When we had Kate(officially Kathryn), Jay REALLY wanted Abigail, but I just wasn't feeling it. I offered to use Abigail as a middle name, but Jay decided to wait. He's (not so) secretly hoping we have another daughter and we can use the name then!?! p.s. I love the alternate spelling I chose...my older sons tell everyone I spelled her name wrong!
Luke, Ellen, Peter, Sarah and Therese were all names that were chosen rather amicably. I threw out Luke and Jay said, "Not bad." So it stuck. Jay suggested Ellen and Peter and I had the same reaction. Therese had special meaning for us so it was an easy choice as well.
Jonathan was come by with a little more angst. He was our third child...and our third boy. But I was convinced he was a girl. I never knew for sure before he was born because he was always "shy" in the ultrasounds! So we only had a girl's name picked out....Abigail Caroline. Obviously that didn't work for a boy. Jon was born at 9:30 in the morning and we tried out several different names during that first day...Sean, Daniel, Benjamin, etc. Jay was leaving the hospital that night and refused to leave until we had a name. He didn't want to call extended family and friends and say "Baby Boy was born today." So, we settled on Jonathan.
We went into the delivery room for Andrew in fierce debate over our list of favorite names. Jay wanted Daniel or Jonathan. I wanted Jarrod or Evan. Neither of us wanted the other's choices...it was a stalemate. Andrew was a rather large baby at 9lbs 8oz and he had a really big head.(When his head came out the nurse looked at me and said, "Wow, he has a really big head." And I thought(sarcastically), "Thanks so much, the rest of him isn't even out yet!") After he was out completely(did I mention I had him without any drugs?), Jay looked at me in all seriousness and said, "Honey, you can name him anything you want!" Thank-you very much for a husband that acknowledged, and was in awe, of what I just went through! I did the fair thing and chose the third name on my list....which was also the third name on Jay's list. Andrew was not either of our favorite names, but it was a compromise...and it was a good fit!
With our first born, we had read through the baby name book countless times and had narrowed the list down to two names that we both liked: Michael and Benjamin. In our heads, we pictured a Benjamin to be calm and laid back...and a Michael to be not quite so calm and laid back. When the day arrived, our baby boy was born with a healthy wail. The doctor moved him to the warming bassinet where he proceeded to......pee all over the nurse! Jay looked at me with a smile and said, "He's a Michael!" And he definitely is!
