The Christmas Baby Named Her Brother Sacha

 

Our daughter learned to talk early. At sixteen months she told me she did not want to wear a diaper. I had never mentioned the toilet to her, so imagine how surprised I was when she kicked those chubby legs saying, "Pas chouche, pas couche! (No Diaper, no diaper!) We went to the shop to buy underwear, Chelsea went commando, and never wore a diaper again. 

 

 

 

To say she was precocious is to say that I felt like the kid most of the time. Chelsea would say and do things that were way beyond her years, and often before I had a chance to figure out that it was unusual for a child her age to be doing so.

 

 

It should have come as no surprise to French Husband and I, that when I was barely pregnant Chelsea said, "My baby brother('s) name Sacha." I glanced at French Husband and whispered, "She understands?" French Husband wasn't concerned with her knowledge that I was pregnant with a boy, but rather that she already had named him, his eyebrows went down when he asked, "When did you plant that name in her head?"

 

 

 

I moved my head back into my neck, grimaced, and said, "Hey, if I was going to plant a name, Sacha isn't the name I would have planted. Remember I like Jules, and Elijah..." before I could continue my list, Chelsea offered her two cents, "No, my baby brother name Sacha, not Jules, not Eli.. no." The she hugged my barely protruding stomach, kissed it and coo-ed, "S-a-c-h-a."

 

 

French Husband didn't believe me. "Honestly, I did not know where she got that name, let alone know how she put it altogether." I offered in my defense. Though secretly, since Chelsea hadn't picked one of my names, I was glad she hadn't picked one of French Husband's hopeful names for our son.

 

 

When I told my family that we were thinking to name our boy Sacha, they laughed thinking it was a joke and a dog's name.

My Mother in Law came to see us, for the sole reason to change our idea about the name Sacha. When we told her it wasn't our idea but Chelsea's, she shrugged like we were making it up. "Just tell her that she isn't the one to name the baby," my Mother in Law sighed, "You are the parents after all."

 

 

But after spending the week with us, my Mother-in-Law left saying, "You must name your baby Sacha, or Chelsea will be devastated. I have never seen a child so determine and steadfast, she talks to that baby as if he is here already!" Then she looked at us demanding, "Who told her that name?" Her eyes darted back and forth at French Husband and I. 

 

 

We shrugged, and then pointed at each other.

 

 

Years went by, twenty of them to be exact, and we never knew how Chelsea got the name Sacha in her head... Until one day when I was cleaning out the bookshelf and took out the children's books to put them in a box and take to the garage. Chelsea said, "Oh mom, don't take these away, remember this one..." and before you know it we were cozy on the bed reading their books, recalling memories.

 

 

"On Christmas Eve" was in the pile, a favorite, a gift given to Chelsea by family friends when were in Willows before Sacha was born. On Christmas Eve is a story of a little girl who writes a letter to Santa, and an angel who delivers it to him. The book is one without words, and the reader reads the pictures. Hence whoever reads the book can read it in their own language.

 

 

I read the book a million times, as did French Husband, my Brother Mark, My Mother in Law, and many other French and Americans that year to Chelsea.

Each in his own language.

 

 

And there on the corner of the page, stands the little angel with a tiny little piece of paper... I read the story many times but never bothered to read the teeny tiny note, instead I said, "The little angel read the little girl's Christmas List to Santa," then I would ask Chelsea (when she was little), "What would be on your list?" 

But on this day I noticed something that I had never noticed before!

 

 

 

In the book, that a million people who loved Chelsea, who had read the story to her in their own language had probably read the teeny tiny letter that said,

"Dear Santa, I would like a a doll house, chocolates, a dog.... Love Sasha."

The name was in the Christmas Book.

 

 

The name was planted in Chelsea's heart over and over again, "Love Sasha".

I laughed and laughed, I was so surprised to finally discover the secret of how Chelsea came up with the name for her baby brother when she was only twenty three months old.

 

 

Today is Chelsea's twenty third birthday.

A Christmas angel who named her brother years ago by listening to the Christmas story.

******************************

 

Notes: 

Kit, I finally answered the question of how Sacha got his name xx

 

I know I have asked you before to share the story of how you got your name, and I hope you will re tell your story today in the comment section. 

