On naming your baby

Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to trash all your favorite names. Or your kids' names.

But I do have a rather unique view on what people are thinking of when they name their kids. I don't often ask "why," because it really comes down to two factors: I like it, or Family.

I never tell people what I think of their baby name. My answer is constant: I love it, that's a great name. Because who really gives a shit what their nurse thinks of their baby name?

(Jess, I REALLY meant it for your baby girl's name)

But a common theme is the common-ness of your baby name. Honestly, it's really not that big a deal to have the same name as five other kids in your class. Jenny/Jennifer was the most popular name in 1978. I survived. So if you love Emma/Aiden, then go for it. And giving it a crazy spelling to make your kid stand out? That's just sad. On behave of all kidnergarden teachers everywhere, please reconsider.

But I caught this article after nursing Patrick this morning. It hit on lots of the trends that we notice in the maternity floor. And in case anybody is interested, I do offer free confidental baby-naming consultations. I won't tell you if I like it, but I will tell you if I see a lot of it. For example, if you like the name Neveah (heaven spelled backwards), I won't tell you that I hate it. I'll just tell you that was very popular with all the teenages moms back in 2003.