Straight From the Bottle

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• The Battle of the Middle Names

  When Hal and I finally decided on the first name of our unborn baby girl, I was relieved. Especially because the name was my idea, and wasn't something Hal (or anyone else for that matter) would have figured to be a name at all. The name grew on him like a weed and pretty soon, there wasn't a doubt in either of our minds that it was the right name. It felt right much like Archer did. Her middle name? Well, that's a whole 'notha story.   There were two middle names I loved. Two middle names that I felt fit with the first name we decided on. Two middle names to honor two people I adored.    "Two middle names? No way! She's not having two middle names!"   "But YES! She has to! It sounds so pretty! And the names totally flow!"   "NO! Archer only has one middle name! Everyone only has ONE middle name."   "Nu-uh. Lots of people have two middle names. OR TEN! It doesn't even matter anyway what everyone is doing. Jesus, Hal. What are you, some kind of lemming?"   "Two middle names sounds pretentious."   "Classic, you mean. Elegant and classic."   "You're insane."   "Pleeeeeeeaaaaseeeeee???"   "No! You already chose the first name! No."   Read More... Posted Jun 23 2008, 11:06 PM by GirlsGoneChild with | with 33 comment(s) Filed under: baby names, compromise, marriage, middle names

• Last Night I Dreamt Nicole Richie Named Her Child Archer

  In last night's dream, Nicole Richie had just given birth to a baby boy and in typical celebrity fashion was introducing the world to her new son by way of US Weekly. On the cover, Nicole beamed, staring into the eyes of her son. The tagline said: Nicole Richie welcomes baby Archer.   I remember being pissed in the dream. Opening up the magazine and shaking my head.   "This is bullshit," I said.   Upon waking this morning, I couldn't remember what it really was that pissed me off. Choosing a child's name is a big deal, of course. One that for us required much time and back and forthage. We decided on "Archer" because, for one, it was the only name we both agreed on. (I wanted to name him, "Miller", after Henry Miller and Hal was more interested in naming our son something weird like "Awesome" or "Cartridge") To be fair, one of my front-runner girl's names was "Paper" because I thought it sounded pretty and it reminded me of Jackie Paper from Puff the Magic Dragon, and, well, I dig books.   Are you laughing at me yet? It's okay. Because this post is about to get serious...      Read More... Posted Nov 09 2007, 04:30 PM by GirlsGoneChild with | with 13 comment(s) Filed under: fear, baby names, revealing too much, celebrity babies

• Sorry, Son. You're Going By Felix, Now

  We never had any doubts in the name department. Archer was Archer. Or Colette, had he been a girl. Names were easy. We didn't struggle at all with finding one we both liked because there was ONE name we both liked: Archer.   Everyone I know seems to be pregnant right now. And by everyone I mean everyone which is great fun for me, because I'm obsessed with the whole process of baby names. If I could I would be a professional baby-namer. I stare into the swollen bellies of friends and "How about Lexington! Or Cyprus!" And if it's a girl? She should be Avalon!"    Baby-naming is a funny thing, a blind process that may or may not determine the fate of one's future offspring. Future parents must think about these things. Daisy is adorable for a six-year-old but what if she grows up to become a power-trader or a physician? Dr. Daisy may not be as taken seriously as Dr. Elizabeth. Or maybe I'm just projecting.   I was born Rebecca but went through an evolution of short-names and nicknames before I grew into it: Reba. Becca. Bec. Bex. Bexclamation.  (Never was a Becky. Becky wasn't my bag.)   I digress... Archer was agreeable because of its strength and adaptability. Archer could easily go the rock-star route a la Archer Prewitt or the the Physicist route a la my father and brother. He could also comfortably become a beat poet, a lawyer, a computer programmer or if he so desired, a shoe salesman at Barneys. And even though Archer is a total "Archer," these days he looks more like a Felix to me. A name I would have never thought to suggest while pregnant but now that I know him quite well...     (Tell me this child doesn't look like a Felix to you...)     Read More... Posted Jul 25 2007, 12:09 PM by GirlsGoneChild with | with 23 comment(s) Filed under: baby names, archer prewitt, nicknames

• Just Call Him... Whatever

  I'm the least confrontational person ever. Probably to a fault, actually, which is why, to the neighbor, Archer's name has for the past year and a half been, "Cooper."   Cooper is my oldest dog's name and somehow in the shuffle of thousands of dog walks/strolls, my neighbor got confused. Cooper has and will always be a dog's name to me because long before there was a baby, there was a dog: Cooper. Cooper the dog. Same goes for Dexter, my childhood pet. Dexter is not the name of a Seriel Killer on Showtime. Dexter is the name of a Cocker Spaniel. And Cooper is the name of a 96 pound boxer with horrendous gas.   "Hey, Cooper! Aren't you getting big? Aw, Cooper! You're such a big boy! Such a big Cooper-wooper-wooo."     Cooper (my dog) wags his tail, of course, thinking he is FINALLY getting the attention he deserves, while Archer sits in his stroller all totally omg wtf.       Read More... Posted May 17 2007, 11:15 AM by GirlsGoneChild with | with 19 comment(s) Filed under: dogs, neighbor issues, baby names