On Nora Kay being Nora Kay...

When trying to decide on a name for Baby #2, I had two main requirements.  Ok, probably more than that, but these are the two that I remember specifically. 

1.  I wanted it to be a grouping of 3 syllables for the first and middle name.  I like how Elyse Ann rolls off my tongue so I wanted to match that with Baby #2. 

 

2.  I wanted it to be a gender-specific name.  Elyse is DEFINITELY a girls' name.  So I didn't want there to be any question about Baby #2 being a boy/girl when someone first heard their name. 

And so...here's how Nora Kay came to be Nora Kay. 

Almost 3 years ago to the day, I posted about receiving one of my favorite gifts for the yet-to-be-named Elyse Ann Layman.  My very own copy of Noisy Nora. 

You can read the entire post here, but to make a long story short, Noisy Nora was my favorite children's book when I was a little girl.  It was the first book I "read" aka recited by memory to my parents.  It's incredibly short, but is a fun read and for awhile, it was Elyse's chosen book to read before naptime. 

 We briefly considered Nora as a name for Elyse, but neither one of us were really feeling it...and we juts fell in love with Elyse's name once we heard it.  And to be completely honest, I felt a little guilty about giving my baby girl a complex by naming her after a book called "Noisy Nora!"  ha! 

However, several months ago, like before we were even pregnant and we were just casually discussing future second baby names...I mentioned the name to Nora to Hubby.  He didn't completely blow me off...which was a huge success since choosing a girls' name for Elyse was quite the chore!  We honestly decided that if Baby #2 was a girl, and ANYTHING like her sister...she was going to be noisy anyway, so what did it matter?!?  ha!   

So...I had the first name, or at least I was pretty sure I did.  What about a middle name?!?  And to be honest, it came to me before I hardly needed to think about it.  It met my requirements of 3 syllables, and it had so much meaning. 

 

Kay.  My grandma's first name.  My mom's mom.  The woman who I sat next to in church for years.   

The woman who cooked us Sunday dinner every week for years until my brother & went to college. The woman who prayed for me and my husband before Nick even existed.

The woman who came (along with my grandpa) to EVERY single sporting event, band competition, piano recital, and honors night regardless of the distance, time, or effort required. 

 The woman who is so important to me, that why wouldn't I name my child after her?!?

Let me just tell you....this woman is one of the strongest women I know.  Through lots of ups and downs in life, and lots of health struggles...she still manages to put a smile on her face everytime she sees her only granddaughter (me), or her first born great-granddaughter (Elyse). 

She still has LOADS of personality & sass, along with LOADS of grace, mercy, and love...and I hope that her namesake will carry even an ounce of that with her throughout her life. 

Kay Sonya, you may feel it's an honor for us to use your name for our new baby girl...but we are even more honored to have someone in our lives that we can even name a child after. 

 

I feel completely obligated to mention, that I, along with Elyse & Nora, are INCREDIBLY blessed to have not just one grandma (great-grandma) in our lives, but two...and they are both wonderful women of God, who lift us up in prayer more than I would ever believe, expect or deserve.

 

So blessed, so incredibly wonderfully blessed by our Heavenly Father to be able to know these women...and for my daughter's to be able to know their great-grandmothers.  It is I who am honored, more than they will ever know!