'Best friends for life': Woman gets emotional as sister names newborn niece after her
Katie Staten has always looked up to her older sister, Brook Fondriest.
The pair are seven years apart and despite not living together growing up, they’ve managed to stay close.
While Staten’s first name is Katelyn, she typically goes by Katie or Kate. When she found out her sister named her newest addition “Millie Kate” on Sept. 7, she was moved to tears.
The baby girl was born in Dayton, Ohio and Staten was there with her sister through it all. She shared the touching moment she found out the baby’s name on TikTok two days later.
In the video, Staten's sister asks "What about Millie Kate?" as her husband rocks the baby. When her husband agrees, Staten calls the name "cute."
Staten continues looking at her niece before asking if her sister and brother-in-law are serious about naming the baby after her. She cries, coming to the realization that it’s true.
“It’s your turn to cry,” her brother-in-law, Danny, says in the video.
“(We told her) after I was sobbing because I was so happy with the baby, so that's why I was like ‘It’s your time to cry now,’” Danny said.
Brook and Danny have two other children who are named after family members. Their daughter’s middle name is Rae from her mother’s side of the family and their son has his father’s name, Daniel.
When it came time to name their third baby, Danny and Brook considered naming her Kathleen, after Brook’s grandmother. Ultimately, they went with Kate, in honor of Brook’s little sister.
Staten said she initially didn’t believe they named the baby after her.
“How can something so perfect share a name with me?” she thought. “I automatically felt connected to her. Obviously, I was an aunt before her but this was just so special. We're going to be best friends for life.”
Watch: 96-year-old tear up after learning his new great grandson will share his name
Sisters have always been close despite growing up in different households
Brook, the oldest of the two sisters, was 7 years old and ecstatic when she found out she was getting a little sister. The pair have the same dad but different moms, so they grew up in different primary households.
“I think that made our relationship more special because it was always an excitement on the weekends when I got to go visit,” Brook said. “I got to go see Katie, and she was excited to see me. I would say that's the same thing now. Every time we get together, it's just always exciting and fun.”
The sisters never have any of the typical drama between sisters, Brook said. While some big sisters may shun their younger siblings, Staten said her sister never did that to her. She made her feel included and loved, no matter what.
“I think our parents really valued us being close because we weren't together all the time,” Brook said. “We never argued or anything like that.”
And Staten said she has always been able to turn to her big sister for anything. She looks up to her, she said.
She also admires the way her sister carries herself, calling her strong, caring and calm. Her sister is independent and never settles for less than what she deserves, Staten said about her sister.
“I always wanted to be like her, and that's never changed,” Staten told USA TODAY Thursday afternoon. “Just having her in my life has definitely been a blessing to me.”
Couple hid the baby’s name for months
When choosing Millie Kate’s name, Brook and Danny used an app that allows them both to swipe on baby names, kind of like Tinder, but for naming babies, Brook said.
They both swiped right on the name Millie when they saw it. They decided to give her the middle name Kate during the summer but kept it a secret.
When Staten tried to get her older sister to spill on the baby’s name, Brook didn’t give in, often telling her they hadn’t decided. Eventually they told her the baby’s first name but kept the middle name, Kate, a secret.
“I think even the week before I had Millie, she texted me and said ‘I think you know the name. You're just not telling us,’” Brook said.
They hid the baby’s name for multiple reasons. They didn’t know if they were having a boy or a girl until the day she was born. If they did have a baby girl and named her after Staten, they wanted to tell her at the hospital, where Staten stayed with them and filmed during delivery.
They told her the news about 20 minutes after she was born, said Danny, Millie’s father.
Brook, Millie Kate’s mother, said it’s important for her children to have ties to their family because family makes them who they are.
“Our kids have so many people who love them and support them,” Brook said. “We want those people to feel involved and loved too. We are raising them, but it's not just us. It really does take a village and we're thankful for Katie and everyone who loves our kids just as much as we do.”
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Woman cries when sister names baby niece after her: Watch
