What's In a Name?

Without fail, and as predictable as Idaho wind, every time my family is gathered together we end up talking about names. Names of kids in our wards, names of the kids in our kids' classes at school, names we read in the paper, names, names, names. My sister-in-law Colleen works in the nursery at the her hospital, a job I would LOVE, and we get to hear regularly about all of the doozies that come through there. She has mentioned rocking a brand new little baby and aching to thump the parents on the back of the head for the moniker they have placed upon the unknowing victim in her arms.

I love names and what they can mean to a person. My brother Cole for instance has a great name. I think my mom got his name from some 'love' novel she had read ages ago and regardless of that funny fact, I've always loved the manly simplicity of it. His middle name is Hobson, which is my mother's maiden name and represents her father who had 4 daughters, no sons and whom she loved very much. Cole Hobson...love it. The interesting thing about this combination of name and person, is that my mother says Cole is very much like her father was, quiet, observant, gentle (he'll love that) and athletic. This is very much rewarding for my mother. Cole swore all of us off from using it a long time ago and we who have had children have kept to that promise, as hard as it was. Now it's all his and Tristan's to use at their discretion.

Our Olivia Renee is named for my mother, Mark James for my father and James, Nate Richard for his Grandpa Jim and Tess Alayna for my sister. Alayna is somewhat of a stretch as Whitney is Whitney Layne and I didn't like Tess Whitney or Tess Layne, so I twisted it slightly and it suits me just fine. The point being-I like for my children to be connected to their heritage through their names and the added bonus is middle names do work really well for when it's time to scold. "Mark James" sounds so much sterner than plain old "Mark" when trying to get a certain point across. Although I have found that every time I use the combination "Mark James" I am told, "You don't have to yell Mom." Oops.

To get to the idea of this long narrative...we are naming this newest little tyke Clint Ryan. James and I have never been fussy with boy names. We like them short and to the point. We also try them out loud as if they had just made a great 3 point shot on the basketball court, "Way to go Clint!" Of course we could also yell the same name after a fabulous flute solo if they choose to go my route and be in band...as long as they direct their energies somewhere other than sitting on a couch vegging out we'll be pleased.

There are 3 questions a pregnant gal will get asked on a consistent basis, "When are you due?" "Do you know what it is?" and "What are you going to name him?" Of the 5 names we've put out into the world of opinions, Clint Ryan has received the most mixed reviews. At this I am perplexed. A dear family member recently gave us the long, inflected, drawn out, "OhhhHHHhhh", which left me stumped. She then proceeding to ask, "Like as in Eastwood?"Again, stumped. Why yes there happens to be an actor/director/conservative leaning guy named Clint, but that's not where we grabbed the name from, although if it were, would that be a bad thing? It's not like I said Dweezle, Zuma or Tiger Lily. The next question that followed was, "And I'm assuming the Ryan is for your brother." Since we were on a Hollywood vein of thought I desperately wanted to shoot back, "No, we got Ryan from Meg Ryan. We're trying to stick with a theme." Yes the Ryan is for my older brother Ryan who has tortured me my entire life, but if Clint turns out to be half the grand man this brother of mine is I will be one pleased mother.

So in an attempt to keep things simple and honorable, we've still managed to have some haters out there. Would Colleen and her nurse comrades have the desire to thump James and I on the back of the head after hearing Clint Ryan? My mother recently talked to a girl who was naming their soon to be born baby Wrecker. Head thump. Clint Ryan...a name to stand the tests of time.