LINEN JAMES RUNION
John and I could not be more excited to finally share our little Linen's name with you!! Over the last 8 months, finalizing and sharing little details with our family + friends (and with you) along the way has made this process as a whole feel so real. From finding out we were pregnant, to the gender, and now sharing her name has felt like continual, little milestones worth celebrating, especially as this season comes to an end and we prepare for her arrival. I haven't really wanted to do anything that feels 'typical' for social media - I wanted to share the gender from the get-go, so I could be so open with you all about our registry, the things I was buying for her, and designing her nursery. (I'm also not a fan of a gender reveal - J and I loved sharing that moment just the two of us!) I didn't want to wait until she arrived to share her name, simply because it has been so special hearing our loved ones actually say her name. Tiny really stuck, and we love that, but hearing her name aloud still gives me chills. It feels like we never had any other options and that confidance is exactly what we hoped for. Beyond meant to be.
As I mentioned before, it was harder than I initially anticipated to narrow down our list, but once we did - it feels like her name has always been Linen James.
Around the half-way point, J and I were packing for a trip to one of our favorite places, Palmetto Bluff. It was right after our 20 week ultrasound and we were so excited to celebrate with a weekend getaway and so many of our best friends. We were actively trying to hone-in on a name, so I was overly aware of every possible name I said or heard. J and I were veto'ing left and right, but at the same time, so intentional about getting it right. As I was packing for that trip, I said aloud to J "everything I'm packing is either silk or linen..." I instantly had a lightbulb moment and said LINEN!! J looked at me, his face letting me know he was contemplating it, and simply replied with "hmmm". The more we said it out loud and thought about it, it just felt so right. When I think about Linen, I instantly think soft and feminine. It's a fabric that's all over our home, fills the racks in my closet, and feels so classic. It's light and usually neutral, perfect for warm weather, just like my little summer bébé.
James is a family name on my side and one I've wanted to use (for a female specifically) since I was young. It was my grandfather's name, it's my dad's name, and it's my little brother's name. Because I've heard the name my entire life, it feels so special and sentimental. Very masculine, yet timeless.
Once we paired James with Linen, the soft and strong came together perfectly and formed a name that we feel speaks to exactly what we want her to be - soft-hearted, strong-minded.
I started dreaming about wrapping her in a linen swaddle to bring her home from the hospital. The little, white linen dress she'll throw on when she's 3 while running around the backyard with our pups + chicks. The matching linen pajamas she and her friends will wear when they have sleepovers after school. Even all of the ways she'll incorporate linen into her wedding day. My hope is that throughout her life, she'll feel comfort, even in something as small as a fabric, and that it's a constant reminder of how careful + intentional her dad and I were about choosing her name. From the simple things in life to celebrating the big moments, I pray that she's proud of her name and above all, always feels so immensely loved.
Thank you for the love and for celebrating all of these moments with us. We love doing life with you - every comment, message, and explanation as to why you love her name has brought us so much joy and we're so grateful.
Meg