You Have a Name

Hi Shira,

a lot has been happening with you and I haven't had a chance to sit down and tell you about it. You've have a lot of visitors and a lot of attention. Your cousins Sara and Rebecca and your uncle Ben stayed with us for about a week. Your aunt Jane and uncle David were staying nearby and were able to spend a lot of time with you, too.
There was a bit of a competition between your cousins and your aunt about who could hold you the most so you were held a lot and I got to see you mostly in the middle of the night. That's ok because they don't get to see you very often and were making the most of their opportunity. I get to be with you all the time. Your cousin Rebecca got the honor of being the first to stay with you and your sister while your mom and I went out for a movie. I can't think of a person better suited for that task. We were completely comfortable leaving you in her care.
Some people might not be aware of another talent that your cousins have. They had the uncanny ability to turn a Fruit/Nut Mix into a Nut Only mix. I think there was a change in the proportions of the Pub Mix after they left, too.

There was also an important ceremony in your honor. You were officially given a Hebrew name and welcomed into the Jewish community. The ceremony was led by your aunt Jane and many family members played a part. One of the photos here shows the four of us (mom, dad, sidra, shira) during the proceedings. Here's what your mom said about how we chose your name:

Shira’s Hebrew name is Chaya Naomi. Chaya is chosen in remembrance of my father Haim Nachum. Naomi is chosen in remembrance of her brother Noah Jacob. Noah remains in our hearts and daily thoughts. We draw inspiration from him regularly. I only had my father with me for my first four years of life. So, it is with deep love that we give his name to our daughter. My father was known as a loving and generous man with a great sense of humor. He was dedicated to his community and to being a very loving father. I hope our daughter will show his strength of character, his strength of mind, his strength of heart, and his spiritual center. I hope she will carry his name with pride and that through her we will have many, many years of honor towards my father.

Here's what I said after that:

All of you know about our daughter’s big brother Noah. An author named Elizabeth McCracken lost her first son in a way frightfully similar to the way that we lost Noah. She wrote a memoir of her experience. In it she said that she didn’t believe that the birth of her healthy second son was a miracle. It’s one point on which I totally disagree. I believe the healthy birth of any child is a miracle. I am overwhelmed that we’ve been blessed with a second miracle daughter. I deeply relish the responsibility of nurturing her to leave each community she’s part of better than she found it.

Thanks for being here. Please enjoy the food and drink.

In one of the pictures you are showing your well fed frame. You left the hospital weighing under 7 pounds but now you're up to about 13. You have almost doubled your weight! You definitely know how to eat. You have also lengthened from 19½ inches to 22¼ inches. You sure have added to the skinny arms and legs you were born with. Right now you look like a linebacker.

You are usually a pretty fidgety sleeper and can detect when you have been put down. So it is hard to catch you in a totally relaxed pose. Your uncle Ben caught you in this moment of blissful sleep on the footstool after being released from the harness. I also included a shot with you and Sidra relaxing, where else? On the bed.

And the video is some of your sweet talk. You sleep about 75% of the time so it is hard to catch you awake and in the mood for some sweet talk. So i thought I would put that in for those who haven't had the pleasure of hearing it. In this clip you also briefly confuse a foam block with your mom's breast.



Love, aba