Contemplating the Moon

Now officially full term at 37.5 weeks (to quote the midwife: "We much prefer it if you get to 37 weeks, it makes the statistics so much tidier!"). No sign of Cheese. Unbelievably impatient, uncomfy and sleep deprived!

The Stars about the lovely moon
Fade back and vanish very soon
When, round and full, her silver face
Swims into sight, and lights all space.
(Sappho)

Of course, there is still margin for error here, but as far as we could tell, Tiny Cheese is a female Tiny Cheese. Typically, we had a boy's name sorted, and finding a girl's name that we both like has proved more than difficult!!

After months of debate, a list of suggested Cheese-names from my daft friends that we've tactfully ignored, (including, Brie, Gorgonzola, Mozzer-Ella, Roquefort, Monteray and Jack for twin boys, Smoked Bavarian - Ian for short, Philedelphia and even Quark!) employing different strategies to avoid using Baby Name Books (YUKYUKYUKYUK), convincing my Mother that "Persephone" was not a good idea (Carl: "Why does she want to call the baby Percy-Fone?") and even Facebook and online polls, we have eventually agreed on....

MIRANDA DIONE

Dione is pronounced Dye-Own, as in Dionysis, not Dee-On. Carl has always loved this name, but I was less keen. I think it works as a middle name though, and it's certainly unusual! Significantly, Dione is a moon of Saturn - female form of Io, and extremely volcanic apparently.

Miranda is also a moon, one of the 27 orbiting Uranus (no comments please!). This was Carl's first thought. I immediately thought of the Shakespeare play, The Tempest (one of my favourites), where 'Admired Miranda' is the daughter of Prospero the sourcerer, shipwrecked on the island. Turns out all of Uranus's moons were named after Shakespearean characters anyway. There is also Ophelia (a name I loved but which Carl thought would be shortened to Offal too easily!) Desdemona, Titania, Cordelia, Rosalind and so on, so plenty of ideas for potential sisters.... Carl likes his astronomy. I like my Shakespeare. All is happy.

Anyway, so darling Cheesey daughterling will effectively be named Moon-Moon. Well, why not? Everyone knows that moons are made of Cheese...


On a different but related topic, I also like my tattoos and piercings, and tend to get them to commemorate various significant events in my life. I have now run out of room and ideas for piercings, so I have started on tattoos. So far, I have a ferret on my leg in memorial to Hooligan, our first little fuzzy baby, and a coffee bean on my wrist in honour of my Nicaraguan adventures. The other wrist will get done when I *finally* finish the PhD. Anyway, there is nothing more significant and life-changing than having a baby, so a new tattoo is required. I hate name-tattoos, just because it can go wrong so easily. So, this is currently the design-in-progress:

Two moons, kinda, but Dione, or at least, Io, can also mean "purple rock" in Greek (hence, "vIOlet" too), so methinks a purple tattoo is very appropriate as it is my favourite colour too! Reflected (er.. Miranda = a view?) in stormy waters for The Tempest connection.... Very tentative links admittedly, but hey, it means something to me! :)   Just not sure where it is going to go yet.

Having (almost) made a decision on her name, I decided to have a play with "Mystic Google" to see what the future holds for our cheeseling. When I type in "Miranda will be", it told me this:

Miranda will be highlighting its ultra-resilient NVISION 8500 enterprise class routers....
Miranda will be transferred the General Archive of the Nation
Miranda will be in the building for this great event!
Miranda will be travelling to Montreal
Miranda will be reprising her role in the next Harry Potter film
Miranda will be performing for 8-year old Maddy Herzog who won the Quaker Chewy After School Rocks Club prize.
Miranda will be offering frame drum workshops in Marina Del Rey, California, in June.

and finally:
Miranda will be born in 3 months time! (NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!)