What's In A Name?

Dad Unit Here. As we march (or waddle) inevitably forward to our due date, we’ve been focusing on names for our Flipper. [And yes, Wendy has already vetoed “Flipper” as a name, although I’m still holding out hope that I can get the “Gibbous” in as a really sweet middle name.] The difficulty, is, of course, finding a name that is not a) too old fashioned, b) too outlandish, or c) too trendy.

Wendy and I agreed from the outset that we did not want a name that was too old fashioned. Names such as Gertrude or Ethel may be perfectly fine names, but they just did not speak to us. Outlandish names were right out. So, sorry, no Shadrak Smiseck, as in “Shadrak, Meshak and Abendigo.” The problem with such names, outside of potentially being silly, is that it can be hurtful to the child, both in terms of childhood taunts and acceptance as an adult.

So, we are now left with finding a name that we both think is groovenatious but that is not too “trendy.” I refer to the trendy trap as the “Dave Syndrome.” Those of you who know your Dr. Suess may remember a very short story he wrote called “Too Many Daves,” which reads, in part:

Did I ever tell you that Mrs. McCave Had twenty-three sons, and she named them all Dave? Well, she did. And that wasn't a smart thing to do. You see, when she wants one, and calls out "Yoo-Hoo! Come into the house, Dave!" she doesn't get one. All twenty-three Daves of hers come on the run! This makes things quite difficult at the McCaves' As you can imagine, with so many Daves ***

The lesson we learn from all of this is crystal clear: “Groovenatious” would be a great name for a rock band (Thanks, Dave Barry).

Actually, it’s that we want to avoid a name that may be shared by lots of others. The current bane seems to be the name Taylor. Go anywhere and shout, “Taylor, come here!” You’ll see at least three girls and two boys all come on the run. The name might be perfectly okay, but we do not wish to inflict such anarchy on our little girl. We’ll let all the other precious snowflakes sort it out. Unfortunately, this issue has caused us to question some names we really love.

So, Wendy, Kennedy, and I are still plowing through the baby-name books (for those with a quirky sense of humor, how can you have a list called the 100 most popular unique names???). We hope to find a name that is strong and successful and loving and beautiful and reflective of who we think our little girl may be. Leading names are Katherine, Julia (a name shared by Wendy's great-grandmother and my great-grandmother - a beautiful soul, for those of you who knew her), Grace, and Ophelia.

Your suggestions are, of course, always welcome. You may have an idea that we’ll love. Just post it in the comments section of this tremendous blog. We’ll let you know what we think.

Until then, Grace & Peace!

Got a Suggestion?

Since everyone is asking about names, here's a chance for you to give your two cents. Click on "comment" and rattle off your suggestion(s). We've floated some name ideas out there to some, so if you like them, just say so; if you don't, come up with something you do like and we'll THINK about it.

Reminiscing

There are a lot of nice, fuzzy things about pregnancy - the fact that you're growing a new little being and knowing that in a matter of months you'll be holding a sweet, naked little pinkish thingy (to paraphrase "Babe: Pig in the City") can give you a pretty big lift. You'll hear people talk about this stuff all the time. What people don't often talk about are the things that, upon reading them, you think, "Oh, that's not a big deal - stuffy noses are mere child's play". Having forgotten these minor irritations, I am now remembering some of the less nice and fuzzy aspects of pregnancy that are rearing their heads - I will, however, spare you the somewhat icky or more personal aspects in my list of what I am now missing as a part of my pregnancy journey. Please note that this does not mean that I am not enjoying the experience - merely recalling fondly some of the abilities or indulgences that after about five months now I am realizing I am doing without.

Things I miss:

• my feet
• lying on my stomach
• an un-stuffy nose
• lifting things that I know I am capable of lifting
• getting out of bed or off of a chair or the floor without making it into a production of "Cirque du Soleil"
  
• wine with dinner
• being able to ignore (or at least tolerate) many smells
  
• the ability to speak articulately
• control of my gastronomic desires
• not being winded after walking upstairs
• memory longer than a nanosecond
• some of the foods I really used to groove on but now have no taste for (see "control of gastronomic desires")
  
• sleeping through the night without having to get up to pee at least twice
  

Early Career Option

Not happy with the Presidential candidates this year? Try this one!

