The Name Game

I am posting tonight based on the numerous requests I received on facebook today. Joanna has also been 'encouraging' me to post another entry for a while. It has been three weeks since my last post and that is too long...so for my loyal followers I offer my sincerest apologies!

As I stated in my last post, we are not going to find out the gender of the baby prior to its arrival. While that has been far and away the most asked question, next in line is if we have names picked out. I have to admit the whole process of picking a name has been overwhelming for me. I mean this is the ultimate power...giving a human being a name that he or she will be stuck with until they are at least old enough to legally change it (I have no clue what that age is, but as far as our child is concerned it is no sooner than 35!).

Joanna and I have a book of like 20,000 names for boys and girls and every time we open it and start discussing possibilities, she reminds me how old I am based on the names I like. I remind her that just because we know someone who has a certain name does not immediately eliminate it from our option list! Because there is always the threat of someone stealing a name we like (Joanna's concern, not mine), I am not allowed to post any of the names we are considering in this blog. I can tell you, however, that Cliff Lee Britz has been vetoed in the case it is a boy! Therefore, our boy is already behind the eight ball in his quest win a Cy Young award.

I do fear that maybe we are not equipped to pick a good name. I mean maybe we are taking this gender neutral thing too far. After all, when you introduce yourselves as Jo and Pat I am not sure that is a strong resume for being able to pick good names specific to a boy or a girl!

Fortunately, we are close to 100% agreement on a boy's name so we have spent most of our discussions on a girl's name. Since neither of us is really fond of the other's suggestions, I am going to be creative and think outside the box. If we have a girl, I am going to recommend her name be Sixteen, a la George Costanza from the TV show Seinfeld who wanted to name his kid Seven in honor of Mickey Mantle. The only famous athlete I know of to where the number Sixteen is Joe Montana and while I think he was a great QB at Notre Dame and in the NFL, that is not why I like it as a name.

First of all, Sixteen was my soccer number in college for my first three years (somehow I was given 10 for my senior year and still have not gotten a good explanation why) so that has been my favorite number since that time. Secondly, the sixteenth birthday is such a special one for girls, how awesome would it be for Sixteen to think about that from day one?!?!

So Sixteen it is for a girl...nicknames could be One Six, Comeback Joe (Joe Montana's best nickname in my opinion), Driver's License or Sake (which has a 16% alcohol by volume). Other suggestions are welcome! Thanks and until next time...