Claira Jane

We're heading into the home stretch, folks. As the title suggests, Tyler and I have settled on a name for Baby Girl Anderson. This will be her name, provided we don't receive some other inspiration at the hospital. We've been calling her Claira for months now--it would have to be some mighty strong inspiration for this to change.

Claira: I have always loved this name. I learned early that it means "light." Why not Clara, you might ask? Well, two reasons. I have always preferred this spelling, and... we are naming her after Tyler's Grandpa Anderson, Clair, who passed away in December 2011. I know this will be a trying spelling, and that our daughter will go through life with people spelling her name incorrectly, but people spell my name wrong all the time and I am the stronger for it ;).

Jane: Jane in honor of so many reasons. First, my love of the book (and the musical and movies) Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte.  Second, it is a family name on my mom's side of the family. I found it on our pedigree chart and was happy that I could use the name and call it a family one. Then I did a little research on Jane Jewkes Crowther, who was born in England, lost two children, moved to the States and married again, lived in Utah and then settled in Colorado. She was apparently very kind, patient, and loved to sing. Thirdly, I had a wonderful mentor in my late teens named Jane, who to this day influences my life for the good. Jane is the female version of the name John, which means "God is gracious," and indeed He is.

We went on a tour of the hospital where Claira is to be delivered. It felt very natural to be walking around the Labor and Delivery unit, the mother and baby unit. We've been to Labor and Delivery before. What doesn't feel real is that in several weeks, we will be walking out of the hospital with a live baby, clipping her into a new carseat, and driving her to the nursery we've been preparing for the last 2 months. I often just go sit in the rocking chair and think about life with Claira. What a dizzying, dreamy idea.

Tyler talks to Claira often and lets her know that she should come on the afternoon of March 8th so he can have a whole week of Spring Break with her. I hope she's listening :)