What's in a Name?

Names.....probably one of the most important decision you make while pregnant with your child. It is also the hardest decision in my opinion. I mean, this is something that will stick with your kid as they grow into adulthood for the rest of their lives! How much more impact can you have than a name?
So, as most of you know we really did ourselves in by naming Brooke. Brad, Brandy, Brooke. Yea....we pretty much have to go with a 'B' name. Or else change the name of our blog. Hehe.... Actually could you imagine the kids reaction when she realized she was the only one without a 'B' name. Let's see...Brad, Brandy, Brooke, and Mary. "What was I adopted or something?"
Again, as you can tell, we felt we HAD to go with a 'B' name, which narrows the list down quite a bit. Unfortunately, there weren't a lot of 'B' names that we liked. I searched high and low, all the baby names books, all the websites, etc and kept coming up with the same group of names. So, I've had a favorite since day one of being pregnant. Brad wasnt that keen on it at first. And while it wasn't just an overwhelming sense of "Oh my gosh! I love this name!" for me...it was the best of the pickin's. So from there, I think it just had to grow on us. We tested out some others and kept coming back to this one particular name.

Now, it's not official till the baby pops out and it's on the birth certificate (I said the same thing with Brooke), but we've tested it out long enough and wanted to give Brooke an actual name to call her baby sister insted of 'sister'. So the potential baby's name is........(drum roll please).......

Brenna Ann

As I said, Brad's lack of fondness was only because he thought it would be confused with Brenda. But I finally got him hooked I think. I have just always kinda liked the name Brenna. First and foremost, it's a 'B' name. It's a bit unique, but still not impossible to spell or understand or something. There are so many different meanings depending on where you look, but the most common seem to be "Princess" or "Little Raven". Brad is very into meanings so we had to make sure it didn't mean something silly. My only problem with the name in all the decision making factors was that there is another baby at our church who is about a year old now whose name is Brenna. And we go to a small church. So, I had a little hesitation about that, but I checked with the mom (to make sure she didn't mind, which of course, she didn't) first but since they will be almost 2 years apart, surely it won't matter that much?
We went with Ann as the middle name in honor of both grandmothers. Both of their middle names are Ann you see. It also gives little Brenna the same initials as Brooke (Brooke Ashley) which is only important if you know the meaning of her initials. And something very petty I know....but it is also the same number of letters as Brooke. Seems insignificant, right? Well, it was until I realized as I started to get a lot of Brooke's things monogrammed/personalized/etc that most places include 12 letters (spaces) free. Since her name only has six letters and our last name is so short, I have always been able to get her whole name on things for free. Backpacks, lunch kits, etc. So, now Brenna will have the same benefit.

The most common reaction so far to our name choice is "Well...I haven't heard that one before." ?????? Not sure if that's good or bad..... but we like it and Brooke likes it. She's already calling the baby by her name. And in other news, I really worry sometimes how much of this new baby stuff she really REALLY gets. I mean, it's one thing to talk about it but quite another to have a little person actually living here. So I worry about her transition, her limited only child time left, etc. But then she does make some real connections sometimes. Like yesterday, we were shopping at Target and she was riding in 'the big part' (sue me...I'm a horrible parent, but it keeps her contained ok? and also just know she also HAS to be seated in the big part at all times - that's the rule). Anyway, riding in the big part, and she says "And when Brenna gets here, she will be riding in the little part." Then as we walked by a chair I've been eyeing for her new room, she points out..."Look, there's 4 chairs - that one for me, that one for Brenna, that one for Daddy, and that one for you! We each have a chair. Cause you know Mommy when Brenna gets here, we all have to share" Soooo...times like that, I think...maybe, just maybe she does really get it.
Oh...and she also recently offered up her old room for Brenna. Wasn't that sweet of her to do? (I mean, we all know the baby was going to get it anyway, right?) But it was all her choice to give her baby sister her old room. She has 'helped' us put the crib together and get the room all ready.

Anyway, thanks for reading and sorry for the ramble. I am off to my OB appt today to do my glucose test (where they test for gestational diabetes) so I'm about to drink my great tasting orange glucola drink (note sarcasm). I will def update as to the results and anything else interesting that is discussed. Pray for good results and that my blood pressure is hanging in there. I've been having noticeable swelling and other small preclampsia symptoms. (I was on bedrest with Brooke at 7 1/2 mos) So hoping I'm still doing ok on that end as well.