Week 22 plus.  Only four more weeks and its on to the third trimester.

 

The news for this week is that I think we have finally decided on a name for Baby Kalahurka.  If you recall, we had narrowed our list of girl names down to a short list.  Bill and I have now made a final selection from that list.  We plan to name our daughter . . .

I like this name for several reasons.  First, I like the way it sounds -- that is always the first test.  Second, I like the way that we came up with it.  Bill and I were out to dinner a month or two ago, tossing girl names back and forth.  We decided to try out names of women who had made a strong mark in history.  There were at least two Amelias who fit that description:

• Amelia Earhart.  History tells us that this Amelia was a plucky sort, who was not satisfied playing the role of the traditional woman.  Not only did she set records for women in aviation, she set numerous records for both men and women!  All of her biographies state that she was a true individual who believed that she could accomplish whatever she set her mind to, and then she never settled for less.  I hope that our Amelia will believe the same thing about herself. 
   
• Amelia Bloomer.  This Amelia also made her mark on history.  She was the first woman to realize that wearing dresses all the time was just not practical.  She invented bloomers, which eventually led to the liberation of women from the necessity of wearing silly skirts.  I owe a lot to Amelia Bloomer.  Dresses and skirts are not my favorite.

Finally, I like the name Amelia because it is not all that common, but it is also not that uncommon.  According to the Social Security Administration, Amelia was number 68 from among all names for baby girls in the U.S. during 2009.  Unfortunately, there is a movie coming out in November called "Amelia" that has me a little worried that it will pick up in popularity.  Unless it jumps into the top 15 or so though, we plan to stick with it.

Rose is the middle name that we have chosen.  I like it because it is beautiful.  When I think about roses, I think about the color red -- which will be Amelia's signature color until she is old enough to choose for herself.  Bill suggested the name Rose because it was his grandmother's name, and so is special to him.  Bottom line, we have both always liked Rose for a middle name.

I realize that some folks don't believe in revealing the baby's name until she is born out of fear that someone will discourage the name.  I've already had some people react half-heartedly to it, so I can see the point of not telling.  That being said, keeping secrets is not my style.  I love sharing this adventure with friends and family, and this simply another step along the way.  We have decided on a name for Miss Amelia Rose and so we're sharing that too.  

In other news, we had a wonderful weekend with the Kalahurkas.  That is why this post is a little late (I usually post on the weekends).  We enjoyed a fun family wedding.  We got to see both Annie and Katie (Bill's sisters).  Katie was in a production of "Into the Woods" that I think was the best stage production that I've ever seen (and I've seen a couple on Broadway).  We finished off the weekend by going to see the Cowboys play the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday Afternoon.  It was a GREAT game (only very cold).  It went into overtime.  I've heard it said that you know you truly love someone when you value their happiness over your own.  I think I figured out what that means this weekend.  My Bill was so excited about the possibility that the Chiefs might actually win a game that I think I even wished it a little -- even though it would mean their defeating my Cowboys.  In the end, the Cowboys won the day.  I guess the Chiefs will have their chance again in four more years.

Finally, I should report that Mom Kalahurka and Aunt Martha are building a FANTASTIC playhouse for Miss Amelia.  I will post more about this later when I have a photo.  My words won't do it justice . . . .

Well . . . until next week:

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.  The fears are paper tigers.  You can do anything you decide to do.  You can act to change and control your life;  and the procedure, the process is its own reward."

--Amelia Earhart