Submitted Photo Kyle and Alicia Kimmerly are pictured here with son Caleb and daughter Stella, and are looking forward to welcoming new baby Harper into the world next week.

FORESTVILLE — “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” In these famous lines by Shakespeare, Juliet points out that, of all the names her beloved could have, Romeo has the Montague name, which her family detests. In a similar twist of fate, of all the names Kyle and Alicia Kimmerly could have chosen for their daughters, they selected names that would also be winter storms occurring just weeks before their daughters’ due dates of April 14, 2017 and Feb. 7, 2019.

In November 2016, when the Forestville couple first learned they were having a girl, they chose the name Stella and announced it to friends and family. “Just a few weeks before she was born, the winter storm Stella hit,” Alicia recalled. Indeed, on March 14, 2017, most schools in Chautauqua County closed, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for a state of emergency in all 62 counties of New York.

While the worst of the storm struck Binghamton, the highest totals in the area were reported in Perrysburg and Forestville at two feet and 21 inches, respectively.

“At that point, we wondered if she might be a handful,” Alicia laughed. Interestingly, the circumstances surrounding Stella’s birth were stormy, as Alicia had to undergo an emergency c-section when the baby’s heartrate dropped dramatically during labor. Though all went well, the irony of the situation is certainly not lost on the family.

“The name definitely, suits her personality now, though,” said Alicia. “She’s got a very strong personality, and I think it fits. A girlfriend of mine still calls her ‘Stella Storm’ whenever she sees her.”

Alicia is now pregnant with the couple’s second daughter, who is due on Feb. 7. “I always knew if we had another girl, we’d name her Harper. A few months ago, we found out we’d be having a girl and announced the name. Then last week my husband gave me a call and said this winter storm on the way is going to be named Harper. I just couldn’t believe it. Twice in a row!”

Indeed, last weekend, winter storm Harper hit the area, bringing more than a foot of snow to some areas and sub-zero wind chill temperatures in the days that followed.

Like her older sister, Stella, Harper will be born at Brooks Memorial Hospital just a few weeks after the winter storm that shares her name. Expectant grandparents Kent and Kim Marsh, Ken and Tina Morley, and Marianne Kimmerly are looking forward to the arrival of the new baby.

Of course, older brother Caleb, age 10, and Stella are also excited about Harper’s arrival though, as Alicia pointed out, Stella does not fully understand the situation. “She does point to my stomach and say, ‘Harper,'” Alicia explained. “But then again, she also points to her own stomach and Daddy’s stomach and says, ‘Harper’!”

Will baby Harper, too, have a “stormy” temperament? In the words of her mother, “We’ll find out soon, I’m sure.”