Adlai William is finally here! He was born on November 14 at 1:12 in the afternoon. He weighed 9 pounds and 2 ounces! He came out crying and healthy and rosy!
Here's something we put together to explain his name and what it means...
But first, an adorable picture...
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| Dreaming of food... |
Welcome Adlai William Barringer!
Why we chose the name Adlai…
- Pronounced AD-lye (it can be pronounced AD-lay, but we prefer it the other way!). Think other Biblical names that end in “ai” and are pronounced with the “i” sound: Haggai, Mordecai, El Shaddai...
- Can have three different meanings:
- Refuge of God – We pray that not only would our son find refuge in the Lord but that others might find God’s loving refuge in our son’s presence. Psalm 5:11 But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in You. Psalm18:2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
- God is just – We hope that our son will seek to understand God’s perfect justice and therefore also understand God’s perfect mercy. Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 30:18 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!
- My ornament – God has given us a child! And he is our beloved ornament forever. Psalm 127:3 Children are a gift of the Lord!
- Biblical reference: In I Chronicles 27:29, we learn that Adlai was the father of Shaphat who was in charge of King David’s herds of the valleys. Thus, Adlai is the prophet Elisha’s grandfather. We pray that our Adlai would seek to be a shepherd for the Lord’s people.
- Historical reference(s): Adlai Stevenson I, II, III, and IV. Adlai Stevenson I was Grover Cleveland’s vice president, and his grandson Adlai Stevenson II was the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations during the Cuban Missile Crisis who famously demanded of the Russians, “Don’t wait for the translation, answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’!”
Why we chose the name William...
- We would like to honor Katherine’s great-grand-stepfather, George William Atkins, in passing on a family name. While George seems the more obvious choice, William means “resolute guardian or protector,” and this name meaning best encapsulates who he was (although George means “farmer” which he also was!). George William Atkins was a protector of this country, serving aboard the USS Massachusetts during WWII. He was also a protector of his family, namely his wife, Katherine’s great-grandmother Mary Louise, and most particularly as she battled Alzheimer's disease. Finally, George was a protector of the faith. He prayed constantly, read his Bible daily, and sang hymns joyfully. We hope and pray that Adlai William grows into the kind of man George was, a protector for those who can not protect themselves and a protector who understands from where true strength comes.
