The baby name has continued to be a popular topic of inquiry. We welcome people's friendly interest in little Baby Eugeni Geilhufe, so I sent out a list of names David and I are considering for him. We asked for feedback and got a variety of amusing and thoughtful replies. (I was called crazy to ask by a few--who went on to rate the names nonetheless--and some people did not respond, later divulging a fear about expressing opinions on such a personal matter. Fair enough.) We know that whatever name we end up choosing (and the choice will be made by us alone, only after BEG shows himself in the flesh), our baby will be accepted and loved no matter how odd or trendy his name. :) Anyway, I promised to share the results of my unscientific name-ratings poll, and I will; but first, a bit of context.
According to the Social Security Administration, the most popular names for boys born in the United States in 2007 were...
1. Jacob
2. Michael
3. Ethan
4. Joshua
5. Daniel
6. Christopher
7. Anthony
8. William
9. Matthew
10. Andrew
These names account for 9.2% of all boys born last year. And they comprised the top 10 for 2006 as well, with only slight reordering. In 2005 only one name was different: William was edged out by Joseph. We might expect these names to continue in their popularity. Jacob has been in the top 10 since 1993. Joshua's been top 10 since 1979 and Christopher has remained there year after year since 1967. Andrew is top 20 going back to 1980 while Daniel's been a solid top 20 pick going back to 1958 at least. Last but not least, Michael has always been either #1 or #2 for the last 40 years (and probably much longer, but I only checked last 40 years).
There are a few regional differences. When broken down by state, the 2007 list for California reads...
1. Daniel
2. Anthony
3. Angel
4. Jacob
5. David
And in Texas last year, the most popular boy names were...
1. Jose
2. Jacob
3. Daniel
4. Christopher
5. Angel
Angel and Jose were 1-2 in Arizona. Alaskans last year named more of their sons Aiden than any other name, and North Dakotans went for Logan above all else. Apparently the Hawaiians go to the Bible for inspiration, with Noah, Ethan, Joshua, Isaiah, and Elijah making up their top 5. Interesting stuff, eh?
(Just as an amusing aside, check out the most popular names for twins.)
I know you didn't come here looking for insight into naming trends overall. It's our kid's name that interests you, right? So what emerged as BEG's top 5, when taking family and friends' ratings into account along with our own? I shall hold you in suspense no longer. Out of a list of 20 or so suggested names, people preferred:
1. Andrew (read more about this name's origin)
2. Adam (ranked #65 in 06 and 07, origin)
3. Davis (ranked #395 in 07, origin)
4. Stephen (ranked #172 in 07 while Steven ranked #97, origin)
5. Andreas (ranked #971 in 07, not to be confused with Andres at #151, origin)
Anyone want to take bets on our choosing one of the above?
November 21, 2008
November 13, 2008
Safe havens
In Texas we got used to seeing "safe haven" dropoff site signs at public facilities. I don't think David ever quite got the hang of why such signage was necessary. It seemed odd to him, I suppose, that people might need to be shown where they could abandon their baby. I took the posting of such signs and passage of laws (like New Jersey's) creating the safe haven system as a reaction to those icky news stories about babies being born in a bathroom then left in a dumpster. I don't think it's a new problem, but media coverage certainly encourages legislatures to take action, and thus they did.
I suspect rather than know that newborn abandonment is not a widespread occurrence, but the passage of "baby Moses" laws around the country at least provides a clear course of action for the statistically small number of babies whose mothers know they cannot--or will not--care for them. The baby enters social services system and receives immediate medical care, parent forfeits guardianship, baby is placed in foster care, etc. A flawed approach probably, twisted social welfare, no doubt, and not associated with the healthiest life stories, but not the most horrible fate (see dumpster comment above). At least the abandoned baby Moses is just an infant, with a lifetime of adjustment options available to them, right?
Here's a headline for you:
Now, I've worked with a fair number of adolescents in my time, and I see where they can be a handful. Parents have their own problems, and the angst and drama that comes with one's children awkwardly and insistently asserting independence can wear on the most placid of adult caretakers. But to abandon one's child because all of a sudden parenting is just too much? Wow. Isn't this part of the experience, part of, oh, I dunno, life? I'm thinking the issue is not with the kid so much as with the parent (actually, I'm beyond thinking to knowing). If this is indeed the reason behind parents abandoning children (which is an assumption on my part, as I've not followed this news story closely), then it is yet another sign that we as a society would benefit from intensive therapy.
I take that back, I don't think therapy would benefit us all, I know it. Start facing and dealing with your problems, people, before you procreate. Pretty please.
