Tuesday, 17 January 2012
It's a Girl!
Earlier today, my brave and beautiful wife gave birth to our daughter, Elisabeth Jeanne Marie-Antoinette Craven, weighing in at 3.2 kg (about 7 lbs 2 oz). Baby and mother are doing well.
To add some size to this article I will take the time to explain the significance behind her names.
She takes her first name after St. Elizabeth Seton. This is meaningful to us on many levels: As the first American-born saint to be canonized, the name calls attention to my American roots. As a convert from Episcopalianism, she shares more in common with me than just her nationality, and I am fascinated by the many parallels between her life and that of the later Bl. John Henry Newman. 
As a teacher, she also shares an important trait with Emilie, to say nothing of being a mother and daughter.
Her middle names have significance for both my family and Emilie's. Jeanne is the name of one of Emilie's great-grandmothers, and (in English as Jean), of my beloved paternal grandmother. Marie-Antoinette is the name of another of Emilie's great-grandmothers, who only left us a few years ago, having lived past a hundred. On my side, the name is that of my great-great-grandmother, whose father fought under Sherman in the Civil War.
Her parents and her older brother are both overjoyed at the arrival of the little lady, and are looking forward to getting to know her better in the days and months ahead!
