Tuesday, October 8, 2013

DIYing. oh, and her name.

Yesterday after work I started Operation: Make this Cheap Laminate Bookshelf Way Cuter. Obviously everything in the nursery must contain the maximum amount of cuteness, and boring brown faux-wood wasn't really living up to the high standards I'm setting. Naturally, this required stopping by Lowe's to purchase paint and other various painting accoutrements. As it turned out, I had a Lowe's gift card that paid for all the things I needed to get for the bookshelf. And then as I was checking out I realized why I even had a Lowe's gift card: it was a Mother's Day present. My wonderful MIL is always so thoughtful and gives me Mother's Day cards and gifts, despite the semi-significant fact that I have yet to actually be a mother. But she always helps make a terrible day a little bit less so with her thoughtfulness. She knows how much I love flowers and plants and so a Lowe's gift card was spot on for a sweet present this past year...except then it rained for about 100 days straight. And I never got around to using the gift card because I never had enough dry days in a row to start new yard projects. So I forgot about the card, but today I remembered. And isn't it just a littttttle bit ironic that now I'm using my Mother's Day present to prepare stuff for my daughter's room?

Yeah. It's pretty fabulous to me. Definitely didn't think that's what I'd be using the card for back when I received it, that's for sure. It's funny to look back and analyze stuff, isn't it? Like around Mother's Day...I was busy having my huge annual pity party fest for myself, my MIL was buying me a gift card so that I could plant flowers that would cheer me up, and somewhere in south Georgia my daughter was a wee little bean sprouting and growing in her mama's belly. It's pretty awesome when you think about it. 

Speaking of my daughter...I guess we may as well call her by name. Our only reason for not using her name 'publicly' initially was that we love the name so much that if something had gone wrong with this adoption, we wanted to still be able to use the name on a future child. I picked this (first) name in 2002, people...I have history with it**!! So I would hate to just...not have it anymore. But then...I really think this is my daughter. And she needs a name, and this is the name, and if it doesn't work out, then oh well. I'll think of a new name for my next daughter.

Without further adieu...please put your hands together for our sweet baby!


Thus far the typical reactions we've had upon sharing her name have been:

-ALLISON? Did you mean to say ALLISON? (No, we didn't. But if it helps you to remember it better, pretend it's Allison with an E for Erika.)

-Ellison? Oh, are you going to call her Ellie? (Not planning to, but it's a sweet nickname and if that's what she prefers to go by, then by all means. I'm not anti-Ellie, but I'm naming her Ellison because I want to call her Ellison. Otherwise I'd name her...Ellie.)

-Oh! That's...pretty!

-I thought you said it was going to be a girl? 
 
-*gasp* LOVE IT! (Me too, thank you for giving the correct response.)

- Ellison Karina? That's a lot of syllables. Are you going to call her by both names? (So maybe it is a mouthful. But our last name only has one syllable, so I think it averages out. And no, probably not...except for when she's in trouble.)

So there you have it. We've been waiting and praying for Ellison for a long time...I can't wait to finally put a squishy little face with the name. And monogram the crap out of some stuff.

**We actually have a really long and cool story about her name-- it started out as just a name that I really liked, but over the years it has gathered a lot of meaning and significance in our lives. There are several reasons why we feel very strongly like it is the name meant for this child, and I hope that one day I will be able to share that exciting story with everyone.

40 comments:

  1. I LOVE IT!!! Hi Ellison :)

    And that story about your MIL and the Mother's Day gift card is just so perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Seriously awesome name! Who thinks it sounds like a boy's name? That is just weird. Love it and can't wait to hear the story about it and put Ellison's squishy face to it :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Super cute name! Can't wait to see the super cute baby it belongs to!

    ReplyDelete
  4. It really is a pretty name, but it's a shame it will forever remind me of our email conversation about what our child would be named if you and I were a couple... hahaha!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful name!!! Looking forward to reading your blog once this sweet girl is here. Congrats!! God is faithful : )

    ReplyDelete
  6. LOVE IT! I love the monogram, love the number of syllables, love the uniqueness, love E for Erika... LOVE IT!

    And how stinking cool about the gift card... amazing. So many cool stories already and she's not even here yet!

    Can't wait to see all of your DIY glory!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love it!!! It's so beautiful :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. How wonderful! I love this post. Her name is so beautiful and unique! Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Absolutely perfect! That's all!

