And her name is.....

                      Tizabit Jubilee VanDam

Tiza (African) the ninth-born child:  Our family was ninth on the referral wait list when we received that Monday morning phone call asking if we would accept Tizi's referral.  Tizi's birth mom, Emmebt, gave her the name "Tizibt" and as a family we wanted to honor Emmebt's role in her life, so we added a letter and accomplished both.  

Jubilee (Hebrew) One who rejoices; a ram's horn:  When you hear her infectious laugh, you will completely understand!

The official name needed to wait until we met with Emmebt.  It felt important to hear her story and understand her heart before we could make that final call.  We prayed over names, talked them to death, with none of the five of us agreeing on anything, ran ideas past family....BAD idea and concluded that God would give us unity over the name, period!

So today, still seeking unity, we met Emmebt (I can't even begin to blog on this meeting until my heart has time to settle it.)  I asked her why she chose the name Tizibt (thinking that we could be in big trouble here) and this is what she told us,

"I had a very hard time, a very bad life.  I suffered a lot in life and in pregnancy.  When Tizibt came born, I say bad was in my past.  Hard times over.  My past to be forgotten.  With Tizibt no pain or suffering, all done.  All over."

How could she possibly have known that not only did she cement Tizabit's first name, she also, beautifully described the middle name that we had selected.  Emmebt knows that we are keeping Tizi's name.  I couldn't read on her face if that was important to her, but I do know, it's important to us.  Emmebt believes and hopes for more, if not for herself for the beautiful baby she birthed.   And that beautiful baby will grow to know that her name was not chosen lightly.

So welcome to our family Tizabit Jubilee!