Halle: Namipedia

Origin of the name Halle:

"Transferred use of the English surname meaning "dweller at the hall meadow." The name is derived from the Old English elements heall (hall, gathering place) and lēah (wood, meadow, clearing). Var: Halley, Hallie, Hally."

Just what is the "hall meadow", I wonder? A google image search shows serene pastures from all over the English countryside, but not one specific place.

Wanna see the sudden rise of the Halle Empire?

According to BabyNameWizard.com, the states with the most Halle's are Idaho, Utah, and Colorado. I think that's just because people in these states are having the most babies per capita. Probably.

Globally Name Popularity:

• #253 in Canada (British Columbia)
• #317 in Scotland
• #513 in United States

Good to know!

Dadaism

Brad and I were talking about protectiveness and I wish I could remember the context. I joked with Brad, "I don't envy the kid who takes Halle to prom!".

Brad guffawed, then looked me square in the eyes and said, "You think she's going to prom?!"

P.S. Anyone know Brad's dark & juicy prom secrets?

shh I'm in a cubby!

Happy Friday, loves.

What a pose!

Just like our cats, Halle loves to stuff herself into little tiny spaces. We had to fish her out from underneath the exersaucer today to get me to work. A couple of her favorite Halle-sized nooks:
Yesterday I found a big, crowning jewel in "the garden" (previously known as The Back Yard). It's a Blue Siberian Iris and it sits in the corner of the yard right next to the fence. It absolutely took my breath away! My love for gardening and the outdoors is renewed every spring for this very reason: something as simple as an unexpected Iris can really make my day. And I have two more delicate blooms to look forward to!

New Favorite Show

We watched a bit of Little Einsteins on PBS this morning before Brad woke up and I've got to say... I've never seen Halle so taken by a cartoon before. She sat right on the spot I placed her for a long time!* I'll have to find some Little Einstein DVDs soon. I can tell Halle** is getting tired of the same old Sesame Street videos.

It's an interactive show, meaning the characters awkwardly wait for your child to respond to the show. For an interactive show, though, it's muuuuch more tolerable than oh say, Blues Clues!


*Baby Central Time (a long time = five or ten minutes)
**and by Halle, I mean me.

For Maddie

I've been reading a blog about Maddie Spohr, a toddler not much older than Halle who recently passed away. I decided to dedicate a post in her honor. I know it's a small token to let someone who's greiving know that they are in your thoughts and prayers, but they are in my thoughts and prayers.

I am truly sorry for their loss and am humbled at this opportunity to cherish every moment I have with Halle.

Maddie's Blog

Rae + The Ghost Baby

It's a blessing that Halle's grandparents live no more than two blocks away. On beautiful days, I leave work as early as possible (just kidding. Kinda.) so that I can stroll Halle home. Taking her on walks is in my Top Ten list of Most Thoroughly Pacifying Things To Do - right up there with bodysurfing and making echoes in large, quiet places.

There is something slightly awkward about half of the walk though: pushing an empty stroller.

It used to be a lot more awkward. These days I try not to care whilst scheming obnoxious ways I could mess with the people that give me weird looks. As of today, I have resisted the urge to:

1) Put an empty bottle of vodka in the cupholder

2) Cross my eyes, drool and sing "Rockabye Baby" all mumbly.

3) Put a doll in the seat and pretend I'm babynapping it.

4) Park on the curb, look into the sewer and yell, "It's not funny anymore!"

Why? Because I could. But I'm not gonna. 'Cause that would really be crazy.

Heather Hedley "I Wish"

I know I've posted twice already today, but I couldn't help it! I had to post this before I forgot about this forever. From Heather Hedley's website, with lyrics to her song, "I Wish":

This may take a few sentences, so indulge me. Our Aunt Mary Jo loves to forward mass email. She sends us forwards at least twice a week. Now, I hate forwarding! I try not to send them, and I hate them crowding my mailboxes. But somehow, I’ve always read Aunt Mary Jo’s - - I have no idea why.

Anyhow, I came across a forward she sent me about a mom who had a terminal disease. The mom was at the airport saying goodbye to her daughter, who was unaware of her medical status. The mom knew that there was a possibility that she could die during the time the girl was gone. So she tells her goodbye, but does so by wishing her a few things. She wishes her night, with the hope that it will allow her to appreciate the miracle of the sunrise; she wishes her times of want, so she could understand how fortunate it is to live on the other side of that, and so on and so on.

I thought it was such a beautiful sentiment that when I sat down with Keith and my brother (who was working with us that day), I had to work on it. It’s become one of my favorite songs, and it was done for all the precious children in my life - and the ones yet to come.

Thanks for the forward Aunt Mary Jo! I’m making room for the others.

I’d give you the moon
But you’d never feel the warmth of the sunshine
I’d give you the world
But exactly what would that do
I’d promise you wings to fly
But how would you ever learn to run
So I wish you all you need
To be than I could be
This is what I wish for you

I wish you rainy days
So you can know the beauty of a clear blue sky
I wish you falling leaves
So you understand that seasons change
And if I gave you the mountains
Would you learn to climb?
I pray you’ll always see
The forest through the trees
This is what I wish for you

If I could I’d say the word
And chase your fears away
And I’d stay right by your side
And point the way that you should take
But this is your life
This is your story
And when all is done and said
Say you lived with no regret

I wish you ocean breeze
And rivers that bring you everything you need
I wish the air you breathe
Is all that you’ll ever need
And I wish you nights of love
And days of joy
And shoulders when you cry
And just enough hellos
To get you through goodbye
This is what I wish for you

I pray one day you’ll have a home
With arms that open wide
And you’ll have someone who loves you
Always by your side
And when you lose your will to try
I wish you wings to fly

I wish you everything you need

This is what I wish for you

*sniff sniff* So sweet!