What's in a name?

Well, if you're thinking of our children's names, then a lot. And, since this is my blog, what other names would you be thinking of?!

Bryan and I had a long list of possible, future, baby names when we got married. Then we found out I was pregnant and I presented the list to him. After most of the names were laughed at/scoffed about/mimicked/axed, we began working on a list together.

We came up with the name Addison for a girl.

There is a little suburb of Dallas that, growing up, I always believed was just this town full of restaurants. We only went there to eat and I, honestly didn't realize anyone even lived there for a long time. That was my "selling point" to Bryan. He wasn't super-crazy about the name when I first presented it. He only knew of men named Addison (as did I...now, thanks to Grey's Anatomy, it'll probably be #2 on popularity lists for baby girl names next year...no, no, I'm not bitter). But, I think that it being the name of a place in Texas combined with the possibility of nicknaming her Addi/Addie/Addy was what won him over. In case you're wondering, (and, really, why wouldn't you be?) we spell Addi with only an "i" because I, being a teacher, thought that would be easiest for her when she learned to spell her name. You know, if she learned "A-D-D-I" first, then she just had to add "S-O-N" instead of remembering to take away an "e" or a "y".

When I got pregnant again, we pulled out the Texas map. Seriously.

It is true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Since we haven't lived in Texas, we've realized what is so wonderful about the state. We know it is part of who we are, of what makes us, us. So, we had to find a Texas-worthy name for our second-born.

That took Austin or Katy or Tyler out of the running. Not that there is anything wrong with Austin or Katy or Tyler, well, actually Tyler would sound awful with our last name, but really we wanted a name that might make people wonder where it came from. While those are great names, they are so common now that no one would wonder where we got them. On the other hand, we didn't want such an uncommon name that people would feel sorry for our little one. Even with my dad's prodding, we just weren't sure about saddling a child with Llano :)

When I drove home from college while at Texas A&M, I would always pass through a tiny, blink-and-you'll-miss-it town called Reagan. I don't think it was even on our Texas map, but I remembered it because of the Aggie barn you pass. Again, Bryan wasn't too sure about the name. He did know he wanted another "Texas" name though and once we decided to use my grandmother's name for her middle name, we knew Reagan was the perfect choice for her first name. You see, my other grandmother is named Rea...now, how perfect is that?!

So, you're wondering where we get Libby from Reagan??...her middle name is Elizabeth and yes, I know all my logic about making it easier to spell her name from her nickname makes no sense with little Libby's name, but, you know, she'll learn...at some point.

Now you know.

And, if there is ever another little one added to our family, rest assured one of his, no her, it will be a her, names will be a place in Texas. After all, she would really suffer the Forgotten 3rd Child Syndrome if we didn't give her a Texas name.