What’s in her name?

I realize that I never explained where Charlie’s name came from and how we decided on it.
Charlize:
Long before I met Adam I decided that if I had a girl someday I would name her Charlie. Charlie was my  grandpa Hamel’s name.  I never got to meet him. He died in  October of 1977 and I didn't show up until December of 1978.

But my mother would tell me stories about him and how sweet he was to her or how he and my grandma met.  I grew up knowing only of his spirit.  So for some odd reason I thought it would make a cute little girls name. That was my plan.
Then I met Adam.
He wouldn't even discuss names until we were pregnant. Then not until we knew what it was. Then we lost the first baby. But the name still stayed on the top of my list. I never let the name drop. I basically informed him that if we had a girl that would be her name. He would gave me a hard time about it…but eventually I think he started to come around and admitted that he liked it. When I got pregnant the 2nd time I brought it up again…and we started talking about if it WAS a girl that we should give her a proper female name, with every intention of calling her Charlie. I liked Charlotte. Adam didn't see how you’d get Charlie from Charlotte and being from NC he wasn't budging. He liked Charlize.  It wasn't my favorite, since the only Charlize I’d heard of is an actress; Charlize Theron. But I guess I couldn't win them all. Then we found out we were having a girl. In my mind she was already my Charlie girl. Ironically I don’t think we discussed names much after finding out she was a she…Then I left vacation with Adam following a few days behind.  We were excited to share the news of a GIRL, but hadn’t really discussed the final name.
When Adam finally arrived and we decided we couldn’t keep it in any longer we announced the sex to my parents.  It was later while Adam was napping that my dad asked if we had discussed names. I told him we had, but hadn't recently. Later my mom asked the same thing, Adam was around, I looked at him and said “have we? Is that it?” He nodded “If that’s what you like” So I turned to my mom and said “Her name is Charlize Linda” That was the first time I had said it aloud.  With just a look of our eyes in my parents kitchen we had named our daughter. My mother thought it was such a beautiful name and I started to think so to. It wasn't until I told her that we would be calling her Charlie that she started to cry.

 
Linda:
My middle name is Marie. My grandmas name is Marie. My Aunts name is Marie. It’s kind of a family name. So as all girls do when they pick out “Dream Names” they always choose a middle. Mine was Charlie Marie (both my grandparents)

Then I met Adam.

He had never given much thought to his future children's names, but early on he said that if he ever had a little girl he’d want to name her Linda. He would ask his dad first, but that he wanted to honor his mother.  Linda Young passed away from breast cancer when Adam was 11 years old.
As much as I wanted to honor his request I told him that I just couldn't see a little girl with such an adult name, but that I liked Linda for a middle name.  He agreed and from then on it was known that whatever we named our first born daughter, her middle name would be Linda.

So there you have it, the story behind the name Charlize “Charlie” Linda Young.  We like it and even if it is a little unconventional we’re sure that everyone will soon realize there isn't a more perfect name for our little peanut.

Final bump

*Now that I’m back at work…and sit at a PC all day.. I have time to finish up all I had hoped I would do while being home with a new born*

Here is the culmination of our “Bump Watch 2012” photos.

This last picture was taken 2 days before Charlie arrived. I was 39 weeks.

 

Looking back now, it’s hard to believe my belly was every that big.

Charlie’s Room

It has been two months now since Charlie has entered our life.  We have slowly gotten the hang of things and are falling more in love with our little sweetie every day. I have only a few days until I go back to work. Part of me is ready, but a growing part of me is not. I asked Adam what it’s like to be gone at work all day away from her; he said “It sucks, I miss her like crazy”. Great. Monday is going to be tough.

Right now Ms. C is chilling in her crib. So i thought it would be a good time to finally reveal her room since it’s pretty much finished.  As you recall it was our guestroom/office back in August.

Then I was put on bed rest and it was my “work room” all while it was being prepped for our little girl.

Adam did a lot of the work I did the designing. (as it should be ;)

Ok, enough talk, here is her finished room:

Adam painstakingly did that mural while I sat in bed calling off dimensions from my AutoCAD drawing. It is a design by Frank Lloyd Wright from the Storer House. Adam also built the floating shelves in the corner, which we realized we needed after seeing how much stuff this little girl had. My mother sewed the beautiful curtains. I did the bed skirt and the pillows. Everything else, we bought or was given to us.

 Yes, we still have room for guests :)  I spy a baby…

 

(before the shelves)

The big question…does Charlie like it?

Yes! She loves her mobile, she loves rocking in her chair and staring up at the Ikea light, getting her diaper changed is her favorite thing and just the other day she discovered the pink elephants.  Happy baby, happy parents.  We are blessed.