Due in October 2012 Part 2

[YompingJo]

Kicking off the second thread as we outgrew the first one.

Morning ladies. Still suffering with cold and wallowing in self pity :o

Names - I have always liked Felix but DH hates it because of Felix the Cat associations (I actually think that's quite cool! :o). It's hard to get a good name because:

a) I'm a teacher - almost every name I like has been besmirched by some vile child I taught at some stage, mostly in England. (Deans are amongst the worst for some reason - it's like the name of doom! :o)

b) I don't want a name that tries too hard. In fact to be blunt, I've come across lots of kids with unusual names where the parents have seemingly put more effort into picking the name than actually raising the child. Nice, normal kids quite often have nice, normal names for some reason. (And for nice and normal kids I don't mean boring / uncreative / conventional kids - I mean happy, well-adjusted, friendly kids). IMHO the name should be about the child, not about the parent if that makes sense. A parent might think it's really cool to have an unusual name but it's the kid who has to live with it. I've come across kids who have very unusual (and sometimes quite pretty) names who insist on being called by their bland middle names or nicknames.

c) DH and I have very different tastes in names.

d) I like Irish names but in NI they unfortunately label kids as being Catholic even if they're not. This is fine most of the time but can cause sectarian hassle for them when they are out and about socially and run into stupid fuckers less enlightened individuals.

e) DH is obsessed with globalisation and the need for nice, simple names in a digital world. E.g. I love the name Aoife (pron Eef-fa) but try sending an email to an American / Indian / Chinese business associate asking them to phone you. "Hello, could I speak to... erm... I'm not sure how to say this..." (he knows an Aoife who finds this a source of daily frustration).

I see arguments ahead in our household...! :o

Sorry this has turned into a book lol!

LPP, I'm with Ricky Gervais on the use of the word 'mong', however, I do not wish to cause offence on here so will refrain from using it. Please accept my apology.

Hi everyone! I'm 7 weeks 5 days pregnant, at the age of 39, with our first baby, very excited and preoccupied with the thought of what's happening and what will be! Like some others have said I don't know how I'm going to make it through work. I've been lucky though no real nausea. But I can't sleep more than an hour without needing to wee, when I wake I realise how sore my boobs are and am exhausted. I'm eating loads so can't tell if I'm showing or just getting fat! The only thing I've had to really negociate though are the occassional mood swings, I keep having to reassure my partner he's not done anything wrong! I watched the Biggest Loser last week for the first time and cried all the way through it as I was so moved. I was just thinking about whether to spend money on nct classes or a good cream to try to prevent stretch marks. What do you all think?

Angelico, I'm with you, to a certain degree, about ludicrous or difficult to pronounce names (I mean, what the hell is Aoife all about?! There is a stage actress with this name and I find it an extraordinary way to spell it). I, however, think it does a huge disservice to a child to lumber him/her with the most mediocre of names; I see the parents of such children as totally without imagination or adventure. On the other hand, to name your child Mozart or Sheherazade is also going to raise eyebrows in a negative way.

I've always loved Queenie. It was the nickname of Queen Victoria and during her reign became a popular name for the youngest daughter in families. It's also particularly apt this year as it's the Queen's Diamond Jubilee (not that I'm a royalist, mind you)!

DameFlat, yes! Brutus and Cassius are both mentioned in the New Testament and I will try to find the passage in the bible and let you know.

Hey all.
Congrats and welcome wrigle
Hope Angelico and lpp are feelin better soon.

I am feeling a little more energetic this morning. I went to watch ds1 play rugby this morning. His team won the cup! proud mummy moment
Now home and making a roast, got the inlaws over for dinner. Its a beautiful day here and I'm hoping to make the most of dp last 2 days off work.

I've not though of names yet. But I love all of yours

uurgh been feeling rubbish all weekend, super tired, sooo bloated and MS has kicked in. Wouldnt be so bad if i didnt have work tonight.

