It's A......

BOY! We had our 20 week checkup on Monday and had a sonogram performed (pictures will be forthcoming when I decide to get off of my lazy bum and scan them in). Because someone doesn't like surprises, we decided to find out the sex and were pleasantly surprised to be blessed with a boy. Sean's mother suggested we name him Justin...as in Justin Other Sparkman. Not only did we shoot that idea down, we buried it 12 ft under. Covered in duct tape. Never to be seen in the light of day again.

George Preston Alexander is his name, and yes there are two middle names. Most people I talk to think that the middle names are fine but wonder where on earth we picked "George" from. George is named so in honor of my late grandfather, George Ambrose, affectionately known to my sister and myself as "Opa". Opa died of a heart attack when I was six. Some of my favorite memories of him include sitting on the edge of my grandparents' waterbed and watching Road Runner cartoons on the old black and white television with him, and sneaking up behind him in his chair at bedtime to give him a kiss goodnight on his bald spot.

I know Opa loved us grandkids very much, and perhaps my best memory of him was shortly after his death that December. On Christmas morning I opened the gift he had purchased before his death...a small pink children's Bible. I still have that Bible, although now it's wrapped in a large rubber band to keep the pages from falling out. I would like to think that Opa would be honored to know that his first great-grandson will be named after him. I may not be biologically related to him (my mother was his step-daughter until he adopted her), but he will always be my Opa and I can think of no better way to honor him than to name my son after the most important man in my young life. May you rest in peace, Opa.