Welcome to Pregnancy Without a Filter, my weekly series in which I chronicle my life as a first-time mom-to-be. Read along for insights, outbursts, ups, downs, and the real deal about the crazy adventure of making a person.
Week 34
Truth be told, we’ve known our little guy’s name since I was about four-months-pregnant. It was one of the very first names that we tossed around, and there hasn’t been a name that we like better that has come along. And believe me, we’ve played the baby naming game plenty. Now that I’m getting closer (eeeeek!) to my due date, one of the most frequently asked questions is whether we have a name. And the inevitable question when I reply that we do is, “Can I know what it is?”
At first I felt bashful to tell people that we’re not sharing baby’s name until he’s here. But, these days I’m like Fort Knox and I straight up do not care. See, here’s the deal. In the beginning when we had a top two or three names, we shared them with a few close people — my sister, my mom, a friend or two. And what we got in return were a whole lot of opinions. Opinions that we didn’t necessarily bargain for, because they happened to be negative ones about our favorite name. Maybe I’m naïve over here, but I was a little shocked! The name that we liked the best wasn’t crazy, or over-the-top, or outlandish in any way. It’s a name that’s been around forever. Presidents have had this name, for crying out loud. But we still got some grimaces and eye rolls.
Fast forward to current day, and my new philosophy is that everyone can just hold their horses to know the kid’s name until they’re holding him in their arms for the first time. Because there’s no way in the world someone would be so crazy as to shun a name that belongs to a fresh, new baby. Once a kid has a name that’s sticking, you can pretty much guarantee that everyone will go along with it… At least I hope so.
I’m thinking that with the whole baby naming game, if you open yourself up to opinions you just have to be ready to deal with them. Am I right? Moms, did you have anyone get judgy about the name that you chose for your kiddo?
Photo: Chelsea Foy