At 22 weeks, impersonating Julie Andrews atop Mt. Jeez near Malabar Farm State Park in Richland County, Ohio.
We took a mini family vacation this weekend to enjoy the fall colors, celebrate Steven's birthday, and get in touch with nature. Mmmmm, nature. We did a lot of tromping around!
If you're ever in the neighborhood of Richland/Ashland County, check out the farm, stay at a castle, do some leaf peeping, and visit a prison (which unfortunately we could not do due to haunted house age restrictions - yes, I am too young).

Our monthly checkup went off without a hitch yesterday (10/13); doc (Kim Shepherd) says things look good and reiterated that recent tests indicated that all was well. She did admit to laughing when she saw the report that Flipper was a girl; Kim was predicting a boy and told us a story about her own prediction woes with her three boys. Otherwise, Flipper is still playing hide and seek with daddy and Kennedy gained the distinction of having lost the last of her baby teeth yesterday while at the dentist's office. I, on the other hand, gained the distinction of having a small, molar cavity, but at least my teeth are clear of granite boulders.

She Likes to Move It, Move It

I remember the first time I felt Kennedy (some 11 years ago) - it was just like the books and all described it: like butterflies. With Flipper, she made herself known in no uncertain terms, skipping the butterfly phase and going straight for a healthy push. She goes through bouts of moving around, pushing and kicking, and I'm never sure of exactly what it means; some days are more active than others, though. One particular day about a week or so ago, she got fired up about us singing the Beatles' "Twist and Shout" and didn't quiet down for some time (hopefully this means she's a Beatles fan as opposed to punishing me for my vocal skills). All this movement, however, is felt pretty much by me at this point with no real impact on external feelers. I might be sitting around feeling a few notices of her presence and tell Steven, but by the time he reaches over it's done. It's almost like some game she's playing with him - I can almost imagine her giggling behind her little hand ("Ha ha Daddy! Try to catch me!"). She's lying on her side at this point, so at least we know where her feet are most of the time (and I know where her feet are every time she stretches and kicks- shees!).

The Specifics

Flipper Gibbous, a moniker to give us something to call the baby besides "the baby", is Flipper because all little guys start out with flippers and Gibbous because Steven is an Astronomy geek (plus, it just sounds cool - now I dare you to look it up).
Anyway, Flipper has gone through a few due dates: February 11, February 15, and now February 13 - the last two due to changes after ultrasound measurements (and how they know that Flipper is five and then two days behind original estimates is a complete mystery). The last date is kind of funny; February 13th is my brother's birthday, but it also happens to be Friday the 13th in 2009, a significant factor in that Steven was born on Friday the 13th and considers it quite lucky. I will consider myself lucky if I make it that long.
The most recent ultrasound (9/24) was very cool so wait for a hot minute because the photos should be up soon - things are looking good and we found out that we have a girl! It was neat for us because Kennedy and Steven's mom was there and it was great to share the experience with them; we've seen Flipper moving around before, but it was especially cool to see her doing her thing in front of big sis and Nana (well, that and she's much bigger now - oooo and she has finger and toe bones!). She wasn't as active as last time (thankfully, because it made taking the measurements easier), but she did do a really awesome karate kick, open and close her mouth, and move her hands around. She also tired of the attention, and like the apes at the zoo, turned her back when she was done with us. I could have watched her all day - in fact, when the technologist left and we were waiting on the doc, I was half tempted to play with the machine to look at what I wanted to see, instead of what the doc wanted to see; fortunately, the voice of reason stepped in before the doctor did - otherwise I would have been standing there like a kid with my hand in the proverbial cookie jar with a bystanding peanut gallery giving pointers. Still, it was a good day - we're happy, saw a healthy baby, and now have to get serious with girl names.