Parenting
By Emily Carter
Updated: August 20, 2018
Originally Published: March 7, 2015
I can’t help but feel a bit sorry for my daughter. Not for any reason related to her character, but simply because as the second child, she’s been dealt a somewhat raw deal since before her arrival.
Take, for example, the saga of how we landed on her name. When you’re expecting your first child, you have all the time in the world to lounge around with your partner, weighing the pros and cons of every name imaginable from the latest baby name guide.
“Hey, what do you think about Lucas?” my husband Mark asked.
“I went to school with a Lucas who was a total troublemaker. How about Sophie?”
“Everyone will just call her ‘Sophie the Silly.’ What about Mia?”
“Nope. Bad association with my old roommate.”
“Okay, what about Samuel?”
“Ugh, no way. I dated a Samuel once.”
And so it went, until we finally settled on the perfect name: Max. By the time I hit 25 weeks of pregnancy, he had a name — one free of exes and negative connotations.
With our daughter, however, we had no such luxury. The casual conversations about names disappeared, replaced by frantic text exchanges during our busy lives.
“Do you like the name Lily?”
“Maybe? What do you think about Chloe?”
This back-and-forth continued for nine long months. When labor finally began, we were still juggling name ideas with little to no progress. When friends asked if we had selected a name, we would smile and say, “We’re working on it,” hoping that inspiration would strike the moment she arrived.
That plan? It went down in flames.
Have you ever seen a newborn? They look like tiny, wrinkled old folks with squinty eyes. A baby doesn’t exactly scream “Zachary” or “Claire.” And, as it turned out, she was neither a boy nor a girl, which eliminated a few contenders.
We might still be debating names if the hospital staff hadn’t kept reminding us that we needed to finalize a name for her birth certificate before leaving. Sure, you could technically take home an unnamed baby, but then you’d face a mountain of bureaucratic hassle later on. No thanks. Especially not for a second-time parent.
So, instead of resting, I spent my time Googling “Jewish girl names.” After an exhausting day of deliberating between names like Ava and Ella, fatigue finally took over. I didn’t care what we named her, as long as I could go home, sleep in my own bed, and take advantage of the free babysitting from my mother-in-law.
The final decision went a little something like this:
“Can we just pick a name already?” I cried, overwhelmed.
“How about Rose?” Mark suggested.
“Fine, whatever. It’s easy to spell. Just give me the paperwork so I can sleep.”
I’m still not sure if Rose fits her. But hey, at least it’s straightforward, and I’m still too exhausted to come up with anything more imaginative.
If you’re also navigating the naming process or looking for more insights on parenthood, check out this informative post or explore reputable online retailers for at-home insemination kits. Additionally, this resource offers excellent advice on pregnancy and home insemination.
In summary, naming your second child can feel like a chaotic whirlwind, often overshadowed by the exhaustion of parenting. Yet, amidst the chaos, you’ll find a name that works, even if it’s not the one you initially envisioned.
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