 

Check out what and who has your name in France.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Merisi in Vienna]

Happy Birthday, Chelsea! :-)

Corey, what a wonderful way to find out where Chelsea got that name from! Mystery solved, and so beautifully. ;-)

My name is composed of my mother's/paternal grandmother's and my maternal grandmother's first names. Family traditions. Naming our children we broke with that, moving the names of their forefathers to the middle.

[Amy Kortuem]

What a beautiful story! I wanted to name my baby brother Ichabod from the Dr. Suess alphabet book.

My Mom and Dad didn't listen to me.

My Mom told me she named me Amy because she'd always named her dolls Amy and loved the name. So sweet.

[toni]

Happy Birthday!!! Today is my birthday too!
I am named for a Willa Cather novel.

[Lil]

Happy Birthday Chelsea!

This story is so sweet in many ways. I love that you found out years later while reading the Christmas book with Chelsea. Just wonderful.

[marlis]

Happy Birthday Chelsea! I love this story and I'm delighted you figured it out. My name.. a form of Margaret but not Margaret as my mother and grandmother are both margrets and my mother had a girlfriend in school with Marlis. and no Marlises in the French registry.. boohoo. LOL Merry Christmas and Bonne Annee!

["Auntie"]

What a lovely (real) story. Precious.

And a very Happy Birthday Wish to your Christmas Angel..

Gentle hugs,
"Auntie"

[Diogenes]

What a great story. I quite like the name. And there are 2 very famous Sachas now (Sasha Baron Cohen and Sasha Vujacic)...perhaps more parents will use it, as the trend in the US is toward more creative names.

Happy Birthday to Chelsea!

[Debra]

Corey, such a sweet story. What's up with December daughters? Mine was 19 Monday. Her story is similar, she has definitely raised me up; can not imagine my life without her. I tell a story of actually seeing a bright white light coming down when she was born (no one believes me!) When Caroline was around two, she saw pretty pink underwear in GAP and said if I use the potty, I get to wear those. I bought her many pairs and, voila, no potty training. Friends all felt it was unfair that I had a six month old that would sit on the floor for hours and look at books. When I was pregnant with our second, a boy, she wanted to buy him dresses. She insisted that, "he would still need to twirl". I could go on and on . . .
Also, thanks for the incredible links you share.
And, Happy Birthday, Chelsea!!!

[martina]

Well if I translated that French site right, my name was used was common amongst slaves in Italy and the U.K. and is a traditional name in the Basque region. Actually, I'm named for my Grandma, who came from Norway.
Corey, did you ever tell why your parents gave you your name?

[WAVENEY]

Can you imagine a wee slip of a girl with the name of WAVENEY WHITNEY GADBERRY !! what concoction had my mother eaten the night before she came up with that one. Why couldn't I have been a Susie or Linda? Actually, or supposedly, I was name after a friend my mother met while she was station in Europe as a army nurse in WWII. I have in my 60 years never come across another person with my name. although my eBay identity was already taken. searching the net there are beau coup waveneys in the British isles, WAVENEY trucking, a WAVENEY antique store ect . There is also a WAVENEY river in England and I tried to research the origin of the name but it it was so old , no one seemed to know. My mother seemed to think it was a welsh heroine??? in my youth I went by WAVE, now I quite fancy WAVENEY. Is it popular in France?

[Anjanette]

"But after spending the week with us, my Mother-in-Law left saying, "You must name your baby Sacha, or Chelsea will be devastated."

Laughed out loud!!

Happy Birthday Chelsea!! I can't imagine your brother with any other name!! You have many many talents beautiful girl!! Enjoy a wonderful day and beautiful future!!

BTW: Anjanette is suppose to mean "Angel" in french...that is what I have been told, but not the reason my mother chose it.

[Chris Wittmann]

Lovely story Corey. My folks had one daughter, my sister Anita, so when I was due dad insisted it would be a boy. I was to have been a "Christopher" !!
So when mom delivered another girl, Christopher was quickly changed to Christine.

[Laurie SF]

29,000 people share my name in France and Laurie est très en vogue au Québec. Pronounced Lorh-eeeee. What a wonderful link.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHELSEA!!

[Laurie SF]

The naming of Sacha was an adorable story.

