Thank you for sharing our excitement! Jonny and I have been so touched by all the sweet comments.
With each baby, it is easier and easier to let most everything go but just being with him. I’ve hardly knit a stitch. My stack of books doesn’t even really appeal to me. I’m perfectly content to just lay in bed and look at my baby. Jonny asks with concern, “Are you terribly bored?” No, I’m not. I’m counting days, relieved that I’m not required to get up yet, that I am supposed to be resting with my baby. The newborn stage is far too fleeting. I know that well.
I want to tell you about his name. We had the hardest time naming him, which is different than our past babies whose names came to us more easily. You might want to grab a cup of tea before sitting down to read his name saga:
Before he was even conceived, I had this notion that if I ever had another little boy, I would name him, Job. I know it’s not a name that is used very often, I think partially because it is spelled just like “job” and also because it means, “the afflicted one,” or “persecuted.” And yes, the Job of the Old Testament was certainly persecuted, but there is far more to his story. From the introduction to The Book of Job in my Bible: “The Book of Job, named after its protagonist, is an exquisite dramatic poem which treats the problem of suffering of the innocent, and of retribution. The contents of the book, together with its artistic structure and elegant style, place it among the literary masterpieces of all time.” With the exception of Seth and Gabe, all of our children have one name that has a literary theme.
Just a few weeks into this pregnancy, I was pretty convinced that this baby was a boy because my boy pregnancies and my girl pregnancies have followed pretty consistent patterns. I quickly began to think of him as “Baby Job.” The name came up here and there, and I was often met with looks of concern when I shared it. When people think of Job, they tend to think of suffering.
Early in the pregnancy, I took a little trip with my friends Elizabeth, Elizabeth, and Ann. That first night in a hotel room in North Carolina, we sat up late talking and laughing. Somehow the topic of what Jonny and I might name this baby came up. I said, “Job.” Immediately Ann said something along the lines of, “Yes!” She totally understood and shares my love for the name. In my eyes, the book of Job is not about suffering, so much as it is about faith and trust in God. But mere minutes later, just as I was feeling really excited about finally having someone agree that Job is an excellent name, Ann pulled the plug. “Oh, Ginny…” I can’t remember her exact words, but it boiled down to this: Our last name is Foreman. “Job Foreman.” You see? That’s kind of a problem, I guess. Ann said something about him filling out a job application…I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. I’ve spent the rest of the pregnancy trying to figure out how I could still name him Job. My technique was to sandwich it between two other big names. We’ll see how it works. I am picturing him writing S. Job Amadeus Foreman…or something like that. He may end up going by Sebastian. We don’t quite know yet.
As far as coming up with his other two names, that was super hard. I drove Jonny crazy. For instance, we might get woken up in the middle of the night by Silas, and then I wouldn’t be able to go right back to sleep. I’d start whispering…”Jonny, Jonny, Do you want to talk about baby names?” Snore. He said a lot of things along the lines of, “You just name him whatever you want.” To which I would respond with dismay, “But it’s your baby too! You have to have an opinion!” For some reason Jonny can come up with girl name ideas, but not boy names. When he does come up with a boy name, it’s super weird. So with the boys, I have to just keep making suggestions until we find one that he likes. One evening we were sitting up after the kids were in bed talking about my favorite topic, what we would name the baby. I started reading through my baby name book,the Dictionary of Patron Saints’ Names
Over the next few months, we nearly settled on a couple of first names to complete the “Job sandwich,” but they just weren’t quite right. My main concern was that I really wanted Jonny to like the first name we chose, not just agree to it because I liked it. I also wanted a name that our baby could potentially go by, if Job just doesn’t work out. I want this child to have options. We finally found that name with Sebastian. The name means “venerable” and then of course there is Saint Sebastian, and it’s always been on my list of “names that I like.” The problem I had right away with it was that using Sebastian and Amadeus in the name just sounds a little over the top, especially considering that both of those names are associated with famous composers, neither of whom are the reason we chose the names. I suggested that we might ought to drop the Amadeus, but in the end we kept it. Larkspur was insistent about it, and even threatened that if we took it out of his name, when she grew up she would name every single one of her boys Amadeus. And she began to chant, “Amadeus One, Amadeus Two, Amadeus Three….”
This baby, who made quite the dramatic entrance into the world, I think he can handle his big name.
So now we will just wait and see who this dear little one becomes. Our three youngest children have called him Job from early in the pregnancy, and that is what they are calling him now. Jonny keeps calling him Silas, and actually turned to me one day last week and said, “Can we just have two Silas’?” I mostly call him “The Baby,” which is what I typically do with all of our babies for at least a little while. And as we all know, with the way little children can quickly gain all sorts of nicknames, there’s no telling what we’ll end up calling him. The important thing is that he’s here, he’s loved. I love him so much I can hardly stand it.
