nameless no more...
What a week. What a month. June wore me out so much that I got sick. I was so eager for the first weekend of July, and I woke up Saturday morning with a stomach bug that lasted me until Tuesday night. It was horrible! And the worst part was that I had a full weekend planned. I wanted to shop for nursery furniture and begin a baby registry. But I laid in bed, trying to sleep as much as possible, hoping that relief would come soon.
I've had the easiest pregnancy. Really, Sugar Bug has been a real doll. People are constantly asking me how I'm feeling, and they often seem surprised when I tell them that I feel great. Normal. Well, not as normal now that my stomach is beginning to really bulge, but they're always surprised when I tell them I haven't been sick. And then they go down the rest of the list of questions...
"What are you craving?"
Nothing
"What are you having?"
A girl
"When are you due?"
October
"What is the nursery going to look like?"
I have no idea. I haven't even started working on it.
"What's her name?"
I didn't think it would be so hard to decide on a name. I really thought we'd have a name picked out long before we even knew if we were having a boy or girl. We'd throw out ideas here and there, but nothing really seemed to stick. Nothing is more impersonal than referring to your child as "it" so I tried to always say "baby" instead. Thankfully, my mom came up with Sugar Bug, so we began using that on a regular basis. But I wanted to have a name, and I was beginning to worry that I'd be staring at her sweet little face on day one still trying to decide on a name.
A few weeks... maybe even months... ago I began praying that God would reveal her name to me. I realized that He has always known her name, and so why not ask, right? What an incredible thought that God already knows our names before our parents ever come up with it! Anyway, I began praying that He would lay a name on our hearts and that we'd just know. This is always the best way to handle things. Aaron and I constantly stand in amazment at how quickly God responds when we begin seeking His help and ways, and so I wasn't sure how God would make her name known but I knew He would. She wouldn't remain nameless forever.
Aaron pulled up a list of names one night and we began scrolling through them. We had mentioned the same 3 or 4 names multiple times, but they just didn't seem right. Lovely names, but not the right name for Sugar Bug. I told him I wanted her to have a name that was timeless. A classic name that was pretty so when people heard it, they'd know she was a girl. Names say a lot about a person, set an expectation, and so I wanted to give her a good name. Not just a "well, this will do" name. And as we toiled over hundreds of names, nothing fit. Of course, it is kind of hard to give a name to a person you've never seen before, but I knew there would be that one name that would stick out to us. And so I kept praying.
Sugar Bug, God continues to answer our prayers. Sometimes, when I don't feel you dancing around, I want to worry. And I remind myself that worry changes nothing but prayer does. And so I'll whisper a concerned-momma prayer and the Lord will give you a tickle. I know we haven't met yet, although I think you already know quite a bit about me, but I want you to know that I am really considering you, sweet sister, in this process. I'm having a hard time making decisions for you because I feel like I need to know you before I make a decision. Consult you, you know. But God knows you, just as He knows me, and so He's really helping me out here. And so your dad and I laid in bed the other night, and God laid your name on our hearts. It wasn't a name we had seen on any list. In fact, it wasn't even a name I've ever considered or thought of in my entire life. But the moment it rolled off my lips (your dad is pretty certain it came out of his mouth first... we won't worry about who said it first), we both knew. We said, "That's the name!" In fact, your dad, who is becoming more smitten with you every day said, "I can just hear myself yelling that across the soccer field one day." He's assuming that you'll take after him! Anyway, our hearts were settled. Unified. There was peace. There was no question. That's how we know this is the name God has chosen for you. And I think He picked a really special one just for you.
Annabeth Louise Davis
I looked up your name because, as you'll soon learn, it's biblical. I knew it must have a rich meaning.
Anna: favor, grace
Beth: pledged to God
Because you, sweet, favored one wrapped in God's grace, are His. I may be your momma, and you've got one heck of a daddy, but you are God's. God's, on loan to us, as we continue living out this earthly adventure. And, as I'm learning more and more about what it means to be a mother, I'll admit that I am a little nervous. It's a big responsibility, bigger than I probably understand at this point. But I rest in knowing that God has us. He has me, He has you, He has your dad, and so we're just going to keep trusting Him. Leaning on His grace as we figure out this whole family thing, praising Him for His favor, and committing our ways, ourselves, and our family to Him.