Is there a safe haven out there for know it alls? :)
I suspect rather than know that newborn abandonment is not a widespread occurrence, but the passage of "baby Moses" laws around the country at least provides a clear course of action for the statistically small number of babies whose mothers know they cannot--or will not--care for them. The baby enters social services system and receives immediate medical care, parent forfeits guardianship, baby is placed in foster care, etc. A flawed approach probably, twisted social welfare, no doubt, and not associated with the healthiest life stories, but not the most horrible fate (see dumpster comment above). At least the abandoned baby Moses is just an infant, with a lifetime of adjustment options available to them, right?
Here's a headline for you:
Neb. parents rush to leave kids before law changesWhat the heck is behind this slow steady stream of child abandonment in Nebraska? People are even coming in from out of state to drop off their children. Not infants, mind you, which is what I'm pretty sure safe haven laws and locations were meant to handle, but school age--in some cases high school age--children. Did all the other states with safe haven laws specify an age limit for legal abandonment, and Nebraska somehow tapped into an unknown market--those who wish to dump off their kids? With the national media spotlight on them, the Nebraska legislature is scurrying to put a tight lid on the can of worms they opened. What a sad, sad story all the way around.
Now, I've worked with a fair number of adolescents in my time, and I see where they can be a handful. Parents have their own problems, and the angst and drama that comes with one's children awkwardly and insistently asserting independence can wear on the most placid of adult caretakers. But to abandon one's child because all of a sudden parenting is just too much? Wow. Isn't this part of the experience, part of, oh, I dunno, life? I'm thinking the issue is not with the kid so much as with the parent (actually, I'm beyond thinking to knowing). If this is indeed the reason behind parents abandoning children (which is an assumption on my part, as I've not followed this news story closely), then it is yet another sign that we as a society would benefit from intensive therapy.
I take that back, I don't think therapy would benefit us all, I know it. Start facing and dealing with your problems, people, before you procreate. Pretty please.
Is there a safe haven out there for know it alls? :)
November 05, 2008
Funny Baby
I might be taking the "having a child can be such fun" notion in a new direction here, but I've started clipping cartoons that sort of bust on parenting. Thus far I've found two amusing parenting-related comics to hang on the baby room door. One's a New Yorker cartoon by Drew Dernavich. It shows two parents cribside as they tell some visiting friends:
The other one I've taped on the door thus far makes me giggle everytime I read it. I just love the play on words in this Pardon My Planet comic by Vic Lee.
Fun stuff, eh? If you come across something funny that you think would make a good addition to the above, do send me a copy or an electronic link.
UPDATE 11/10
Speaking of baby showers, I've added a sampling of shower pics to my picture pages. Oddly enough, each shower at some point featured me wearing a towel on my head and me poised over a large, sweet, delicious cake. Just a coincidence? I'll let you be the judge.
We've decided that it will be better for his later development if we speak to him only in legalese.:) An amusing take on the absurd directions some people take while educating their children for the world, IMHO.
The other one I've taped on the door thus far makes me giggle everytime I read it. I just love the play on words in this Pardon My Planet comic by Vic Lee.
Fun stuff, eh? If you come across something funny that you think would make a good addition to the above, do send me a copy or an electronic link.
UPDATE 11/10
Speaking of baby showers, I've added a sampling of shower pics to my picture pages. Oddly enough, each shower at some point featured me wearing a towel on my head and me poised over a large, sweet, delicious cake. Just a coincidence? I'll let you be the judge.
November 03, 2008
Put Up or Shut Up
Apart from not liking the harsh tone of the saying, I'd love it if at the end of my life my tombstone could read (among other things): She put up rather than shutting up.
Not that you asked, but...
I prefer to vote in person. All this talk about record turnout, crowded polling places, and people standing in line to vote actually makes me happy. I love to see people exercising their freedom to vote, gathering together to perform a civic duty, rearranging their schedule and routine to involve themselves in deciding who governs us all and how it's done. Of course I tend to be happier about the experience when I feel committed to whomever and whatever it is I'm voting for (and even happier if I think my selections will ultimately be victorious). And admittedly I prefer that voters thoughtfully learn about and discuss issues before voting, rather than just basing vote on hearsay or a mindless party line. But no matter the turnout or how anyone casts their ballot, I feel endlessly proud and responsible and money-where-my-mouth-is when I vote. Hopefully you feel the same.
Testing a cool feature...
HarperCollins has made a few books available for online "browsing". In truth you could read the entire book online, if you are able to tolerate such an activity. Check out Ron Suskind's latest book, about the United States' changing moral position in The Way of the World.
Not that you asked, but...
