As I am *slowly* trying to keep my New Years resolution of blogging more, I figured it was time to write about my 2nd child, Hunter. I know I said 2 years ago that this blog wouldn't become a mom blog but the truth of the matter is; that's who I am. I am a mother to 2 young children and they are my world. Sure, I am still well versed in all things fashion and pop culture but, I clean more butts in a day than I ever thought possible and from time-to-time I catch myself singing the opening song to Caillou. This. Is. 30.
If you are reading this, you clearly have access to the internet so I am going to spare everyone a post on "Hunter's birthing story" (just google 'childbirth') and talk about something far more interesting...naming a baby.
When Scott and I got engaged 6 years ago we briefly talked about children. We both knew we wanted them and that was the extent of the conversation. Except the name if we had a boy. Scott required one thing--if we ever have a boy that he would have the initials H.L.M., after his Grandfather. Thankfully for Scott, I had one name picked out for a boy that wasn't up for discussion, Hunter. Naming a kid is HARD. Like, literally the hardest thing I have ever had to do. You don't want them to be made fun of, you don't want them to go through school as having to use their last name's initial to set themselves apart, and what if their initials spell something terrible? What if they google their name and there's a porn star with the same name?? Legit, all thoughts that go through parents minds. Hadley's name just fell in place. I kept tossing the name out there and it finally stuck. Her middle name was after Scott's mom who was battling breast cancer, it made sense. Hunter didn't have a "full name" until the day we were released from the hospital.
See, Hunter's first name comes from the strongest family I have ever known. When I was 11, we lost the most amazing man in our family. While helping a friend at work, on a farm, in Fairhope, Alabama my cousin was killed. 20 days before Christmas he was taken from us while helping out a friend when a tractor got stuck. When I say it was a freak accident, I mean freak. Watching my Aunt and cousin, Kit, go through a loss that is so unimaginable to me is something I have always drawn strength from. No one is born into this world equipped to handle the death of a brother and son. No one. Betsy (Aunt) and Kit are 2 of the kindest, gentlest, warm, loving woman you will ever meet and it is an honor to be able to call them my family. Gavin 'Gee' Hunter lives on in these woman and for the last 19 years I've never been able to shake the idea of naming a son Hunter after such an incredible soul. So, there is Hunter.
Gavin 'Gee' Hunter, Jr.
Hunter's middle name was figured out at 8 AM the morning we were discharged. We had been throwing around a few ideas but nothing really stuck. It wasn't until the night before we left the hospital that I couldn't stop thinking about my uncle, Bill. You see, Bill was diagnosed with brain cancer when he was 20 years old. It was a lost cause, no cure, no hope. That was all until he woke up from a coma while a priest was reading him his last rights. Tragically, about 10 years ago Bill suffered a stroke while alone at home and was not found until close to 48 hours later. Due to this stroke he lost his ability to walk, talk, and really have any sort of "life" at all. He lives in a nursing home, has lived there for 10+ years, and is the youngest guest. I cannot fathom living in a nursing home when I am 40 and still having the most incredible outlook on life. He has had more girlfriends than I can count, reads accounting textbooks in his down time, has relearned how to speak, and is still the funniest human I've ever met. Liam is the Irish nickname for William and we couldn't be more proud for our son to share the same name as my Bill.
William Louis Weldon
Hunter Liam is his own person and I am sure he will raise hell like Bill, be viciously loyal like Gee, and kind-hearted like H.L. and if/when he isn't? We will remind him of the men that he shares a name with.
PROUD big sis, Hadley June & baby Brother, Hunter Liam. photographed by
Lauren Pusateri
{Amy}
