The Boys

I just re-read the post I wrote shortly after finding out that we are expecting twins... I'm happy to report that I feel MUCH more adjusted these days, and find myself pretty excited about having two new little ones around the house.

For those of you who haven't heard, we found out not too long ago that they are both boys. While I have to admit, I was a little disappointed upon first find out their gender (I had hoped for one of each... so nice and even), it really only took me a day or so to start anticipating life with two more little boys.

One of the best parts about finding out gender is that we were able start thinking about names, which really has helped me start thinking about them as two distinct little people. :) And now that we've settled on names, I wanted to share them with you all. :)

(For those unfamiliar with twin-dom, twins get labeled "A" and "B" by the doctor, and keep those labels for the duration of the pregnancy, so we actually know which baby is which, and which name goes with which baby).

"Baby A" is on my left side (mostly), and will likely be delivered first. His name is Andrew Levi. "Andrew" means "Courageous" or "Manly." It is our desire to see him know what it is to be a true and godly man who courageously perseveres in doing good even in difficult times (2 Cor 5:6). Andrew was also one of Jesus' 12 disciples, and we pray that our Andrew grows to be a true disciple of Jesus, as well, and that he has a love of being taught by God's Word (both the Bible and Jesus, who is called "the Word" in John 1:1). "Levi" is a reference to one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The Levites were set apart from the other tribes as those chosen to serve the Lord specifically, and instead of receiving a portion of the land which God gave them, God said that the Levites' inheritance was to be God Himself. We pray that Andrew always remembers that he is set apart from the world and serving God no matter what vocation he chooses in life (I Peter 2:9), and that he eagerly awaits the inheritance God has promised to his children of an eternity in His presence (1 Peter 1:3-5).

"Baby B" is on my right side, and will probably come second. His name is Micah Bryan (spelling TBD... maybe Brian). "Micah" means "Who is like God?" and can also mean "Gift of God." We hope that Micah's name serves as a reminder to him to always be in awe of God. His name is also a reminder to us as his parents that God has given us the gift of a second baby when we only expected one, and we are to be good stewards of this extra blessing. One of my favorite verses also comes from the book of Micah in the Old Testament, Micah 6:8 - "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" It is our prayer that Micah models justice, kindness (or mercy) and humility in his life. "Bryan" means "brave" or "virtuous." As with Andrew, this reflects our desire for our sons to be men who stand firm in God's truth and His ways even when it would be easier to to do otherwise. "Bryan" is also a tribute to the heritage of faith of previous generations, as it is both Jacob's dad's middle name, and his brother's middle name.

We are both so excited to meet little Andrew & Micah, and grateful for a loving and supportive community that has already begun to come around us to support us through this next transition in our lives. We are very blessed!