Baby Names

Funny- I feel like I always have lots to say until I open up this page...

I've always been a bit intimidated by a blank page.

I used to doodle on my blank notebook pages if I had nothing to write- but not pictures, as I was always a pretty wretched artist, but names. I used to practice writing my future children's names over and over.

Since high school we've changed a few of the potential names and some remain. We've thrown out Jack- which was very avant garde and unusual 12 years ago but is crazy popular today, especially with the Jackson\Jaxon variant. We've also tossed Caleb, which still makes me very sad, but the old fashioned name has just skyrocketed in popularity recently. When I'm in Toys-r-Us and hear "Hey Jax come here" or "Caleb put that down!" it makes my uterus clench, but hey, I've surrendered them to the universe.

I clung to the 4-6 names for so long because they represented our first major decision together, our first major plans for our future together. Another one that was sentimental to us was Oliver, but we had to nix that one after a friend of ours named her little boy Oliver last year.

Wayyyy back when we were dating, early on before sex, we used to watch movies to pass the time... this was our "date". We'd watch the entirety of the film with an expectant tingle, waiting for the credits to roll and the mood to shift... for the hot and steamy making out session and the heavy petting.

Anyway, One time we were watching an old film from our childhood: Oliver and Company! A great little cartoon musical based on Oliver Twist but Way more fun! At one point during the film we were having such a good time and reminiscing about our separate childhood years and getting to know one another that I turned to him and exclaimed something along the lines of: "Our kids are definately going to watch this movie!!"

There was a stillness then. A quiet as my words fell between us, and a rather stunned look from my 15 year old boyfriend. I pancked! I was sure I'd freaked him out and would scare him away. You know ho boys are- they hate being tied down and thinking about getting married and having babies, so I scrambled to recover the fumble!

I started rapidly over-explaining: "You know YOUR kids and MY kids can get together maybe and watch it..."

Ugh.

An expression crossed his face that I wasn't able to identify at the time and assumed it was relief or maybe skepticism and veiled panic at the thought of marrying me and being stuck forever with my kid, but her recovered nicely and laughed and agreed and we went about our business of chatting and then making out. fervently.

We talked about it some time later. Was it months? or years? I don't know. But I never forgot that moment, that day. I was so happy and then so afraid I'd screwed everything up by that freudian slip O'the tongue.

Turns out HE remembered it too, very well. That shocked expression? He was soaringly happy to hear me say "our kids". And the other expression- the unidentifiable one?: He was disappointed that I'd back-tracked and yes, a little skeptical of my lame attempt at a cover up. Id made him joyful to the core to think of OUR kids, or probably freckle-faced, crooked-toothed little ragamuffins sitting on a couch somewhere in the ether of the future and watching Oliver and Company with us.

The revelation of our true feelings is another moment I'll never forget and will cherish, so naturally sometime down the road I announced my intention to include Oliver, for those very reasons, into the name pool. He was the third son that I was sure we'd have and aaron wasn't so certain but aquiesed to as a contingency plan. He's a softy.

But, then, Kerry had a baby with Matt and Olver's right out of contention. It will always be a fond memory but not a child.

Its ok. I recently saw a dinner theatre production of the Musical Oliver and was reminded how much I really can't stand it, and since it would be impractical to name our son Oliveranscompany Reardon, people would most commonly associate him with that wretched, cloying title song from that woefully subpar musical venture and that would likely drive my up a wall for the rest of the poor kid's life!

I miss him though sometimes. I imagine he'd look like Ron Howard as opie- with orange hair, freckles, and maybe the lisp he had in The Music Man movie... I'd teach him to sing 'Gary, Indiana' so he wouldn't feel so bad about his crazy speech impediment and he'd be wholesome and from the late 50's early 60's. Gee Whiz.

So. We've a new crop of boys names-- one of which is especially exciting, but I refuse to put it out there for fear of it getting crazy popular. Another couple that are great but a tiny bit more common.

And the girls names are pretty solid. Over the years we came to add a third solid selection which I'm pretty jazzed about: Both our grandmother's names and then an awesomely cute nickname.

And our favorite? at one time we were set on waiting and giving it to our yougest daughter... but as I get older and we get poorer the decision has become: name the first girl the best name, because we don't know and can't predict which one will be the youngest.

There. Done. Done blogging for the day. It sure will be fun when\if we do have kids, because both our firstborn names for both sexes are pretty unconventional. They will no doubt drive my sister to distraction (hell she hated OLIVER for goodness sake!), and make more than a few peoply raise their eyebrows and engage in "what were they thinking" conversations behind our backs, but hey- names are branching out. Aaron figures that by the time our kids are adults the names won't seem that bizarre, that lots more parents are taking chances.

And guess what? I think Apple is an adorable name. Why the grief? Apple is both yummy, beautiful and wise. We name girls other fruits and we name them after hundreds of flowers and we name them after MONTHS and days for goodness sake, so what's the trouble with Apple? Its frsh and vibrant and still somehow classic and mythic.

stop hating. LOL!