naming the baby!

my sister-in-law gave birth to a girl a few days ago. i was SOOOOO excited. it feels absolutely different. i am officially a 大姨 now. sounds so old but good! my sister is 小姨。 i am here to share my family's happiness with our friends and to bring luck to this little baby!

Last night, my dad (who is currently in China) called and asked us for suggestions about the baby's name. my sister and i both wanted the name to be profound and solid. But my dad apparently has a mind of his own. he insisted to choose a meaningful girly name. okay, he is the grandpa. and he named the baby 黄子窈。 isn't it girly and 琼瑶?! i think she will grown up as a beautiful girl. i haven't seen my little niece yet. but according to my dad, my little niece was the most beautiful baby among those who slept in the nursery room. every baby looks like an angel in the eyes of her/his family.

Later, my sister and I thought it would be nice to give the baby an English name. we decide to suggest the name Ramona to our brother and his wife. it's Spanish and Old German origin. people can nickname her as Mona, Mona Lisa... the beauty. the name, Ramona itself means "wise protectress." 子窈 (Ramona) is the first child in our family. we hope she can act as a wise and protective elder sister to her future siblings and cousins. we also hope she can be a wise protectress to her parents when she grows up. and of course, be wise to her own life. the fact that Ramona sounds rare, formal and serious can balances out the potential playfulness in her Chinese name.

But we will suggest to have Ramona as her middle name if she comes to the states. Overall, 子窈 is going to be her registered name in China. So, if my brother and his wife agree, the baby's name is going to be written as Ziyao Ramona Huang = Ziyao R. Huang. how NICE!