Not yet on a first name basis
When we went in for an ultrasound a little over three weeks ago the doctor determined that I had a low-lying placenta, meaning it had formed at the lower half of the uterus. Excuse me while I slip into technical pregnancy talk for a moment: this can potentially be a problem if it doesn't eventually move upward during the pregnancy because it can cover all or part of the cervix, a condition known as placenta previa that can cause bleeding or symptoms of early labor. She also couldn't get the baby into a position that made it possible to inspect the end of her spine, so we scheduled another ultrasound to take a look at these concerns. That appointment was last Friday, and during that exam we got to meet the baby's feet:
She yawned four times while we were watching, a gesture that silenced both me and Jon. I've only recently been able to feel her kicking around in the womb, so in many ways the only physical manifestation of the pregnancy so far has been my increasingly immobile body. This baby moves much differently than Leta did, and where Leta's movements within felt like she was knocking down walls, this baby feels much more like she's tiptoeing through the room. Watching her stretch her mouth wide open crystallized the reality of all these symptoms— the swollen fingers and toes, the flesh-eating acne, the embarrassing, uncontrollable flatulence that I often try to pass off as a creaky wooden floorboard. There is a certain look I have perfected when out in public, and when Jon turns around suddenly because he cannot believe that my dignity would allow such a sound to happen, all I have to do is raise my right eyebrow. This is code for YOU DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING.
Friday it sort of hit us squarely in the face: holy shit, there's a human in there.
The placenta had moved upward significantly, and all the baby's parts looked well-formed and jutted into and out of all the right places. The doctor asked us if we had chosen a name yet, and my answer was probably a lot more detailed than she had planned for. Thing is, we had a name picked out for a boy. In fact, we've had a name picked out for a boy since the beginning of our relationship. A boy was always going to be named after Jon's grandfather, Truman, and then we'd only have to negotiate the middle name. Something short, precise, something I could yell easily and derisively when I discovered he had peed on the toilet seat.
But we cannot agree on a girl's name. And every time I suggest something lovely or something sweet he says, no way, absolutely not, he knew a girl in grade school with that name, and she used to eat her boogers.
Then how about this name? No, he once dated a this name, and not only was she a bad kisser, but she eventually became a polygamist.
What about this one? Hell no, he once worked with a this one, and her hair smelled like cat food.
This? Reminds him of moldy cheese.
That? Makes him want to shoot squirrels.
So no, doctor. We haven't yet chosen a name.
You must have a dooce® Community account to leave a comment.
If you've already registered, login.
If this is your first time posting here, snag a free account.
Heather talks about public tantrums (from kids) on today's Momversation.
- RIP Louis Mortimer Armstrong: http://bit.ly/1R4tv6
- Hugs and kisses to you, too! RT: @Monkey_Tree: @dooce he probably committed suicide because he was tired of LISTENING TO YOU WHINE.
- Our fish just died. And I'm sitting here crying. And it wasn't even my fault!
601. repliderium.com said:
The thought of actually naming another human being terrifies me. (more so than the raising it part) I don't know why, but I fear picking something ridiculous and saddling the kid with a life of torture.
602. ElaineatLipstickdaily said:
It's so exciting! We had a girl's name all picked out for our firstborn - - of course, a boy. We couldn't agree on a boy's name for 3 days after he was born. Of course the one we chose was perfect for him . . . as will be the one you choose!
603. Lisa said:
Truman is one of my dogs' names...it's pefect for your next one!
604. shannon said:
I would leave out the princess part but I think Aurora would make a fabulous name. You could call her Rory as a nickname. Leta would be so proud to have chosen the name and it suits if she is spunky or quiet.
605. Belle said:
I like Fawnzelle.
Niiiiiiiiice.
;)
606. Wedje said:
were you looking for suggestions. how about India? a good southern name.
607. ProudMary said:
She has such a delicate, beautiful profile...my kids always looked like fisher price people in there.
608. rose said:
cassia
609. Anonymous said:
The variety of names like and disliked by your readers is interesting.
Someone mentioned turning Truman into Trumyn. Have friends who did this with Carson and again with Harrison. Karsyn Hart and Harrisyn Mae. So yah, if you like Truman go for it.
Personally I like Harper Armstrong, but who the heck cares what I like, eh?! It is rather nice with Leta though.
If I had another girl she would be Channing Lucille or Annesley Lucille. The Lucille is for my grandmother. And I like Anne better then Ain with -sley. But again, who the heck cares what I like.
Guess I just feel the need to take up comment space. LOVE!
610. Laurie said:
June Armstrong
Aerin Armstrong
Elizabeth Armstrong
Ann Armstrong
Helen Armstrong
611. Stevie Nicks Fan said:
Name her after rock's lovely poet, Stephanie! She sounds like a sensitive, magical little fairy.
Such good news that everything moved into its proper places. See, she's already enchanting things around her!
612. Ronna said:
I bet Jon never met a girl with my name. Apparently there are only about 3 Ronna's on the entire planet.
613. Anonymous said:
Scribonia? Am I getting close?
614. Kim said:
I like Eleanor!
615. kommishoner said:
I so feel you on the farting. There's a joke in our house from when I was pregnant: I farted early one morning, while I was still sleeping and my partner was up getting ready for work. He goes "I heard that" and I said (still asleep, mind you) "You heard NOTHING."
616. Lulu said:
It´s hard work to pick a name. We argued about it forever. Finally we went for Ellen; my grandma´s name. Good luck!
617. Anonymous said:
hmm.. how about Calder Dale Armstrong? (from my love of artist Alexander Calder)
or Mabel Dale Armstrong
or Hazel Truman Armstrong
or Evelyn..
loving the older names lately.
good luck!
618. Jeff said:
Can I suggest? Good, because I was going to anyway.
We've had our couple of kids and both were boys, so we've got the girls' names to gvie away:
Rebecca Lynn (Although I wanted to spell it 'Rebequah' and call her it phonetically the way you'd sound it out.)
Rachel Anna (And yes, every time I say the name in my head, Jennifer Aniston is the first person I think of. It was just the only chick name we could agree upon that would go along with my sister's middle name Anna.)
Humbly submitted...
