The Name Game

Am fast approaching what my friend calls "count down", the 6 month mark. While in Calender weeks i have 17 weeks left, once February turns into March in months i only have 3 to go, which to non child bearing folk may seem a long time, if you have a holiday booked in 3 months it feels like a life time, but for me i feel that not only do we have a lot to prepare, the nursery being the biggest thing, mentally i have to get my head around i am going to be a mother and on top of all of this we have to choose a name this little person will bear forever..the responsibility of this feels huge, a name that will not only suit perfectly, but carry him/her through school without ridicule, through its career and be taken seriously, and work just as well as an adult as it did as a child, oh my word, making this decision without the help of alcohol (a crutch in times of pressure for me) is going to be tricky!

I have been warned by those in the know that half of the battle is getting both expectant Mummy & Daddy to agree on the name, but before we even get to that we have to pick some names we actually like. Everyone has name association, this is where we automatically connect the name with someone or something we dislike, be it someone we went to school with/worked with, it could be a family member or even a character from a book/movie or TV programme which makes you automatically and unequivocally veto that name forever...believe me its happened already.
Take for example Carrie, my dear Nans name, a name i cherish and would love to bestow on my child should i bear a girl....my other half's opinion, yeah great name, but his name association??? Carrie Bradshaw, neurotic fashion mad sex columnist from a very well known TV programme and movie. Point taken (this battle ain't over, i have 3 months left to fight this one)

I love the idea of carrying on a family name, another close friend of mine plans to use her fathers surname as her child's christian name, as when she and her sister marry the name will be lost, now i am sentimental (and hormonal) but it gives me a lump in my throat just thinking about it, a name with history that means a lot to her, what could be more appropriate?

Taking into account your child's future is important, a little story i repeat every so often tells of how my friends who shall only be known as Lord & Lady chose their sons name on the basis that the alternative name that had been in the running since day 1 would hinder his chances of ever being a lawyer, the successful and losing names shall remain a secret, but i genuinely believe its true. Could you imagine being introduced to your barrister with a name like Tiger Lily or Peaches??

I have Name books at the ready, one of them has 7000 options, surely one of them will be suitable ?? Since the sex of our little one will be a secret until D Day we will need options for both,

There may be trouble ahead.......