Under Wraps

We do not have a name for our daughter yet. We have a frontrunner for sure, and we have a runner-up as well as a couple of other names we both like, but we have not 100% settled on a name. Just 98% :) I feel like I am the only woman pregnant that didn't have the name picked out and ready to share after the gender ultrasound. Everyone seems so certain these days about names and they are ready and willing to share them with the world months before the baby is born. I think that is great, but it is just not for me. So here I am blogging to share the reasons why we are not sharing our child's name (that we don't quite have yet) with anyone until she is born.
1) First and foremost we want to reserve the right to change the name last minute if we feel so inclined. I worry that if I did share the name and then the baby came and I felt like maybe she should have a different name that I would feel pressure to keep the original name. Or I would just have to explain the name change. I would just rather not have that worry or any pressure. Also I hear that when I was being named my parents had two names they liked, Mallory and Whitney. When I made my grand entrance into this world my mom just knew that I was a Mallory. I am really thankful I am a Mallory, I like the name Whitney, I am sure I would be an awesome Whitney, but it is nice to know that my mom just knew Mallory fit better and that I was given the name that felt right. Again I realize you can change the name in the end, but if I felt a name was more right it would be easier to go with it if I hadn't already announced to the world a different name.
Some may stop here and think well tell us the options. Then you can still choose at the last minute and we will know some of the ideas you are thinking. True but...
2) We want to make this very important decision without the kind and wonderful advice or suggestions others might give directly or through indirect means (wide eyes, long pauses, reactions that are not especially genuine, etc). I know everyone thinks that they can remain cool and collected if they hear a name they don't really like, but I am not so sure about that, even I'll admit sometimes my reaction is less than ideal when people tell me their baby names. It is hard to think in my head, "really, you are naming your child that," and express on my face, "oh that is so cute/ wonderful." So we are just going to avoid making you fake like a name while you get use to it. I feel like the name will become a lot more wonderful when it is given with a face that you already love than when it is just hanging in the air without that personal connection. Then even if it takes time to come to love the name you will at least love the person behind the name and focus on that love while the name is settling into your heart and mind.
3) We would love for the name to be associated with her, first and foremost. You know when you are meeting someone for the first time a name can leave quite the impression. For example if you are going on a blind date with someone and all you really know is their name is Mark (or whatever it is) and that they are really great and nice according to the person that set you up with them, you might automatically think of every other Mark you know and start creating ideas about what the Mark you have never met. You might think he will be like or have similar attributes of the other Marks you know, for better or for worse. But if you were just to meet Mark at a party and you learned his name while you are associating with him, you attribute his personality with him automatically. I feel the same about baby girl. If we divulge the name and you don't have a face/ person to put that name to immediately you will think about everyone else you know with that name which could create good or bad feelings about the name. But if we tell you while a camera is on her face and her little personality is shining through FaceTime you might forget about other people you know with that name at least for the time being and associate the name with the sweet little girl on screen.
Now you are probably thinking I overanalyze what will happen way to much and with those last two points that is probably true, so here is the final reason we are keeping baby girls name under wraps...
4) It is kind of the final surprise! The grand finale. One last thing to wonder about and look forward to. You know you start out wondering when are Daniel and Mallory going to have a baby, then you get the phone call news, so you start wondering if it will be a boy or a girl, soon enough that news comes along, then you think what are they going to name that baby. It's all part of the natural progression and we just decided it would be fun to save that last bit of information for the birthday. It will be something we share as we all meet this sweet little thing for the first time.
So there you go, don't worry baby girl will have a name and it won't be long until we all know what it is. It has been a lot of fun for us to keep it a secret and we look forward to announcing it once we are 100% sure it's the perfect name and baby girl is here.