It’s a GIRL!!
It is truly awesome when God listens to your heart and not your mouth. Julie and I told each other repeatedly that we would be happy either way, whether Baby #2 was going to be a boy or a girl. We both certainly wanted a boy first, and if you asked Julie, she would tell you that she saw herself as more of a “boys mom”. As for me, I always wanted a brother, so it would be great for me to see Reed grow up with a brother so close in age. But the truth is, neither of us want a single-sex set of offspring, so why not make sure we eliminate that right off the bat. We have also had our girl name picked out for almost a year now, so as it was with Reed (no girl name to speak of), we were bound to have a girl.
So, about the name… there is quite a bit of significance to Alison Michelle. Her namesakes are two important women to our family.
Alison Renee Berry
Alison was a very important person to Julie and I. She and her husband, Chris, were part of the young couples group that welcomed us into their group when we first joined University United Methodist Church. It was through this small group that we became plugged-in to the church and made it our home. We bonded with Chris and Alison as couples and individuals, we shared many memories over 4 years. Unfortunately, Alison’s job required her to be on the road 90% of the time, and on one routine trip between Lockhart and Austin on October 1, 2009, she was the victim of a head-on collision.
If you asked Alison if she had two “L”s in her name or not, she always responded that her name was Alison, not ALLison. So we are going to keep it that way.
Michelle Lynn Reasonover
Michelle was my sweet older sister. She was two years older than me and like Alison; her life was cut too short. On October 15, 1995 my sister was killed in a drunk driving accident at the tender age of 18. It wasn’t until a few years later that I realized how I wanted to honor her life and who she helped me become by naming my daughter after her.
I loved both of these women dearly. Some of you might think it is a little morbid to name your tiny baby after two women whose lives were cut short. All I know is that it was the best possible way I could think of to honor their memories and who they were to me. However, you better believe little Alison will be on lockdown the month of October (every October!!)
-RB & JB
This is such a sweet tribute, and what a wonderful story she will have to tell her whole life. Can’t wait to meet sweet Ali in just a few short months!
Ahhh – love your tributes to two special people. It’s not morbid at all; it’s such a sweet special thing. I know Ali will make her two special guardian angels proud every single second. Thanks for sharing your story with us. 🙂
I think it’s a beautiful name all by itself and the women behind it make it even MORE beautiful! PS- Pretty jealous you guys already have your name nailed down.
This will be such a keepsake treasure in her “Baby Blog”
What a beautiful tribute to your sister and friend. Ditto to Sarah on the name being picked out already. I am almost 33 weeks and still don’t have a clue!