A Nickname to Remember

Decorating my daughter's nursery was no freaking joke. To some it may look like a pink dragon threw up all over the room but to me it's awesome! I've never completely decorated a room like I have her nursery. From finding cheap bedroom furniture to making curtains, I did it all on a budget. And there's so much to look at, I can tell she LOVES her room. She really does. She laughs at the mobile I made her, and smiles at her name on he wall above the diaper changer.

I also have a special spot for my favorite nickname. We started with Spawnie. That was her first nickname. Then came Ladybug, Junebug (born in July). Little , Lil' J and here at home I call her a slew of other things.

My husband likes to call her poopy. I sometimes call her Baybee, Little J, Chunky Cheeks, and Cranky Butt. But somehow the nickname I call her more than anything is a name I didn't see myself using for my daughter--fearing it would cause her to be some sort of Diva. Oh, she is a Diva already. Anyway, I call her my Pretty Pretty Princess.

I was inspired by a saying for little girls: "Princess: Daughter of a Heavenly King". What better way to remind her of who she is and where she came from?

My friend Danielle sent us the book "Gigi: God's Little Princess." It was the first book I read to her outside the womb and I want to read it to her often.

I decided I wanted something to remind her of her divine nature so I asked Inspire Your Walls for a favor. I needed my princess quote in a size perfect for above her entryway, and the one blank space left on her wall. I wanted a crown to dot the "i" in Princess, and I wanted it all in a pretty white font. They did it all, fast!

If you're obsessed with vinyl like I am, check out Inspire Your Walls.

When I got it in the mail I was head over heals excited. I didn't want to just put it on the wall since we won't be living here forever and this was something I want to take with us. So I bought and painted a wood panel, and stuck the vinyl on after.

Now, over her doorway hangs a saying I hope she'll look at and reflect on for years every time she leaves her room. The true meaning of her nickname, and who she really is.

Do you use a nickname?

Everyone who comments on this post will be entered to win a $75 gift certificate to CSN Stores--Where you can buy pretty much anything. I got our baby motion monitor from there, and some nursery bookshelves. Blog followers/subscribers get an extra entry.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on September 21. Random.org will choose the winner.

Her Name Won't Be "Spawnie" Forever

Choosing a baby name is a lot harder than I thought! I thought I had it all figured out and decided if we were having a girl but that all changed when I found out she IS a girl!

I'm sure this is one of many "help me name my baby" posts I'll have. I'm not sure yet if I'm sharing the name I choose. Some of the names we've loved forever don't seem as appealing to me now and I've gone through an entire iPhone app full of baby girl names. Nothing screams "this is it" but I do like about 6 or 7. My husband likes all but one.

I'm looking for something not common, but not too unusual. My husband and I both have common names and we want to give our child something more unique. I would love to find a name that starts with a "J" so we can share the same initials but that's not a requirement. I also really like names that also have shorter nicknames.

I know some people invent names but I'm not very good at that. Have any suggestions?

Here's a few names I liked but don't look like they're making the cut:

Jaden
Jocelynn
Maybellene
Mya
Serena
Serenity
Trinity
Vanessa

That should give you a little bit of an idea of the type of names we like. For a middle name I'm thinking Lee or Lynn.

So please, help a mama out! Name suggestions? Name book recommendations? Help!

What are the Chances?: Baby, er... Fetus Names

It's something I've feared a long while... Giving my baby the most common name in the class. In the fourth grade I remember there being 5 other Jennifer's in the class. That's when I developed the nickname "Jenn" while others were called "Jenny" (a name I refuse to answer to). When it comes to baby names, I'm pretty sure we're covered with unique but classy, cute names. I've only shared them with a select few friends, and I haven't even told my parents.

I thought we had an agreement not to tell anyone... My husband swore me to secrecy but recently told me he told his mom our names. So I'm ALMOST ready to spill the beans myself, but not quite.

I flipped through baby books to see where our top choices fit in the rankings. Neither our boy choice nor the girl choice was listed in the book. Great... They aren't in the top 600! Portions of their names were ranked in the 300s and 500s, but not the full name. I think we're safe... I think our children won't have to face the same fate we did in school unsure every time we heard our name called if it was REALLY us they wanted. No... I think they're safe. But as for my little fetus, it's a different story.

I thought I was somewhat unique by calling my little baby with the unknown gender at the moment Spawn or Spawnie... But my friend from Bellyitch showed me it's on the list of "Popular Fetus Names" on About.com.

1. Cletus the Fetus
2. Bean (and variations jelly bean and baby bean)
3. Spawn
4. Thumper
5. Peanut
6. Bump
7. Spud
8. Baby
9. Octopus
10. Junior

Ok first off.. Who calls their baby Octopus? I know they kind of have little nubs at first, but not eight of them!

But anyway, Spawn, ranked #3, Who would have thought? Granted the "ie" isn't picked up by most people but I'm still quite surprised so many people decide to call their growing babies Spawn.

