Hello, Nameberry Community! I’ve missed you.
I’m sure you’ve grown and changed since I’ve been gone, but iwillpraise is back in the forum today with a continuation of this story… obviously we’ve lived some life between [name_f]April[/name_f] 2019 where we left off.
[name_u]Josie[/name_u] [name_m]Hart[/name_m] had a brother, [name_u]Teagan[/name_u] [name_m]Paul[/name_m], on [name_u]January[/name_u] 18, 2020… 20 weeks too early. I miss him so dearly. [name_f]Every[/name_f] loss is devastating, but the later the gestation, the more hopeful you grow and connected you become – so of course, all the more shattering.
[name_m]Just[/name_m] like [name_u]Josie[/name_u], though, I never-in-a-million-years would have picked the unisex name [name_u]Teagan[/name_u]. Yet amidst the hospital chaos and emotions, I felt that [name_m]Jesus[/name_m] whispered it to my heart. I had TONS of names on my “short” list, but nothing even close to [name_u]Teagan[/name_u]. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband looked at me with a blank stare when I asked him to look up the meaning. “I know, I know… it’s not a name you’ve ever heard me talk about… can you please look it up for me? Somehow, it just seems right.” He did, and with tears in his eyes, he looked up and said, “Yes. It is his name - it means darling, loved one, and beautiful.”
At that point, not knowing any different, I took it for what it was and added [name_m]Paul[/name_m] to it - my dad’s middle - so he wouldn’t be confused for a girl. A few days went by and I looked it up, because, well… It was a good way to process for a name nerd. I discovered my husband had spelled it “Tegan” to get those meanings. However, in my mind, it was most definitely spelled “Teagan”. So… I looked that up. It means [name_m]Little[/name_m] [name_u]Poet[/name_u], Storyteller. There’s a huge history lesson behind why, etc, but when I asked [name_m]Jesus[/name_m] the purpose as to why He chose this name for our son (because tbh “beautiful” kinda seemed shallow for Him, and “storyteller” really didn’t seem to fit with anything) I immediately understood.
1.) “Beautiful” is absolutely NOT shallow. I hadn’t seen [name_u]Josie[/name_u] with my eyes, had I? He was lost at 8 weeks. But [name_u]Teagan[/name_u] was different. I got to see him… and yes, just as my husband said, he was beautiful. I was instantly humbled
2.) Storyteller: this was for me to choose. Should Teagan’s tiny life have a continued purpose would solely depend upon my willingness to keep telling our story. So tell our story I have… now I write a weekly/biweekly devotional for a local chapter of [name_f]Hope[/name_f] Mommies - a loss mom community that has been my source of sanity and hope to me in a very dark time of grief.
Which brings me to today…
I probably should put this in the Announcement section… hmmmm. Oh well 
We found out we were pregnant just after our [name_f]Hope[/name_f] Mommies PAIL Memorial Event [name_u]October[/name_u] 2020 and little [name_f]Nadia[/name_f] [name_u]Eden[/name_u] (meaning [name_f]Hope[/name_f] from God’s Garden) debuted at 35 weeks on [name_f]May[/name_f] 20th, 2021, just 5 days before her daddy’s 35th birthday! We left the hospital with her on [name_f]May[/name_f] 22nd… our 11 year wedding anniversary. [name_f]Do[/name_f] dreams come true? Why, yes, I believe they do!
(If you take anything from my story, please take away HOPE… and if you need to or know someone who needs to, please don’t hesitate to reach out to [name_f]Hope[/name_f] Mommies. They exist for those like me, who have experienced their own [name_u]Josie[/name_u] and [name_u]Teagan[/name_u] stories)
xox - love from [name_u]Josie[/name_u] [name_m]Hart[/name_m], [name_u]Teagan[/name_u] [name_m]Paul[/name_m] and [name_f]Nadia[/name_f] Eden’s mommy - xox