Week 26: The perfect name

Generally, I’m not the romantic, sentimental type. For the most part, I approach life–and, hence, pregnancy and motherhood–with more practicality and less mush. But there is one aspect of becoming a mother that I see as almost sacred: Choosing a name for our new little person.
In my mind, picking a name is one of the most important things I will ever do for my child. Even when Tom and I are old and gone, our children will carry at least one thing–their name–with them through their entire lives.
With our first, Jacob Israel, Tom and I trusted the Lord to give us the right name, and He didn’t let us down. Not only does our little boy have a name given to us by God, but now Jacob has a pretty cool story behind his name, too.
Choosing the name for our little girl was less supernatural but still very special. Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved–no, let me try that again–I have LOVED the name Vivian. Growing up and on into my teenage and college years, I always knew if I had a little girl that I would want her to be named Vivian. And, so, when we found out our new little bundle was indeed a girl, she was christened right away.
I consider myself something of an old soul, and so I naturally tend towards classic names. (Jacob Israel would have been William James, if God hadn’t had other plans.) To me, Vivian is timeless, graceful, and beautiful. The perfect name for the perfect little girl.
Her middle name came to us just as easily. She will be Vivian Jayne, named after the strongest, most beautiful lady I know: my mom. Appropriately, I got to share the big surprise with my mom on Mother’s Day. Tom and I had decided on the name weeks earlier, but we kept the news under wraps until I flew out to California for a visit. To unveil the surprise, I gave my mom a picture of Vivian’s ultrasound with her name on it. Needless to say, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
As I’m sure you’ve already gathered, I am head over heels for Vivian Jayne’s name. I love how it sounds, I love how it looks, and, most importantly, I love what it means. Vivian means “full of life, lively, and animated,” while Jayne means “the gracious gift of God.” I couldn’t imagine a better pairing, and although I haven’t met our little girl yet, I already know that both names are going to fit her perfectly.