what is in a name?

Well, my first child arrived in early November and I am so, so, so thrilled to report that "The Bean" as we called him or her throughout the pregnancy is a girl. I had a feeling all along the baby was a girl. Some may say the odds were 50 / 50 and they are completely right (and thoroughly unfun). But from the start, I strongly felt it was a girl. I thought of the baby as a girl and while not attracted to only things pink and frilly, I did find myself looking more intently at girl items; books, clothes and the likes.

Which brings me to one of my favorite topics - names! I place a lot of importance on names and as soon as I hear a new one, I run through the nickname possibilities, its pairing with the last name, the initials (for monogramming purposes), the people I know who share the name. Name mad? No, I just think that names tend to arrive before the person does and set up expectations. They speak to the parent's education, culture, values and familiar relationships. Hence, their importance is great and the amount of information a name reveals is often large.

Here are the names we (meaning I) batted around:

Vivianne
This is a classic, elegant name and the nickname "Vivy" is so sweet. It's a rarer name and for me, was a nice nod to Vivien Leigh, one of my favorite actress. Leigh and my daughter happen to share the same birthday. I also love that it is French.

Charlotte
Another English classic. There is something regal about Charlotte and the nickname possibilities are numerous: Char, Cha Cha ("sha sha") Charlie, Chach ("Shash"), Lotte, Arlotte. The Charlottes I have known tend to be quite smart and beautifully behaved.

Honor
My husband thought this was a joke of a suggestion, but I really liked it. Again, it's simple, but there is a lovely splendor to it too.

Eleanor
Simple, unassuming, but kindhearted. My husband vetoed this one off the bat, along with Agnes and Martha. I adore them!

 These are the names that I liked. I can't really remember what names my husband proposed, except for Coral..... crickets chirping, right? And as everyone knows, final naming rights lay with the mother.

What did we utimately pick? Genevieve. As the patron saint of Paris, Genevieve plays an important role in Parisian and French history. (Its a perfect reason to go to Paris when she is older.) And seeing how I loved all things French, and the nickname possibilities are high, it seemed a lovely choice. Many people have been so kind as to say how much they love her name.

And funnily enough, it fits her perfectly!  She is a Genevieve of blue eyes, ebullient laughs, gorgeous milky skin and long, long legs!