Naming Lydia

Isn't she the most adorable baby ever? Those cheeks are so sweet. She started off in the center of her crib, and when I went in to check on her, she was almost sideways. She is always moving. You can't see her pajamas, but it is a cute little ballerina onesie. She's wearing her princess crown hat that Gigi gave her. Thanks Gigi!

I wanted to write a post about how we decided on Lydia's name. We didn't find out if we were having a boy or a girl. We wanted to be surprised, so we had a boy name and a girl name picked out. Lydia comes from the Bible. In the book of Acts Lydia was "a dealer in purple cloth" whose heart was opened by God to hear Paul's message. She is described as "a worshiper of God." Lydia means "of nobility." First of all, we really liked the name. We also liked her namesake in the Bible. She isn't necessarily a main character, but she is important nonetheless.

Once we found out we were pregnant, we decided that if the baby was a girl then her middle name would be Hope. After our miscarriage in 2009, the Lord spoke a specific word to me about hope. As I was lying in bed, a Steven Curtis Chapman song came into my mind. The specific lyrics were: "We will cry with hope and we will grieve with hope because we know our goodbye is not the end." The Lord was telling me not to lose hope, that he would fulfill the word of life spoken over me in his timing. When we got pregnant, we knew that this baby would be the fulfillment of that promise of hope. Lydia Hope has already brought more joy to our lives than we ever imagined.

On a different note, I read today that when you are raising kids "the days seem long but the years are short." It is hard to believe that Lydia has been with us for 2 1/2 months. I can identify with the days seeming long at times. It is a never-ending job that reminds me of Groundhog Day at times. I realize that a year will have passed before I know it. I don't want to miss out on the richness these days have to offer. I want to savor every moment that I have to hold her in my arms so close because I know that these days will pass so quickly.