619. Anonymous said:
Just name her Zoe already. You seem like the mom of a Zoe.
620. Colleen said:
Sounds to me like Jon's a living manifestation of an SNL skit with Julia Sweeny and Nic Cage.
621. Lynn said:
The name issue is a PITA. Nine months is about exactly how long it takes to gestate a baby AND a name. When the baby is born, somehow, the name will be born, too. We had decided on Lucas or Michael for our second boy. And, then he was born and we named him Liam out of the blue and it was sort of magical.
622. ma2one said:
No where did I read you wanted out input. That will not stop anyone with the name game. Make it a contest.
Pita, it rhymes with Leta.
;-)>
Only kidding!
623. Betsy in Pittsburgh said:
I'm surprised no ones mentioned my #1 pick for a girl: Edie. Not Edith, just Edie. I adore it.
624. emily said:
Iris. Or Greta. Greta/Leta. Hmmmm. Iris.
625. Anonymous said:
woot woot for zoe
626. Andrea's Sweet Life said:
We had the same problem - always had the boy name all picked out, but had only girls. I'm very happy with the names we chose, but we didn't stress out over them. We made a list, kept adding to it, and revisited it from time to time.
Ours are Alison Lela and Blythe Josephine. Now that they've grown into their personalities, it's easy to see how perfectly their names suit them. The name will come.
627. Erin said:
My daughter is named "Jaffray" - a family name, she was going to be named that whether she was a girl or a boy. I think it works for both, just like Truman. She is Jaff for short.
628. Emily said:
Iris. You will name the girl Iris. Iris Truman Armstrong. TOTALLY!
629. Emily said:
Iris. You will name the girl Iris. Iris Truman Armstrong. TOTALLY!
630. missy said:
My parents argued for so long that I went home with "Baby Girl" as my first and middle name on my birth certificate. Eventually they came around to naming me after my paternal grandfather, Jean, but with the nickname "Missy" (my Mom's college roommate). Since my legal name has no relation at all to "Missy," it's been the source of much confusion to doctors, employers and teachers throughout my life (with the sole benefit that when someone calls asking for Jean, I know it's not someone I want to speak to). I also have to carry around an affidavit saying that Jean and Missy are the same person so that I can cash checks written to my alter ago.
So, please pick your dear daughter's name before you go into the hospital.
631. Shelly said:
I love the name Emma for a girl..
632. Anonymous said:
Try not to fret about the low-lying placenta. It's pretty common in the second trimester, but pretty uncommon by the middle-to-end of the third trimester. In other words, the placenta moves up. Placenta previa is exceedingly rare by the end of pregnancy. You ought to watch "The Business of Being Born." Question the interventions.
633. Bump said:
Raegan. RAY-GAN. Not REE-gan( when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking...)
It's the perfect girl name. Goes well with both super sissy princess and tree-climbing-arm-breaking tomboy. Or you can end up with one of mine; tree climbing arm breaking tomboy in a princess dress and tiara who has mastered dress up heels......
634. Bump said:
Also? Leta and Raegan go together well.
635. Mirinda said:
I am not going to throw out baby names like you've never heard them before. However, I will beg you for the sake of all things holy, do not name your baby girl Truman. Of course I named my daughter Myrick so really I guess can't say much. (it's a family name and I love it. so there!)
Beautiful post, made me all weepy.
636. Anonymous said:
My vote is for Isla or Beatrix
Leta and Trixi sound like great rockstars!
637. macduff said:
I read the book "The Book Thief," which is insanely powerful and wonderful, and plan on naming a daughter "Liesel" after the main character in the book. And that is coming from a person with the worst name possible, MacDuff. My first name is Tansley, but that was ruined by a cousin who decided to pose nude. Yeah, awkward. I would have loved the first name Truman.
638. Anonymous said:
Ebba
639. Anonymous said:
So I read in Newsweek that you and John make $500,000 to $1,000,000 a year from your blog. Why do we never hear about you doing anything charitable? Looks like you all have a pretty sweet life, I would think you could give back.
640. Mrs. D. said:
Our little girl is Janae (ja-NAY) Angeline...
Now say it with my husband's French accent....so yummy!
Can't wait to hear what you settle on. Sure it will be beautiful and unique.
All the best!
641. -Mindy said:
I had a baby girl who is now 6 months, and we named her after my husbands childhood friend who has passed away, her name is Ryann, we added an extra n, to be a little more girlish. But it is pronounced just like the boys name, I love it and am glad we did it, we were going to use it as a middle name and then decided that if it was a boy or girl the name would be Ryann after going round and round with the names, we let my 7 year old pick the middle name so she could be apart of it and she picked Mckenzie, so it is Ryann Mckenzie.
642. anh said:
Whoa, seeing your baby yawn must have been quite amazing! Trudy sounds like a cool name, and I totally agree with the commentor that said whoever pushes the baby out should get the final say on naming. Not sure if you've ever considered Rita (or Reta) which rhymes with Leta =) I love the glamour of old hollywood and seeing as your little one may be tip toeing around your belly she may also be dancing and singing before too long. Choices, choices, lots of luck to you and your family in this exciting and wonderful time.
643. Tammy said:
I've always loved Francesca, my husband vetoed it for girl #3. I ended up with Emily instead. But she's the perfect Emme.
Have fun choosing, can't wait to see what you decide.
So happy to hear the baby is looking good in there!
644. Helen Tarnation said:
And don't forget to check out "Baby's Named a Bad, Bad Thing."
http://www.notwithoutmyhandbag.com/babynames/
645. Anonymous said:
Just as long at she does not come home without a name...
646. Anonymous said:
How about Ilia
I only know one person with that name. It kind of goes with Leta too.
647. AJS said:
This is the EXACT conversation I have with my husband when we talk about names for our not-yet-conceived little girl. Glad to know it isn't just him with this name issue.
648. Lori M said:
Heather--
So happy to hear that everything is going well your pregnancy -- blowing wind and all!
I love the names Harper, Campbell, Olivia, Chloe, Fiona, Sage, Sophie, Quinn, Skylar, Piper and Marin.
