Saturday, December 13, 2008

What's in a name?

So I think I have some of you confused on the name of our newest daughter. Nika ... Addison ... which is it, right? Long story short ... both are her names. ;)

Nika's Russian name was Veronika and for short, her caregivers and the other kids called her Nika. When we adopted her, we changed her name to Addison Veronika ... so yes, Addison is her legal name.

But ... Nika is obviously the name that she knows and responds to, so that is the name we have been using for now. In order to maximize her adjustment to her new life, I think using the name she knows is what is best. We also actually really like that name, so we have decided it will be her nickname. It was her nickname in Russia and it is her nickname here. Both of our biological kids have nicknames and we often use their nicknames more than we do their legal names.

On occasion, we address Nika by both names to get her used to hearing it. We will begin doing that more often and I'm confident that she will recognize both as her names, just like our kids recognize their nicknames and their legal names as both being their names.

2 comments:

  1. I think both of her names are beautiful! Give her a big ole' kiss for me! (And Bubba and Chicky, too!)

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  2. Hey woman - great seeing you today. Hope the mall was a short, productive trip. I was thinking I could put McKenna's chip in on my blog (not sure that I have a ton of readers...but it may help) if you two are okay with it or want me to. LMK!

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