Previously, I posted about the struggle we’re having naming this baby growing inside of me. I like to decide the names as early as possible so I can mentally refer to the baby by those two (boy and girl) choices. We’re on letter F this time and it’s proving to be quite the challenge.

I’ll admit that we’ve sort of narrowed down the boy choices to two names and are heavily leaning toward one of the two. We have not, however, decided on a suitable middle name for him.

Now, if he turns out to be a she, we’re in big trouble. While we’ve received several suggestions, none have really grabbed us. Those of you who know us know we’re not the kind of people to name our daughter “Fiona.” It’s just not us. So, to help, here are a few more “rules” to help prompt (hopefully!) more suggestions.

As stated before:

• It should preferably be more than one syllable.
• It should sound decent being shouted from the Little League bleachers or the back porch (as in, “Go, Andy, go!” or “Brady… time for dinner.”)
• Either the first or middle name should be biblically based.
• I’d prefer it to mean something interesting or positive… nothing like “enticing” for a girl or “lover of silky fabrics” for a boy.

 Newly added ”rules.”

• I should have mentioned in my last post that Nate has a hatred of what he calls “soap opera names.” Thaddeus… Trevor… Greenley. You get the idea. We’re not country club types. We’re regular people.
• Nate would also like the new name to “go with” the ones we already have. I should have mentioned those last time. They are:
                    Andrew (Andy) Joseph
                    Brayden (Brady) Matthew
                    Connor Stephen
                    Baby D (miscarried)
                    Evan Joy
  So, keeping those in mind, you’ll see why we aren’t in love with the name “Felicity” for a girl. It’s cute and we don’t hate it, but it just doesn’t go with our other names.
• Keen observers will realize that we’ve somehow managed to give our children all first names that could be last names, too. That wasn’t planned, but we do sort of like that.
• For some reason, I just can’t get excited about any of the Fr… names. Frank. Franklin. Francis. Francesca… Any like that. Just can’t get excited about those.
• Please understand that we’re open to any suggestions, but the “rules” above just show you where we’re coming from. I know I think about this way too much. I know I’m strange for putting this much energy into it. But my kid has to live with his or her name for the rest of his or her life. I don’t want them to hate me.

I think that’s all I can think of for now. Please send me suggestions! We need help. Really. I don’t have any fabulous prize to offer you, but you can have all the bragging rights you want.

We’re in serious need of some help, here. As many of you know, each time I’m expecting I fret over finding the name for the baby until it’s settled. I have to like the name itself, its rhythm and its meaning. And it has to sound good being shouted from the Little League bleachers. It should be more than one syllable, since our last name has just one, short, harsh syllable. Plus, to make things even more complicated, we’d like either its first or middle name to be biblical and  it must, must, must fall in line in our crazy alphabetical order scheme. (When you plan to have a large family, it’s just easier to give those you meet a fighting chance at remembering your kids’ names.)

So, here we sit and stare at the pathetic choices listed under F in the baby name books. We’re really scratching the bottom of the barrel, here. It’s rather scary… or should I say frightening.

Here’s just a cross section of what we’re working with:

• Fadey (Slavic boy’s name), meaning “praise”
• Fabunni (African girl’s name), meaning “God has given me this”
• Fatima (Arabic, girl) = “Daughter of the Prophet”
• Feo (Italian, boy) = they say it’s short of Feodora, but I know it’s also the Spanish word for ugly!
• Fifi (French, girl) = shortened version of Josephine, but more appropriately, in my book, a perfect name for a poodle
• Forbes (English, boy) = “prosperous” but we’re naming a baby, not a magazine
• Fudge … who cares what it means! Who would do that to a kid?!?!

So, you see my dilemma. I’m struggling here and am now open to suggestions. If you have any ideas, please comment! If we chose yours, you will win the ever-present No End in Site prize: good old-fashioned bragging rights.

But seriously, please help!! I know we’ve got time (since the baby isn’t due until March), but for my peace of mind, let’s tackle this now!

A friend of ours from church, Mrs. Grant, wrote a comment of my previous post and wondered how the kids took the news of another baby entering our family. It went something like this.

I told the boys I had been to see our “baby doctor” (midwife). They asked why. I told them I had another baby in my belly. Andy smiled coyly and said, “Why do you have a baby in your belly?”

I told him something like, “Well, God must think you guys are great big brothers and would be good with a new baby. Plus, He knows Mommy and Daddy would love another baby bunches!”

Brady grinned and said, “I want a boy this time. No, two boys and a girl. I want LOTS of babies!”

Andy jumped in, “I want another girl. A girl, a boy and a girl. And I want to hold it.”

So, I asked Connor, “Bo, do you want Mommy to have a boy or a girl this time?”

He smiled and in typical Connor fashion, answered “Blue one!”

Evan didn’t have a comment at this time.

Andy has since been drawing pictures of the baby and we’ve all been looking at photos of baby development in utero that matches where we are so far. Brady asked me the other day what color this baby would be and was a little disappointed when I told him it would be the same as the rest of us.

When I told the boys that this baby’s name will start with “F,” they’ve been trying to think of things that start with that sound. Andy’s greatest suggestion so far is “Effie.” Hmmm… not quite.

We’re glad they’re excited though. We are, too.

I’m not the only looney person in the world who names my children in alphabetical order. See?! AND, she had hers closer together than me, too!

Kids crack me up. Their mispronunciations are just one of the things that make them so endearing. Take, for instance, names. When Andy was just a little guy and Brady was a newborn, Andy said Brady’s name as “Bunny.” Every time. For about six months. It was too funny. He really thought he was saying Brady, though.

When we were pregnant with Evan, the boys often referred to her as “Oven.” It wasn’t until a few months ago that everyone started getting it right.

Our newest one has me laughing now though. Last night, the boys were playing baseball in the house (again) and Connor desperately wanted Andy to throw him the ball. He tried his normal, “Anny… Anny!” to no avail. He finally got good and mad and stomped his foot and shouted “ANOO!” That’s right, folks, he pulled out the big guns and called him Andrew. Too cute.

Andy did throw him the ball though.