Our Little Lion

I always knew our boy (yes, I've never had a doubt that this baby would be a boy) would be a big, strong baby--with a head full of hair. So I wasn't surprised when I read what was written on his referral paperwork from Gladney:

"He has a head full of hair that brings a smile immediately to your face...he is very alert for a child his age...

he shows immense strength."

Call it hindsight. I call it intuition. This description is also very fitting for the name we have chosen for him (that we've had picked out for almost a year now). We wanted to choose a name that had Ethiopian significance and was fitting for our little man. And he will be called....

Judah Wells Nix 

"The Lion of Judah" is an ancient symbol that represents the Israelite tribe of Judah throughout the Old Testament of the Hebrew Bible. Traditionally, the tribe is represented by a lion and the symbol dates back to the tribe's patriarch, Jacob, who referred to his son Judah as 'Gur Aryeh,' or 'the young lion.' (Genesis 49:9). Ethiopia's traditions include descent from Israelite's who returned to Ethiopia with the Queen of Sheeba from her visit to King Solomon in Jerusalem, with whom she conceived the founder of the Solomonic dynasty. Christian and Jewish Ethiopian tradition claim that these immigrants were mostly of the tribe of Judah. The "Lion of Judah" symbol can be found on the old Ethiopian flag, currency, and stamps, among other things. And the statue of the Lion of Judah is still standing tall in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, where our sweet baby is currently residing.

The meaning of Judah is praise, or Let God be Praised. We are truly praising God for his life! Wells is Jeff's middle name, his father's middle name, and his great-grandfather's first name. Can you tell that name significance is a big deal to us?! But I guess I should also mention that we simply like the name :-) His nickname will be Jude. Although lately, I've just been calling him my "Little Lion," with his 'immense strength' and huge mane :-) 

p.s. We just recently revealed his name to friends and family, and he already has some personalized items...they acted quickly!

Yes, that's a picture of him in the adorable frame my mom sent me for Mother's Day. I wish so badly that you could see his entire face, but we have to wait until we "pass court" to post his pictures on our blog.

Can't wait to fill this bag with all of Jude's favorite things...thank you so much Alyssa!