We got our sign...(and I DO mean that literally!)

As I've alluded to in previous posts, naming this baby girl has not been an easy task. With our first two children, I've said to Aaron "I think we should name the baby (fill in the blank)!" and he's said "Okay." Easy, peasy, DONE! Well, this time was different. As soon as we found out we were having a girl I said to Aaron "I think we should name the baby Claire Margaret!" He didn't really object for a few weeks, but at some point he decided he didn't like it. That really put a wrench in things for me because my mind was made up. Back to the drawing board? That was unchartered territory!

For a while, Aaron pushed for Olivia Rose. Don't get me wrong, I think Olivia is a beautiful name, but I already know several little Olivia's and it just didn't feel like "the one." Then somehow we came up with Sophia. Though I know it's also very popular, we don't personally know any little girls named Sophia. While we both had other favorites, this was one that we both liked quite a bit. Still, I couldn't quite seem to let go of Claire and we just didn't know how to come up with the "final answer."

Tonight we had dinner with some friends (while the kids stayed with mom and dad). On the way to dinner, I asked Aaron how we were ever going to make a final decision and he didn't really have any ideas. We talked names with our friends all during dinner, but still couldn't commit.

When dinner was over, it was 8:30 so we had a little time to kill. That is when I came up with "the plan." I explained to Aaron that a while back I just happened to find a sign with Grace's name on it at HomeGoods (which happens to be one of my very favorite stores!) If you aren't familiar with HomeGoods...they have a little of this, a little of that...usually not in large quantities (which I've found can be a real pain when you're looking for matching placemats or napkins). Occasionally, they'll have these personalized painted signs with children's names on them. It's totally hit or miss and on one of my many trips, I happened upon a "Grace" sign (which now hangs in her room). There are never more than a couple and they just have random names. So, I suggested we go to HomeGoods and check out the little girl's section. IF any of the names we were considering happened to be there, we could take it as our sign that that was the right name. I'm not sure he agreed with me, but he DID drive me there and actually went in with me (maybe his second time EVER in the store).

As we approached the section, I scanned quickly and saw NO name signs. "Oh well" I thought..."at least I got to come in one of my favorite stores...and on date night even!: But there was a round display that had several wall hangings in it and I decided just for kicks and giggles to search through it.

And there it was...hidden behind three other pictures. When uncovered, it shone like a beacon under a sparkly yellow crown....

I have to admit, I actually gasped when I saw it. Though it was a fun idea...I didn't REALLY expect to get our answer right there in the aisles of HG! But deep down, I've been leaning more towards this name in recent weeks and think I just needed "permission" from my conscience to let go of Claire. And so there it was.

Of course, we couldn't leave without the sign. This little girl will have a fun story about how she FINALLY got her name. She needs to be able to SEE the sign. Not to mention that I really needed a picture of it for my blog too! :)

We also decided on a middle name tonight, so the final answer is:
Sophia Maren Richardson
Sophia means "wisdom" and Maren, which happens to be the diminuitive form of Margaret (my mom's name) means "pearl." Coincedentally, Maren is also a pretty good mix of "Melissa" and "Aaron."

So, there you have it...with exactly 9 weeks til the due date (which we know likely means 5-6 weeks til her arrival), she has a name!