What's in a name

We have decided on a name for Valentin!!!! And no, I am not going to tell you what it is. That’s just mean isn’t it!

Valentin is the alias that Reece’s Rainbow gave our boy to protect his identity. His real name is his countries version of a biblical name that we love.

We have gone back and forth about whether or not to keep his ‘real’ first name. We have heard that many children hate that their parents kept their name because it reminds them of bad memories. I can see how that can happen. Some kids love that their parents kept their name because it lets them keep some of their heritage. I can see how that can happen.

So, what to do?

After a lot of thought and prayer we have decided to keep his given first name legally the same. However we will call him the English version of that name. And no I cannot tell you what it is because anyone could easily find out his name that way. And our first duty as parents is to protect him. But the name is beautiful and the biblical meaning of the name is so so so fitting. We will reveal his name but probably not until the day he is finally in our arms and out of that orphanage. Just writing that brings such hope to my heart…out of that orphanage…has a beautiful ring to it, doesn’t it?

And do you remember me telling you in this post that the name we have chosen for Valentin is the same name that some dear friends of ours had named their child after they lost him way too early through miscarriage? We did not know what they had named their boy until we mentioned Valentin’s real name and through tears our friend told us. When we are paying attention, it is amazing to see how God has weaved lives and souls together in such a beautiful tapestry. It means so much to us to be naming our child in memory of theirs.

I can tell you what we have decided for his middle name. Really, how could it be anything other then Valentin?!?! Valentin is how he is known by so many. To think of the thousands and thousands of prayers that have been said using the name Valentin…it is so part of who he is. So Valentin it is.