649. Michelle S said:
Oh you describing the stretching and yawning, reminded me of after my 12 yr old was born. He did a stretch and yawn that I immediately could identify as what he did in utero all the time as he stretched his arms into my ribs and you could see the movement of my belly. I knew it was the same. So amazing. Happy to hear the good news of the results of ultrasound #2. Congratulations. Michelle is a beautiful name that no one uses anymore :)
650. Diana said:
Violet Tru Armstrong...beautiful.
651. nazila said:
Beta Maxine (like zeta-jones)
Blu Raye
Or my perennial favorites ---
Shigella
Dyslexia
Effluvia
Hey, I have a very foreign name -- Imagine being having a nickname that sounded rhymed with kamakaze.
Whatever happened to simple names like Jane, Elizabeth, Carol and Patricia?
652. Janette said:
My husband was the exact same way in regards to the baby names. He always had to go by association. "No, we're not naming any kid of mine Fiona, because of Shrek and that goddamned Fiona Apple." Stupid, stupid men.
653. Anonymous said:
Do you like the name Cora?
(Haven't read all the comments, so sorry if this is a repeat.)
654. Justin said:
Congratulations on the new baby!
How about Chiara? I wish to name my future daughter Chiara after an ancestor of mine. "Chiara Hamilton-Armstrong" has a nice ring.
From about.com:
Origin: Derived from the Latin common name formed from the adjective clarus "luminous, clear" and in the figurative sense "illustrious, famous."
655. Anonymous said:
How about Anouk, a Dutch diminutive of Anne.
656. momof8 said:
I vote Heather gets to name the baby because she is the one carrying it around for 9 months. Jon will get used to whatever name you pick. Thats my 2 cents.
657. deb said:
Trulie is nice.
Other sugguestions as I LOVE "old fashioned" names
Vivian
Genevieve
or Gweniviere
also heard a variation on these Geneivra
Bronwyn
But these will probably make Jon want to shoot ducks.
658. catherine said:
Hi Heather,
I am following you for a few months now, and I really love your blog!
I am from Belgium, I have three kids and own a shop of children shoes... so I can really understand perfectly what you mean sometimes :)
Our daughters are called Faye and Kate. In the states it is probably a name you hear more often, but "out here" I got lots of pos. reactions.
Good luck!
Catherine
659. sara said:
I know you probably don't care, but we had Leta on our list for girls names for our now 4 yr old and instead went with Annika Tait which also always gets mispronounced and is also Scandinavian. I still love the name Leta but am in love with my Nika (Neeka). Congrats can't wait to see her.
660. lomagirl said:
I know ultrasounds "don't lie" but I think you're having a boy. This'll be confirmed if you can never think of a name (and then of course when the child is born!).
My theory stems from my own pregnancy, when each time we did not know the sex of the child but had a name for the correct sex picked out, and nothing at all for the other one.
Boy that was a confusing sentence!
661. Melissavina said:
Name choosing is the worst. Everyone feels like they HAVE to give their opinions or your baby will be doomed. I've got names that I've been holding onto for years. Now I'm 32 and have no babies to give them to. I'm still holding out though, maybe I can get Octo mom to give me one of hers.
Here are names that I love (but you can't know my favorites, those are top secret):
Talulah
Betty
Stella
Ginnie (like Gin-knee)
I also love Truman, it's always been on my list for boys. That and Tucker. But now Tucker is all popular and shit.
Good luck! I can't wait to meet her.
This is going to blow Leta's mind.
662. Anonymous said:
http://www.notwithoutmyhandbag.com/babynames/index.html
Go to this site called Baby's named a Bad, Bad, Thing and don't choose any of these. Cute site though.
Good luck on your pregnacy.
663. Anonymous said:
Some of the suggested names make me wonder if the commenter when to middle school.
Fay? Does a child need to hear "Fay is GAY!" for twelve years?
I love Baby's Named a Bad, Bad thing, but has anyone else noticed that some of the names bestowed by the site regular's are as bad as the names they're snarking about?
664. Leslie said:
First things first -- people need to stop suggesting Elise. Isn't that Leta's middle name?
I like Jane Armstrong. Sounds like a very strong name. I like Lane too, alternately.
My brother and sister-in-law are also having their second girl. The first is named Taylor Joyce. Taylor for my mother's maiden name/brother's middle name. Joyce for her great grandmother. Their second girl will be Carolina Jeune after Camp LeJeune in North Carolina (where my brother and his wife began their marriage). Carolina is due about the same time you are. I also have a friend whose daughter's name is Leona.
I like older, traditional names and more unconventional names. Lucy, Lydia, JoAnn, Maeve, Isla. My grandmother's names are Barbara and Juana, so that's not happening. I like my name, Leslie, but I think it's becoming more popular.
665. rusalina said:
I know you did not ask for suggestions, but you know...human nature....How about these?
Noelle
Marie
Anna
Morgan
666. Jenabeth said:
This is my first comment, because I love the topic of names. Our daughter is Cordelia, which is just unusual enough for my husband, but has sentimental value for me. I suggest it. Or how about Beatrice, Beatrix, Seraphina, or maybe Persephone?
667. Paws said:
Congratulations on the baby - and on the placenta moving up! I just found your blog, so I don't feel entitled to try and influence your choice of baby names, but I will heartily second Teegees (#42) solution:
"This is how we resolved the issue. Whoever pushes the baby out of their vagina gets to have the final say on the naming of said baby."
When hubby and I were trying to come up with baby names, we reached an agreement based on the baby's sex - I got to name a boy, he got to name a girl. I won. (Thank gods, because I hated the girl's name he'd picked out! We ended up using it for a dog, years later. I ended up apologizing to the new neighbors many times for yelling "goddammit, ____, stop that!" out the window when the dog was doing something she shouldn't have been. Who knew we'd end up with a dog AND a neighbor with the same name? LOL)
Our first child was named for his dad and granddad; we'd planned to call him "Trey" since he was the 3rd of that name in the family line. But when he arrived, the nickname just did not suit him at all! *sigh* We named our second child for his dad (we used a variant of the name) and his dad's brother. Good thing we stopped at two, I don't think the marriage could have survived a third battle over baby names!
