Since finding out that we are expecting another little boy, we have been asked countless times if we have picked a name.  Everyone has their own "thing" for picking names and ours hasn't been consistent.  With Gavin, we named him within moments of finding out he was a boy.  We called him by his name ever since.  To be honest, there wasn't any real reason for his name other than Doug and I both loved it. 

With Joey, it was a little more involved.  Maybe it was because we had to work so hard and deal with so many losses, that he deserved a name with a little more thought.  We talked about various names but just couldn't agree.  Doug really liked the name Garrett and while I liked it, I am not a huge fan of having two G names and that setting a precedent for any future children to be G's as well.  So, one date night we got on the topic of Doug's brother, now deceased due to a tragic accident.  He passed long before I was in the picture so I was just curious to know more about him.  As we talked and I could hear how close Doug was to his brother, it just seemed to make sense.  I liked the name Joseph and now it had meaning.  So after asking permission from my mother-in-law, he was named.  But, outside of the three of us (and maybe more if MIL spilled the beans) no one knew what his name would be.  Doug and I had slipped up a few times while I was pregnant and called him by name.  Gavin, who never misses ANYTHING, started saying the name.  For fear that he would spread the word, we started joking around and calling the baby Guido.  As a joke, he is occasionally called Joey Guido. 

This time we are going a whole new route and I am really enjoying it!  We are making a list of names that we like.  There will be probably 4-5 names that Doug and I both agree on and then, when we meet him for the first time and share those hours nursing and getting to know one another, we will pick a name.  No one ever said that a baby has to have a name in the first minutes of life.  Just another reason to be eager to meet this little fella!  In my opinion, it is very important not to share any of the names we are considering.  Frankly, I don't want anyone's opinions coloring our decision.  The names are all pretty traditional, but people still like to throw in their two cents and I don't want all of that loose change. 

It is so hard to believe that baby will be here in less than 100 days!!  Double digits now!

I do have some posts in the works about some things like teens and abstinence and another on how the media and main stream television has helped us to think of our children as little adults and somehow we are okay with this.  But... those posts require thought, energy and my attention, all of which I am still trying to locate.  Soon though!  Hopefully before baby shows up! 

Anyone who has been pregnant or dreamed of one day being a parent, has at least given some thought to what they would like to name their children. Sometimes we have a fondness for a family name, a dear friend's name that we always liked the sound of, or a name we saw somewhere in a book that had a uniqueness to it that appealed to us. Now, I am about to share with you something I wish someone would have shared with us before we named our children.

Whatever name you choose should be practiced. Not just saying it aloud to an imaginary bundle in your arms with your breathy tone of adoration, but used in what will be real life situations over the course of the next 4 years.

At about 8 months, your little one will start crawling and reaching for all of the things that were previously safe on an end table, TV cabinet, or closed toy bin. So, practice saying the possible name with a touch of warning and redirection. Much like you say your husbands name when he is about to put his wet bath towel on the bed.

Then when baby is about 10 months and starts cruising around and falling down almost as often as he pulls to standing, you will need to say the name in a manner that shows concern but since you know he/she will be okay in a few minutes, try to keep it light. This might sound a lot like how you would say your husband's name when he get hit in his manly parts.

Then, as the toddler years approach and the real disciplining starts, there are a lot of new variations of the name you will have chosen for your child. Practice saying your future child's name with a real sense of frustration. Say your child's potential name about 200 times in a row followed by a simple direction. This might sound similar to how you say your husband's name when you really would like for him to pick his socks up off the floor just like you have asked him to do at least 87 1/2 times in the last 6 weeks.

Then, as your toddler becomes more courageous and independent, try saying your favorite baby name really fast, with urgency, and desperation. This will come in handy in a number of instances. Once they have learned that they can run and it is fun, they still need to learn to look in the same direction as they are moving. So say the potential adorable baby name quickly, as one syllable, much like how you say your husband's name when he is about to miss a turn while driving to the dinner reservation that you are already 8 minutes late for.

When you are writing down your list of baby names for your bundle of joy, be sure to practice saying the name in the less than gentle but short of screaming manner. This, sadly, is how it will be said most often. Choose wisely!



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