The Name Game

Over the past several weeks, we've been scouring baby name books to expand our list of the names we like.  Some of our requirements: we don't want it to be too common of a name because Ian's last name is so common that then the name would just be overall generic.  My name is so common that I had 6 other Katie's in my high school graduating class of 60 some girls.  That's a lot of Katie's!  I don't want that for our kids.  Also, we don't want it to be too unique, cutesy, or fun because they will be adults and have professions of their own one day and I want their names to fit with whoever they grow up to be.  Finally, the full name has to have a short version.  As in, when they get a telephone call as a teenager, I can yell up the stairs to them with the shorter nickname.

We had several names picked since before we got pregnant - but then we did some looking into them, and realized that some of these names have become incredibly popular over the past decade.  So some of these names we thought were unique or at least less common, will in fact be common with lots of other kids when our little one goes off to school.  And also, the names you think of before having kids is a reality - you somehow start questioning every one of them because you are more serious about it.  All those fun but not so realistic names - they go out the window! 

Since then, we've been expanding that list, looking for new names.  Now that we can rule out boy names, we are going back to the list to think seriously about each of the names.  Our plan is to narrow our list down to two girl names we love and then decide on the final name once our little one is in our arms.  Because sometimes a little baby just looks like a certain name.  So far, we have one real frontrunner.  It's unique, a really pretty sounding name, and could be formal or casual depending on the setting.  It just kind of rolls off our tongues nicely. 

We've decided to keep all of our name options a secret, even from families and friends.  The only two people who will know our baby's name before she hears it for the first time in our arms will be Ian and I.  And I just love that.  Even though she won't remember that moment of us whispering her name to her for the first time, we will.  Besides, then we don't have to hear people's opinions of whether they like or dislike the name.  It's hard to dislike something when you're being handed a beautiful baby girl to meet for the very first time and the name is already attached to her.