What's in a name? A lot, in the Molinuevo household. And it seems to be getting harder every time.
The first time around, naming our son Micah Ari was so easy. We always said we wanted a boy named Micah- we liked less common names. And that was before we even got pregnant. We liked what it meant: Micah is Hebrew for the fair and just one, and Ari is Basque for the lion. It reminded us of who we want him to end up being like: the One who knit him together. God decided it was time for Micah to make his appearance in the world, even though we thought we weren't ready at all, and we knew his name pretty much instantly. Also, he was named for his grandfathers- Michael Allan, and Miguel Angel. Same initials, and practically same first names. Easy enough, he practically named himself.
Levi Mateo was also fairly easy. Going into our ultrasound with him, I was convinced that he was a girl because my first and second pregnancies were pretty different feeling. Now I look back, and think maybe my body was adjusting to being pregnant much easier because I had already experienced it. Jose and I had discussed names a little bit, and girl names were something we fought about. I wanted a girl named Genesis, he thought I was a crazy hippy. He liked names like Olivia and Ava, and I thought we moved past 1800.
Boy names were a common ground for us. Levi was one we liked from the get go. Levi is a Hebrew name (we have a good little Jewish sounding family going, don't we?)- stemming from the tribe of the Levites, which was the priestly tribe of the 12 tribes of the Israelites. Following tradition, we named on meaning BIG time. Levi means joined in harmony; attached. We prayed that he and Micah would not have any major jealousy issues upon his arrival, as they are four years apart. We also prayed that he and Micah would become best of friends- attached to each other, in a harmonious way. They are a great match for each other- they play together almost all day, and Micah rarely gets in trouble for bossing or being too rough. Levi adores everything Micah does, and already tries to emulate him at only 15 months old. He is also VERY attached, like his name suggests, to my hip. Levi's middle name, Mateo, is Spanish for his father's heritage. It means gift of God, and is a variant of the English name Matthew. We believe that each child we are blessed with is truly a gift from above, and though we were not trying at the time to conceive, we knew he was to be treasured.
This time around is proving to be no piece of cake. I admit- I am attracted to everything girly this time around. Names, clothing, colors. I am emotional. I have zits. My last two pregnancies, I had crystal clear skin. I have hardly thrown up, compared to my other two pregnancies. I actually feel like eating. So I am kind of suspicious that there are a different set of chromosomes making a home my warm, cozy uterus.
That being said, I thought Levi was a girl, so I don't want to get my hopes up and not have given a lick of though to boy names. Jose and I have the lists narrowed down, and have been letting Micah (5) help us narrow down. The following are our boy/girl considerations for first names.
Boy Names/Meanings we are Considering:
- Ben: son of my right hand (This is very close to the Spanish word for come here, ven, which could get confusing, me thinks.)
- Eli: uplifted, ascend
- Owen: born to nobility, young warrior
- Liam: determined guardian (Micah says this name is girly, we say no)
- Luca/ Luka: bringer of light
- Noah: peaceful, restful (This could be a MAJOR plus!!)
- Gavin: white hawk
- Abby: father in rejoicing, joy of her father
- Addie: noble and serene
- Amelia/Emelia: hard working
- Cosette: victorious people, or little thing, depending on the language.
- Fiona: pale and white, beautiful (Hah! My kid!)
- Leya: loyal
- Lucia/ Lucy: bringer of light
- Maren: sea
- Marlee: high tower (A contraction of Marie, my middle name, and Lee, my maiden name)
- Norah: light
There's also the issue that my mother's side has a 3 generation naming tradition, in which you name your eldest daughter after your middle name. My grandmother was Eva Sue; my mother was Susan Janece; I am Janece Marie. We both don't like the idea of having a Marie- it means sea of bitterness. YUCK. Plus, it's antiquated. We talked about changing it to Mári, (pronounced Mah-ree in Spanish), but here in the USA people will end up just saying Mary. We talked about a Marisol/Maribella/Marianna kind of thing, but at that point, it's changing the name so much it's not worth it. Sooo....we are bucking the tradition.
Wednesday, we have a chance of finding out what naming side of the fence our newest pumpkin in the patch will sit on. If not, we will be having a surprise, eek! I don't know if I could handle that. On a serious note though- please read through and leave your comments/questions/concerns on any names we picked out. Potential middle school nicknames that we aren't thinking of (Jose said no girls named anything with Max, because of Maxi Pad). Things you like. Things you don't. Names you think are worth considering that we might have overlooked. Because we are honestly searching and seeking out that quintessential, perfect name that is eluding us.
Let the games begin.
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