About Joshua:
My name is Joshua Reese Natinsky. When I was born, I weighed 7 lbs, 6 oz. and was 19 1/2" long. Pretty impressive, eh?
So, I know you're wondering... how did I get my name? Well, here's what my parents had to say:
Joshua Reese was named for 2 very special people in our lives. The “J” in Joshua was chosen to honor the memory of Eric’s grandfather, Jerry Nasits. Growing up, Eric had a close relationship with Jerry and spent time visiting him and Grandmommie Thelma in Tyler and at their fishing house in Rockport. When Eric and I began dating, I had the opportunity of getting to know Jerry and eventually be affectionately teased by him, just as “one of the grandchildren.” I particularly loved the fishing trips to Rockport, one of my first real fishing experiences. Jerry was truly beloved by all who knew him for many reasons. He was a man of many talents…he served in the Navy, sold real estate, was the famous owner and florist of “Jerry’s Flowers”, and was even the mayor of Tyler. He served on countless civic committees and volunteered in the community extensively throughout his life. Even more impressive than his business and community successes, Jerry was adored by his friends and family…always making jokes, giving prank gifts, telling me and other females in the family to put on their lipstick – a man of devotion to his family, of righteousness, and of generosity. It is these characteristics that we cherished in Jerry and hope are passed along to you, Joshua.
The “R” in Joshua’s middle name, Reese, is in honor of the memory of Michelle’s great aunt, Dr. Rosa Carvel. Aunt Rosa, as Michelle called her, lived in New Orleans and watched Michelle grow up. Frequent visits to Aunt Rosa and Uncle Philip’s consisted of swimming in her pool, lunches of tuna sandwiches and multi-colored jello, and lots of love -- as she never had children of her own. Aunt Rosa was a brilliant dentist and a professor of dentistry for over 40 years. She was a fantastic clinician, researcher - but most of all, a teacher. She was beloved by her students, many of whom continued to keep in touch with her decades after she taught them. Similar to Jerry, family was most important to Aunt Rosa. Her intensely close relationship with her 5 siblings in Argentina and her support of her nieces and nephews, as her own, was present throughout her life. In particular, she was extremely proud of Michelle’s completion of her doctoral work since education was so highly valued by her. She also developed a special fondness for me regarding similar religious views and our shared September birthdays. While definitely a unique personality – ALWAYS talking and with rather interesting fashion sense, Aunt Rosa’s care for others and devotion to her family made her endearing to us all. Together with Jerry, we hope that Joshua Reese embodies these qualities, knowing that he was named for 2 very special people whom his parents greatly love and miss. May Joshua Reese’s life be full of blessing and may he grow into the kind of person of whom both Jerry and Rosa would have been proud.
About Alexa:
Alexa Bryn was named for 2 very special people in our family. Both relatives whose memories are honored are from Michelle’s Argentine side of the family. The "A" in Alexa was chosen to honor the memory of Michelle’s Tia Abuela, Great Aunt Anita. Anita was Michelle’s grandfather’s sister, the second child of six. She was a brilliant dentist, practicing with her sister who was also a dentist. Their brother, a family physician, had an office next door to theirs. You will hear more about him in a minute. The siblings were incredibly close to one another. In the middle of their work day, they took lunch together and enjoyed each other’s company. Anita never had children of her own, but she was quite close to her many nieces and nephews. Michelle’s mother recalls that Anita was incredibly creative, spinning the most imaginative stories at bedtime. She was a strong, outspoken woman who was not afraid to share her perspective. It is these characteristics that were cherished in Anita, and we hope are passed along to you, Alexa.
The "B" in Alexa’s middle name, Bryn, is in honor of the memory of my abuelo, my grandfather, Dr. Baldomero Iusem. Because he lived in Argentina, my time spent with him was limited. However, I treasure the memories of his visits to the States and want to share some of them with you. As mentioned before, my abuelo was a family physician, one who had an incredible talent for diagnosis. He was the kind of doctor who simply does not exist today... a doctor who cared for multiple generations of families, made regular house calls, and was intensely dedicated to his patients. His closeness with his five siblings was striking, especially as he was the oldest in the family. As my grandfather, I deeply appreciated his efforts to speak in English to us when he came to the States to visit. Before I studied Spanish, I was grateful that he tried so hard so we could communicate with one another. Another fond memory of him was his love of ice cream and sweets. My mom tells that when she was a little girl, he would often suggest that his daughters wanted some ice cream. In reality, he was the one who wanted it and took the whole family for ice cream. Although my abuelo did not show much physical affection, I always knew that he loved me and was proud of me through his sweet smile and deep, focused eyes. Together with Anita, we hope that Alexa Bryn embodies these qualities, knowing that she was named for 2 very special people. May Alexa Bryn’s life be full of blessing, and may she grow into the kind of person of whom both Anita and Baldomero would have been proud.