The Name Game

I was originally going to write a post about names if we were having a girl - b/c there is a really funny story behind the names we have picked out. I'll tell that in a moment, even though we're having a boy. We had the boy name picked out, though. That was an easy one for us. And we thought we were all set.

Think again! No, we're not changing the name. But we are now considering how to spell it! That is just as important, is it not? (Yes, it is.) We had just assumed we would spell it Aiden. Then Ryan saw it spelled Ayden and liked that, as well. Then Ryan's mom mentioned Edgar Allen Poe uses the name Aidenn in one of his poems. That form of the name means "Eden, Heaven," whereas the other spellings mean "Fire." So - now we have three spellings that we are considering. We never really considered the others - there are so many (Aidan, Aden, Adin, etc, etc.). This is a big deal and we'll have to put some serious thought into it... Do we go with Aiden, Ayden, or Aidenn????????????

Our reasoning behind each spelling....
Ayden - Well, this is one Ryan likes, so you can take that one up with him. Though he has decided that he does like Aiden more than this. So this one may be off the table.
Aiden - This is a typical way to spell it lately and just the way we first assumed it would be. We also want to be sure that whatever name we pick - it will work for an adult b/c this child will eventually grow up and need a "grown up" name.
Aidenn - As the name Aiden/Aidan is becoming more popular, we don't want our kid having the same name as everyone else. This is the only problem I have with the name period. I love it, and I wish others weren't loving it as much either! But this spelling is not as typical, so the name would still have some uniqueness to it (which is a good thing). But I'm not 100% sold on the two "n"s yet. And we wonder if it's too girly. We're not quite sure...(and hoping no - if we do choose to spell it this way).

Now - the story about the girl names. I have always loved the name Bailey for a girl. And I just knew that if I ever had a girl, I would name her Bailey Elise. Love that name! Then Ryan comes along. He has a nephew named Bailey. And I want the name for a girl. We're not sure what to do at this point (though we're not even pregnant when this comes up, of course.) Ryan's sister says that her Bailey wouldn't mind and we can do that if we want.

Then one day, after we're pregnant, I turn to Ryan and say, "What about Avery for a girl? That is such a pretty name. I love it. Avery Elise." He just stands there, giving me this strange look. "What?....What is it?...What's wrong with that? Do you not like it?......What?" He continues to look at me, not saying anything. He finally tells me "Avery is Steven's middle name." Who is Steven, you ask? He is Bailey's big brother.

Yeah, that's right. Both GIRL names that I absolutely love are also the names for the only other BOYS in this generation of Ryan's family. How likely is THAT??? How likely that the guy I marry has nephews with the names I have picked out for a girl?! But we love the names so much, we still can't part with them. So, the plan was to pick one of these names for a girl, if we were having a girl (most likely Avery). Maybe next time. It is a funny story, nonetheless. I just couldn't believe the irony. Still can't. (And we are definitely reserving these names for our next - if we do get a girl next time!)

So anyway, back to this spelling of our boy's name......... That's our current challenge. We would love to hear (read - haha!) your thoughts. We'll ultimately decide on our own, yes, but it's still nice to hear what others think. :)