So funny- I just got an email from Reichen from AMAZING RACE

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

I am only sharing this since so many of you participated in a poll regarding names...
and I have been emailed offline about the name and it's orgin etc...

As I have shared before Reichen's name is from a contestant from Amazing Race and I loved it when I heard it...

I found an email address for Reichen easily on line and just heard back from him (several days were between my quick email and his response so I assumed I wouldn't hear from him)...

Here it is: so interesting that the orgin of the name is from Reichen himself:

Hi Neve,
I'm flattered that you named your son Reichen. The history of the name starts with me. I was born Richard Allen Lehmkuhl and, when I was 25, while studying German, I looked in a German dictionary to find a name with a similar meaning to the English name Richard. Reichen was the word I found. I asked my German friends if "Reichen" was a German name and they said "no, but it would make a beautiful name, I suppose". I went to court and changed my name to Reichen. It is a German verb that means "to last" or "to give". It is a German noun that means "Riches". The word "Reich" means "Rich" and, in German, they add "en" to words to pluralize them like we add "s" to words to pluralize them. So "Reichen" is the plural of "Reich".

There is no one I've found in Germany or in the U.S. with the name Reichen, other than myself and the, now, 74 babies that have been named "Reichen", by the reports I've received from parents like you.

So you have a son that will be able "to last, to give" and who will stand for many "riches". Congratulations.

Love, Reichen


-----Original Message-----
From: Neve [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, July 01, 2005 5:00 PM
To:
Subject: We named our newly adopted son Reichen!!!!


Before you even begin to think I'm nuts I will share our family "blog" of the experience.
But in December we went to Ukraine (Prague a few days before) to adopt what we hoped would be two boys ages 6 and under. We were there during the political demonstrations for democracy which was as symbolic as the Berlin wall coming down. Infact had the Tsunami not happened the same day as the contested election there I am certain every American would know about it.

They don't do pre selection there so we traveled "blind"...
I traveled and made the trip 7 months pregnant...and two months home delivered a baby at home, I also heard her name and stopped dead in my tracks about 5 years ago...Bronwyn!!!

We adopted two beautiful brothers ages 6 and 3 and we came to the United States with them EXACTLY 6 months and 1 day from today.

We named our oldest son Reichen...
100% due to you and your name...but I'd by lying if someone had asked me to describe you to much, but the name just stuck the second I heard it on amazing race!!!!!

I just came to the internet to do a search for I am asked a lot where Reichen came from...and I do say from "this guy on Amazing Race"...
But I know nothing outside of that.

My Reichen is taking Martial Arts...Jujitsu and Ninjitsu and his master told him he will not be renaming him that he already has a "warrior name"...

www.insearchofourfamily.blog-city.com

I'd love just a quick response of where the name came from.
If it is just three words I understand.

thank you,
Neve
[email protected]

Tristan 2
Karsh 4
Reichen 6
Bronwyn 3 months

Neve
Reichen (6), Karsh (3), Tristan (2) and baby girl Bronwyn born March 10th!!!!

[wencit]

Oh, that is too cool! It was nice of him to take the time to write back. I never knew Reichen wasn't a German name; I guess I always assumed it was. Interesting!

P.S. Unfortunately, I heard he and Chip have broken up since TAR. :(

[aliceinwonderland]

I can't get over that!!

Oh, I'm emailing you, by the way.

e.

[sidmand]

That is very cool that he wrote back. I just thought it was a German name too. I had no idea he made it up. I guess it's a good name when you don't even realize it's made up!

Debbie

Mom to Sawyer!
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[mudder17]

Oh how exciting! I think I must have missed your early blogs as I thought Reichen and Karsh were names that they had in the Ukraine. So did they have other names when they were there?

Anyway, although I don't watch Amazing Race, I think that's so nice that this Reichen took the time to e-mail you back. :)


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah

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[amp]

Neve - I'm so glad you emailed him and that he took the time to email you back. How cool is that?! And now you have a history, as well as a story to share with Reichen through his life. He'll love reading that email down the road someday when you show him stuff of his childhood. Thanks for sharing that!