"A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." - Proverbs 22:1
I've had the easiest pregnancy. Really, Sugar Bug has been a real doll. People are constantly asking me how I'm feeling, and they often seem surprised when I tell them that I feel great. Normal. Well, not as normal now that my stomach is beginning to really bulge, but they're always surprised when I tell them I haven't been sick. And then they go down the rest of the list of questions...
"What are you craving?"
Nothing
"What are you having?"
A girl
"When are you due?"
October
"What is the nursery going to look like?"
I have no idea. I haven't even started working on it.
"What's her name?"
I didn't think it would be so hard to decide on a name. I really thought we'd have a name picked out long before we even knew if we were having a boy or girl. We'd throw out ideas here and there, but nothing really seemed to stick. Nothing is more impersonal than referring to your child as "it" so I tried to always say "baby" instead. Thankfully, my mom came up with Sugar Bug, so we began using that on a regular basis. But I wanted to have a name, and I was beginning to worry that I'd be staring at her sweet little face on day one still trying to decide on a name.
A few weeks... maybe even months... ago I began praying that God would reveal her name to me. I realized that He has always known her name, and so why not ask, right? What an incredible thought that God already knows our names before our parents ever come up with it! Anyway, I began praying that He would lay a name on our hearts and that we'd just know. This is always the best way to handle things. Aaron and I constantly stand in amazment at how quickly God responds when we begin seeking His help and ways, and so I wasn't sure how God would make her name known but I knew He would. She wouldn't remain nameless forever.
Aaron pulled up a list of names one night and we began scrolling through them. We had mentioned the same 3 or 4 names multiple times, but they just didn't seem right. Lovely names, but not the right name for Sugar Bug. I told him I wanted her to have a name that was timeless. A classic name that was pretty so when people heard it, they'd know she was a girl. Names say a lot about a person, set an expectation, and so I wanted to give her a good name. Not just a "well, this will do" name. And as we toiled over hundreds of names, nothing fit. Of course, it is kind of hard to give a name to a person you've never seen before, but I knew there would be that one name that would stick out to us. And so I kept praying.
Sugar Bug, God continues to answer our prayers. Sometimes, when I don't feel you dancing around, I want to worry. And I remind myself that worry changes nothing but prayer does. And so I'll whisper a concerned-momma prayer and the Lord will give you a tickle. I know we haven't met yet, although I think you already know quite a bit about me, but I want you to know that I am really considering you, sweet sister, in this process. I'm having a hard time making decisions for you because I feel like I need to know you before I make a decision. Consult you, you know. But God knows you, just as He knows me, and so He's really helping me out here. And so your dad and I laid in bed the other night, and God laid your name on our hearts. It wasn't a name we had seen on any list. In fact, it wasn't even a name I've ever considered or thought of in my entire life. But the moment it rolled off my lips (your dad is pretty certain it came out of his mouth first... we won't worry about who said it first), we both knew. We said, "That's the name!" In fact, your dad, who is becoming more smitten with you every day said, "I can just hear myself yelling that across the soccer field one day." He's assuming that you'll take after him! Anyway, our hearts were settled. Unified. There was peace. There was no question. That's how we know this is the name God has chosen for you. And I think He picked a really special one just for you.
Annabeth Louise Davis
I looked up your name because, as you'll soon learn, it's biblical. I knew it must have a rich meaning.
Anna: favor, grace
Beth: pledged to God
Because you, sweet, favored one wrapped in God's grace, are His. I may be your momma, and you've got one heck of a daddy, but you are God's. God's, on loan to us, as we continue living out this earthly adventure. And, as I'm learning more and more about what it means to be a mother, I'll admit that I am a little nervous. It's a big responsibility, bigger than I probably understand at this point. But I rest in knowing that God has us. He has me, He has you, He has your dad, and so we're just going to keep trusting Him. Leaning on His grace as we figure out this whole family thing, praising Him for His favor, and committing our ways, ourselves, and our family to Him.
"A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." - Proverbs 22:1
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