Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Cass Alta


The middle names we choose are always family names. Alta is after Joel’s grandmother, Joel’s mom’s mom. She lives in Ephrata, PA and she has to be one of the coolest 70 or 80-something year olds I know. I seriously could hang out at their house all the time. She comes from a Mennonite background, although they got kicked out of the Mennonite church whenever they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. She speaks Pennsylvania Dutch which I always thought was just a dialect or something, but no...it's an actual totally different language that I can't understand. She is super duper Godly (as is her husband) and we love to just sit in their living room and glean the wisdom that oozes out of their pores. She raised 8 children...4 girls and 4 boys. And we just love her, bottom line.

Now Grandpa has had many children named after him (including Joel Stanley). But, this is a first for Grandma and it is high time. :) Alta means “high, tall.”

Now, for Cass. There are several reasons we picked Cass. I’ll just list them here for you.
1. Joel has always loved the name Cassandra. I like it, but it was just too common for my liking (as in, I know someone named that...that’s the definition of common for me)...plus the fact that Joel already has 2 first cousins with this name.
2. I’ve always liked the name Cassidy or Cassie, but again...just too common (if you have that name, please don’t be offended...I’m a little extreme...remember, my definition of common – if I know someone with that name, it’s common).
3. We even toyed with the name Kassia...it was actually on our name list from the very beginning of having children. Joel went to college with a girl named Kassia (I knew her too...great gal). But, it just didn’t seem right and that is a pretty common name here in Brasil (yes, again...I don’t like common...old news).
4. In college I had a nursing instructor who was just so super cool. She had been an air force nurse and married a man (a brain surgeon actually) who already had a son. She would tell us stories about this son all the time (I’m pretty sure he lived with them full-time) and I’m not sure what his actual name was, but they called him Cass (his initials were CAS). I just liked the sound of it.
5. And, for some reason I remember hearing about Mama Cass from the 70's music group, The Mamas and The Papas...even when I first heard about her (when I was little), I liked the sound of that name.

So, I guess we both have a history with that name or forms of that name. We were discussing it in the kitchen a few months ago and Joel once again said that he liked Cassandra. I said that I had always liked Cassidy and Cassie. Then I told him about my nursing instructor’s son and Mama Cass and so there it was...just Cass. Forms of the names we both liked, simple, and not common.

I looked it up in my name books...I have 2. One book has a boy and girl section and one book is just one big book with no distinctions between boy and girl names. The book with no distinctions has Cass listed as a form of the name Cassidy, which is Irish and means “clever, wise.”

In the other book that distinguishes between boy and girl names, in the girl section, the name Cass is listed as a form of Cassandra, which is Greek and means “helper of men.”

In the boy section of that same book, it is listed as a form of Cassidy also...Irish, meaning “clever; curly-haired.” I thought the curly-haired part was esp. interesting given the trend of hair in our family. :)

So, therefore all the different meanings for Cass Alta can add up to a clever, wise, curly-haired, helper of men, high (and lifted up...that’s what I always think of) tall girl. :) We’re still praying over what exactly this means in our little Cass’s (or is it Cass’) life...we have had very distinct 2-word meanings that came forth from prayer for our other 3 and I’m sure that will be the case for this little special one too. Just wanted to give you the lowdown on the name and why we chose it though. We absolutely love it.

Profile shot.











Just a reminder of the other kids’ names and meanings (some of you have asked recently):
Grady Lester – Noble Knight
Hadley Cloteal – Sweet Joy
Eissa Rose – Peaceful Healer

These pictures are from this morning when the kids came in and really saw Cass and spent time with her for the first time. We woke them up last night after she was born. The plan had been for them to come in when I was pushing and be able to actually see her be born, but it all happened pretty quickly (more on that later), so they just came in afterwards. Even though they were beside themselves with excitement before going to bed, they had been asleep for a couple of hours and honestly just weren’t into it...wanted to go back to bed and didn’t understand why they had been woken up. :) So, this morning was really the first time they really saw her.

