1/05/2017

A HUGE Mistake

For a while I have been referring to my baby as just "baby", not using the name, "Olivia."

Here is where this all begins.
While I was pregnant, I changed my mind every two weeks or so on a name.  I didn't want a common name and I wanted something I felt good about saying.

Around 35 weeks, we finally came to two names we loved but couldn't decide. Olivia and Adelaide.
I knew I loved both equally. I knew Olivia was more common and I didn't like that, and I knew Adelaide was not so common and I loved the poetic vive I got from saying it aloud.

One night around 37 weeks pregnant, Rodney and I sat on the couch and decided her name would be Adelaide Avonlea. We wrote it down. Final!
Rodney asked me if I was going to change my mind again and I said, NO!  "I swear Rodney." Ya, right, he exclaimed.

Loving two names drove me nuts. I had no idea how hard it would be. Why couldn't I just love one more then the other.  I would do a coin toss and see which name won the most. Adelaide always won.  However, I still loved Olivia,. I knew one of the names would be a middle.

Rodney was okay with either name, he just wanted to make sure I was content.

While in the hospital, they handed us forms and said it would be easier to give them the paperwork with the name so they could submit it to Vital Records for us. That would save us a trip and I liked that part.

I told Rodney I would need more time, but he really wanted to name her in the hospital and hand off the paperwork. I couldn't blame him.  I studied our baby girl. I believe looking at a baby is important before naming he/she, so I said each name aloud as I watched her. What did she look like more.  She looked like both.  This was infuriating and I finally had Rodney pick.  He chose Olivia and wrote the name down so fast and handed it off to nurse.

Her name would be Olivia Adelaide

For over two months, she was now an Olivia.  I was okay with it, or so I thought.  Each day I found myself having a hard time saying her name. As I got to know her personality and her face, I came to the conclusion that she did NOT look like an Olivia.  I decided I loved the name in theory rather then in execution.

I couldn't even say her name for two months. As my hormones starting coming back to normal and my head became clear, I knew I loved Adelaide a lot more. I knew something serious needed to happen when I told Rodney I wanted to have another future baby girl just so I could name her Adelaide.

How was I going to tell Rodney?

For 2 weeks I couldn't build up the nerve to tell Rodney I made a mistake.  He was happy with either name. He loved Adelaide as much as I did. She had already been blessed with the name Olivia, everyone called her by her name and all seemed well. I was not dealing with it. It was not sitting with me well and kept me up at night.

One night I confessed to Rodney how I was feeling. He was not happy. In fact he didn't want to hear another word.  For a week I continued to tell Rodney that I needed her name changed. We looked up the process online. Here is what we found out.

1. It would cost 360.00 and we would need to appear before a judge.
2. We would need to fill out for a new social security card.
3. An amendment on her birth certificate.

The process was enough to discourage me, so I put it off. I thought about just calling her by her middle name, but as she grew up, it would become an administrative headache.

I decided to look into more research and found that the large fee wasn't unless she was over 6.  I decided to tell Rodney.

 He finally said okay.  I was thrilled.

We finally went down to the Health Dept. and did an amendment on her birth certificate.  It was easy and fast and it was done.  Telling our family was interesting. They didn't understand. I simply told them I made a mistake and everyone makes mistakes, right?  It's better to be happy then sorry and regretful.

We still have to get her name changed with  church records as she was blessed.

Our baby is now officially named:
                 
                    Adelaide Olivia.

Sunny is the most confused. She continues to call her Olivia.  It's fine.

 I am not sure I will ever tell Addie this story. She might end up hating us for changing her name. I hope she loves the name Adelaide as much as I do.

So in all complications, name changing does happen. I read that about 10% of couples do name changes.  The important thing to remember is that as crazy as it may be to change a name after two months, the important thing is that parents are happy and content with the name. That is what ultimately is most important.


Tasty!

Tasty!
Mango Salsa (see January archive on right for recipe)