My grandmother had a keen intuition. I wouldn’t go as far to say she was psychic. She just had a knowledge of things before the rest of us. She predicted the gender of all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. All of them except one.
From the time I met David, my grandmother predicted that we would have one child and it would be a boy. When I finally got pregnant I was convinced the baby was a boy and would only consider boy names. David asked, “what if the baby is a girl?”
“It isn’t. This baby is a boy.”
He pressed for a name. I tossed out, “Emily, but it doesn’t matter. It is a boy.”
The day of my ultrasound the technician moved the wand all over poking and prodding, but she could not get the baby to spread his legs to confirm what I already knew.
Finally the radiologist came in the room and took over the controls. About two minutes later she announced, “you’re having a girl.”
“You’re wrong. I am having a boy.” I responded adamantly.
She then proceeded to show me from numerous angles all of the female parts the baby growing inside of me possessed. I lay there in shock unable to say anything. All I could think was, “but what about my son?” My dream of a little boy named after my Daddy with his grin, my eyes, and David’s wit were doused beneath sticky ultrasound gel.
It took me a couple of days to really register the news that I was having a daughter instead of a son. David and I were sitting in a restaurant when I burst into tears. Through sobs I explained, “But her name’s not Emily…”
David, at a complete loss with how to deal with me, responded, “That’s okay. We can pick out a different name. A better name.”
A few days later I was on the phone with my mom lamenting the fact that I didn’t have a name for my little bundle.
“How about Cady?”
A light went off and my sadness immediately cleared, not only because my baby would now have a name, but also for my son that was not to be. Cady was my mother-in-law’s maiden name. She passed away almost exactly 10 years before we found out we were having a daughter.
“That’s perfect,” I told my mom. “Cady Frances. That’s my daughter.”
Frances was my grandmother’s name. My daughter would be named after two of the most loving women I’ve ever known. She would inherit their generosity and strength of spirit. My daughter had a name.
A few months later, after seven years of infertility and months of a hard, painful pregnancy, they laid that baby girl in my arms. That was when I realized why my grandmother did not know she was coming. My baby was a true miracle. She was the baby that we were never supposed to have, but that God chose to bless us with anyway.
Beautiful name! I think it is so cool when someone can use a maiden name as a beautiful first name for their child!
I was so glad my mom had the idea. I’m constantly having to spell it, “no it is C-A-D-Y not K-A-T-I-E,” but it is totally worth it.
I love this. And I hope someday that I can share the same type of story with everyone. She is a true miracle.
Oh Julie I hope you can too. You will. I just know it.
Related to Elizabeth Cady-Stanton?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Cady_Stanton
So Grandma saw James, but never saw Cady. First. That is so deep for my small and melty brain.
I don’t really know what their family history is. I think someone has traced it, but I can’t remember who. I’ll have to find out because that would be very cool.
And yes. She saw James, but she did not see Cady. The story after this is that I was convinced she just got the gender wrong and that we would not have any more children. I was wrong.
Just beautiful! The story, the name, and your little girl.
Thank you. She loves this story. Even though I thought I was having a boy.
Your miracle is just lovely!
My husband’s grandmother died when I was just a few weeks pregnant with our first. In her things was an envelope for my husband. It said, “If it is a girl, this is for her.” She didn’t know I was pregnant with our son when she died…
Oh, I love that. Maybe you will have that girl one day.
We did — three of them, in fact
You gave me chills. Great story!
I’m glad you liked it. It still gives me chills too.
Hubs and I fought bitterly over names! He hated everything–picky little grinch!
Well of course he couldn’t argue with naming her after his mother.
And it wouldn’t have mattered with James. It was that or nothing. Of course he is also named after David, James David. Plus the mom is the one that gets to fill out the birth certificate so we get final word!
I was so sure I was having a girl and when the sonogram said boy I was in shock. A few days later I experienced exactly what you did. So much emotion in this post, I loved it.
My sister in law was pregnant at the same time as me. They actually told her at her first ultrasound that she was having a girl. I was at the one just a few weeks before nephew was born when they told her that there had been a mistake and she was having a girl. She was really devastated. It wasn’t that she didn’t want a boy, but that she had built this image of and attachment to a daughter.
I remember the ultrasound for our last child, a girl. We already had two girls and boy so I was hoping for another son to round out the set. While most sonograms look like rorschach tests to me, my daughter had her legs spread wide open as if she knew were looking. The doctor declared, “It’s a girl.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“I don’t see anything hanging there. Do you?”
Sorry, no turtle.
The radiologist was pretty offended that I disagreed with her and proceeded to make it very clear how wrong I was.