[Stella]

I was 18 in 1976 and it was my first year in university. We studied the Dada movement in Paris. An important person in this movement was Tristan Tzara. When I first heard the name, at 18, then and there I intended that my son would be named Tristan.

In 2012, Tristan turned 23 just like Chelsea.

[Stella]

Joyeux anniversaire Chelsea! Tu as bien choisi le nom de ton frère.

[sue at naperville now]

O Corey -- such a lovely, lovely post. the stories you've told about your children through the years are so precious. thank you for your writing gifts and for sharing them with all of us.
joyeux noel --
Sue

[Jeannie]

Happy Birthday Chelsea! I love this story and the mystery being solved. I was named Jean Marie. For a Heinz 57 kid, predominately Welsh, Norwegian, and English, this seemed a little too French. My Mom read a book or saw a movie while in Alaska pregnant with me. Marie is a family name, so it seemed appropriate. I came home from 1st grade one day in tears. I was Jeannie at home and Jean Marie in school. The later was used at home only when I was in big trouble. Mom finally had my school records changed when I went to jr. high.

[Ana]

It is often the smallest things that we overlook, the familiar, everyday, that have the greatest impact on our souls. Children have this unique gift of seeing what we adults very often miss. Happiest of years to you Chelsea.

[Joanna]

This is one of your best stories yet Corey! Heartfelt, quirky, charming, suspenseful, from a mystery puzzle to a final denouement. Great stuff! What a tribute that oozes the love and admiration that you have for your muse, your daughter, your sunlight. Happy Birthday Chelsea!

[Lisa Swifka]

Happy Birthday to Chelsea. What a wonderful story and one I am sure will be passed on for generations! And to think you may have never known had the book not been revisited!

My father wanted to name me Gwendolyn...my mother told me...but she balked big time (thank goodness, though that is not intended as a slam to those named Gwendolyn). I just don't see me with that name. While my Mom was pregnant with me she saw a singer on TV by the name of Lisa Kirk and she immediately liked the name. Since 3 of my 4 brothers were born before me and she so wanted a girl - when I was born and they told her "it's a girl" she told me she responded with "prove it!" HA!

[French la Vie]

Hiya

I was named after a woman who did dance exercises on TV. I suppose a female version of Jack O Lane.
Corey Lee was her name, I am Corey Ann since Lee wasn't a Catholic name for baptism.

[French la Vie]

Waveney, I have never met a Waveney in France... but because I am writing this I will probably meet ten women name Waveney tomorrow.

[Zosia]

Happy Birthday, Sto Lat, Chelsea!
Great story. Children are so perceptive. This book is a family heirloom now :-).

[Reets]

I love the name Chelsea. Happy Birthday to you Chelsea.
Our rural yard needed a sidewalk up to the house because the maid - me - was tired of the mud duty. The cement was still wet. Somewhat eerily I picked up a stick and carved the name Cruz. A bit puzzled, I thought "Perhaps if I have another child, and it is a boy, we will call him Cruz." That did happen. I am amazed that all of my children, in one way or another, became their names. Too long a story for here.
I loved the Sacha story and the book is beautiful.

[pattyg]

What a beautiful and moving story!
Happy birthday Chelsea!!

[Debi Ellis]

I was named after Deborah in the Bible but mom aways said, and i have to admit, that she should have named me aftr a boôk she read during labor...Scarlet from Gone with The Wind. In high school I went from one guy back to another every week or so and i still to to this day wory about things "tomorrow" lol AND my life's calling has been birthin' babies!

Debi

[Kieren Dutcher]

What a lovely story, that you tell so well! Happy birthday Chelsea! ..how did she get Her name?

My name is unusual... Kieren. It's Gaelic, I am not. It's a man's name.I am female. It means 'dark' one, and I am blonde. My dad wanted to give me a name that couldn't be made into a nickname. I am not sure where my parents found this name... but it's mine now.

[Shelley Noble]

What a warm, touching story you tell, Corey. And you tell it so well. Merry Christmas to you all.

[Rae Hilhorst]

What a wonderful story, I had tears in my eyes. My girls had a book that they could recite, unfortunately it has been lost. I emailed the publisher last year but to no avail it is out of print.

