The Name Game

As a general rule, I don't play tag. And I don't do blog tags, but as this particular tag is also great family history information and great fun, I relented.


Lainey


Did you know that Lainey was {this close} to being Holly? Holly Miller. That is a cute name, isn't it? But she isn't a Holly. She is 100% Lainey. And here is how we figured it out.


While in P-Town, we hung out with this cousin's fam and their good friends. The friends of my cousin just had a baby like 3-6 months before I was due. And they named her Lainey. I tucked that little name in the back of my head. Tyler and I discussed said name away from the prying ears of the proud new parents, not wanting to offend. Next time we saw them, we politely requested usage of that adorable, perfect name. What was she gonna say? No? They weren't our life long friends, just acquaintances. So, Tyler and I totally poached the name. We weren't completely decided that was it. But in my heart, I was sure. I wouldn't admit it, because I was just too scared it might be wrong when I saw her, but I knew it was the name I wanted.


Weeks later, in the lovely hospital delivery room and moments after our little girl was born, the nurses kindly asked what her name was. Not wanting to decide before we met her, we replied, "We're not sure. We're thinking either Holly or Lainey."


The adorable nurse holds that sweet girl up, and says, "What do you think? Are you Holly?" The nurse pauses momentarily to listen to her response, Lainey is literally minutes old and screaming wildly. "Or are you Lainey?" The nurse pauses again, and we hear Lainey pause slightly in the vocal medley she's performing. There's our answer.


The nurses and the new baby's parents agree. She's Lainey from henceforth and forever. She will always be able to say she picked her own name. We have it on video. I'll add it to the post later if I can figure out how to manage it.


Brady Tyler


We were thrilled when we found out that we were having a boy. Ecstatic. We also had high hopes of repeating our 'ask the baby' method of child naming. So we knew we needed 2 choices. Derrick Tyler or ... blank. We kept drawing blanks.


Finally, my 'rents and little sister, Laurie, come to visit. On Sunday afternoon, the conversation turns to what to name The Boy. Some discussion was had about the type of name we wanted. I was hoping for a quarterback name with maybe some hope for apostleship tossed in there, too. He could totally be both, right? NFL quarterback in his younger years, then, as age and wisdom descend upon him, a calling to the 12. (you know I'm being extremely glib, yes?) Anyway, my sister, Laurie, tosses a name into the hat. What about Brady?


Hhmm... What about Brady? Brady Tyler Miller.


Definitely has the quarterback quotient we're looking for. We consider it. It's on the short list with Derrick as we head to the hospital.


Circumstances being what they are, we forget the whole 'ask the baby' method after our emergency c-section. Sure, we could've tried asking him later, but this method totally loses its efficacy when Baby isn't brand spankin' new, so we deliberate. Whatever. It wasn't a difficult choice. Once again, I was certain he was going to be Brady. And if Baby had chosen Derrick, I, as the one birthing him, would probably have overridden his decision anyway. I asked Tyler, he chose Brady. I would've overridden him, too, but at least now he thinks he did the choosing of our son's cute and athletic and hopefully apostolic name. (here comes the lightening!)


Fun fact about B-Man's name: Tyler's full name is Tyler Brad. Add a letter, switch first and middle and you've got Brady!


So Mommies and Daddies of Bloggerdom, how did you name your kiddos? And if you're currently preggers, what names are you considering? We'll make sure to set you straight about that one that you 'made up' on your own that you think is so great.