Spencer Michael - my FIL and Ella Michelle- Lance's sister). Lance chose Claire as Elizabeth's middle name after my grandpa (Clarence) who has had a profound influence on my life. When Lance chose the name Elizabeth I knew she would be called by a nickname, I just didn't know which one.


I think Elizabeth has THE MOST nicknames possible of any name: Lizzie, Liz, Eliza, Ellie, Lizbeth, Lily, Liza, Libby, Liesie, Buffy, Beth, Birdy, and so many, many more. I really liked the name Libby while I was pregnant but thought it might be the hormones because that was a name I had never even thought of before. After she was born, I really liked Libby, Lily, Liesie, and sometimes Lizzie. Libby was my favorite but I could not find a single person who also liked it. But I kept going back to it again and again. Finally, I decided that I didn't care what anyone thought and her nickname is Libby. So you will see her referred to as both Elizabeth and Libby. I think Libby really suits her.


Convincing the family was another matter. Lance likes it but the kids are adamant that her name is Elizabeth. The first day I called her Libby, they would both correct me and say loudly "You mean ELIZABETH." When I started referring to her as Libby-Lu I got Ella on my side. But now Ella says her name is not Libby, it is Libby-Lu. Lance calls her only Elizabeth. Spencer decided today that he is going to call her Lizzie. Unfortunately for him, he does not get to make that decision or this is going to be one confused little girl. I told him that if he calls her Lizzie, Ella gets to call him Rainbow. That was the end of that.

So, she will be known by both Libby and Elizabeth. You can call her either name - I love them both.

One last picture of Libby in her Christmas dress. I need to post one of both girls but Ella has been too quick in stripping after church and we have had soooo many church days cancelled due to snow. Maybe this week . . . is it too late to wear Christmas dresses???

Isn't she gorgeous????