This year I am blessed as it has been re released, I have one for each under the tree as a memory present. Rae xx

[rosa]

what a lovely story!

[Irina]

Happy, happy Birthday, Chelsea!!!!
I LOVE this story! It is so sweet, melts my heart.

[France Forever]

A lovely story! I saved a Sesame Street book that I used to read to my daughter, as a special memory - thank goodness the name Grover didn't stick in her mind :)

[TEXAS FRANCOPHILE]

Great story. Happy Birthday, beautiful Chelsea! My name is Barbara, don't have any idea where it came from. They narrowed it down to Barbara and (Irene- yikes) there are 25,000 people in France with that name. Will translate more later.
Have a wonderful Christmas with your F H, AND YOUR BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN

[Karen C]

Bless you Corey, Happy Birthday Chelsea and thank you both for this wonderful Christmas gift. The story of "How Sacha got his name".
I have waited and waited for it and now I can say this is the second gift I have received from you this year, the first being my beautiful brocante charms which I am wearing as I write.
Our eldest almost named our third child.
The night before I went to hospital he announced at the dinner table that if this baby was a girl, her name would be 'Daisy'!
'She' was a 'he' and I had already chosen his name the moment I knew he existed.
Christmas blessings to you all. Xoxo

[Jeanne]

I love this posting so very much and happy Birthday to your precious daughter. My Son's birthday is December 28th..............

Much love and merry Christmas to you and your Family.
Love and hugs and smiles across the miles.
Love you sweet friend.
Love Jeanne

[Kit]

Such a lovely Christmas story, Corey. Chelsea sounds like an old wise soul, right from the start!

My mother is visiting for Christmas and I asked her where they got my name from. I'd never asked before. I just knew that they wanted to call me Kit, but thought I should also have a 'proper' longer name, so they came up with Katerina, which is what I was christened ... but nobody has ever called me that.

My mother told me that she'd liked the name Kit ever since as a child she'd read a book with the main character a naughty tomboy called Kit. She couldn't remember what the book was after all these years! So it seems like I was also named from a book!

I read a few children's books myself as a child with characters called Kit, and always felt an extra connection with them.

Thanks for prompting me to find out where the inspiration for my name came from - perfect timing!

[KAMFreeman]

Corey,
The story of Sacha's naming by Chelsea is lovely. How often children, in their innocent wisdom see things that we in our often way too busy lives fail to notice. Looking ever so closely your sweet little girl found the word, the name that is, indeed, your son. Beautiful story, and photos of the picture book made for a grand first thing to read today.
My name, Kristin, could seem to most a derivative of my grandfather's name, Christian; it was however, found by my mother in a book she read while she was waiting for me to arrive. The book, "Kristin Lavransdatter" was written by Sigrid Undset and was the trilogy that was the basis for the work for which Undset received the 1928 Nobel Prize in Literature; which was awarded to her "principally for her powerful descriptions of Northern life during the Middle Ages". As the granddaughter of Norwegian immigrants there has always been a fascination with and connection to my family in Norway. Today many of us write to one another on Facebook and have enjoyed visits and the connection that family across the world truly can have. That book is one that I have read several times and it sits on the shelf awaiting another read, perhaps this winter.
Thank you again and again for the magical, sweet spirit that your stories impart to me each day when I read your blog.
Kristin

[Teddee Grace]

What a delightful Christmas story. I loved it.

[Marilyn]

Happy Birthday to Chelsea! I hope she had a wonderful day and has a wonderful year to come.
Loved reading how Sasha got his name. I would have thoroughly enjoyed Chelsea and her old soul.

[Casual Cottage Chic]

Happy birthday to your lovely daughter and to you and hubby for giving her a beautiful life 23 years ago!

[peggy braswell]

What a precious story of how the name of your boy child came about + how fab. to find out where Chelsea got the name + Happy Birthday, Chelsea. The story of my naming is tooo long to go into here but I love the name Peggy(not Margaret). Thanks to you Corey for this great tale. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

[Jill Sangster]

DEAR CHELSEA,

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL STORY TOLD BY YOUR MOM OF HOW YOU CAME TO NAME YOUR BROTHER.IT SAYS ALOT ABOUT THEM THAT THEY LET THE NAME STAND.

