Name Game

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

...What’s in a name? that which we call a baby

By any other name would smell as stinky...

Or...however the old adage goes...right?
Gosh, the name game. I love it, I hate it, I loathe it, I adore it...it is the most addictive and frustrating part of planning for the baby if you ask me (barring the pregnancy continues at a swimmingly normal pace). Sigh. I'll be the first to admit that I get rather obsessive about baby naming.
This probably comes as no surprise, seeing as my first daughter's full name, Matilda Hazel Darling Pardy, is a rather unusually constructed pairing of names. People love it or hate it or say stupid things about it or just simply adore it, as I do. But, nevertheless, once you meet Matilda you could simply never imagine her by any other name. She's Matilda!
So, that's partly why I seem to be so incredibly stumped on this girl growing in my belly. I ask her daily "What is your name?" and unless her name is Kicky McKickerson or Punchy Karate-chop...I'm getting no response from her.
What's worse is that I am annoying everyone around me because we are (again) not sharing the oh-so-elusive name until Miss Pardy #2 arrives. Yep, we're those aggravating name-secret-keepers that leaves everyone guessing until the end. I just find that there are far too many tactless opinions floating around my pregnancy for me to stick out my neck one more time. It seems when you wait to announce her arrival with the name, then that name is simply automatically "assigned" to her - no questions (or unwanted suggestions) offered.
"Ta-da! She's here!" and everyone is so excited and distracted by the sweet girl and intoxicated by the newborn scent in the air that no one stops to ask why you didn't name her after her Great-great Grandmother Alva or why you chose 2 middle names, etc. All that may come later - sure - but by then the adorable creature is looking you in the eyes, and it is much harder to criticize something who is unconditionally loving you right there in person. :)
All that to say - while I am sitting here complaining about this love/hate process of naming the new baby - I can't really get any help apart from my extremely patient husband! Yes, I have stranded myself up this creek without a paddle, but still - the frustration builds.
Now that we know we are going to welcome another girl, I'm also finding it hard to compete with "Matilda". Obviously that name was our first choice - and we used it! But now, I hate to think of this girl as having a "second choice" kind of name. Obviously it is our goal to absolutely love her name and not imagine anything else...but, I have a feeling that I most likely won't entirely feel that way until I meet her in person.
Naming a child is such a weird thing. It is tough enough to even try and fathom "who" she is as a newborn baby (Will she look like Matilda? Will she have her daddy's hair? My nose?) and yet, with a name - I have to try to imagine her as a teen, an adult, as a future aunt or fulfilling one of many varieties of potential occupations - "Dr. so-n-so?" "Lawyer so-n-so?" "Artist so-n-so?" and so on... I guess what I should be asking my belly isn't "What is your name" but rather, "Who the heck are you?"
Luckily, as far as we know, we have about 15 more weeks to figure it out. Until then, I will never again take Adam for granted when I read Genesis. He was so creative with naming each and every single species! My goodness. To me, Adam has a new found respect as the "Ultimate Namer" of all time. Good work, buddy, you inspire me.

2 comments:

  1. I can't believe anyone could be that rude and question your name choice?!? People never cease to amaze me (and not always in a good way :). I had a weird dream last week, and you were in it, kinda (it was a dream so they are crazy. period.) Anyway, there was a baby, and I thought it was Josh and Katie's and they named her Hazel Darling Matilda, I thought that was so cute. Then it turned out it was your second daughter, then we ended up flying on a magic carpet (again, it was a dream). Thought you'd get a kick out of it. And daughter no. 2 will hence be Hazel Darling Matilda Pardy until the big reveal, at least to me :)

    Susanne (Jonathan Stier's wife)

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  2. I love Matilda Hazel Darling Pardy. And I love future mystery surprise Pardy too. :) I remember the reveal of the name with Matil, and now looking back on her short little life, it is just so her! I believe in your baby naming abilities, you guys got this. Love you both!

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