Little Lucy LaRae

Little Lucy LaRae Stobel arrived exactly one month ago, on September 7th, at 7:04 in the morning. Lucy weighed 6 pounds 15 ounces and, at 19 3/4 inches long, she was the shortest of all of the Stobel babies. She looks a lot like her siblings did at birth, with one glaring exception: She has visible hair. Specifically, she has red hair rather than the blonde hair that is so dominant in the family. Grandpa Bill's genes are coming through at last!
Most people look at Lucy's siblings and say that they all look so much alike. Well, they all have blonde hair and blue eyes, but those of us in the family can see that the boys each have their own unique looks, while the girls, especially Lydia and Ruthie, look more alike. I will say that, except for her red hair,  Lucy looks more like her mother's baby pictures than any of the others ever have.

The whole family was so excited when Lucy was born.
She is greatly cherished by all of her brothers and sisters already.

Meagan's first two babies had their newborn pictures taken by a professional photographer. As usual, Meagan watched and learned, and decided that she could do just as good a job for a whole lot less money. So, when Lucy was just a few days old, Meagan and the older kids set up for Lucy's picture day. I was there, too, to help with crowd control and take a few pictures of my own.

      
There's nothing like a mother's loving hands.
The oldest cares for the youngest.

Several people have commented that Lucy's name is appropriate because of her red hair. However, Meagan and Andy chose Lucy's name a few days before she was born, before they knew what she would look like, after having another name in mind for most of Meagan's pregnancy.

"Lucy" is an English name meaning "light," specifically "born at dawn" or "of light complexion." Our little Lucy was born shortly after dawn, and she seems to have a typical pink, redhead complexion, so her name is appropriate for many reasons.

My mother would not be overly pleased to hear that Lucy has her name, LaRae, as a middle name. You see, Mom was always self-conscious about her unusual, French-sounding name, because she grew up in a predominantly German community where most names were more traditional. She would be surprised to hear that her name is not really French at all, but has Scottish roots, and means "grace." In addition, the Latin meaning of LaRae is "a clear and bright person who is influential." "LaRae" is certainly a name that Lucy can strive to live up to, because of the person she is named after, as well as the name's meaning.

Lucy likes to eat and sleep, like most newborns do, but she seems to be striving to catch up with her brothers and sisters. She smiles often, and she is rolling over already. Babies grow up too fast!

Jesus said, 
“Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! 
For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.”
Matthew 19:14

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