668. Rosemary said:
I thought Leta already picked out Princess Aurora? What is there left to consider?
btw, i think your pregnant mind kept you from remembering that it is indeed February and you still have a January masthead!
669. Anonymous said:
Havent seen it here and don´t know if it would sound well pronounced in english, but... what about elena?
670. Juta said:
Juta.
I've been an avid reader almost since the beginning, partly because it struck me as amusing that you are exactly 10 years younger than I. So I'm suggesting you name your 2nd born after me!
Pronounciation: It's pronounced similar to Leta, the "-ta" being a softer 't' and a short 'a'. The 'J' is silent, and the 'u' is like Utah. You-ta.
1) "Juta" is not too 'mangleable' into evil nicknames. The worst I've encountered are 'yoda' (short & smart & sort of cute, so what's so horrible about that?), and of course the overpronounciation into 'Utah' (this is a bad thing?).
2) "Juta" and "Leta" are a great combo. Just imagine yourself in a few years when you have to yell at one or the other and mix them up. "I DID say Leta/Juta!"
3) It's fairly unique, just like Leta. Cmon, how could one daughter go through life with a strange name and the other be plain Sally.
4) Juta from Utah is just too cool.
5) Both daughters will forever be spelling out and teaching people how to pronounce their names. Neither will feel left out. Both will curse their parents.
Cheers,
Juta
671. Callie-girl said:
We had the opposite problem. Always had names for girls. They're family names, and both beautiful. I'd let you use them, but since you and Jon are both Caucasian, I think you'd have trouble passing off any of your progeny with traditional Hispanic or Italian names.
I did, however, find a way to get out of naming a child something you consider awful. Wait until you're in full labor, look your husband in the eyes, and confess that you really do not like the name you agreed upon. If he's anything like my husband, he'll agree with anything you say at that point in time. Which is how I got hubby-dear to forego the idea of naming a boy Vincenzo, and go with the more traditional Vincent.
Considering I was accusing the nursing staff of being involved in some sort of conspiracy to torment their patients by refusing to give them adequate pain medication, he would have probably agreed to anything at that point in time . . .
672. Romi said:
Heh. We had a girl's name all picked out and spent tons of time making sure it wasn't too popular, googling it, etc. "Honour Victoria" - but she was a he, both times! Have fun naming her. :)
673. Rosemary said:
Just saw the Daily Style, no don't do wallpaper, get a design fruit birdy decal from etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20895071
would be so super cute, if you did an accent wall with a funky paint color and then this decal. next to the crib or something.
674. MK said:
Esti Cecile
675. Shelley said:
I think Truman is the perfect name for your child - boy or girl. Truly. If it felt right since the moment you met, why fight it?
676. Clare said:
Ingrid, Zoey and Frances are classics.
677. Ali said:
When I adopt children in the future, I fully intend to adopt 2 girls. One I will name Isabel, the other, James Katherine. Good luck with the name-picking. I really think Grandma-chic is the way to go.
678. JennC said:
Holy crap! Your description of Jon' reaction to potential baby names cracked me up; my husband was *exactly* like that and we had to come up with names for triplets. You'd think it would be easier, a little more give-and-take, but No. Not so much.
Congrats on the baby, glad to hear all is well.
679. bekka said:
My sister is named Marty, (technically Martha, but no one has ever called her that, not even on her report cards in school) which I think is a cute, spunky, and unusual name for a girl. In elementary school a couple boys teased her about it, but it didn't bother her, and other than that she's never had any problems.
680. Anonymous said:
Lilla
681. Carrie said:
Just a name suggestion. My daughter's name is Carson Olivia and I get compliments on her name all the time. However, being hindsight is always 20/20, I would have spelled it Carsyn so it screams "I'M A GIRL" instead of me having to explain 99.9% of the time that HE is a SHE. Good luck with the name game.
682. Brenna said:
I am more than willing to share my name. Brenna is a great name. In no way am I conceited, I just like my name. No one really has it. I was always the only Brenna in my classes growing up. You won't be able to find my name on cool pencils, coffee mugs or mini license plates, but who really needs that crap?
Also, when someone calls you Brenda you can reply with "NO 'DUH'". That is reason enough.
Just a suggestion. Happy name picking!
683. Lee said:
I think that it's adorable that you and Jon think you can name the baby. But let's get real. Leta has declared the baby to be Princess Aurora, and Princess Aurora she shall be.
684. Haley said:
Name her Haley!
Or you could name her another fav Livy! Leta and Liv so cute!
685. Nikki said:
Lucy!
686. Joeythegirl said:
We're adopting, she's due in May and Jory is calling her "DD" for Dooms Day, it's a Superman thing. He has all the same excuses for shooting down names.
Everyone seems to like my name, "Joey" and I'm a girl. AND I was named after Joey Heatherton and when I googled her, I found her Playboy pictorial!
I vote for Joey ;)
687. Alice Q. said:
Oh my goodness, some of these names...
maybe somebody else thinks the same about mine though, who knows.
Cate
Keighty
Clare
Harper
Clementine
Julia
Georgia
Gretchen
Lucinda
As a sidenote - If I were to have a boy, I would love to name him Bodhi, after Patrick Swayze's character in Point Break, but alas, I dont' think we're going to have kids, and even if we did, I'm afraid we're just not that cool.
688. Jen in OR said:
I think Truman is an incredible name and, if this will be your last baby, you should use it! At least as the middle name (although as someone upthread said, "Tru" would be lovely for a girl!). Anyway, that's my "random stranger on the net offering unsolicited advice" opinion.
689. Pam said:
Yes do name her True! It's nice and a little unusual.
690. Kami said:
Aurora Truman Armstrong
691. Brooke said:
I'm having the same issue with my husband. For a girl we finally settled on Corinne (or if he gets his way we'll spell it Corynn- which is highly doubtful, seeing as I will be the one pushing this human out). And I don't even have the energy to debate over a middle name.
Or a boys name for that matter! At this point, I'll go along with anything. Mickey Mouse is sounding pretty good right about now...
692. Nicole said:
May Truman Armstrong
693. Anonymous said:
No offense to Juta, but jeez, don't name her that. Not too manageable into nicknames? How about Puta? oh dear.
