So, fast forward. We tossed around a lot of names. And by that I mean, I read 7,000,000 baby name books, wrote lists of possibilities, read them to Eldon, and got shot down. He liked names like Stella, Calista, and Celeste. I told him someday I'd buy him a constellation, but those are not going on my child's birth certificate. I have specific objections for them all, but because this is a public blog I will keep my comments to myself. The names I liked were Lacey, Tess, and Tori. I came into my marriage loving those names, and two out of three have been taken by Eldon's older siblings. I don't consider them off limits in the least, since no one is ever going to meet my children and say, "What's your name? Oh, but you don't have any cousins you never see that have that name do you?" And Tori is my dad's name (Torrey) and Eldon says you can't name a girl after her grandpa because she might grow up to look like a linebacker and resent her masculine name. Okay ... I bought that argument when we were rolling the genetic dice the first time. But now? Look at our daughters, who are clinging to the bottom of the growth chart with their tiny little fingers. We are not going to produce a linebacker. But whatever. Then a few weeks before she was born I was reading a name book and saw "Brooke." That had been on one of my baby name lists from college (lots of perfectly rational girls have name lists way before man or marriage show up). And I just knew. That's her! It was the same feeling I'd had when I read "Noelle." Like you're not naming the child, you're meeting her. Eldon dragged his feet on it for awhile, I think because he was hoping I'd give in on Celeste. But I would just rub my tummy and promise my fetus I wouldn't let the bad man name her that.
Anyway, the girls and I were calling her Brooke for weeks before she was born. They were SO EXCITED for her to "come out." Noelle was seriously perplexed at what was taking so long. She was also quite disappointed in me that I'd allow my baby to be born naked. You mean you're not going to have the decency to CLOTHE her in there? Yep ... I'm just going to let her come out humiliated and exposed to the elements. Noelle must have mentioned it to me a dozen times, and I did my best to keep a straight face. Nope. I can only crochet with my hands. My placenta is a lazy B.
Never give birth at Nellis Air Force base, by the way. If you ever are in danger of that particular threat, circle the hospital of your choice like a SHARK until your water breaks or something and they are forced to admit you. I'm going to write an entire blog post about that experience. Too bad you won't be able to see my body language while I tell it, because it's really quite illuminating. :) All I will say is that someday I'm going to name something I hate Kirby. I'll never have any kind of animal, but maybe like a tent that I hate setting up. OH! I just made my own self laugh ... like I'm ever going to need a tent for anything I ever do in my entire future. Maybe I'll name the changing pad Kirby. Or maybe I'll just use it as an expletive.
Brooke has been an angel right from the beginning. Calm and patient ... everything you hope your baby will be. And SO beautiful. My friend Lacy was holding her once and said, "When people say, 'Let's have a baby!' this is what they're imagining." Hands down my favorite compliment. :)
The girls about broke the hospital door down coming in to see her. So many of my pictures are blurry because they just can't contain their excitement for one single, still moment. :)
(Oh, and I did NOT crochet that hat.)
I get that look from Eve all the time. It is her response to the word "no." I hope she grows out of it someday. She's even pointing to what she wants, which of course, is Brooke. :)
Getting her way:
I hauled my sore self up on a chair to take this one because I wanted one of those pretty Pinterest shots. I should have hired a photographer.
I was emotional about having a fourth baby. I watched Chiara as I held Brooke on the couch and knew that in five minutes that would be her, running around reading books and painting pictures. I cried and cried that my baby was growing up too fast. So one night when Brooke was about five weeks old I took a picture of myself weeping. Just to show her someday how much I love her. :)
I love her every minute. When she's fresh from the tub, when she's covered in puke, when I'M covered in puke, when she's sleeping, when we're awake at 2am, when the girls are kissing her, when the girls are fighting over her ... Every single minute of her life has been delightful. I miss every version of her that she's already grown out of. So I just hold her. Every day. All day long. The house is messy and I hardly ever do my hair. Oh well! :)