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a gorgeous name! Not that I am opposed to nicknames but I wanted a name that couldn't necessarily be shortened and that is one of the reasons we chose Reagan. Then the poor girl will have hand cramps by the time she gets done writing her full name, Reagan Elizabeth Fredritz. There is just something elegant and regal about a long name I think!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love, love, love her name...so pretty!

    P.S. Once again...your captcha hates me!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ellison is a beautiful name. You are brave to put it out there - we always waited until after the baby was born to announce the name since we had no interest in hearing everyone's opinion!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Such a mom thing to do to use your gift card on your daughter :) Love it! And Ellison is beautiful! We were thinking of using Ellis if Nolan had been a girl.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I hope you share the exciting name story with everyone, too, because I just love hearing the personal reasons behind why people chose names. It makes the names even more fabulous than they already are!! I'm so glad you finally put me out of my misery by sharing...although I'm totally going to be thinking of her as 'Allison with an E for Erika.' haha. I think the flow of her first and middle names are really nice. :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I was signed in with the wrong account...don't want you to be so confused on who the picture-less Melissa is!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Erika, I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! How beautiful and I love that there is meaning behind it.. for years now! I have chills right now. We have been praying God gives us specific names for our children :) So exciting. Can't wait to see pictures of sweet Ellison :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. I am in the *gasp* LOVE IT! category! So beautiful! :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Beautiful name! Looking forward to hearing the story behind it.

    And what a lovely monogram! Just realized our possible daughter's monogram will spell "ASK". Whoops!

    ReplyDelete
  19. BEAUTIFUL! I love it, love, love, love it. Perfect :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Such a pretty name! I love that it started out as something you just "liked" and grew into something you love, with meaning and significance special to you and Matt.

    I am sure you will come up with all sorts of wonderful nicknames for her once she's here, but since I have an Ellie of my own, I am partial to that ;) (Her's is short for Elysia, and I have to admit, sometimes I think it's a shame we don't use her full name more often!)

    ReplyDelete
  21. HAHAHAHA!! Love the responses. I actually really like the name and even texted it to the hubs as a potential if we ever have a girl! :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. I love the name!! It is so beautiful and unique!

    People always have opinions on baby names, I wish they would keep them to themselves unless they love it! haha

    ReplyDelete
  23. That gift card was meant to be!!! What a cool story :) And seriously, I love her name!!! It's different but not like Apple different :) Can't wait to put a face to the name!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I LOVE the name! LOVE LOVE. It's different but not weird - which is my favorite kind of name. Can't wait to see the face that goes with it!

    ReplyDelete
  25. YES! I LOVE it!!!!! (I am such an idiot for not guessing this after your hints yesterday in our emails. Ellian? Really?) Haha!!!

    It is perfect! SO happy for you! Ellison is a lucky little girl, already!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I love it so much! Very classy and feminine.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I really like the name! So cute and no one in her class will have the same name, double score!!! Plus Ellie is a cute nickname. The first and middle name flow so when she is in trouble it will be really easy off the tongue. Looking forward to meeting Ellison!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Best line: "Monogram the crap out of some stuff". I'm with ya girl!! Beautiful name, it will fit her perfectly!

    ReplyDelete
  29. giggle. Was thinking: "Monogram the crap out of some stuff". hallarious.

    name: aaaaw love it.

    ReplyDelete
  30. EEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I love it.

    (duh.)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Love love love it. Beautiful choice for a beautiful baby!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Bahaha! Don't you just love when people can't hide they don't like the name you picked? "Sorry,Jack, but that will be our sweet baby girl's name...sooo, keep those feelings to yourself!" I personally love it! So sweet. Definitely unique, which we're about over here, though Zoë apparently became popular for our generation (boooo!). Oh well. Anyway, LOVE the name! Very sweet!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Love the name, how exciting to be to the naming process. :)

    ReplyDelete
  34. I think it's beautiful--and as long as you love it, that's what matters. AND my baby is nicknamed Ellie for Eliana, so I'm partial to the name's beginning:)

    ReplyDelete
  35. I LOVE it and love even more that there is a story behind it. I always look forward to reading your posts and following you threw this amazing part of your journey

    ReplyDelete

I love comments almost as much as I love Mexican food. Seriously.