[sbjf]

Very cool!

I've been meaning to ask, how do you pronounce the name Reichen? I've never seen Amazing Race, so I have never heard it, only read it.

[squimp]

I wanna know how you pronounce it too, since I never saw the show. If it's German, I think it would be something like RYE-shen.

[marinkitty]

How cool, Neve. You definitely have to save that for a scrapbook for Reichen. It is great that he took the time to write back to you and I cannot believe 74 other babies have the name now too!!! Just wait - in three years there will be a character named Reichen on Days of our Lives or General Hospital!

How are you doing this week sans Steve (I think this was a week he is traveling?)?

Holly
Mom to Mia (3.17.03) and baby brother Jack (3.23.05)

[amp]

I assume Neve pronounces it the way Reichen on TAR did, so it would be pronounced Rike-En, with a long "i" and emphasis on the Rike. Correct me if I'm wrong Neve!

[g-mama]

Neve - that is so cool!! Now you'll have to tell me where the name Karsh is from because I had never heard of that name either.


Kristen
Paolo 11-00
Benjamin 8-03
and a third one coming in december '05!

[mama2galpals]

hey neve, i also thought that reichen and karsh were their ukranian names!


rita
mommy to
olivia '97
stella '00
emma '03

There is no remedy for love but to love more.
--Henry David Thoreau

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[barbarhow]

Huh-so did I. What a wonderful story for him. How awesome that the original Reichen wrote back and such a beautiful email.
Barbara-mom to Jack 3/27/03, a Red Sox fan
and Anna 5/12/05, my little Yankee fan!

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

I thought this a good thread to share this in since some it looks like didn't know and I have been asked nicely to share it in the past so wanted to take a second to share.

When I started to look into Ukraine adoption about two years ago I instantly fell in love with an illegal (I didn't know) photosling of a boy who was 6 and "needing a home". ends up very non reputable company, who illegally posted a picture of a boy who was not even need of a home. Ukraine does no preselection so this "bait" attempt was illegal.

So I knew we were going for children "6 and under"...and I was not going for the "younger the better"...my wish was a 6 year old boy and his brother.

I never in a million years would have thought about changing the names of "older children"...and not knowing the ages of the children I was prepared with about 5 names to chose from.

My friend (became my friend via the adoption world) had adopted a 6 and 7 year old and kept their names. Her son's remember their grandma and their birth mom and were sadly abandoned 14 months before she adopted them. they remember having to steal for food...but important to note they had a true connection to their birth families, two other brothers and their grand mother.
If my children had such a connection there is no way - no matter the name that we would have changed it.

As I researched the older adoptions people said that if an older child was abandoned (left at the hospital at BIRTH) one might consider changing their names IF very ethnic for they would be asked constatnly where it came from and they would not beable to really answer. It would be a constant reminder of being abandoned...not knowing if they are named after a father or even a boyfriend...

I barely remembered that advice- until we were in Ukraine and it came flooding back at me and I could embrace it more given our situation.

I knew 100% I wanted two (or three) boys
I knew 100% that I wanted 7 and under age wise
I knew 100% that I would not consider children abandoned at birth due to some research and the issues that seemed to come with that.
I'm not saying I was correct to have this list but I did have it for what it is worth.

thank goodness we were not informed that the boys had been abandoned at birth at the NAC and our appt for I would have without a doubt sadly declined the referral. OH THANK GOODNESS I DIDN'T KNOW!!!! I other words I would have falsly concluded something that was not the case.

By the way the fact that they have been abandoned is not one I share to even neighbors or many family...you all know and the adoption community I am somewhat active in knows but it is something we no longer share.

So when we realized that the boys would be asked their names, the orgin, who they were named after etc... and had no story to share we made the decision to change their names. The Director of the orphanage urged us to do this as well as the other direct members they were in contact with as well as our facilitation team.

