Cold Zoo Trip

So Eva and I wanted to get out of the house yesterday and decided that the zoo would be fun. We called our best friends Amanda and Tre and off we went. It was super cold so we basically ran from one indoor exhibit to another but all the animals were really active and we saw some cool things. They had just given the Bison some recycled Christmas trees and they were throwing them up in the air with their horns. It was so cool. Then we passed a pond absolutely packed with ducks. Walking around the zoo made for some good exercise and I am all tuckered out now.

Name that baby!

Ok, so we are totally stumped with what to do about Mia's middle name. Her arrival is fast approaching and we just can't decide. I've put a poll on this blog in an attempt to solicit some help but maybe I should give some background about the options.


Mia's big sister's name is Eva Jadyn. Eva means "giver of life," and Jadyn means "God has heard." She was a miracle pregnancy when the Dr's said I couldn't get pregnant. Isn't that cool. We were greiving a lost pregnancy and the Lord heard the cry of my heart and answered with Eva, so her name has significant meaning. We chose Mia because in the Italian language it literally translates "mine." An expanded meaning when derived from Miriam means, "a wanted child." I cried when I read that because I sort of resented the disruption of this suprise pregnancy at first. I was sick, and grouchy about having to put off my plans, and praying that the Lord would help me see past the inconvenient interruption. He put the name Mia on my heart and that was it. He shifted my perspective and suddenly she was a very wanted child. She was MY little Mia and I am truly more excited about having her than anything else I could pursue.


So now on to the middle name. As you can see we are into the meaning of names but we also want the two names to have an equality to them. Eva is a sophisticated, Italian, classic name . . . as is Mia. Jadyn is a more contemporary name so we were thinking that we should stick to something that is more "now" than another classic . . . but some of the classic names are just so gosh darn pretty and have awesome meanings.


Mia Joselynn: Joselynn is a combination of family names. David's mom's middle name was Jo, named after her dad Joseph. My mom's name is Sherilynn and my sister's middle name is Lynn. So we took the Jose from Joseph on David's side, and the Lynn from my side, and made Joselynn. But it is from English origins and means "little Goth." Hmmm. Not so great.


Mia Isabella: Isabella came from David calling her Mia Bella which literally translates, "My beautiful." Isabella is a more classic name though. From Italian origins it means "God is my Oath," and from Hebrew origins it means, "Devoted to God." I love the meanings and I love that David has taken to calling her Mia Bella, I think this one is at the top of the list right now.


Mia Grace: I just loved the flow of these two names together but David doesn't like it because that is our beloved dog's name. Grace means "Grace of God." I feel like God had patience with me and the Grace to completely transform my attitude about this pregnancy so I have a bit of a soft spot for this name but David's right, our dog Gracie Lou will still be around for a while and I would hate for Mia to think she was named after the dog. Even if we tell her she wasn't.


Mia Gianna: Doesn't that just ooze Italian . . . Mia Gianna Franceschini. Some sites say it is of Italian origins meaning "God is Gracious" and others say it is Hebrew meaning "God's Grace." Either way, it is a way to get the fact that I love the meaning of Grace without involving the dog. This one is my mom's fav.

Mia Peyton: Well as die hard Colts fans, Peyton has been on the list since our first discussion about baby names. Some sites say it is of English origins meaning "from Pacca or Paega's town," others say it is latin meaning Noble, another says it means warrior or "from the fighter's farm." Hmmm.


Mia Riley: Both Mia Riley and Mia Addison were attempts at finding other more contemporary options that we thought were cute. All of the sites said Riley comes from Irish, English, or Gaelic origins and means either "Valiant," or "Rye," or "a descendant of Roghallach."

Mia Addison: Addison is of English origins and means "child of Adam." I really don't have any connection to this one at all except that I think it's cute.

Alright . . . cast your vote. Did one of these names tug at your heart strings, maybe you loved the meaning, maybe you just like how it sounds, let us know. I expect lots of comments to this post!

