what's in a name

as I took this picture Deals shouted out, "Baby's name!"

As a pregnant librarian I poured over social security lists from the last century, talked endlessly with my patient hubby, and spent the time I should have put into learning how to properly swaddle a newborn (I never did master that, but thankfully Daddy was a master baby burrito builder) into finding the perfect name for our in-utero baby G.

For the sake of privacy I try not to refer to her by name on this blog since she was one of only 227 girls in the U.S. given her name in 2009 (compared to the most popular name of 22,067 Isabellas that same year).  Otherwise, though, I rarely call her by a nickname since I think her given name fits her so well.  Other loved ones have found other monikers for her, though.  Daddy prefers DJ, while Grandpa Tom dubbed her "The Real Deal," and her friends have bestowed her with a variety of pronunciations ranging from Dee Dee to Ya Ya!

However, our little queen, who refers to herself in third person has chosen her own name: Baby!  "Look!  Baby dancing!"  "Baby loves mommy this much!"  "Baby read a book!"  Baby?  Does she think she's in Dirty Dancing?  (That is the main character's name, right?  When my sis and I begged to see the movie just like *every other girl in school* she made an edited version for us to watch that only lasted about five minutes.)  Daddy questions her every once in a while: "What's your name?  Are you a baby?"  And she'll yell out that she's a big girl ... or a little girl ... or TWO!... and say that her name is Dee-dee-da or Dee-da.

Someday I hope she loves her name as much as we do, but for now I'm holding tight to my precious "baby" as long as she lets me.