694. Gen said:
Hi there,
I have only recently discovered you blog and I have been enjoying it!! I'm 21 weeks pregnant, 19 lbs heavier, expecting a baby girl in June. My husband and I are having the EXACT same naming problem. We had a boy's name picked out before even trying to have a baby, and we can't find a girl's name!
It's been fun readings your blog... it's now part of my daily routine!
695. Carrie said:
This is clearly the best comment in the history of the internet:
"Don't you have siblings with weird names? Like a brother with the name Badger, or is it Dodger? Or Charger, or something like that? Pick something weird and obscure like that."
I hope you send that to your brother, or put edit that embarrasing picture of him to include those lines.
696. tracy thompson said:
I swear to God I cannot see a baby in there. But I couldn't see anything with either one of mine either, and they turned out fine.
Keep track of the ninth-month flips. My second was breach; then flipped back down (doctors said very unusual); THEN, the night before my scheduled C-section, she flipped back into breach position. My belly looked like that breakfast scene in "Alien."
697. Anonymous said:
Not that you asked for it but here is a list of some of my favorite girls names and there some pretty awesome little girls I know with just those names...
Carlisle
Flannery
Harper
Edie
698. alison said:
I vote against Truman for a girl. (Or a boy, sorry). I've known too many dogs with that name.
More too popular names to avoid: Ruby, Stella, Chloe, Zoe, Haley, Hallie, Fiona. I'm just sayin--they are all over the daycares, kindergartens, and playgrounds these days.
People have mentioned Harper--and while I usually don't go for last names and first names, there is something sweet about it (plus, Harper Lee, of course).
My child is Dulcie, which we got from a name book and liked. Cute. Means sweet. Vaguely Irish/Welsh. Old fashioned in British populations. She was almost Mae. I liked Esme, too, but that is gaining in popularity. So is my other favorite: Eliza. Kathleen is pretty. Ann is sweet and simple. Elizabeth will always be a great name. Willa has been a favorite, too. Alice. Frances. Penelope. Tess. blah blah blah. So many names!
699. alison said:
OR, Elodie--a pretty french name and my vote for the wallpaper (#4, Elodie).
700. subastas de pisos said:
Hi,
Here are a few i like:
Morgan
Mallory
Anne
Thanks,
Subastas pisos
http://www.subastasde.com/subastas/pisos
701. Anonymous said:
Good luck with the name choosing...that was the hardest part for us too!
Trudy would be nice to keep in the spirit of naming the child after her great grandfather....I have also loved Lillian (Lily for short) :)
Good luck and best wishes!
702. carolyn said:
had placenta previa, ultrasounds with EVERY prenatal visit from 20 weeks on. 3 days before my due date my placenta FINALLY moved far enough away from my cervix (and it was only millimeters!) that doc gave go-ahead for a vaginal delivery.
5 days later gave birth to my one and only, fantastic delivery, no complications!
wishing the same for you.
my 2 cents:
Tru is beautiful for a girl.
Truman sounds like you wish you had a boy.
703. carolyn said:
my other 2 cents:
LOVE #4 wallpaper
704. Vee said:
Few things:
I know it says profile picture, but I don't see anything, can you point to the head? (I'm really sorry, if it helps, I had to ask my sister all the time to point-out my niece.)
Please don't name her Aurora, or Thalia.
Not that you're asking, but I like Sophia, Truman and Mallory.
Good names to steer clear from are all those related to pop stars or celebrities.
I do like Ivar.
705. Eden said:
You could refer to, of course, that classic of the webs of old...
The Utah Baby Namer:
http://wesclark.com/ubn/
706. Terri said:
Our daughter is named Veronica AKA Roni and she really likes it. or so she tells me. I like Tru for a girl...or Trudy. Great spin on a family name.
707. Anonymous said:
We've been having the same issue naming our second (due June 9th.) We had a beautiful girl's name picked out for our first: Sofia Joy, but didn't find out the sex and ended up with a boy (and we only had a middle name picked out!) He ended up being Owyn Sebastian. We know we're having a girl this time, and I've had a favorite name picked out since LONG before I ever knew my husband: Talia (accent on the "i" - can't figure it out on my new mac) It has taken me two and a half pregnancies to convince him. It isn't run of the mill (try being a Jessica, product of the 80's) and the meanings are beautiful, but he's afraid it sounds too ethnic (we're both whiter than white) or that she'll be called Taliban. Whatever - I would have ended up being very disappointed in the end if we had named our first Sofia (had she been a girl) even though it is a beautiful name - so I am putting my foot down.
Now, about the middle name...
708. Brooke said:
Oh, where have my manners gone! (it seems all I could talk about in my first post was my dire naming issue- I'll chalk it up to 'placenta brain')
Congrats to you, Jon, and Leta! I wish you luck in finding that perfect name:)
p.s.
I think Truman for a little girl is the bees knees.
709. Eden said:
...and Google tells me the UBN has been mentioned on this site already about a million trillion times.
I should have guessed.
710. Kathleen@ForgingAhead said:
My husband and I can barely agree what to name a cat! A kid would be our undoing.
711. Mel said:
Ok...on the chance that you make it through the other 700 before me, I'll throw in my 2 cents..
Going on Heather, Jon, and Leta...either pick a name that starts with F or N....and all names skip a letter.
So...Fiona, Nadia, Nina, Natalie....
I also like Chloe and Lauren
or...here's my great-grandmother and her female siblings:
Zula, Floy, Goaldia (Goldie), Isky, and Kromia...they always gets a laugh.
712. Francesca said:
I like the following names for girls (feel free to disagree)
Maeve (pronounced May-ve; This one is my favourite)
Phoebe
Kira
Lexi (short for Alexandra or Alexis)
Libby
Kali (a Hindu goddess who's known to be terrifying... might work for when her crying is waking you up at 3 in the morning)
Abby
Zoe (with the dots over the 'e'. For some reason I just don't like it spelled 'Zoey')
Simone
Solange
713. Megan said:
I didn't read all the comments, so I apologise if someone has already said this, but may I suggest "Aisling"? It is the gaelic word for "vision" and is pronounced "ash-ling" so it has an easy, "normal"-sounding nickname.