Hammonds Candy Factory Tour

So Eva and I went to visit the Hammonds Candy Factory the other day with her best friend Tre. They had a blast watching how candy is made and loved the free samples!

2009 at a Glance: Marvelous Mayhem

2009 began with a frosty snowshoeing hike on New Years Day and ended with a baby girl on the way! It was a crazy busy year filled with lots of fun trips, tons of firsts for Eva, and unexpected suprises. January was the beginning of a ridiculously stressful semester for Shanna but we made time for fun. Eva and mommy took advantage of the massive January snow storm and had a great day sledding. In February, the whole family went to Durango to enjoy the hot springs, skiing, and some quality boardgame time. It was a blast. Then in March Matt and Shanna decided to roadtrip out to California to visit grandma. Little did we know Matt had mono which is probably why his big sister was able to beat him at bowling.

May brought warm weather, an end to the insanity of Shanna's school schedule, and a much needed vacation. We met up with Dave's family in Orlando and took Eva to Disney World for the first time. What a highlight that trip was. Eva was awestruck, overwhelmed, and completely blissed out the whole time. At the end of the trip she charmed a long line of waiting people by dancing with Pluto. It was magical. We came home to find out that Eva would no longer be the only little Franceschini running around and the rest of the summer spun by in a blur of pregnancy sickness. Oh the joy.

Constant nausea and vomitting wasn't enough to keep us down for the summer though. With Zofran (the most amazing drug ever) in hand we tackled trips to the zoo, camping for the 4th of July, a girls weekend in Vegas, and an extended weekend in Steamboat were Eva went on her first horseback ride. Then in August Eva finished potty training just in time to start preschool. She went on her first fieldtrip (complete with first schoolbus ride), and has loved learning her ABC's (or ABCD's as she calls it).

In November Dave and Shanna went on a little get-away to NY and left Eva with Grammy and Pop Pop. It was lovely. Then we all went to Indiana for Thanksgiving to meet our new nephew Ethan. What a perfectly handsome little guy he is! I'm so jealous that he started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks. Not fair. While we were there Eva got to meet Santa for the first time and asked him for a big Sleeping Beauty doll.

My favorite thing this year has been watching Eva's little personality come out. She is so kindhearted and social. A perfect example, today we had her preschool Christmas party and when it was time to get food she was first in line and grabbed the biggest frosting covered cookie. I was a little embarassed that my kid was "that greedy kid," but then she turned to me and insisted that I let her get out of line because she had to take the cookie to her friend's little sister who apparently couldn't fend for herself. She went to the table where the little girl was sitting, gently put the cookie in her hand and said, "here you go Brecken, this is for you," then kissed her nose. Then she went to the end of the line and wasn't upset that the cookies were all gone by the time she got there. What a precious girl. There is nothing she likes more than playing with her friends. Her perfect world would be one big never-ending play date. She wouldn't care what they were playing as long as everyone was there having a good time.

We have definitely seen a sassy side to our little social bug too. She is quite dramatic and loves play acting. During her bath tonight she started reciting the lines from Mulan (the scene where she is bathing in the lake) and was spot on. Not only did she know every word in her little monologue but she mimicked Mulan's expressions perfectly. She gets a kick out of fake crying, rolling her eyes at her momma, and using her whole body to express herself (arms flailing, rolling on the floor, etc.) For little miss Eva Franceschini, life is a stage, and we are spending lots of time learning how to express ourselves appropriately!

As we wrap up 2009, we are so thankful for the little family God has blessed us with and crazy excited to welcome baby Mia into the mix. In the Franceschini household life is usually some kind of barely organized chaos but we've learned to embrace this marvelous mayhem and can't wait to see what the next year holds. Merry Christmas and may you be doubly blessed in 2010. Don't forget to check out the slideshow of our favorite memories from 2009. There are some hilarious pics!