We asked the boys for this would have prevented it...
Karsh instantly said "yes" and to this day is so proud of his name.
Reichen said "yes" but didn't scream "yes" and it was my only real hesitation. but for those who followed us you know he was very shy those first 4 days and he is 180 degrees from the personality he shared those days (and we were told that I just didn't beleive them).

So the boys have my maiden name as their middle names AND also have their Ukraine names as the second middle name for them to add or delete at their chosing.

We speak of their Ukraine names, Cherkassy their previous residence etc... often and none of this is hidden from them.

I just couldn't bare for them to not have an answer in their young age for their names...

So that is that...but thought I'd share since it has interested several.

That might not make sense to some but we have not regretted our decision for a nano second and the boys love their names that we have given them!!!!


Neve
Reichen (6), Karsh (3), Tristan (2) and baby girl Bronwyn born March 10th!!!!

[phirey]

Yeah, me too! I figured those were the names they had when you met them. What were their names before?

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

That is how we pronounce it too!!!...and the way it was said on the show...


Neve
Reichen (6), Karsh (3), Tristan (2) and baby girl Bronwyn born March 10th!!!!

[phirey]

How cool! What a beautiful story and very wise reasoning. Their names represent their new lives, yet you've not left out their "old" names. They must feel like they got something extra to be proud of.

As soon I read the sentence that Reichen said but didn't scream "yes," I smiled a half-smile, thinking to myself, "yeah, but he was so shy when you met him so that sounds about right!" And your next sentence confirmed it! I think his name is wonderful and I'm certain he does too!

I still admire you so much for all you've done. :)

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

Thank you for asking...the goodnews is I guess Steve's client in Wisconsin (where he has been going back and forth) decided late Friday (they notified him while he was at the airport) that they were going to give him access to thier accounts etc so he could do this week from his office here.

I think he has shared with a few how hard it has been for me...
so good news I have him this week...but he stuck here and not going to DC like planned.

But next week and the week after he is returning.
Thank you much better this week!!!!! I jsut lost it last Friday when he shared the news he'd be going back this week...

Neve
Reichen (6), Karsh (3), Tristan (2) and baby girl Bronwyn born March 10th!!!!

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

I always kind of mumble where his name came from...
for some reason I can stand taller saying where I stole Reichen from since I had a name with a face etc...

But I heard Karsh (what I heard was Karch) right before Steve and I married I was in a bridal salan and someone mentioned a famous vollyball player named Karch...I don't know why but it was one of those moments where I just stopped in my tracks and put it in my mind for future consideration.

MOnths before we traveled we hosted wine club here and I shared names I had picked out...one of the guys turned to his wife and said "we must have another baby before they go I want to steal that name!!!" We all joked and I guess went off with it being in our top 3.

Gavin was our next choice as well as Bain/Bayne.
Karsh was almost a Gavin...and since have fallen in love with it's Gaelic version Gabhan -if I have another boy that will be his name!!!

We spell it Karsh...we decided that while in Ukraine...


Neve
Reichen (6), Karsh (3), Tristan (2) and baby girl Bronwyn born March 10th!!!!

[Roleysmom]

Neve, thank you for sharing this beautiful story. The boys have a wonderful story linked to their names.

Paula -- mom to Roley Julia, January '02

[Mommy_Again]

Neve, that is such a beautiful story, and I get chills just thinking of you in that moment, how vulnerable and nervous everyone must have been, and how amazing you are to give them so much love. They are so so lucky!!

[amp]

Thank you for sharing your reasons for giving them their names. I know I was one who asked you about it. I knew there would be a thoughtful and loving reason behind it and often wondered what the boys reaction was. I knew it must have been positive, or you would never have done it. I was just nosy and curious and I appreciate you sharing something that really was your own personal business.

[Wife_and_mommy]

I'm with Andrea. I've always wondered about their names and assumed they were their original names because they were so unique. Never would have asked since it's none of my business.

I have thought it so cool that 3/4 of the endings were -yn/-an/-en and to think you almost had an -in.

Thanks for sharing the story of their names. What a beautiful one it is. Your family is very blessed to have each other. :)


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Our second morsel due early February 2006!