714. Anonymous said:
Thinkin' you should go ahead and name your baby one of those old lady names sugested above based on the old lady wallpaper you are considering for her nursery. Out of all the paper you are considering only 2 are even remotely youthful and appealing... the rest look like nursing home wall covering.
715. Hayley said:
LOL I'm an idiot. I told you that "permission" was spelled wrong on Jon's site... and I spelled "copyright" incorrectly.
Sorry, Jon! I love your blog, too!
716. Anonymous said:
The name is a very tricky subject. Although, isn't it truly amazing, how whatever name is chosen, when the baby is born the name just fits.
My husband thought Maximus Studhorse sounded good. I think he was smoking crack and we obviously ruled that out.
Good luck! Love your blog!
717. Emily said:
Sorry if any of these have been posted but 713 comments are a lot to go through. These are a few I like.
Ainsley
Zoey
Madeleine
Aiden
Isobel
Janti (pronounced jon-tee the "j" is more of a "ge" sound)
718. Camille said:
Heather,
I've got it.
"Lincoln." Usually a boy's name, but I can see this as a really really great girl's name. Otherwise, go with Truman/Tru. I just think Lincoln goes so well with Leta...
Leta and Lincoln.
I like it.
xx,
Camille
719. Spendthrift said:
Felicity, and call her 'Flea' until she's old enough to put her foot down.
Then, when she's the star soccer player and one of the guys, call her 'Phil' until she puts her foot down and becomes homecoming queen as 'Felicity'.
I'm sorry it was a TV show, I have always liked the name.
Julia Grace.
Clair (or Clare, or Claire) Adele.
720. Eden said:
Two of my favourite girl names:
Rowan
Sadie
721. Phoebe said:
I'm gonna go ahead and second Daffodil Souffle.
Seriously, though, find something that feels right...and tell Jon that if he still wants to shoot squirrels when he meets Baby This Name, he's out. ;)
722. heyjoe said:
What a coincidence. At dinner last night we had a side of low-lying placenta.
What's that? It's polenta?
Never mind.
723. Eleanor's Trousers said:
I vote for Maya Louise Armstrong (because I'm a book nerd and a kid whose initials are MLA can't be all bad).
724. Phoebe said:
Oh, loving the wallpapers, by the way. You have such great taste.
And yes, sometimes flattery does me places.
725. Phoebe said:
*get* me places. sorry.
726. Kim said:
I vote for Willow Brooke.
:)
727. Liz said:
This is the first time I have posted a comment! I am also pregnant with a little girl (our first) due in April and we have just now finally narrowed down our names to two choices... Charlotte Ann or Isla James. I have no idea how we will choose but it was a small victory getting to this point. I also think the name Adelle is pretty and goes well with Leta. Good Luck! :)
728. Emma said:
How about the name Trudy? Then it would be till based on Jon's father's name.
Or something with a similar meaning to Truman.
Some meanings I found for Truman:-
loyal one, faithful man, disciple, honest.
Maybe you could call her Faith? That would go with the meanings of Truman.
Or is there another female relative, perhaps on Jon's side, that you could name her after?
729. d3 voiceworks said:
You've got enough name suggestions. Some real good. Some real bad.
I'm weighing in with wallpaper opinions.
I like 3, 4, and 12
730. The 3ccd Camcorder Blog said:
Oh my God--your baby naming dilemma reminds me exactly of what my husband and I went through with our second girl.
We had AMAZING boy names picked out but couldn't agree on a girl's name to save our lives. I finally saw one in the credits of my oldest daughter's favorite Disney movie and threatened my husband with brutality should he "poo-poo" on this one.
We finally agreed. :)
731. rla_2 said:
juno is nice
732. Christina said:
LMAO@ comment #24. Seriously, I have tears. I would've killed him.
Ahem...
OK, I have 3 boys so naturally I have a long list of girls names that I never got to use. My current favorites are Clara, Eleanor, Cady, and Maya. I love names that have either historical, literary, or artistic significance.
733. Marena said:
how about Eloise, Emileen, or Delaney?
734. elismsue said:
Congratulations!!
Another normal hurdle to make this very human experience like all others.
THE NAME GAME!!
The worst part of any pregnancy I had.
IMO, send them with names.
We can deal. We bore them, didn't we?
735. I Have No Children of My Own said:
Laurel
736. tracy said:
I want another baby
737. Anonymous said:
Lila Truman Armstrong
Leta and Lila
I looked up feminine names that shared the menaing of Truman -- true, truthful, truth, faithful, loyal -- and didn't find anything that seemed to work.
738. Kelly said:
Seriously people this is her second pregnancy!! Do you not think they havent perused every possible name book etc?!?!
That being said,
Josephine is a beautiful name... (josie for short)
739. Court said:
No Ava!
I teach and have 3 Avas my class!
740. Lynda said:
Truwoman?! ;)
Congratulations!
741. Anonymous said:
Matilda Jane
Lucy
Marin
Athena
Olive
Marielle
...who cares if Truman is traditionally a boys name. If you love it, use it. Addison has become very popular for a girl, but is historically a man's name.
742. Anonymous said:
I vote for:
Lana
Leila
Ellie
Natalia
Natalie
Annika
Zoey
Alexia
Katya
or Chuck.
743. Marcheline said:
1. Trudy
2. Trudi
3. TruLeigh
4. TruAnt
5. TriedNTru
6. TruLuv
7. TruLize
8. Truworfahls
9. TruBleu
10. D. Rumerz R. Tru
11. TruMatic
12. Trulette
13. Trufartia
744. kristen said:
I LOVE the suggestion of Linnea. Goes great with Leta.
If you want a T name, how about Talullah?
Leta is a family name, right? What about Brooke? :)
We named our second child three days after he was born. It was totally fine to not have something right away. The name we ultimately chose was perfect. :)
745. Saerah said:
Truly... as in "Truly Scrumptious" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
but it sounds like Heather may be the only name that could pass Jon's negative-association test
746. Melissa said:
You guys did a great job naming Leta, so I know you'll come up with something good. I like Tru for a middle name. I think Ala (pronounced Ayla) Armstrong sounds good. Other choices would be Marlo or Tenley
747. Heather said:
I like Truman and have always liked boys names for girls until recently when I began to work at a magazine. When sending out party invites I changed my mind when I would have to call many Dylan, James, Taylors, ect to find out if I address the envelope Mr or Ms. It would suck to have all your mail addressed to Mr. Truman Armstrong.
