Freedom

Saoirse Odéimin Ojibirish

Thursday June 4th, 2009

10:22pm

8lbs 15oz

21 3/4 inches

Saoirse (sair-sha) is the Irish word for "freedom".

Odéimin (oh-DAY-im-in) is the Ojibwe word for "strawberry" or more literally, "heartberry".

She will also have both of our last names, which on paper look rather common compared to what precedes them. 

Saoirse was actually one of Brendan's favorite names when we were pregnant with the twins but I just couldn't get on board with the spelling and Brendan was unwilling to compromise the integrity of it by moving a couple of letters around, maybe splitting up a few of those vowels? I am glad he stood his ground and I can clearly see why I couldn't bring myself to give this name away to Nuala, it never belonged to her, it was waiting for it's rightful owner to arrive.

Odéimin took a little longer, but Saoirse has a strawberry birthmark on her forehead that pinks up rather dramatically when she cries, and it does in fact look like a little heart right smack dab in the middle of her little furrowed brow. 

So there you have it, our name game. We actually decided on this name before she was even born, before we knew for certain that my instincts were right and that we were going to have another girl. We didn't even have any boy names picked out, not one.

This is the first time I have ever named my child before actually meeting them, but I have to say the name fits her perfectly. I just threw this video together rather quickly, and probably should have waited until I could get it just right, but the perfectionist in me is tired and I really wanted to share this now..... 

On my due date, June 2nd, I was driving with the twins while listening to this song, and I began wondering if perhaps it was Saoirse's song or not. As soon as Nina Simone belted out "Freedom is mine..." I completely lost it, water works central, and it was just another confirmation of what I already knew to be true. 

(I am so relieved that she proved me right!)