Introducing...

Miss Cianna Ray was born January 19th 2012. Delivery was by scheduled c-section and went smoothly. Birth weight was 6 lbs 14 ounces.

I thought some folks might have a few questions about her name.

So, how do you pronounce this name anyway?
See-ann-a.

Why didn't you choose a name that's easier to spell and pronounce? And won't it be tough that personalized toys and objects won't be available with her name on them?
Um. Have you met me? Seriously, I grew up with a name that is almost inevitably misspelled and mispronounced, so I have a pretty good idea what we're doing to her. I love my name, I love that it is different. We'll find something for the Leapfrog toys to call her, and we can pay extra to get other stuff personalized if that's important to her.

Where did it come from?
Back when I was pregnant with Nathan, in discussing girls' names, we had liked the name Ceana but decided it was too hard to spell and pronounce. This time around we found a way to spell it that seems to be more clear. Ceana was our shortening of Ceanothus, the wild lilac. So the origins of the name, for us, are botanical. Ciana is also a variant of Luciana, meaning "light".

The urban dictionary, never a valid source of information for anything, gives some definitions of the name Cianna. I assume they are submitted by women named Cianna or their friends:
1. A unique name that is usually given to stunningly beautiful women. They are usually tall, thin and in great shape and exude tons of confidence. If you happen to spot one in the wild you can look, but do not touch. Cianna's are very often too good for you and will not give you the time of day. Remember the Cianna you spot, because you probably will never see another one again.
Cianna beautiful confidence
gorgeous sexy beautiful supermodel intoxicating
2. Cianna
Beautiful, Smart, Opinionated, Full of life, Emotional. Has a smile that will light up your life.
Cianna is everything you could ask for.

We also find on various baby name sites that Cianna means "God is Gracious".

Ray was her great-grandpa's first name. Nathan Curtis is named for his great-grandpa (Pop-Pop) Curtis, so there's a bit of a tradition here. If you put the "light" definition with the middle name, she's my ray of light. :)