What's in a name?

Another name needed for the Hwang Family!

I'm taking a break from writing about the Hong Kong Trip to stop playing coy and to answer a question that is increasingly hard to deflect for those of you who've seen Marie's photos on Facebook.

Yes, there is a bun in the oven i.e. Marie is pregnant. We're expecting the new bundle of joy to come sometime late October or early November.

Baker's Beach, San Francisco, December 2010
L to R: Caleb, Joshua, Chi Hong, Jonah
Photo by Kuang (Chi Hong' brother)

The first 3 boys we popped them out in quick succession each 2 years. Those years were just repeated cycles of a caring for one new born after another; and somehow I also managed my post-grad exams during that time. It was a mix of joy, frustration, exhaustion etc - you name it, we felt that emotion.

All smiles when during 'Time Outs'

I guess we were always sure that we wanted 3 kids so we didn't stop to think. But after the 3rd one, we took a break to take stock. It was then as life unrolled itself that we realised another aspect of it - that when the boys grew up and became independent, we could leave them to their own devices at a stretch to steal time for ourselves. In a way, Marie and I did the tough thing first of raising the kids then found time again to date and enjoy each other's company.

After a break of 8 years, I suppose long enough for us to forget how crazy it can get, we started toying with the idea of another child. God promptly took that opportunity to bless us with another child.


After 3 boys, you can't blame us for hoping that this fourth one would be a girl. But nothing like our straight talking Obstetrician to shatter our hopes with a bright remark when she placed the ultrasound probe to Marie's abdomen.

"See another boy!"

"Err, are you sure?"

"Of course, can't you see?". She promptly marked out the baby's apparatus on the ultrasound and marked it with a big word "Boy".

We didn't brood over this for long because Marie and I have always felt that we made better parents to boys than girls anyway...but kudos to Marie who bravely bore with the symptoms of pregnancy. What we noticed is that with age, the symptoms seem to get more and more pronounced (so for those of you who're considering, have the kids as early as you can!)

So this past week I started reading this book "Run with the Horses" by Eugene H. Peterson. This book was given to me by my good friends Kian Woon and Hwee Ting - two of the most good hearted and down to earth people I know - for my birthday last year. They are not on Facebook so I have to tell them by other means that I've written about them in this blog.

Perhaps God gave them prophetic insight that I would have need to name a child this year because chapter 1 and 2 of the book talks about the uniqueness of every individual in Christ and the significance of a name well chosen. 

He writes "Something very different takes place in the life of faith: each person discovers all the elements of a unique and original adventure. We are prevented from following in another's footsteps and are called to an incomparable association with Christ. The Bible makes it clear that every time that there is a story of faith, it is completely original" (P.16)

"The meaning of a name is not in the dictionary, not in the unconscious, not in the size of the lettering. It is in relationship - with God.... Naming is a way of hoping. We name a child after someone or some quality that we hope he or she will become - a saint, a hero, an admired ancestor." (P.29)

Me and the boys in colour

The book reminds me to wait in anticipation for the new arrival - it does not matter that he is a boy again. He will be unique and special because God created him to be so.

So what are we naming the new one? 

Surely you cannot expect me to tell you everything now! If I did, you may not read this blog anymore; and yes, I do follow the number of hits to this blog closely - it's a confidence booster every time I see that spike in the hit numbers. 

So I'm afraid you'll just have to come back to learn the name of the new one...

See you soon :)