We’ve been thinking and searching for a fitting middle name for baby girl Eris, and I think we finally came up with one!

Background: my paternal grandmother’s name is Eris. It’s a very rare name, and also is the name of the Greek goddess of discord and strife (daughter of Nyx)... so... not the best connotation although she isn’t widely thought of as being as evil even as better known goddesses like Hera, for example. Eris is also a large dwarf planet in our solar system (so, it earns some space nerd points).

Bottom line: we love the beauty and family connection of “Eris” but it may have some problematic connotations for some people...

Anyway, I was thinking “the irony is, what more fitting name is there for a 2020/2021 baby than Eris?! This has been an insanely difficult year. Strife has abounded. And yet, we are expecting our very desired and loved 4th child, our second girl who balances out our 2-boy, 2-girl family, and who is a shining beacon of happiness at the end of this dark tunnel of a time.” So I looked into potential balancing names, and found ***drumroll***

Aurora. ⛅️

Eris Aurora: Dark and light. Difficulty and optimism. Her name in totality would essentially mean “hope”. There is always struggle in life, and there is always joy. The key to happiness is in the balance, and always - always - hope is possible.

💕