Great story. I really like your writing.
I had the opposite experience: I was convinced we were having a girl. When I learned our baby was a boy, I was terrified. I’m kind of a girlie girl and thought I would have no idea how to raise a boy. I learned. Fast.
I love that you named your children after important family members. We did the same, and it makes their names so special.
I love names that mean something. Plus I think it gives our kids a connection to their grandparents they wouldn’t have otherwise since they passed away before they were born.
What a beautiful name, and beautiful story!
Thanks!
I love that name, it’s gorgeous. I really love your last line too. Such a beautiful tribute to your daughter.
It is definitely not a name many people have.
Awww, this is so sweet and uplifting. Love the name!
It really fits her too. She is a perfect blend of both her namesakes.
What a lovely name! I love her middle name too! Having names from family is important. My name was both my maternal and paternal grandmothers.
My grandmother was alive when she was born and she was very honored.
What a beautiful story! I love it.
It is one of my favorites!
(And I’m so glad I didn’t have to pick out three names at once. I can’t even imagine how hard that must have been.)
My husband and I were convinced that we were having a girl and he turned out to be a boy. I accepted it right away but my husband was heartbroken. We ended up having one of each and both of their names came to us as if inspired by something bigger than ourselves. It’s such a joy when the name feels so right. Beautiful story!
Yes it is. Her names fits her so perfectly.
I love the phrase “…dream doused under sticky ultrasound gel.” Ah, such a sweet story. I love her name!
There was definitely a little mourning, but I wouldn’t trade her for a boy for anything in the world.
Beautiful name, beautiful girl, beautiful story. I love it when there is a story behind someone’s name.
Me too. The story behind my name is that my mom liked it and thought it was unique. Yeah.
Looks like you had James too
Very touching story. I hope I am as lucky as you some day. I have had no luck so far.
I DID get my one boy, and he is named after my daddy and he does have his grin.
I. Totally. Love. THIS.
And you.
Love you too!
Thank goodness for ultrasounds! I had a friend move in with me who was single and having a baby. We found out early that she was having a boy and we were so glad that we knew ahead of time, because since there was no dad around, we really wanted it to be a girl! We had time to adjust before he actually arrived…we figured the first sound he heard shouldn’t have been, “oh no, it’s a boy!”
Glad your miracle baby arrived!
Oh yes. I think it is cool that some people can wait to find out, but I could never have done that. I’m too much of a planner. Save my surprises for Christmas.
Such a lovely story!
You always give me chills with your baby stories for you. And this is no exception. I did not know the background behind her name and now I love it even more. Beautiful.
xoxo
These stories still give me chills too.
Beautiful name and i love that it has a beautiful story to go with it.
I love that both of my kids have real meaning attached to their names.
Your Cady is beautiful! I love family names that are passed down.
My mother had 5 grandsons before we had our Katy. We were so sure she would be a boy that we didn’t even have a girl’s name picked out. We had to come up with one before we could leave the hospital. But we saved the boy’s name we had picked out and our Nicholas Patrick was born two years later.
That totally could have happened to me if not for that ultrasound.
And because even the best intuition can’t predict what happens when miracles kick in. And I love that instead of being the boy your grandmother predicted, she was the girl who got her paternal grandmother and one maternal great grandmother’s name.
Yes, my grandmother was very honored.
I love name stories. This one is sweet and funny and totally honest and real. Love it. Erin
I love them too. It is such a big decision.
What a special surprise!
Michelle
http://normalchaosforamultitaskmom.blogspot.com/2012/07/tech-time.html
What a great story!
You are lucky though. David seems like he was pretty easy going when it came to names. Jdaddy? Not so much. It’s hell trying to come up with names. He’s so damn opinionated about everything. It doesn’t help that his mom’s family is HUGE, and he refuses any name that is the same as someone in his family.
Well… David really didn’t have a choice. Every time he would suggest something different he would get a sideways glance and a “do you want to be the one that’s pregnant?” I was the one to suffer so the decision was really mine.
very lovely story.
She’s SO cute. And I love the name and your story. What a blessing.
Love the name and the story! Beautiful little girl, too!
What a beautiful story!
I love your story, and your daughter’s name. We also chose very meaningful names for our sons and it made it more “real”.
I know exactly how you feel.
My daughter’s name is Emily {sobbing}.
Cady suits her perfectly. And she is adorable!
What a great story!!
I love that you used a family name.
Sweet story! She is an amazing doll and I love her name.
What a wonderful story! I love the way you tied it up at the end. When your daughter is older and goes back and reads this, she is going to feel very special.