Raising Angels: What's In a Name

Jeremy and I decided early on in my second pregnancy that our baby should have a repetitive first and middle initial just like we had done with Maya Marie. I was not about to give up on the middle name I had chosen, Curtis, because it was my maiden name and I had always hoped to keep in the family. So that limited our choices to names starting only with the letter C. We brainstormed for a couple of months and discovered that the only name we had both agreed on was Caleb. After hearing the name pop up more and more, I was convinced that it was too common for my unique taste. So after many months had gone by, I urged Jeremy to continue looking for the perfect name. Now, Jeremy likes more common names like Carter and Cody, but I just couldn't see us choosing either of those names - yes I was selfish! We had it narrowed down to two names the week before I went into the hospital - Jacobi and Declan, both of which I had only heard in passing as I flipped through channels on the television. Jacobi sounded better but Declan looked better on paper. Jacobi meant "he who supplants" and Declan meant "full of goodness."

We did not know the sex of our baby when we went to the hospital. On November 3rd 2007, our beautiful baby boy arrived and the doctor asked what his name was going to be. "Declan Curtis" I replied and Jeremy just looked at me and said "Really?" Nearly 3 weeks had gone by before I heard Jeremy say that our little boy was beginning to look more like a Declan to him. It is an uncommon name and it caused us a lot of mixed-emotions. Did we do the right thing? Will he get teased? Will he like his name? Will he always get people asking him to repeat his name (as we do now). But now I am reminded that our little boy IS full of goodness. He helps me do the laundry. He shares with his sister. He says "I lul you" without always being prompted. He thanks God for his food and blows kisses to random strangers. Declan Curtis is and always will be full of goodness in mommy's and daddy's eyes.

And if he chooses, he can always go by the name D.C. or Curtis.