An Herb By Any Other Name Would Still Smell As Sweet

Sage Lydia

Here's the story behind the name...

As previously mentioned, Tidytot came two weeks early, so we weren't set on the name yet.  Sage was pretty much the only name that we'd given any serious consideration to.  Most conversations with Mr. T regarding the name of our future-born went something like this:

Me:  "What do you think of the name Lena?"

Mr. T:  "Ummm.  I don't know.  What do you think of the name Mary Gold?  Or Francis Inigo Montoya the Third?"

Me:  "Are you going to be serious about this?  We have to pick a name."

Mr. T:  "I am being serious."

Me:  "Stop it!"

Mr. T:  "You stop it!"

Me:  "No, you stop it!"

Mr. T:  "No, YOU stop it!"

Me:  "Ugh!  You make me CRAZY!"

And that pretty much sums up why we didn't have a name ready to go when I went into labor.  Also, why our child will not learn from her parents how to maturely deal with conflict.

Anyway, I knew deep down that Mr. T would pick her name.  He made a long list of names that he'd brainstormed and Sage was at the top of the list.  I would look the list over, make edits, ponder, etc.  I'm sort of a commitment-phobe, so giving my child a name they would have FOREVER was stressing me a little.  

Then all sorts of "Sage things" started happening.  A friend made us a hand towel with Sage on it.  I was in a wedding and was handed a bouquet with the words, "Oh, you got the one with all the Sage in it!"  (She made her own bouquets.)  We thought it was a pretty name - not overly common, feminine, easy to spell and pronounce.  It was really the only name in the forefront of our minds, although we had yet to have a grown-up conversation about it.  

So she came and we tried to find some free time to make a final name decision, but we didn't have much until it was almost time to leave the hospital.  We tossed several options around and settled on Sage Lydia.

Lydia because in the Bible, Lydia was the "seller of purple" and when Sage came out she had the most beautiful color of purple on her lips, eyelids and fingernails for several days.  It struck a cord with Mr. T.

Sage because it means "wisdom" and we thought that would be a helpful quality in our firstborn.  Come to find out, it's Mr. T and I who are the ones who need the wisdom.

After we got home from the hospital, I was pretty worried that maybe we picked the wrong name.  Why on earth would I think it a good idea to name my child when I was so sleep-deprived?!?  Also, we kept running into people who would say, "Oh, I know a Sage, but he's a boy," making our name more common and less feminine than we'd hoped.  

But I guess none of that really matters. 

She is our Sage and we pray wisdom over her life and over us as we raise her.

PS - Do you know about American Girl dolls?  Well, they have one "Doll of the Year" that they sell for one year only.  The 2013 Girl of the Year is named Saige.  I guess it is pretty feminine if American GIRL named a doll Saige. Plus this doll looks exactly like our daughter, except Sage Lydia doesn't have buck teeth, giant eyes, freckles, or long hair.  Other than that...