By now you know – thanks to the poll – we’re having a little trouble coming up with a name for this new baby. Really, it wouldn’t be a big deal, except for 2 things.
1. Our children have amazing names – if I do say so myself! – . . . Maximilian Bernard, Philip Augustine, Rebecca Therese. They can go somewhere with those handles, you know what I mean? They’ve got some powerful intercessors with them, too. So we can’t really follow them up with a “Tyler” or “Brady.” Even “Peter” seems bleh compared to them.
2. The last two kiddos didn’t have names on their nursery cards. They were simply listed as “Baby Boy Daniel” and “Baby Girl Daniel,” respectively. I imagined visitors walking past the nursery and saying things like, “That poor, unwed teen mother. So overwhelmed she didn’t even name her baby.” It haunts me still.
Because of these factors I really, REALLY want to have names in place for the babe so we can call folks with the happy news and a moniker to accompany it. That and keep strangers from judging me because it’s important.
Anyway, it means we talk A LOT about names around here. Everyone is in on the discussion and the kids are constantly saying, “Hey! That’s a good name!” In fact, it was Max who came up with Clare Elizabeth. He kept saying, “When Clare gets here . . . ” or “I’m gonna tell Clare that . . . ” I was a little confused. One afternoon I said, “Wait. Are you talking about the baby?” “Yes.” Clare was not on the list at that point. Plus, we’re preeeeeetty sure it’s a boy. “Um, what if it’s a boy?” I asked. Max’s lip and chin quivered. “But God wants us to have another sister!” Of course. Silly me.
So we’ve become accustomed to some pretty zany suggestions from them. However, last week Philip had a winner. The kiddos sat at the table snacking on pretzels.
“Mretzel. MRETZEL!!! HEY! We can name the baby Mretzel so it rhymes with pretzel!!” He was totally serious and for a short moment, I thought it fitting considering my unsatiable appetite for pretzels. I got over that quickly.
Later, as we read about Jacob and Esau, we learned Esau had a wife named Bashemath. Those crazy Canaanites with their wacky names! But then I heard Philip whisper to himself, ” Mretzel Bashemath.” Then he giggled. It’s good to know he was just kidding.