Thinking Emily for a girl Joseph or Ben for a boy (bit boring i know but at least DH and i agree). Although i've got a funny feeling it could be twins as i feel so rubbish and got a very early BFP. I'm a twin myself, my cousins are twins and my mums cousins as well. Guess i'll find out in a month or so :) hope everyoe else is feeling better than me.

Missbone Aoife is an Irish name, spelled in the Gaelic way. Nothing especially bizarre about it here, it just doesn't travel well outside Ireland where people don't know how to pronounce it.

I do find it interesting that you say you judge parents (unimaginative, unadventurous) who give their children 'mediocre' names - examples? Two of my most adventurous friends (travelled the world and I mean bonkers, terrifying places, not just backpacking) have just called their son 'Tom'. This is kind of my point - unusual names are sometimes more about the parents and their self-image or aspirations, rather than about the child who has to live with the name. E.g. I might love the name Aoife BUT I won't inflict it on a child who will then have to spend the rest of her life having to spell it for people. I'd rather call her something 'unadventurous' - and allow her to be fabulous in her own way. :o

Of course all this Aoife conversation is academic as I strongly suspect I'm having a boy...!

Thanks Bubblebell :) I am in awe of your productivity today.

Piggyboo I really like Ben too, as I have never come across a Ben (friend or pupil) who wasn't lovely :o No better reason than that! lol

Angelico, I couldn't possibly give examples of names which i find totally rubbish and uninspired (yes, boring) as I wouldn't want to offend anyone on here (I've already managed that yesterday!), but I can assure you that Tom would definitely be up there at the top of the list [shudders at the mediocrity!]

miss I'm the opposite to you. I love Tom and all the traditional English names. I don't want a name that stands out too much. My boys do that all on their own. If I told you my ds names you wouldnt be able to guess their ages. Their names are timeless. Unlike some of the more quirky names.
Queenie I love. It's from my fav era.

I strongly suspect that the Tom in question will be anything but mediocre as his parents are very far from mediocre. Clearly they know this and felt comfortable giving him a normal name.

[Scurries away to begin lobbying husband re: Felix, even though it is a cartoon cat. I have 7 months to wear him down... :o]

I think I'm being misunderstood slightly. It's not the child itself I would assume is mediocre (is any child mediocre? I don't think so). I simply like words which feel pleasant in the mouth and rich to enunciate. I don't like the plodding 'thud' of certain 'flat' names (and yes, unfortunately I do automatically ascribe such names to a set of plodding, flat parents). I have no desire to embarrass my child or name him/her in order to encourage a certain social standing, I simply want to bestow a name which, to me, is delightful in it's antiquity. I really do not wish to offend anyone on here - children's names can become a very emotive issue for some - and so I have expressed the last of my opinions on the matter. P.s...I very much like Felix...it 'feels' noble.

What does anyone think of Hector? DP favours this but I prefer Walter, I think.

DameFlat, would Elodie be pronounced like 'melody'?

I think maybe I'm attracted to the 'hard' consonants within names: W & Q etc. Does that make sense?

Angelico and Piggyboo - have to agree about Bens, my DH is a Ben so I'm maybe a bit biased, but I've never come across a bad 'un!

Great discussion about names! :) I find the exoticness (I know that's not a word ) of names so much depends on the culture you're in. In Norway, there was a period in time where Tom, Linda, Martin etc became very fashionable as they were 'exotic' and 'British-sounding'. In 2010, in the top 30 girl baby names in Ireland were: Aoife (10), Saoirse (I don't even know how to pronounce that), Caoimhe, Niamh, & Ciara. I don't think these are even used at all in England other than by Irish families.

In the top ten of most popular boy names last year here in Norway were: Lukas, Emil, Mathias, Magnus, Jonas, Kristian and for girls: Linnea, Nora, Ingrid, Thea, Ida and Maja. Most of these would be fairly uncommon in the UK. Emma, Sara, William, Oliver & Alexander are gaining massive ground here at the moment, but are all quite 'exotic' (with the exception of Sara) & non-indigenous.

