What's in a name?

I have to admit... I have asked several people if I should really "post" the name of this sweet baby girl we are so anxious to meet. I've heard it's taboo to do such a thing. But the response I got from one friend is, "You are such an open book... why DON'T you tell us her name so we know who to specifically pray for!" Great idea. And yes, there is meaning behind a name.

We plan to name her Adalynn which is after my grandmother (my mom's mom). Her name was actually spelled Adaline, but pronounced Ada-lynn. And my dad's name and my middle name is Lynn... therefore, Adalynn it is! I did look up the meaning of the name and it actually comes from Adelaide, which means "noble kind." I love that! What a noble thing she is already to go through so much in just 19 weeks of existence!

Her middle name is another story...

After Tom and I came out from the specialist's office, we were both just teary-eyed. We were in awe of this little girl. How she has overcome any "odds" that were against her. That God would place someone so special in our lives... that we are getting to witness a miracle in the making! Tom looked at me and said, "I don't think there is any doubt what the middle name of this baby girl should be..."

Prior to that, he had taken it upon himself to look up the word "miracle" in Danish. Olsen is Danish descent. In fact, his great great grandfather (Hans) came from Denmark, the country. The word he found was "Mirakel." He loved it...and I loved it. And after the visit and seeing that little girl just wiggling around in my belly, we knew that we were seeing a "Mirakel." So... Adalynn Mirakel Olsen. Noble Miracle (perfect).

On the drive home, Tom and I were just reflecting, daydreaming, planning... He pointed me to some scriptures that a new friend had led me to during our last Community Group. [Side note - this lady just HAPPENED to be at our Community Group for the very first time, and on the night we shared our new baby story, and she just HAPPENS to be a neo-natal nurse who just HAPPENS to know the specialist we saw in Little Rock. Cool, huh? I don't believe in coincidence.] She told me to claim these verses: (Psalm 139:5, 13-16)

You hem (Adalynn) in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon (her) ... For you created (her) inmost being; you knit (her) together in (her) mother's womb. I praise you because (Adalynn is) fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Her) frame was not hidden from you when (she) was made in the secret place. When (she) was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw (her) unformed body. All the days ordained for (her) were written in your book before one of them came to be.

What a great picture! Seeing her in that ultrasound and hearing the doctor say what a perfect placenta she had and how she looked so healthy and beautiful... all I could picture was God's hands "hemming her in." Thank you, Buffy, for sharing that scripture with us. I can't tell you how much that means to us!

And thank you to all of you for continuing to pray for our sweet Adalynn Mirakel! We are gratefully humbled and humbly grateful!