Speaking of Abigail...

We thought you'd like to know why we gave her the names we did.

“Abigail” means “my father rejoices” in Hebrew. We loved the idea of raising a daughter who would be a blessing to her Heavenly Father as well as her earthly one. The biblical Abigail was a woman of great wisdom and diplomacy, and we pray that our little one will share those traits. (See 1 Samuel 25; of course, one of my primary jobs as a dad is to chase off any “Nabals” who might come around.)

Her middle name is Hope, as a reminder to us of the hope that God provides, even in circumstances that are sometimes difficult. We rejoice that in Him we have a hope that is eternal and cannot be taken away, because of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:35-39)! She is also a reminder to Shannon and me that sometimes God fulfills our hopes even now, as an expression of His mercy and kindness.

Also, I thought you'd be interested in some things I've noticed about Abigail:
--She has long feet and fingers (just like her dad).
--She has a little dimple in her chin (just like her mom and sister).
--She has the "Morton" cheeks!
--She is a very contemplative baby, content during her wake time to look around or right into your eyes.
--She likes to sleep!!
--She likes to cuddle, positioning herself neatly into the crook of my neck. (LOVE it!)

Abigail Hope is a precious gift from God, and I find that I am already deeply in love with her.