Some days, I joke that I should get a tattoo on my forehead — a tattoo of the chambanamoms logo.
With that in mind, maybe I should rethink this baby name contest. Instead, I could give my baby what every corporate marketer covets — prime real estate. Sell to the highest bidder.
You’re thinking — man, she’s really lost it. And maybe I have. This pregnancy has made me a bit loopy.
I’ve probably scarred my baby for life (or her life in utero) doing this name game thing, but this whole process has taught me a lot.
Key takeaway No. 1:
PEOPLE LOVE BABY NAMES. Yes, I would shout that in all caps as well as from any rooftops. Nothing gets people talking quite like the name discussion. And this wasn’t a gender issue. Men, as well as women, contributed with VIGOR. It is probably more fun to name someone else’s kids. Many of the constraints are removed; there’s not as much baggage when it comes to naming a baby that won’t grow up in your family.
Key takeaway No. 2:
While some people may have been aghast by this whole concept, the reality is that naming your baby is the most public thing you do as a parent. The name will carry on for ages, well beyond closed doors (but keep your baby making that way, please). We were very secretive about the names of out first two kids; this has been an incredible 180, and it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be.
Key takeaway No. 3:
I will never bestow a child of mine with the name I chose for my Cabbage Patch kid when I was 8 years old. Oh yes, back in the day I thought Joanne Charlene was the most beautiful perfect name ever conceived for a baby, doll or not.
So, back to the voting. Anna edged out Mara by one – ONE! – vote. I’m guessing it was due to my mother and her friends stuffing the ballot box, but that’s just an assumption. Maya wasn’t far behind. If this was politics I would demand a recount.
You’re probably wondering what we’re actually going to do when Baby Bleill arrives in a few weeks. Well, we have a pretty good idea – but for now, we’ll keep it under wraps.
Just in case we get struck by lightning – or I decide to go with Joanne Charlene after all.
Laura Weisskopf Bleill is the co-founder and editor of chambanamoms.com. You can reach her at laura@chambanamoms(dot)com. She is pretty confident that Cabbage Patch Kid is in her mom and dad’s attic, just in case you were wondering.