What's in a name?

Before I got pregnant, I knew exactly what I was going to name Baby Norris... girl or boy.

However, once we accidentally found out what we were having... the name we had picked just didn't seem to fit.  (How does that happen?)

So, we sort of pulled one out of the air.

It was a combination of names that we had discussed years before, for our future children.

But somehow, it fit.


But before we actually decided, we had to look up the meaning.  I just couldn't name my child something that had NO meaning whatsoever.

So, the name we decided on is:

Bella Rae.

(Yes, another double-name baby.  I like double names, don't ask me why.)

Not too common.

Not too uncommon either.


But the meaning of the name is what I love.

Obviously, Rae is after TJ's Papa Ray, who passed away over a year ago.  We miss him dearly and really wanted to remember him in this way.

I had always loved the name Belle.

Beauty and the Beast was my favorite Disney movie growing up.

However, Belle Rae (sunglasses?) just didn't work.

So, we added an A... and Bella it was.



But the meaning of Bella... "Beautiful.  Devoted to God."  won me over.

And every time I would hear of another child being named Bella... TJ would remind that it was the meaning of the name that I love so much, not the "commonness" of it.

Seriously, several times I almost changed my mind because I didn't want her name to be too common.

Also, a lot of times, Bella is short for Isabella.  And even though, in this case, it's not... I think the meaning of Isabella really helped me decide as well that this was the perfect name.  (Bella is a nickname, of Isabella... and that counts, right?)

Isabella means:  "Devoted to God."  Or, in Spanish, "My God is bountiful.  God of plenty."  Which I think fits in so well since this is Sadie Mae's "rainbow" sister.


So, that's how we came up with her name...


We are home, and are all doing well.

I am heading to bed... in hopes of getting a few hours of rest before having to cuddle my little one all night again.

I am still in disbelief that I got to bring a baby home.

But I am so head over heels in love with her.

Happy because I'm going home!!

40 week "Bella" shot!  :)

Baby burrito