Day 17

So I promised more on names--our children's names, in particular. But, first some explanation. Because I evidently have some issues, I found it very easy to "stretch" the truth a bit each time I was pregnant. With each pregnancy, we waited a very long time to even share our news (12 weeks with the girls, and 18 weeks with the boys!). I thought it made the time go so much faster.

Also, after I had Brooke, I felt the need to add at least 10 days to my due date each time. This helped to stall the inevitable "Are you STILL pregnant?" questions. Although, thankfully, every one of my kids came early. So, if my due date was actually October 1, I told everyone it was October 11. And, because I am a compulsive liar, I also lied about the names we had chosen (because I didn't want to know people's reactions to our actual names) and about whether or not we knew what the baby was. With the girls, we had no idea, but with the boys, we knew they were boys yet told everyone we hadn't found out the sex. To me, that was easier than saying "Yes we know but we're not telling." Yikes! I think I have a problem.

Anyway, just for fun and because I need something to write about other than my sinful tendencies, these are the names we would have used had our kids been the opposite sex.

Brooke would have been Ethan Adam if she was a boy. Ethan we just liked; Adam was after my brother. (Don't make any comments about how it sounds like Ethan Allen. We know!) We also loved Jordan for a boy but didn't want people to think we were naming him after Michael Jordan or that we were going to go with all "J" names--you know, Jeff, Jen, and Jordan. ugh.......

Sydney would have been Chase Adam if she were a boy. However, we told everyone that our names were Natalie and Caleb. We liked those but they weren't our final choices, obviously. Actually, Sydney was Reagan Alexandra for one hour after her birth (yes, after President Reagan), until Jeff decided that it was just "too different", and we went with Sydney.

Payton would have been Reagan Alexandra if he had been a girl. Jeff actually lobbied hard to name Payton, Lincoln, but I wasn't so sure. Now we have a sweet nephew named Lincoln so it all worked out fine in the end!

Sawyer would have been Reagan Emily or Reagan Grace. If we had named Payton, Reagan, I honestly don't know what we would have done if Sawyer had been another girl. Jeff was not the easiest person to choose names with. Pretty much no matter what name I mentioned, he knew a chubby, annoying person in grade school who he associated with that name. He always had plenty of names he didn't like but never any suggestions about what he did like. I was pretty much on my own.

Now aren't you glad that you know everything you ever wanted to know about the names of the VeStrand kids. I'm sure you're fascinated..................