What's in a Name?

(Name that play)

 

 

On Show us Your Life,  this week's  topic is:

"Tell us how you came up with the names for your children."

If you are new to this blog, I need to fill you in on something.

I do not tell my blog readers what my childrens' names actually are.

In fact, I bet each and every one of my readers are wondering why on earth I am participating in this blog post.

I like to keep things spicy.

***

Meet our first-born:

We could not decide between two names.

I told The Lumberjack that since I was the one having to give birth, he would have to be the one to make the final decision.

So, right after she was born, he told me what her name was.

One choice was  ____ and the other choice was Claire.

I still really like the name Claire, but it was forever tainted when my good friend Kim laughed loudly when I told her Claire was an option and exclaimed:

"What?  Like Claire Huxtable?!"

(Name that tv show)

Attention Readers:  If you are in a conversation with a pregnant woman and she tells you the name she is considering naming her child, do not, I repeat, do not mock it.

It ain't cool.

For this blog, our oldest is called Sweet Pea because that is the nickname The Lumberjack's mother gave her when she was born.

Each child has a verse that was picked out for them when they were born.

Sweet Pea's name means "Pure."

Her verse:

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

Matthew 5:8

***

Our second child is Daisy Mae.

Would you check out those smoochy lips?

Daisy Mae's actual name was a little harder for us to come up with. 

I had tons of choices of names I liked . . . and to each one The Lumberjack would say,

"Nah."

AAAAAAA-nnoying.

So, one day he came up to me and said,

"Well, how about ____?"

And I declared that from heretohenceforth, that baby would be called _______, simply for the fact that it was the one and only name the Lumberjack didn't say:

"Nah" to.

Silly Lumberjack.

Daisy Mae also gets her nickname from The Lumberjack's mom.

100 (meaningless) points to anyone who can guess what my ma-in-law's criteria is for nicknaming the grandgirls.

Daisy Mae's real name means:  Heath by the Wasteland.

Now, isn't that beautiful?

Clearly the meaning of a name weighed heavily in our decision-making.

Clearly.

Daisy Mae's life verse:

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.  He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17: 7-8

***

So, there we were with our two girls.

Our two clean, easily potty-trained girls who would never throw dog poo at a sibling.

Then God said . . .

Let

Them

Have

A

Boy

Oh, look at that precious little pumpkin!

Yes, that is our 3rd child Handsome Dude.

A boy name was by far the hardest name The Lumberjack and I could decide on.

Every single one I liked, he would say no to.

But you would not believe the suggestions he had.

And now, dear readers, I would like to present to you:

The Lumberjack's List of Boy Names

Interruption:  If you like these names, or have chosen them for your own kin, then I mean you no ill-will.

Gunther

Meryl

Chick

Tuck

Yes, folks.

That is what I had to work with.

Rest assured, Handsome Dude's factual name is none of the above.

There was one, yes one, redeeming name on that list and I claimed it immediately for my first-born son.

And Handsome Dude is not the nickname that my mother-in-law gave him.

Her nickname for him is Cubby Bear.

But this boy of mine has always had this serious, handsome, old-man face

and I have always called him Handsome Dude.

I do not, in fact, remember what Handsome Dude's factual name truly means.

Terrible, I know.

Hey!  He is number 3 . . .

Handsome Dude's Life Verse:

” . . . So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires:  Walk in his ways and keep his decrees and commands.”

1 Kings 2: 2b-3a

***

Then God saw our little family and He proclaimed:

Let

Them

Have

Another

Boy

Can we not all agree that boys are way more trickier than girls?

Little Dude.

For Little Dude's name, The Lumberjack once again whipped out his high-class list of male-gendered names.

No matter how many boys the Good Lord blesses me with, I guarantee you none will be named Gunther.

Ever.

Interruption:  If you like the name Gunther, I apologize.

I don't remember how we came up with Little Dude's factual name, but it is a good one nonetheless.

And, in true Taylor fashion, I have not one clue what his factual name means.

But this I know to be truth:

He is stinkin' cute.

I named him Little Dude for this blog simply for the fact that I could not think of one more option.

My mother-in-law's nickname for him is Lion King.

100 (meaningless) points to anyone who can guess what my mother-in-law's criteria is for nicknaming her grandboys.

Little Dude's Life Verse:

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Isaiah 40:31

***

We are all done having kids.

So any of you can feel free to steal any of the following names:

Claire (still cute)

Gunther

Meryl

Chick

Tuck

Rest assured.

We will not need them.

Happy Friday!