What lovely photos. Just gorgeous! And I can’t wait to hear about Job’s dramatic entrance into this world.
He’s beautiful. You could call him “Pickles” and it wouldn’t matter one little bit 🙂
Your pictures are so, so beautiful. The names you’ve chosen are so beautiful as well. When I hear the name Job I think of ‘the patience of Job’ and the amazing, extraordinary faith he possessed. God bless all of you. Enjoy this most special, precious time with your baby and family. And thank you for sharing your beauty and joy with us. God is so very generous and good.
Love his names! Rest well, mama. Thank you for sharing your sweet boy!
One beauty of naming, then knowing, a child is watching them grow into their name(s) and creating the story of their who they are.
Awwww a baby!!!! What a sweet surprise to me tonight! Congratulations!!!! My babies are grown and don’t have babies of their own yet, but I SO enjoy looking at your small world with all your Littles! Have fun!!!! <3
Congratulations, and I love his name. His birthday is the day after my son’s. I’m thankful you are both doing well. Enjoy your special time with your beautiful new baby.
Love the name story! Can’t wait to hear the birth story!
A beautiful name for a beautiful baby. Thank you for sharing the story and pictures. My eyes are joyfully wet!
I had one baby and he was (and still is) a delight. I wish I had been more relaxed about it all. 🙂
What a precious family! I just love seeing the children so smitten with a new baby! You look beautiful too holding your little guy! Thank you for sharing all — be well and rest up!
Beautiful names, beautiful story, beautiful photos. Enjoy your newborn time!
i love the name saga. we are having a bit of one right now. i am due with baby number 7 soon and although we have a great boy name all picked out, i can not for the life of me find a girl name that seems perfect.
glad to know i am not the only one who spends so much time finding the very best names. <3
he is a total love bug, btw, what a sweetie.
Wow is he beautiful!
So glad you wrote and showed some more pics.
I thought you had named him Saga! Beautiful baby
Same!
I do love his name and your pictures brought tears to my eyes xxx
Thank you for sharing.
He is gorgeous and has beautiful names.
Enjoy this time.
I absolutely love his name, Sebastian has always been on my list of boys name. His little sleep suit is lovely and looks like it fits so well. And little Job, well he is just divine.
He is beautiful!! Thank you for sharing these lovely pictures with us in blog land! My favorites is of the wee
one” chatting” with his big sister. He is so alert !!
God’s blessings on you all during this precious time.
Sigh.. from a menopausal 50yo. Babies are just so sweet and yummy. It’s a good thing you knit those baby things on the plus side!
Speaking of Mozart, my German husband wanted to name one of our boys “Wolfgang” because he thought that any boy would love to have a cool nickname like “Wolf.” I didn’t go for it and my boys thank me.
Well he’s as sweet as can be…and I love how the other kids adore him as well. I can’t believe he’s sucking his thumb at such an early age…and I love the knitted items you have made him or were gifted…and you look great. I showed my mom your picture and she said, “she’s got how many kids?…she sure doesn’t look like it”. Thank you for posting with all your busi-ness. I’ve been dying to see how you were coming along.
Stunning pictures! And the hand knits are wonderful! I love the stories. I hope you will share the other children as well, especially Larkspur.
I too am cuddling a newborn. 7 weeks now!
You went with Job for so long, I couldn’t for the life of me, remember what his real name was until you posted it on your blog! Kind of embarrassing.
Anyway, I am in love with his name and his cuteness! This photos show the tenderness you have for him beautifully!
These photos brought tears to my eyes…so beautiful, and truthfully, I’m envious. We won’t be having any more but I would love another little person in our family. However, the naming sagas! I am glad that your friend was kind in pointing out the potential challenge to being Job Foreman. When I mentioned to my book club that we were considering Ainsley as a middle name if our unborn child was a girl, one woman spat out “sounds like ANUS!!” Of course, it doesn’t (!!), but we used a different name because all I could hear was that snarky, inappropriate response to our name (again, !!!!).
That little vignette aside, all three of your baby’s names are wonderful, and he’ll reign whatever name he ends up growing into.
I LOVE his name! He looks beautiful Ginny. Congrats and good work. It made me laugh to read about what everyone calls him. Sounds just like our house. My youngest is 7 weeks old, and my 3 other girls call her by her name, my husband has finally stopped calling her by my 3rd child’s name, and I just call her the baby. We teased my 2nd and told her we would just name the baby her same name and have 2 Sonoras (that is her name), but it went over very poorly. Ah well. Good luck with that baby and enjoy your resting time!
Love the story about how his name came about & I love the name Job. I also love the story of his faithfulness even in the mist of trial (something I am trying to work harder on). He is such a hig beautiful baby!! Can’t wait to meet him!
