How Rorrie and our children got their names!

This is a post from a previous blog that I have merged into this one. Originally posted on Sunday, April 02, 2006


Today was a waiting day..... a busy waiting day..... but a waiting day no the less.

Today your SiSi, DiDi and I ran around town picking up raffle items for the next Rotary fundraiser. Yes your entire family attends weekly Rotary meetings. I'm sure you will hear all about it as you grow up. Since I am at work tonight, and have some free time I thought I would take some time to write in your letter.

I just re-read my first post and started tearing up. I can tell you that your SiSi hand written journal is full of tear stains. Yours will be a little cleaner, but I'm sure the same number of tears will fall.

Your BaBa & I are worried about the increasing wait time. We know that everything has it's time and we will be with you when we are intended to meet, but we are anxious. We don't want to wait any longer than necessary. See we want to be matched (that means the CCAA has put us together) before you BaBa's birthday next June. And with the increased wait time we are worried that might not happen. Now if that doesn't happen it won't change what we want to do or our desire to bring you home to your family. We feel like we are racing against a clock.

Okay now a little bit of Rorrie history... and you may ask how can I have any Rorrie history yet? Well that my daughter is a little thing called MaMa Magic! Actually, I thought I would talk about how we decided on the name Rorrie. First, let me say that your Nona & YeYe had two names that they liked for your MaMa... Pamela & Stephanie. They finally decided to pick one out of a hat. Now that being said you can guess that when they told me that I was just entering my teen years.. and I HATED my name. I really wished they had named me Stephanie. Now that I am through my hormonal teen years I am very happy with my name.

First let me explain how the names were selected for your SiSi & DiDi. Your BaBa and I deliberated for quite some time over the name Kassidy. Your BaBa wanted a Gaelic derived name.. Irish, Welch, Celtic.. etc. Now that doesn't mean that every name on the list meet his wishes, but Kassidy did (it means clever in Irish). Now I like the name but your BaBa wanted to use Kasey as a nickname... which I DID NOT LIKE! So know you know why you sister never had the nickname Kasey (at least we never called her that!)

When we found out we were pregnant we had already picked out names. If it was a girl she would be named after my Nona (Giovanna) and be called Giavanna. If it was a boy, which by the way I knew it was as soon as I found out I was pregnant..... so don't ever let anyone tell you that you couldn't possibly know, trust that mother's intuition, he would be named Elrik. This is a name that your BaBa had like from one of his favorite books. Now we again had the discussion again about nicknames... your BaBa wanted to use Rick as a nickname... and I was NOT having it! Again now you understand why your brother is only called Elrik by your parents.

Okay now your BaBa told me I could pick out our third child's name, since he got lucky with your brother. Next I should explain why neither your nor your sister are named Giavanna.... we deliberated for a long time on this issue. Giavanna is such an ethnic Italian name that we did not think it would be appropriate for a child of Chinese decent. But that didn't stop your MaMa from going on a name hunt again for you!! Your BaBa still wanted another Gaelic name and I was happy to start looking there but he got no promises from me... I was on a mission and would not stop until I had found the perfect name for my daughter!

The list was not growing very quickly, because even though I got to choose your BaBa got a NO WAY vote on the names. We didn't want to have a name that he didn't like. So now I need to go on a slight tangent.... once we decided to resubmit our application we began talking to your siblings about you. And we decided that we couldn't wait very long to decided on a name... your SiSi wanted to know your name. So I had talked to Kassidy on time in the car on the way to work about some names that I like... just as driving conversation... probably to keep from singing It's Bitsy Spider for the 100th time!.... and we only talked about it that once and the two names that I remember talking about were Rorrie and Lorelei. Now to borrow a line from Charles Dickinson... "on that we must be clear or nothing that follow will see as wondrous"(okay it may not be a direct quote.. but close enough)

One evening your BaBa and I were talking over getting dinner ready about names that I had put on the list. We were talking about the meaning of Kylynn when your sister spoke up and said... MeiMei.. MeiMei Rorrie in China. Well that kind of sealed it. BaBa and I looked at eachother and said... well I guess that one is settled. Now that being said... Rorrie was on my list... as you can tell from above... and it meet the Gaelic wishes of your BaBa. So we were done...... MeiMei Rorrie! (Infamously brilliant) Not a bad name, if we do say so ourselves. Now the actually spelling of your name took more time. Your BaBa wanted Rhaurie because I think that is the traditional Irish spelling... but I said.. she will never have it pronounced right. So we worked at it and ended up with Rorrie.

We hope you like it... and I hope you are not reading this during your hormonal teenage years. Even if you are... remember some day you will like it.. take it from your MaMa.

Well that is the story of how our children got their names. It is getting late and I need to wrap up for the night. As I have said before and I prayer many times a day... May God bring us together soon rather than later... may He watch over you while we are apart... and may He give us patience to deal with the wait until we are together.

We love you Rorrie... you are a bright light in our lives. We can't wait to smother you with kisses and hugs. Know we are anxious to complete our family... and you are that missing piece in our hearts.

Always and Forever..... MaMa