The Rhodes Log

Happy Easter!! He is risen!!

I posted a birth announcement for Kate’s third baby a few years ago (Kate writes at The Rhodes Log blog, and also: check out the amazing little cabins she and her hubby are building for sweet Texas getaways!), and was so excited when I saw she was expecting number four! Kate and her hubby welcomed a baby girl and gave her the delightfully unexpected and beautiful name … Basil Grace!

Kate commented on her birth announcement on Instagram,

“[My husband and I] really struggle to agree on names. We often find that we are both attracted to names that feel a little too bold and we bail on them. (Jake was almost Huck. Lucy June was almost Juniper.) Basil has been on the list a long time … baby four finally made us brave.”

Oh man. I am so glad that baby four made them brave! Though I love all the names they’ve chosen. ❤

When I asked her more, Kate wrote,

“We only had a boy’s name picked out when she was born, and I hadn’t researched Basil thoroughly even though it’d been on our girl list for a while. But I’ve since discovered that Basil is known as the Holy Communion plant because it was allegedly found at the foot of the true cross and consequently was later used to decorate communion rails. So that was a delightful find!

Her name also shares a root (rather obviously) with Basilica.

Her due date was near the feast of St. Basil, and so we knew going in that if it was a girl she’d probably be named after him — [but we pronounce her name] ‘Bay-sil.’“

Basil for a girl! Said like the plant! With a great patron saint and an etymological connection to the word “basilica”! I love the repeating long A sound in Basil Grace (mirroring the long U of her big sis Lucy June, which I also LOVE), I love how fresh and summery Basil feels (similar to how I’d said her big brother Roman’s name brings to mind “‘roamin’ roads,’ which totally fits the vibe I get from them”), and I love how Basil has basilica like Roman has Rome. I love the way Kate and her hubs think!

Congratulations to Kate and Jacob and big sibs Jake, Lucy June, and Roman, and happy birthday Baby Basil Grace!!

My book, Catholic Baby Names for Girls and Boys: Over 250 Ways to Honor Our Lady (Marian Press, 2018), is available to order from ShopMercy.org and Amazon — perfect for the expectant parents, name enthusiasts, and lovers of Our Lady in your life!

I think I started reading The Rhodes Log blog when the mama, Kate, posted her and her husband Jacob’s love story ages ago, and in a very short+intense time I read through all the rest of her posts, and have continued to check in — I have such a love for observing others living simple, natural lifestyles (probably because I’m really bad at it myself), and building things themselves, and the lifestyles of such as the Mennonites, and I get all of that on Kate’s blog.

They’re also really great namers, having named their first two:

Jacob Ramsay (who goes by Jake, which nicely distinguishes between him and his papa Jacob)
Lucy June (who goes by Lucy June, which is just the sweetest)

So of course I was so excited when they announced they were expecting Baby Number Three! And thanks to the wonder of the internet, I can share with you all that the baby has arrived — a boy! — and he’s called … Roman John!

Roman John! I love it! Roman is one of those names I’ve had on my list for a long time, even though I just really don’t think it sounds great with our last name. And I know how some people think about alliteration and the somewhat-rhymey but I just have to say that I think Roman Rhodes is one of those hunky-and-handsome combos — like old Hollywood, like Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo. Or Robert Redford! And also like “roamin’ roads,” which totally fits the vibe I get from them. I love names with all sorts of layers! Nice job, Mom and Dad!

Congratulations to the whole Rhodes family, and happy birthday Baby Roman!! (Blog announcement +pictures, Instagram photo announcement)