What's in a name?

My cousin is brilliant! Having just completed PA school, she's started a job at a fabulous children's hospital working to save kids' lungs. Pretty amazing - seriously. You've gotta be real smart to do stuff like that.

And smart she is. But for as much genius as this girl's got in her, she has at least as much character!

I've known my cousin as "Nikki" since she moved into my room at 6 months old. Throughout our childhood - sharing a bedroom, classroom, apartment and more, Nikki was her name (short for her middle name - Nicole).

Now I know, there are rigid opinions out there about calling your child something different than the first name on their certificate of birth, but we never knew any different.

Until....

September 2003.

Nikki chose to join me at my beloved University (WHOOP!), and we were fired up to be roommates again.

Only Nikki was ready for a change. She'd always liked her first name, and was maybe even a little sad she'd never been identified with it*.

So she did it...semester one at Texas A&M, the artist formerly known as Nikki made the switch!

To all whom she met in this new season of life, Nikki was "Micah".

The transition was fairly smooth (apart from all of my friends who still know her as her former identity)...and the rest is history, really.

I mean most people in Nikki's life consider her "Micah". She's done it. She created a new person, practically.

Nikki was a sweet little high school girl.

Micah is a super successful medical genius.

It’s pretty brilliant if you ask me. Takes character to be so bold, and, apart from her confusion from time to time, I think she’s real glad she did it.

......

Really, that story was meant to be an intro for these amazing photos I came across from our Christmas vacation in Tennessee. I started to write a short paragraph about her faces, but wasn’t sure what to call her (intro turned novel).

I had no idea I had taken so many photos of Micah/Nikki's incredible expressions.

Upon further review, I discovered she was awfully animated on our last vacation too.

So, I hope you enjoy the many shades of Micah Nicole (Micah/Nikki). And I promise, if your child needs some lung work...she's your girl. Most of the time, she's REALLY professional.

Believe it!













*ok...so I may or may not have actually been the one that suggest she start using her first name in the big transition to college. It was fun for me to live vicariously through her big transition.

Sorry, Nak, if I caused you in any permanent damage. wah wah.