I prefer to vote in person. All this talk about record turnout, crowded polling places, and people standing in line to vote actually makes me happy. I love to see people exercising their freedom to vote, gathering together to perform a civic duty, rearranging their schedule and routine to involve themselves in deciding who governs us all and how it's done. Of course I tend to be happier about the experience when I feel committed to whomever and whatever it is I'm voting for (and even happier if I think my selections will ultimately be victorious). And admittedly I prefer that voters thoughtfully learn about and discuss issues before voting, rather than just basing vote on hearsay or a mindless party line. But no matter the turnout or how anyone casts their ballot, I feel endlessly proud and responsible and money-where-my-mouth-is when I vote. Hopefully you feel the same.
Testing a cool feature...
HarperCollins has made a few books available for online "browsing". In truth you could read the entire book online, if you are able to tolerate such an activity. Check out Ron Suskind's latest book, about the United States' changing moral position in The Way of the World.
Rest easy
Some days are more tired than others. Not tiring, mind you, but just plain from-the-get-go tired. It's making me a bit crazy. I can't predict from one day to the next when I'll wake up refreshed and when I'll toss and turn all night or awaken at 5am and be sleepy again by 9. Makes scheduling activities kind of tough. One thing I have discovered is that on days when I feel really energetic, if I take full advantage of it, I pay for the next day (or two) with sleepless nights and restless days. I suppose this is just my body's cosmic way of preparing me for life with a newborn.
Speaking of my little parasite--I mean growing adorable baby--it--I mean he--continues to entertain me with tummy-bending activity. If I'd had a kid younger in life I might have gone into whatever field of research would allow me maximum access to understanding what it is babies do and sense as they perform their jerky gymnastic feats in utero. Instead I am left with conjecture and the pithy little baby book descriptions of life in the womb. Not enough info to soothe me. I am so much more into facts than speculation.
Speculation is the name of the game with baby-related conversations these days. Baby names have moved up to become topic #1. I've compiled lists of names that I like and think go well enough with surname (and initials, per David's request). David's and my opinions change regularly, and at this point heaven knows what will show up on the birth certificate. Giving a child its name is such a tremendous responsibility. One's birth name is forever. Even if you change your name, that original one is always still in you, having defined you in some uncontrollable way. Yikes!
I've had many people advise me away from the most popular names ("Look at last year's top-ten lists and don't pick any of them"). I totally understand the anti-trendy name arguments, but at the same time I don't feel the fear and loathing others do. I had the #2 girl name for my birth year, and inevitably had several others with whom I shared my name in each year of schooling. I do not recall it ever once bothering me. Au contraire, I still enjoy when I meet another Michelle. In a world of multiples, I never lost sight of who I was. I haven't asked David about sharing his name with others, but his was #3 in our birth year, and he doesn't seem to have been damaged. It's possible David and I are relatively damage proof people, and this could bode well for our child (cross your fingers). On the other hand, we could do all the "right" things and still end up with a child who when grown feels for whatever reason he must identify under some other name. C'est la vie; I will love him unconditionally anyway. Wiggle Worm/BEG will be himself, a lovely blank slate of possibility, no matter his birthname.
Phew, I'm feeling much more at ease now. Is it too early for a nap?
Speaking of my little parasite--I mean growing adorable baby--it--I mean he--continues to entertain me with tummy-bending activity. If I'd had a kid younger in life I might have gone into whatever field of research would allow me maximum access to understanding what it is babies do and sense as they perform their jerky gymnastic feats in utero. Instead I am left with conjecture and the pithy little baby book descriptions of life in the womb. Not enough info to soothe me. I am so much more into facts than speculation.
Speculation is the name of the game with baby-related conversations these days. Baby names have moved up to become topic #1. I've compiled lists of names that I like and think go well enough with surname (and initials, per David's request). David's and my opinions change regularly, and at this point heaven knows what will show up on the birth certificate. Giving a child its name is such a tremendous responsibility. One's birth name is forever. Even if you change your name, that original one is always still in you, having defined you in some uncontrollable way. Yikes!
I've had many people advise me away from the most popular names ("Look at last year's top-ten lists and don't pick any of them"). I totally understand the anti-trendy name arguments, but at the same time I don't feel the fear and loathing others do. I had the #2 girl name for my birth year, and inevitably had several others with whom I shared my name in each year of schooling. I do not recall it ever once bothering me. Au contraire, I still enjoy when I meet another Michelle. In a world of multiples, I never lost sight of who I was. I haven't asked David about sharing his name with others, but his was #3 in our birth year, and he doesn't seem to have been damaged. It's possible David and I are relatively damage proof people, and this could bode well for our child (cross your fingers). On the other hand, we could do all the "right" things and still end up with a child who when grown feels for whatever reason he must identify under some other name. C'est la vie; I will love him unconditionally anyway. Wiggle Worm/BEG will be himself, a lovely blank slate of possibility, no matter his birthname.
Phew, I'm feeling much more at ease now. Is it too early for a nap?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)