What's in a name?

My full name is Jacqueline Nicole Leeker. Had I not been adopted, my name would have been Nicole Little.

My parents chose my first name. They were going to call me "Jacqueline Noelle Leeker" but when they found out my birth mom Erica was going to name me Nicole, they chose it as my middle name.

I love that my name is a combination from my family (Jacqueline) and biological family (Nicole).

I had started to look at names for my daughter but I couldn't even get past the letter "A."  I don't know why. I didn't feel it was my right to name her, I wouldn't be raising her.

I had asked Karen with Graceful Adoptions what she thought I should do. She asked me to send her a few names I liked and she would send them to Macii and Tom and see what they thought.

My two choices were Josephine and Catalina (sailing is a big deal in my family). 

They chose her first name. It's beautiful and different.  It's the name of the street they were married on. They loved Josephine, it incorporated Tom's middle name and the name of the Church they were married. It all fit together so perfectly without even trying.

Her last name will change to theirs in about six months at a court date to finalize the adoption.

 Her first name means victory, a combination of strength and creativity.

I love thinking that the strength refers to me and the creativity refers to Macii, though a part of us encompasses each word. 


I can't resist posting these.. my sense of humor appreciates them too much :)