A name for our little girl

Published: Fri, 12/13/19

Things have moved on a bit since Monday. Venetia’s caesarean section operation to deliver our baby went ahead as scheduled on Tuesday morning. The surgical team did a fine job and our baby girl was presented to us crying loudly until she setttled down on Venetia’s chest. Venetia’s sister supported us on the day and for the first night. My parents in law came on Wednesday and together we brought mother and child home from the hospital and both are doing well. Since everyone seems to want to know, birth weight was 3.135kg which is just under 7 pounds in old money.

I have already posted these to Facebook but if you have not seen them then here is:

Mother and baby on the day of delivery https://www.screencast.com/t/vGk36soD1o

Our baby on her first day in Midgard https://www.screencast.com/t/4yX1zaydriye

So, that has dealt with the first two questions gender and weight. It does get a bit tedious these days when everyone else seems to know if they are having a boy or a gilrl. What are you having? I had to resist responding with. A baby I expect, what did you think? A chipmunk? We wanted a surprise but somehow I had always felt it would be a girl and it turned out I was right. Which brings us to the question of names and we had a plan for a boy and a girl. The boy name does not really matter now, although it does have a story behind it which I might share one day. For a girl name I shared with Venetia that for a long time I have felt that if I ever had a daughter then I would like to call her Iduna. Venetia seems to have accepted this idea and I knew I needed to meet our baby before I would know if Iduna was the right name for her. Now she is here we feel that this is the right name for her. So, Iduna it will be.

Why that particular name? Apart from simply being a nice name the character of Iduna has always interested me since I began a detailed exploration of Norse mythology. Iduna is the keeper of the golden apples and guardian of the orchard where they grow. She is the wife of Bragi, patron of skalds and poets. The apples keep the Aesir and their supporters young and vital and prevents them from aging. The best known story about Iduna is the occasion when she is kidnapped by the storm giant Thiassi. I told this story in the orchard at the Rune Retreat at midsummer last year and I will elaborate on why I think Iduna is a significant figure in the Norse Mythology in my next post.

For the moment I am coming to terms with having a new baby in the house. This evening she opened her eyes for pretty much the first time and seemed to look at me. I can’t imagine what it must be like for everything to be so new and extraordinary as it must be to a new born baby. Perhaps it is just as well that we do not remember that phase of our lives or the memories might be overwhelming.

Thats all I can manage for today and it might be a long night. I know I am hardly the first to realise this but there is something extraordinary and wonderful about a new born baby. Venetia and I feel very blessed to have the privilege of being Iduna’s parents.

regards

Graham