What's In A Name?

Everything, if you ask me.....

Like I said in my very first post - you're looking at a Double Stuff Oreo Cookie....and, as a consequence, a name must be chosen for the "stuff" on the inside. We know its a "pink one", as opposed to the "blue one" we got last time. Here's where the quandary begins, and I get all up in arms.

The Bohunk, during our first pregnancy, refused to even discuss girls names ("it's a boy anyway - I don't make girls"). Since I felt like it was a boy, and then had that confirmed by the doctor later, it wasn't an issue. We had picked out a name - his first name wasn't "family related" but we both liked it, and his middle name is The Bohunk's little brother's middle name (another story for another day). Anyway, this pregnancy, it's supposed to be a little girl. I feel like its a girl, and the doctor also says its a girl. But The Bohunk a) still is holding out hope for a boy, b) still won't discuss girls' names, and c) insists that if it is a girl, her middle name will be "Alma" after his grandmother. Now, this irks me on more than one level. First, the actual name - I loved his grandmother...once she got to know me, she was very kind, and she was a good woman. But her name is an old name, and very heavy - not something I want to put on a 21st century girl. And, to be blunt, I don't find it to be very pretty. Second, naming our second child after another member of his family leaves out my family altogether. It may be a bit selfish, but our children will always be "Andersons", and without having part of their names having anything to do with my side of the family, that part gets lost and disappears. It's more that way for girls than boys, since boys don't lose their last names in marriage. So I think that our baby girl should have a name that honors my side of the family, so that even if she gets married someday, she will carry a part of my heritage in her name.

I had thought of one name from my family, but in examining the names of people around me, 4 of them have the same name. So I came up with another one, a variation on my grandmother's name (she is "Caldonia" - which is also old and heavy, so a variation was necessary in my mind...) that is lighter and pretty (I think). I bounced the idea off of my mom, who said it was a very strong name and felt that the women I got the names from would be proud and honored. Plus, I had a little "divine intervention" in deciding on a name (also another story for another day). The other night, I mentioned only the first name to the Bohunk in conversation, and he just dismissed it and said "We've already decided, and that's final!" That didn't sit so well with me. So now he's gonna get a list of first and middle names, and he can pick from that. But this is one issue I refuse to give up (or give in) on. It seems only fair.