How I Got My Name

Mommy and Daddy think one of the earliest challenges faced by parents is picking a name for the new life they have created.  Apparently, choosing one name that will follow this human being throughout infancy, childhood, the teen years, and adulthood can be quite daunting.

They did have it easy when it came to the middle name, though. Elizabeth is Mommy's middle name, and they really wanted to pass that down.

Here are the criteria Mommy and Daddy agreed on for my first name:

Must have a strong meaning.

Be nicknameable.

Contain more than one syllable.

Not send Mommy into a teacher coma by reminding her of any of the behaviorally challenged students she was priveleged to teach.

When Mommy was 5 or 6 months pregnant, the list of possible first names had been narrowed down to:

Hannah was the first to be crossed off the list.  Mommy had a Hannah in her classroom last year, and she didn't want any of her other students/parents to be offended by that name choice.  There was also already a Hannah in Mommy and Daddy's social circle, so it made since to go with one of the other names.

Mommy and Daddy were having a really tough time choosing between Abigail and Katelyn.  They were both asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom to know which name was the right name for the little baby they were about to have. 

  Then, one Sunday morning, our Pastor asked a member of our congregation to share about how God had recently brought her family through an especially difficult time.  Almost exactly one year before I was due, her son and daughter-in-law (who also attend our church) lost the twin babies they were expecting.  When she said the babies were named Ethan and Abigail, Mommy and Daddy looked at each other and whispered, "We can't name her Abigail."  They didn't want their joy to cause this family any more pain.

  So, that's how it was made clear to Mommy and Daddy that I was to be named

And now, they can't imagine their lives without their little Katie Bug.

It really is the perfect name for me!