I guess I'm not as weird as I thought, but part of me is a little disappointed by that.

Did you have a nickname for your baby before you knew the gender? Or do you have one planned? Is it on the list?

Does your child have a popular name or are you as worried as I am about your child having a very common name?

The Namesake

What would you do if there was someone in your family you loved dearly who wanted you to name your child after them? If the name is a nice name, or a name that's "with the times" that's probably not a problem right? But what if the name is something you absolutely are not a fan of?

My family has a mixture of "normal" and "unique" names. There's Johns, and Richards and... well, that's about all of the common ones in my extended family. I have grandparents named "Ronald" and "Siebra." My mother's and grandmother's names are "Joy." My mom I guess wanted to give all of me and all of my siblings the VERY NORMAL (almost too common) names and gave us: Jennifer, Heather, Michael, Lauren and Kimberly. But trust me, I'd take that over any of the latter.

My dad goes by DJ but his birth name--Are you ready for this?... Dyke.

I love my grandpa, and I want to name a child after him, but "Ronald" isn't my first choice in names.

What would you do if someone in your family wanted you to name your child after them but the name wasn't... Let's say it wasn't one of your top choices. Would you still do it?

The Names

There was a point in time where I worked at a cell center and I talked to dozens of people every day. While I worked there I took note of certain names that caught my interest. Sadly I lost that list. But I've started a new one that I hope to keep updating here. Here's what I have so far:

Boys:
Ray-Rayshaun, Raymond
Ty-Tyrique, Terique, Tyson
Tre-Trevon

Jaxon

Braxton

Girls:
Joslynn
Jovita
Tamara
Tiana
Vanessa

My family has a little tradition of naming the first girl with a 'J' name then 'L' for the middle name. My grandmother's name is Joy Luise mom's name is Joy Lynn and mine is Jennifer Lynn so I like Jovita Lynn a lot right now. But obviously I'm in no rush to decide.
What names do you like?

Cute Combinations, Girls, K-O

Some more cute combinations!
K
Classic: Kate Elizabeth
Conservative: Katherine Michelle
Pretty and sweet: Kayla Rose
Modern: Kayley Raine
Unusual: Kaylen Alessia
Unique: Katia Eve
Unisex: Kendall Hope

L
Classic: Lillian Kate
Conservative: Lauren Elise
Pretty and sweet: Layla Evelyn
Modern: Leilani Rose
Unusual: Laurel Madeleine
Unique: Lucinda Deanne
Unisex: Laine Alexandra

M
Classic: Maggie Rose
Conservative: Mary Jane
Pretty and sweet: Melody Joy
Modern: Makenna Grace
Unusual: Marley Reese
Unique: Maegan Gabrielle
Unisex: Morgan Anastasia

N
Conservative: Nicole Andrea (I like the English pronunciation- Ann-dree-uh)
Pretty and sweet: Natalie Anne
Modern: Natalia Lynn
Unusual: Naomi Grace
Unique: Noreen Celeste

O
Classic: Octavia Rose
Pretty and sweet: Olivia Lorelei
Unique: Odessa Jane

What do you think about these? Comment below!

Got some comments in the blog? Some suggestions for me? Want advice naming your child? Email me at anni.ekate@yahoo.com.au

Cute combinations, Girls A-E

I'm often asked to give suggestions on names, particularly first and middle combinations. Heres some cute combinations, from different naming styles and every letter, to give people a helping hand, I'll add a new post on this every now and then.

A
Classic: Alice Olivia
Conservative: Abigail Morgan
Pretty and sweet: Amelia Eden
Modern: Alexia Raine
Unusual: Amara Charlotte
Unique: Allegra Jean
Unisex: Ainsley May

B
Classic: Beatrice Tabitha
Conservative: Brooke Elizabeth
Pretty and sweet: Bettina Nicole
Modern: Braylin Riley
Unusual: Bridget Noelle
Unique: Bonita Nicole
Unisex: Brogan Shay

C
Classic: Cecelia Lucy
Conservative: Charlotte Maria
Pretty and sweet: Clara Grace
Modern: Cadence Nicole
Unusual: Carina Eve
Unique: Calista Joy
Unisex: Charlie May

D
Classic: Dorothy Jane
Pretty and sweet: Delilah Quinn
Modern: Delaney Rae
Unusual: Dahlia Christine
Unique: Dora Kate
Unisex: Devon Alexis

E
Classic: Eleanor Violet
Conservative: Elizabeth Jane
Pretty and sweet: Ella Rose
Modern: Eden Willow
Unusual: Elliana Maegan
Unique: Estelle Tabitha
Unisex: Emerson Reese

Any you love? Any you hate? Other suggestions? Comment below!

Got a suggestion for me? Any comments on the blog? Want advice on naming your child? Email me at anni.ekate@yahoo.com.au