Why Zoe Nicole?

We revealed the name of baby No. 2 on Thursday of this past week in my Knocked Up Blogger post for week 28.  You can read more about it here.  But I didn't really share WHY we named Baby No. 2 Zoe.  

You see we knew Baby No. 2 needed a good strong name that had meaning and life behind it.  After all, Nora Norine-Kelly, was actually named after her Grandmothers, Norine after Grandma Gerry’s middle name (Nora was short for Norine and that is what we planned on actually referring to her as) and Kelly for Grandma Barb’s maiden name. It sounded beautiful to me and Nick. 

Also, Nora's name as most of you know means "Honor" and "Light".  I thought those two things were brilliant for a daughter of mine.  I have always been a strong feminist in spirit and action and truly believed that all women should be HONORED for their power, strength, beauty, and inner light.  I wanted my daughter treated that way and for her to know it! What better way for her to know it then for it to be HER name! She would be honored her whole life and she was.  She still is.  

I also have always had a personal goal of helping others find their inner LIGHT and beauty that they bring to this world.  I once wrote a life "mission statement" of sorts and what came of it was that my goal in life was to help people and to be of service to them in finding their INNER GLOW so that it could radiate out onto the rest of the world (after all that is what therapists do).  I also had a feeling that my little girl, baby No. 1, carried that quality too.  Oh, how right I was. She was a beam of LIGHT.  She still is.  But I never thought that she would live up to her name in the way that she has, through her death.

But why Zoe for our second daughter?  Well, baby No. 2 needed a strong, meaningful name just as important as her older sister, and from the moment Nora died I have been fearful that any child after her will not be as loved or will have to live in Nora’s shadow.  I love Nora.  I always will.  But I did not want that fate for my other daughter.  So I knew that Nick and I would not name baby No. 2 something so blatantly connected to Nora’s life and death.  I admit, I thought about calling baby No. 2 Hope, but that would be starting baby No. 2’s life in the dark shadow of her older sister.  However, I wanted her name to be intentional.  

Oh, Zoe.  Zoe was chosen purposefully because of the meaning.  You see Zoe means “LIFE” and “Alive”.  Nick and I need life more now than we ever have.  To be honest, even years ago I knew I would name a daughter of mine Zoe if I had one, but for baby No. 1 it just didn’t seem right. But you see; Zoe is my name too.

WHAT??? You might ask.  Well, my nickname is Zoe.  It has been for years.  Probably around High School my father went all existential and started exploring different world philosophies as he began to travel around the globe more for work. Out of nowhere he started calling me Zoe because I was his “lively” daughter, always exploring and inviting everything the world had to offer my way, breathing in life’s sweet nectar at every opportunity and squeezing everything I could get out of it.  He renamed my sister Kristi, Sophie because she was his daughter of “wisdom” and intellect as she always had her nose in a book, aced every test, and seemed to lean towards the existential in life.  Our knew names kind of stuck and cards, emails, texts, and even greetings from dad are all signed and said with our Greek identities, Zoe & Sophie. 

And Nicole you ask?  Well, if you haven’t figured it out yet, Nicole is the female version of Nicholas, her dad’s name.  For some reason I just really wanted this child to be every bit a piece of me and Nick.  A piece of life that we created together from both of us for the world and for her to LIVE in it! What better name then naming her after us. 

So, I am hoping that Zoe lives up to her name;s meaning as Nora did and that Zoe LIVES as her name so implies.  There is so much life ahead for you, little lady.  So much life waiting for you to be ALIVE in.  I can’t wait for your dad and I to be able to guide you through it, Zoe Nicole.