IT SEEMS YOU WERE THE "CAPTAIN OF YOUR SOUL" AT A YOUNG AGE: MAY THAT BEAUTIFUL GIFT CONTINUE TO LIVE ON IN YOU.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !

WITH LOVE,

JILLY

[Kathie B]

Bom aniversário, Chelsea!

[Lana Kloch]

happy birthday chelsea. your mother writes about you with such great pride and love. appreciate how you named sasha. what a wonderful gift.

thank you corey for adding the name finder.. had so much fun using it and learning so much about our names.

[La Contessa]

Just beautiful!What a story!That book needs to be framed!

[Monika]

In grade 7, our teacher would read us chapters from an old book she found in the library. It was the story of two boys, one of whom was named Kit, who met up with Shakespeare and his acting troupe while trying to evade the authorities. I'd forgotten the name of the book, and wanting to read it to my own children, I've searched for it over the years. I think I've found it, and I wonder if it might not be the book which inspired your mother's choice of names!

Here it is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cue_for_Treason

[Monika]

What a lovely and perfect name, what a beautiful bond they share! I love the story of how Chelsea named her baby brother.

I find the name itself to be singularly perfect -- it is strong and sweet, and one of my favourite names of all times, that of my dad. My dad is actually my step-father, so I have always called him Saša instead of "dad", although having been my dad since the age of 4, he is *My Dad*.

Saša is his pet name, it is the Russian pet name for Alexandr, which was his father's name, and that of his older brother, who died at the age of 2. It was an unusual name in Czechoslovakia, as Russians weren't very popular. His father had escaped the Russian Revolution after the murder of most of his family, and he settled in Czechoslovakia marrying a Czech woman.

Nobody except doctors, lawyers or employers call my dad Alex or Alexandr though; he is Saša for everyone. I have this wonderful photo of him as a young man in leathers standing beside his motorcycle after a motocross race, looking better than James Dean. He was in the merchant marine for over 6 years, seeing the world. At age 32, he escaped the Russian invasion of our country by jumping ship in France, and making his way to Paris with only two handkerchiefs, a pair of socks and his best friend. Together, they came to Canada, and started their lives anew with literally nothing. Because in my mind it is such a strong name, and so very masculine, I don't like to see it co-opted for girls, although this is the round-about way that your Sacha was named, which makes it a good thing.

All this to say, I love the name Sacha, and love the story of how it came to be!

(We had the same naming calls and visits of mothers and mothers-in-law when my own French (Canadian and Commonlaw) Husband and I named our children. At first it happened with Tallulah (Not French Enough, it sounds particularly beautiful in French, and has resulted in the French nickname of Tallulu), and then our son's name, Viggo (His sister was fascinated by V's, naming her first baby doll Vinip and her stuffed fish Valero, exhibiting the same confidence and conviction as Chelsea. Thus, it was Viggo!)).

[Kit]

Hi Monika, I've always loved Cue for Treason too, and not just because one of the characters is named Kit. I've got most of Geoffrey Trease's historical children's books and read them to my kids, but for some reason they don't want to read them to themselves. Guess they haven't inherited my love for historical fiction!
I'll ask my mother if that was the one, but I think she said it was a girl named Kit in her book.
There's another lovely children's book called the Lark in the Morn, by Elfrida Vipont, about a Quaker girl called Kit who finds out she can sing. Still one of my favourites

[Minodora]

Lovely story!:))thanks for sharing!
Merry Christmas!

[Monika]

Thanks for the book recommendation Kit; I will look for it.

As for Cue for Treason... the reason I think it might be the one is that Kit is actually a girl, masquerading as a boy, playing girl roles in Shakespeare's plays, so quite a tomboy. That's why I've always associated the name with this book myself and have never forgotten it; it is quite an extraordinary female character. I'd love to know what your mother says; please keep us posted!

[Shelley]

Hi Rae,
What is the name of the book. Maybe one of us readers have it and would be willing to help you out.

[Marie-Noëlle]

I am so pleased to be back... to read this story (among others) !
Thank you for sharing it !!!

Children are amazing !!!

[Marie-Noëlle]

PS
I've got the book at home... Must find it to "read" it again !!!