Angelico - I do agree with you up to a point. Some of the kids I remember in primary school with 'unusual' names, either used their middle names or insisted on nicknames. One girl named 'Fanny' was bullied SO much she insisted on being called 'Rebecca' and changed it by deed poll as soon as she was old enough (I think, in the end, with her parents permission, pre-18). Some loved them though. One 'Oriel' seemed to not get teased and Rudolph (Rudy) was much saved by The Specials release of the single in 1979, propelling him to cooldom :)

I have to be careful what I choose as some British names sound awful pronounced in Norwegian. Had been keen on 'Bill' as it was my late father's nickname but here 'bil' (pronounced nearly the same) is the word for car and come on, none of us would call a child 'car' would we? Don't know if I could get away with 'Billy' but that's often a girl's name now isn't it?

miss love Hector ad Hugo. And Rex

O and u don't offend me. Takes slot more than that

Maybe my meds chill me out. I told mil and her friend a name I like the other day and her friend said ergh that's an old fashioned name. I said I know. That's what I like no offence taken and she was happy getting her opinion off her chest

I think you have to put yourself in a kid's situation really. Will they be landed gentry / living in a hippy commune /going to Eton? Then by all means call them Hector / Felix / Achilles / Tiberius etc. Will they be going to the local comp where they will feel totally wick about having such a name? Call them something easier to live with.

Thing is, you might raise them to love their unique name but they do hit a painful stage in their teens where they desperately want to blend in and not give anyone further excuse to take the piss out of them (especially the boys). That's why even when they are trying to be different (e.g. EMO) they are uniform in their difference (i.e great gaggles of EMO kids all dressed roughly the same. For the record, I was a grunger! :o )

So sadly on that basis I will shun Felix or make it a middle name :( Or save it for the next cat...

Missbone I do know what you mean about preferring certain sounds in names. I like a 'light' sound but can't really describe it any better than that :o Ben and Felix both have it. I've only ever met one Walter and he's a groovy guy.

Beans further evidence of the lovely Ben theory :o It's a strong contender as both DH and I agree on it.

Right DH has finally finished work catch up so going to the beach and heading for a lovely roast :o Enjoy your afternoon ladies! xo

Afternoon all, of course I don't have a list yet but queenie had made it to the list in my head. And one of my best mates has a felix.

I am always drawn to deleted posts, they are like red buttons that say don't press, that just make you want to smash the shit out of them.

Anyhow names are indeed an emotive subject. In the bit of north London I live in, giving your child a normal name is by far the most unusual thing you can do. So many 'different names' that suddenly Kate and Tom and the like are positively exotic. You kind of can't win really. I found my list debunked last time as when DD popped out I realised she wasn't a Betty or any of the others on the shortlist at all. They control everything kids, even when they can't bleeding speak.

I've overachieved today. Went to the gym, obsessed about if my boobs were still bigger, entertained and fed in laws and have now crashed and burned and laying in bed on the pretence of watching Arsenal v spurs. Feel sick, never been so glad to feel sick. Scan tomorrow to check the bean is in the right place. Been so busy telling myself I am not worried that suddenly I am petrified. I know well enough now though. What will be, will be.

Hope you peeps suffering from awful sickness (not belittling its medical name just awful at spelling...) are feeling better. Had 3 good friends who suffered awfully but funnily enough all went back for seconds and even third babies. Us women are tough.

Chucking at fanny having to change her name. I am so immature.

Fjordmor lol at Rudy being 'propelled to cooldom' - love it. Fanny - seriously what were they thinking???? Or was it just more innocent times???

Oh and Saoirse is pronounced Sore-sha although have also heard it pronounced Seer-sha (one of them is probably being mixed up with another name - which one I'm not sure).

Also know 2 Walters and a Rudy. rudy is cute for a child but not so cool for an adult in a boardroom...

Midget good luck at your scan tomorrow - I was terrified for mine yesterday, seriously could hardly speak to the sonographer and DH had to do all the explaining etc. Am sure yours will go really well x