My personal favorite is June. Such a simple pretty classic name.
748. Michelle said:
I love Zoe and Grace for girls names and love love love #8 for the wallpaper.
749. Rob said:
I had to laugh when reading about all of the girl names your husband has rejected.
I suggest buying a book like I have at home with over 3000 baby names. Give it to your husband and let him cross out all the ones that he objects to.
After that see what's left. Surely he can't cross out every single girls name. After that I hope you can find one you both agree on.
750. Anonymous said:
Oprah Armstrong.
Blurbodoocery Armstrong.
751. Stephen said:
Sam. Strong name. I suspect it would suit perfectly the type of little girl you will raise - and it sounds great when screamed at the top of your lungs!
752. onbeelay said:
Francesca called Frankie
Artemisia called Mia
Astrid
Lucy
Tanith
753. Jacs said:
Millie. That's my little girls name - thought it was cute, sweet and gentle. Three things she is not. Fiery, mental and independent is she.
Love comment #24. Thought about Harlot - similar to Ho -no?
Dude, who would name their kids Omen and Irony - holy shit, no doubt that was decided upon under a heavy cloud of weed.
Good luck.
754. Marcy said:
My last name is Armstrong and I'm having my baby Thursday, surely my opinion means something? No? Well, anyway...
We are having a boy, but our girl name was going to be Claudia. My daughters name is Delaney. I'm not sure either of those work with Leta though. Other Armstrong female names in out family include Mabel, Charity, Lynda, and yes, Heather.
I really like Truman for a girl.
755. Anonymous said:
Creepy, creepy…. A lot of the things you write remind me of me… also, we are both pregnant, I am due in May… we are having a girl… we have a 14 month old son named Truman who is named after my husband’s grandfather… we can not agree on a girls name… anyway, when I read Truman my skin crawled ever so little…
756. Big Gay Sam said:
Fred.
Not enough Freds in the world.
757. Lori said:
You could be inspired to name the baby after one of the wallpaper designs you like :-)
Rosabella
Elodie
Mirabel
758. Beth in SF said:
Yeah, we went through a bit of this with our son. But eventually we found the *perfect* name, and I'm sure you guys will too. If it's any help, I have always adored the name Edie.
759. RzDrms said:
truman aurora (tru for short), unless you plan on trying for more, that is....
and most def wallpapers number 11 or 12, tots.
(or you've always got Stated Array, my recaptcha words...there's a ring to it, no?)
760. Meredith said:
When we were pregnant my husband used to google names to see if anyone crazy was using the name we were considering. If you ever want to know why our Rachel wasn't named Kate, try googling "Kate Bornstein."
761. RzDrms said:
p.s. "i kinda like, 'Fred.'"
762. Diana said:
Nubia is a pretty name too, it's Egyptian.
763. my little apartment said:
I'm a girl with a boy's name (Dean) and I love it. everyone always asks where the name comes from and I get to tell them that it was my grandmother's name and that she was super rad.
mane her Truman, I think it's fantastic...
764. Anna said:
Thayda
765. lindswing said:
First, I mostly want to say that your hair is fabulous right now. Well, as per usual, but even better.
Also, if you're keeping track, I would just like my vote to reflect that I do not think Truman is the best way to keep your seemingly gentle-spirited daughter from getting beaten up her entire K-12 life. Tru is cute, but by itself. A boy Truman would kick ass, of course.
And, I think you DID actually say you welcome name suggestions, so I would like to say that my favorite, favorite girl names are Margaret and Piper. I've always loved Bella, too, but my friends are all into Twilight, and I know everyone would think I named her after the lead character. I think my baby will be a girl, but my husband suddenly decided he's not set on either of the girl names we agreed on years ago. Oh, man.
766. Liz said:
Yeah, the name nuttiness is fun in its own weird way. I really think it's harder to name girls. Don't know why, just is. My man was waiting for the name that had that certain je ne sais quoi, that magical something that he would know when he heard it. It had to be an uncommon name, but not odd. Erudite, but not geeky. Feminine but not girly. If I hadn't been weighed down by an extra thirty pounds hanging off the front of my body I would have rolled over and frogged him sometimes.
She'll have a perfect name, which will sound good when cooed softly in a few months or firmly and fully enunciated angrily in a few years.
767. Vanessa said:
sasha
christobel
768. Anonymous said:
Congrats Armstrongs!
My mother always said she wanted another girl and would name her Camberlyn (because she liked the nickname Cammie).
One of my favorites right now is a just-discovered relative (one of several generations all using this name): Amariah (my relative was male but to me this is in no way shape or form a male name).
769. Anonymous said:
OMG. I'm stunned at all the name suggestions. You don't strike me as the type of person who would name their baby based on a blog comment...
Here's an AWFUL name that my husband suggested before our daughter was born; it's the WORST name ever:
Bliss
I told him that we should just go ahead and name her "Orgasm" and call it a day. He's now my ex-husband.
And I'm confident that my daughter, Julia, likes her name just fine.
770. dy-Anne said:
i say let Leta pick.
Ok so it could end up being something like Snow white - but more likely you will end up with little Aurora or Ariel or Belle.
Or Dora.
At least she is old enough to realize Elmo is a Boy and Boots is a monkey -so those are out.
Maybe you could name the baby Yo Gabba Gabba. The other kids in class - even in Utah - wouldn't have that for a name.
771. Gigi_mummy said:
Gigi ?
The film of the same name features Maurice Chevalier singing "Thank Heaven for Little Girls"...love it, named our daughter after it
772. Peggy said:
We had pretend names for two of our babies while they were in utero. When people would ask what names we had picked out we would tell them: for the first it was Beauregard Bojangles - Beau for short. For our third it was Ophelia - our older two children selected this out of a baby book. We didn't use either of these names but telling these names would silent people immediately.