How fun hearing the thought that goes into naming a baby. I love, love, love to play the “Name Game” when I’m pregnant. My husband is an unwilling participant!
Have you ever told the story of Silas’ name? I should like to read that one.
yes! https://gsheller.com/2011/06/his-name.html
I knew you would pick a great name. He is darling. I am so with you on enjoying the newborn stage. I have gotten so much better at just soaking up the delicious newborn time with each new baby. You can see the obvious love in these family pictures. Enjoy that sweet baby smell!
He sure looks like a very loved baby. I guess that’s one advantage of being part of a large family. Best wishes for little Job!
Ginny,
Thanks for sharing his name story, all of his names are beautiful. It’s a blessing for him to be born into a family with so many people to love and hold him. And thanks for sharing the pictures. What a gift to get a peek on that newborn magic. Enjoy your special time.
Love,
Taryn
I love the story! and the pictures, he is so beautiful! Yes, REST, this is exactly what you should be doing with him… 🙂 His names are wonderful and I think a real protection, each one of them! So nice to read this! 🙂 🙂 Still praying for you; now I pray for ‘Ginny and Sebastian’ 🙂 Will wait to see what his name settles into… 🙂
I love his names! We only have 3 children so far, all boys. And we get them completely mixed up, so I can only imagine how it is in your family! We have a formula for names, choose something bold for a first name and then a family name for the middle. Our boys are Roman George, Leonardo Paul & Caspian Marc. People do look very strangely at us when we introduce our 2yr old as Leonardo! I don’t tell them that my first choice was Napoleon
Oh my, what a beautiful little bundle you have there!!…he’s is just so
cute! I was telling my husband about your name dilemma and he started
looking up some names in the Hebrew of the old testament saints
and he mentioned Enoch…it means ‘dedicated’…just a thought……
Corinne
He’s gorgeous! Love his name and all that it speaks into his life. Well done!
I love this story. I like to only share the names we are choosing with the few people who can give me real, concrete criticism such as Job Foreman. What a bunch of sweeties in the photos! Please do enjoy the babymoon!
I get it. Absolutely. Job is not depressing!! It’s the most glorious lesson: no matter what, blessed be the name of the Lord.
Job Foreman gave me a fit of giggles. Good thing you ran that by your friends!
I love his name! I love all of the names you’ve both chosen for all of your children, they are so unique and fun.
Thank you for sharing photos of your sweet Job and his awed siblings. 🙂 They are all beautiful. I LOVE the photo of him sucking his thumb, it’s so sweet!!
Congrats again, all of you. 🙂
Oh he is precious! I have to admit I laughed pretty hard at the job application story, but I think he has 3 wonderful names to pick from!
Congrats again! Enjoy the newborn stage. Hopefully, I’ll be experiencing it for the second time in my life late April/early May.
Oh Ginny! You gave me a great treasure by showing me a picture of him in the booties! Thank you for that! He’s so sweet!! These pictures are just stunning. I love your family and hope that someday we can meet face to face this side of heaven.
Such a lovely name (oh I love thos thumb sucking photos!).
I love a big name for a tiny person. Congratulations again.
We only have two children and won’t be having more, but I am so relieved to be finished naming people. It was really difficult for us, especially our son’s name. My husband has a very unusual first name and I have an extremely common one for my generation and I think we got stuck because of our feelings about our own names. We gave our son a name which was uncommon when he was born eight years ago but has family connections – and has since become quite common. I absolutely love his name but had no idea other people would latch onto it. I’m not sorry he has this name, but I always wonder if I should have gone even more unusual at the time – but then I think it could have happened with any name. I love your baby’s name and I think the story behind it is intriguing.
He’s beautiful, Ginny. And a beautiful name to go with him. Soak it up, isn’t it wonderful?!
That is the sweetest story. I have tears! Blessings on your heads!
Thank you so much for sharing photos – they are so warm, cozy and loving. Makes me wish I could have another baby! What a wonderful name story as well – it’s a great one!
Awwww … I LOVE THE NAME.
And I think such names laid on your heart happen for a reason. Immediately after I realised I was having a baby, it told me ‘My name is Arthur’
My poor grandmother even called him ‘Arthurette’ to hedge bets if it was a girl as she was worried and I would not budge on the name.
Job it is then. Smile.
The pictures are just beautiful
Many years sweet baby. He is beautiful.
Oh Ginny, he is lovely. And I think his name is perfect. So perfect in every way! You just never can tell which names they’ll grow into, and it might even be more than one! 🙂 My youngest son’s name is ‘Ever’, and now we all call him ‘Never’ ! haha Blessings to you all, Crystal
I love names with a story and he certainly has a great one! He is so so precious! And the thumb!!
What a beautiful story 🙂