What Were You Planning To Name Me?
Names are powerful things. They define us even before someone meets us. A name should fit the person it's assigned to, which makes it really hard sometimes to name a baby properly. When I was naming the wee ones (and by "I," I do mean my husband and I since he had a say in it), I wanted a name that wasn't outlandish where people would look at me and wonder where I came up with it (thus Siobhan was out, much as I love that name) yet wasn't common enough where there would be three Jennifers or Michaels in their classes. If I were to go back in time, I would change Little Miss's name, as I failed miserably there - besides, knowing her personality now, she would make an awesome Evelyn or Eleanor. I'm still debating legally changing her name. In my head.
Talking about names and what we could have been named, the below conversation has me still cracking up:
Me: When I was born, Grandma was going to name me Freddie Dougie if I had been a boy (true story, I'm not making it up, and she was actually going to call me Freddie Dougie - thank goodness I was born a girl).
Mister Man: Really?
Me: Yep, and if your auntie had been born a boy, she was going to be Dougie Freddie (also a true story, and had we both been boys, we would have been Freddie Dougie and Dougie Freddie. Someone was looking out for us).
Mister Man: Cool!
My Husband: And if I had been born a girl, I would have been named Kimberly (at least his mom was reasonable in the name choice).
Little Miss: You don't look like Kimberly, Daddy.
My Husband: Nope.
Me: Thankfully, Daddy doesn't look like a Kimberly. I might not have married him if he did.
My Husband: Mister Man, do you know what we would have named you if you'd been a girl?
Mister Man: Huh?
My Husband: Had you been born a girl, you would have been named Kiersten Anabel (ok, so maybe it's a good thing he was born a boy although I still love the name Kiersten).
Mister Man: Kristen?
Me: No, Sweetie. Kieeeeerrrrrsten. And had Little Miss been born a boy, she was going to be James Spencer, and we were going to call her Jamie.
My Husband: Really? I thought we didn't have a name picked out it if had been a boy.
Me: (rolling my eyes) Ummm nope. We had a conversation on the way to the hospital. We had James picked out already but hadn't chosen a middle name but decided on Spencer as we were driving. Of course it didn't matter in the end anyway.
My Husband: Oh. Yeah. I remember that now.
Mister Man: Cool! So what were you going to name me if I had been born a boy?
I'm still not quite sure how to answer that question.
12 comments:
If I was a boy my parents wanted to name me Brett. My great-grandmother wanted me to have a family name of Margaret. My Mom wanted my name to be Desiree. My Dad nixed that. So here I am... Tami Faith
haha!! Priceless.
You're way more of a Michelle than a Freddie Dougie.
Freddie Dougie? Huh?
Freddie Dougie? Huh?
If I were a boy, I would have been Douglas William. As for girl's names, my mom liked Jolene. In 74 or so, when the song Jolene came out, I was mad that they didn't. But in retrospect, I am SO glad they didn't.
Too precious! :) LOL
I would have been a Veronica if my mom got her way. I'm glad Dad won that round :)
Tami - That is such a different set of names... Desiree to Tami? Interesting that your great grandmother had her say, too!
Melisa - Yeah, I think so, too. So I wonder what he thinks I named him for....
Tracey - Ummm yeah. That's my reaction, too.
Gina - Too funny! I actually chose Jolene as my confirmation name partly because of that song but also because it wasn't a saint's name and I wanted to prove a point to my mom - that the priest was worthless and didn't even know the rules. He didn't blink, sadly. I had a friend named Jolene in high school, but...
Patty - Oooo I actually love the name Veronica. And you would have made a good Veronica, but you're definitely a Patty!
Thanks for the laugh at the end...he's so cute! I was going to be named Michael if I'd been a boy; fortunately child #3 was a boy, so he became Michael. Freddie Dougie and Dougie Freddie?!! Did your mom grow up in the deep south?
oh thank the Lord you were a girl...
and did you just cock your head to the side, stare at Mister Man and laugh? what a crack up!
LOL! Well, I think your children have very lovely names. Both of them. And good thing you and your sis were born girls!
I could have been an Alice!
Love the conversation back and forth. I like the name Kiersten too.
Great picture.
Pat - He is a cutie, isn't he? It cracks me up the way his brain works sometimes! And no, my mom is Chicago born and bred. Sometimes I just have to shake my head.
Holly - NO kidding. And sadly, no, I burst out laughing right in his face :) But it's ok, he got it and laughed too and there were no feelings hurt, I promise.
Sandra - Thank you. I like them, too, though I would SO change her name now if I could....
Kelly - You could have pulled off an Alice, I think. Would you have been ok with it? And yes, I do still like the name Kiersten, too.
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