Announcing Ailee Grace Haynes! 3 months later...

She's been in our lives for three months, and I think it's taken me that long to pause, take a breath and just appreciate the miracle that is our baby, Ailee Grace Haynes.

Photo by Recollections Photography

Ailee Grace was born on June 20 around 9:00 am at Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth. She was delivered by Summer Latta of the UNT Nurse-Midwives Group. Our lil' booger weighed 7 lbs 14oz and was 20 inches long. In the delivery room were me (duh), Tanner, my sister, Kathleen, my nurse-midwife and another helping nurse. Waiting eagerly outside, wondering if they were having a granddaughter or grandson, were my mom and dad.

I was so happy to hear that the sweet thing kicking me in the bladder and punching me in the ribs for the last few months was a little girl. I had a feeling during the whole pregnancy that she was a she. And she was!

Photo by Recollections Photography

Boy names were a lot easier for Tanner and I to agree on for some reason, but we had girl names narrowed down to two selections and decided on Ailee Grace in the delivery room after the baby was born. Yes, no one knows how to pronounce it. She'll get over it. For the record, the "ai" makes the same sound it makes in rain, brain, aim, exclaim, maintain, etc etc.

We got the name Ailee from the Irish/Scottish name Aileen. We considered naming her Aileen and calling her Ailee, but then I thought I'd just name her what I planned on calling her. I hoped I was saving her from having to double correct on the first day of school for the rest of her life.

"It's Ai-Leen, not Eye-Leen, and, actually, I go by Ailee."

Anyway, both my sister and I have Irish Gaelic names, and I thought it would be nice to carry on the tradition because it's something my Grandpa Sullivan would have loved. Also, the name was similar to my middle name, Alene, which is the name of my Great Aunt Alene, with whom I'm very close. Tanner's Grandma Haynes, Shirley's, middle name is Aileen. Also, we just liked the way it sounded.

Meaning was also important to me. I know when your kid introduces itself for the rest of it's life, no one is going to know whether his/her name means noble warrior, fair and beautiful or toe-jam picker.  But, I do think names can be a prayer over your children and serve as a way to encourage them, especially if you share the meaning with them and remind them of it through out their life.

Aileen means "light bearer." So we pray that Ailee will bring the light of Christ into the world – into her personal relationships with friends, into her interactions with strangers she meets, into the lives of her husband and children and grandchildren if she has them, and unto the nations of the world.

Grace has so many meanings that we pray over Ailee's life. We pray that she would receive God's grace through Jesus Christ and that she would be a witness to it all her life. And, we pray that Ailee would act with grace – that she will live and walk in kindness, love and mercy.

It took me a long time to get this post written. Sort of like ***weird analogy coming up*** how it took a loooooooong time for my sweet baby girl to take the head-first plunge down the fun-filled water slide that was my aching birth canal. I plan for that – my birth story – to be my next post. I don't know when I will get that written, though; this whole baby thing is pretty demanding. For now, I guess I should go get Ailee from the couch where I propped her up to watch Real Housewives of New Jersey.

It was the only way I could keep her occupied enough for me to write! Just kidding. Maybe.