All through the latter half of my pregnancy, we got frequent inquiries about what name or names we had chosen and surprised looks when I would tell people we hadn't really come up with anything. Eventually, I had whittled down the list of boys' names, but nothing I had on the long list for girls was quite right.

Then my grandmother-in-law died and was buried the day before our daughter was born. Although none of my other children have family names, it seemed appropriate to remember my husband's grandmother in naming this little one. We did not go with exactly her name, but chose a variation on both her first and middle names -- winding up with us naming new our daughter Juliana Caroline. I think it suits her well, although I do fear it sounds a bit like my name and might some day get confusing.

Although, I am generally not one to be superstitious, perhaps she was born when she was and perhaps we had no decided name for a reason. It all came together in the end.