So cute too...a little fun fact as far as her name: Hadley keeps calling her “castle.” :) Love that. So funny.

Will post about the birth tomorrow.





This picture cracks me up...I really don't know what we were laughing about.




Grady was watching this show...

Always the comic relief.




Loving on her new baby. This was impromptu...we didn't lead her to do this. She seems completely fine with the new addition.

Me and my 3!! daughters.

16 comments:

Haley said...

Oh my goodness, how exciting! She is just as beautiful as the other 3. The dimples are cause for jealousy. Gorgeous! Congratulations!

Anonymous said...

What sweet pics of the whole family with baby girl Cass! Love all the pics! :) Love Grady holding his newest little sister! Love all the pics! You look great! I'm guessing...no tearing!?! I'm so thankful for the 3+ hours of labor! That is incredible! :) God is good! Seems like Cass birth was full of answered prayers! So thankful you have another beautiful healthy baby girl! :)

~ Ali

Jennifer Groff said...

Congratulations!! It's so exciting to see all your pictures!! Cass is adorable, and I love the name you picked for her. Growing up with a very common name, I am always drawn to the unusual names, and you do a good job at choosing them :)

Anonymous said...

Mishawn, Congratulations on baby Cass! She is gorgeous. We were talking about you in Sunday School Sunday knowing the baby was due anytime. Thanks for all the pics, the children have really grown. I'm so thankful everything went great! Y'all are in our prayers always. May God continue to bless and watch over all of you.

Love,
Sherlyn Little
Kindred Spirits SS Class
Unity Baptist Church

Wendy said...

Eissa looks completely captivated by her lil sis. I love the name! You look terrific. You are gonna have so much help with the new baby. What a blessing--three daughters!!!!

Anonymous said...

we are overjoyed to have a new GRAND DAUGHTER! We thank the Lord all went well. Thank you for all the pix, Children make one feel so rich, each a special blessing!Much LOVE to you and yours.
Pam

Matt and Meredith said...

I can't believe you have 4 kids now. So fun! Congratulations again and enjoy falling in love all over again. Eissa looks so pretty in all those pics.

Anonymous said...

WOO HOO. Daria, and of course all of us, but especially Daria is screaming in excitement. hee hee She just drew a picture of your family for me to send. Well, she just said, "now I need to change it". hee hee Congratulations everyone. We are so excited. I didn't see where you listed "when" she was born. Love you much. Miss Gail

Anonymous said...

WOO HOO. Daria, and of course all of us, but especially Daria is screaming in excitement. hee hee She just drew a picture of your family for me to send. Well, she just said, "now I need to change it". hee hee Congratulations everyone. We are so excited. I didn't see where you listed "when" she was born. Love you much. Miss Gail

Leah said...

I keep forgetting how young your other three are, until I see them with baby Cass in their arms. Grady looks Melody's size.
These are adorable pictures, and you look great. I'm so glad labor was so quick for you (and a little jealous!)
Congratulations again!

Anonymous said...

Congrats Ebersoles. She is adorable and I LOVE the dimples. The last picture of you and the three girls is a heart-melter. Of course the ones with Grady are precious also, but there is something about your look and the tenderness represented there. Love to you all.

Linda Gill

Stephanie said...

So cool, michawn!

Anonymous said...

So amazing! I am choked up at the beauty of it all...another little one to join the family. She is a blessed tiny girl! It never gets old...never!

Anonymous said...

WOW!!! She's So beautiful! She looks like the other 3 but all her own. I'm so excited for you! You look beautiful too!!!! Love you sister!!!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to you all! She is beautiful. Now you have three girls and a boy just like me. I am so excited for yall.Love you all and pray for you daily.
Mavis

The Brodines said...

Congratulations!!!! How exciting! She is gorgeous...so very cute! The kiddos seem to just love her too. What a great day :) God is good. Praise the Lord for a wonderful labor too :)