I am a substitute teacher for primary & some names I mispronounce on a daily basis - please make her name easy to pronounce & skip the weird spellings. I had a little girl the other day whose name was "Miracle." One popular name with the Hispanic population for girls is Naveah - Heaven spelled backwords. They also like Angel but it is always for boys - not girls.
Good luck with the baby. My first was two weeks early due to placentia previa.
773. Ruby said:
How about Priscilla?
774. Andee said:
As someone who grew up with a traditionally boy-ish name, who has never gone by a nickname or longed for anything more girly, I say go with Truman. I think it is good for a person's character. If you're worried she'll hold it against you forever, giver her a feminine middle name to fall back on.
775. design freak said:
Lennie.
It rocks.
776. Andee said:
"Timeless" names just gives a high likelihood of being common names. I really really love whoever suggested Truman Aurora, that is almost beating out Atticus for the name I will give my child male or female.
777. AMY said:
Tessa?
Leta+Tessa= Love :)
778. Kami said:
Best wishes to you and your family. My son's dad had the same attitude as Jon, but to ALL names, not just one gender. Every male name reminded him of some jerk in the army, and every female name was a "stripper" name.
Anywho...
After reading the children's book The Rainbabies by Laura Krauss Melmed, I love the name Rayna for a girl. I think she beautifully sums up what having a child means in that story.
I also think Elizabeth, Cady or Rosa would be beautiful in honor of Elizabeth Cady Stanton or Rosa Parks (or just cuz you like the names).
Maybe the name Rae in honor of your brother, Ranger.
Here are some more personal faves:
Adrienne
Alison
Camille
Carissa
Claire
Julia
Laurel
Lauren
Mallory
Marissa
Meredith
Natalie
Robin
Theresa
Maybe...
Adrienne Rae Armstrong
Aurora Truman Armstrong
Cady Rae Armstrong
Claire Marissa Armstrong
Julia Claire Armstrong
Rae Camille Armstrong
Rayna Truman Armstrong
Robin Theresa Armstrong
Rosa Camille Armstrong
779. emily said:
A few suggestions:
Rosa
Sylvia
Lucy
Ruby
No matter what you name her, she is already blessed to be coming into a wonderful and fun family! Good luck, and enjoy this time before that last very uncomfortable month or pregnancy!
780. Kristin said:
I'm probably never going to have a daughter, so I'm going to share my favorite girl names in the hopes you will use one and I can find yet another way to live vicariously through you! :-)
Ruby
Tamsin
Harper
Willa
Ivy
781. Chipster said:
True. Just True. Can be from Truman. Then make the middle name "man" something like Mandi or Mancy or Manda. Then you are covered for Tru-man !! Simple. :)
Your baby has lovely feet and a beautiful disposition. I wish you and your family all the best.
782. Andra said:
I love the name Maeby, pronounced like "maybe". So I'm a huge Arrested Development fan, WHATEVER.
You can always call her Mae for short!
783. Scott said:
I think Ainsley is a beautiful name.
Ainsley Sofia Armstrong
784. Anonymous said:
I like:
Millie
Marley
Maren
Julianne/a
Liliana
Rosalie
Adela
Maribel
Sylvia
785. Anne said:
Just a mash up of other suggestions, but:
Ruby Tru? Ruby Truman?
Sweet, sort of old fashiondy, and doesn't carry quite as much of the celebrity baby vibe that Tru as a first name does.
786. andi said:
For wallpaper go with #2, my daughters (13 & 7)both loved it.
Also, I just realized my name sounds great with Leta and with Armstrong!! Andi(Aundee)Truman Armstrong. jus sayin'
787. Ryan said:
Okay, I have not read all 785 comments yet, but seriously, as a girl with a boy's name, I humbly beg you not to saddle your poor little girl with the name Truman. My name is Ryan, which is not nearly as solidly masculine as Truman, but I still got mean girls who kicked dirt in my face on the playground because "SHE'S A BOOOOOOY!"
788. Laura said:
Sorry if this was mentioned a kazillion times in the 700+ comments above but I would totally name a girl Truman, in fact if my factory wasn't closed due to....well, oldness, I would steal it! My girl is Avery, btw and it is up for grabs.
789. Karyn said:
How gorgeous is this picture! I am so happy for you. And I hope you understand that even though you'll now have TWO kids, my blog is still inspired by you!
http://donthavekids.wordpress.com/
P.S. I like Juliet, AKA Jules for a name.
790. Anonymous said:
how bout jane?
simple. sweet.
jane truman armstrong
or truman jane armstrong
i also like harper.
791. Ann said:
Re #639-I agree it is wonderful to give back and I think it is even MORE wonderful to do so without announcing it to the world. There is something very beautiful about helping those around you quietly. I am sure you were not implying otherwise.
Since I am here, becuase of my heritage, I love Greek names like Athina and Toula.
Thank you for sharing yourself & your family with us Heather! Congratulations on the new addition!
792. belle said:
I think Truman could be a lovely name for a girl. Or at least a middle name.
793. Rini CS said:
I think I'd definitely be interested in a name that is reminiscent of moldy cheese... might be useful for any future kittens I acquire.. :)
It's surprising how much effect a name can have... However, there is the option for the child to switch, just as I did. My grandfather was the one who started calling me Erini, and so I took it as my own and now it fits better than the name my parents gave me.
I was almost an Erica Elizabeth... but am very happy to be an Erini Christine. (And also happy to be wench -- thiswench.com)
794. Corrine said:
I loved Beverly Cleary when I was growing up and thought Ramona was just brilliant for naming her doll "Chevrolet". Ramona was right, it *is* a beautiful name ;)
795. Belle said:
*changing mind*
Zoe Fawnzelle.
You DO seem like the mom of a Zoe.
796. Nala said:
Funny stuff. My name is Alan backwards–which is my brother's name, and was my dad's name. It was my dad's idea.
When I had my first daughter, I won the name debate and called her Taylor Madison. My dad said "What kind of name is that? It's all last names!" and I got to say "Well, it was too hard to say it after I SPELLED IT BACKWARDS!" He actually let me win that one.
Love the new header, btw, but miss the 3 photo links at the top. Too much scrolling now. For what it's worth.