Show us your life...

Okay, I know I'm a few days late on this but I saw on a friend's blog that Kelly's Korner recently hosted a "show us your life" day with the theme of "Your Kid's (or future kid's) names" & I really wanted to get in on this! Better late than never, huh?!

I think all girls start planning their names early in life... I know I did & have had several names picked out over the years. When I was pregnant with Austin we had picked:

Austin Michael and Brittany Nicole

I hate to admit that I actually chose the name Austin because I just loved Austin Peck off of Days of Our Lives AND back then I had never heard that name & I thought it was pretty uncommon. Boy was I in for a surprise! I think everyone named their child Austin back in '96. I know one year in school there were 3 or 4 Austin's in the same room! Michael is just because I think it is a beautiful name!

Two funny stories about that name, actually:

1. A few years after Austin was born I ran into a close friend from grade school & she had a son who was about Austin's age & can you guess what she named him??? Nope, not Austin Michael but she did name her son Michael Austin! And no, we didn't plan that but it is too cool not to mention!
2. As you may already know, Austin is actually from a previous marriage. Well, my husband now is Michael "Mike" Thomas so often when Austin gets in trouble & I say his full name, like so many mother's do, I end up combining their names, Austin Michael Thomas H. LOL

Brittany Nicole was simply b/c we thought that was a beautiful name for a little girl. I'm so glad though I had a boy b/c Brittany Spears ruined that name for me. Not that I don't like Britany Spears (anymore ). I used to loathe her (in my early 20's) but now I feel sorry for her.

Fast-forward to 2006 when Mike & I started TTC. We chose the names:

Nicholas Connor and Chloe Elizabeth

Both b/c they are beautiful names! Chloe was Mike's pick while Mikayla Leigh (Leigh has always been one of my all-time favorite girl names) was mine but I soon grew to LOVE Chloe & was very excited to one day welcome a Chloe into our family. Well, as you know, we got pregnant last year only to have a miscarriage at 11 wks gestation. I don't know the sex of the baby we lost but I really feel, through prayer, that she was a girl & thus Chloe Elizabeth. After my miscarriage but before we were allowed to TTC with Clomid once again I had a dream:

I dreamed I had 6 babies... SIX!!! Oh, but I'd love it! In my dream they all looked so much alike that I couldn't tell who was who so my mom was there & she told me their names & all I could think was "We HAVE to name one of them Nora" so the next baby that was born was named, "Nora"!

I have hung tightly to this dream since that night! Anyway so b/c I really think Chloe is in heaven I thought that the next girl might be named:

Nora Leighanne

Technically I haven't really cleared this one with Mike. I think he is still holding out for Chloe but I really also think that Nora is the name God chose b/c I know I would have never picked that name if it weren't for the dream. Also, I looked it up & Nora means, "honor, light" & is a Latin name (my name is Latin too )! Isn't that beautiful & perfectly fitting... "light" since as you know Jesus is the light! Anyway, my heart is now set on Nora Leighanne for a girl & Nicholas Connor for a boy. I just think those are the two most perfect names on this earth!