Names. They're All Beginning to Sound the Same.

Luke.
That was the name I was going to give a boy. I was twelve years old when I made this decision. I have dramatic journal entries from seventh grade explaining how I will divorce any man who'd have the audacity to say no to the name Luke. Gradually, as I became more sophisticated as a human being, I decided that I'd simply ask potential husbands what they thought of the name before marrying them. That was before I fell in love with my wonderful husband, of course, and I realized that no matter what he thought of the name Luke, I'd be marrying him anyway and I'd be staying married to him.

LUCKY FOR ME, however, my husband LOVES the name Luke. Thereby assuring that I get the man of my dreams and the name of my dreams. Perfection, no?

No.

Hawks. Luke. Hawks. Say it three times fast. (pause) Did you hear Lou Cocks? Me too.

Lou Cocks.
That's what teachers will call out every single day of his life during role call.

---Spelling segue. Role? Roll? I know one is a fluffy dinner side-dish and another is what you get in a play...but I do not know which is the one that is called out during class. Maybe I should just use the word 'attendance' thus clearing the air of any potential confusion.---

Anywhoo, this brings us to our current predicament. When I found out I was pregnant it took me about 7 seconds to name this child. My husband and I both agreed on Luke William Hawks for a boy and Sariah Michelle Hawks for a girl. The girl name is still fully in tact. I love the name Sariah and Michelle is both a beautiful name and the name of my beautiful sister. HOWEVER, my mothering sixth sense (which I'm told kicks in during pregnancy) has me thinking this child growing within me is actually a boy so I've been calling him Luke for months now and only three days ago did it hit me:

Lou Cocks.
Dreams. Crushed.
I am seriously grieving the loss of that name.

That brings us to the ACTUAL reason for this post. Here is a copy of the boy names my husband and I are looking at right now:

BOYS

Paxton

Austin

Tanner

Carson

Mason ( I have not yet asked Shem about Mason. So I'm doubtful that this one is actually in the running.)

MIDDLE NAMES (BOY)

Alan (My brother's middle name)

William (Shem's middle name)

Caleb

Isaac

Any thoughts? Opinions? Names to add? I'd love suggestions. Which middle names fit nicely with which first name? ANNNNY help you can offer will make my heart happy. Make me fall as madly in love with one of those or one of yours as I've been with Luke for the last 10 years of my life. *sigh*

March: The Month of Blog

Okay, people. I do not understand the phenomenon. Maybe you can explain it to me?

• 2 years ago, almost to the day, I started a blog. I then abandoned said blog the very next day.

• 1 year ago, almost EXACTLY to the day, I began THIS blog in an attempt to reconcile for having ditched the last blog. About a week later, I again abandoned the blog.

• Today. March 12th, 2011, I suddenly got an overwhelming urge to blog. "Must. Write. Extensively. About. Nothing. Maybe. Include. Pictures. As. Illustration." The idea grew like a cancer. (Inception!) And voila: Here I am, blogging. Because I am a narcissist, I began reading the blog entries I'd written previously. It was then that it hit me: TODAY IS MARCH 12TH! For the THIRD year in a row, I have had this inexpressible urge to blog during this same time of year!

What in the world?? How has this happened? Is there something about Spring that promotes such extensive thinking that it all just wells up inside of me until I can no longer contain myself and simply must put the thoughts into the vast complexities of the world wide web?

(side note: My husband just began playing with my toes. He then smelled his fingers to check the smell of my toes. How do we have friends?)

Okay. Honestly, if someone could explain this to me. It's my personal version of a two-headed tortoise. It should be in Ripley's Believe it or not, floating in a jar of formaldehyde like Albert Einstein's brain. And while you're at it, if someone could then explain to me how in the world to get followers on this thing...that'd be terrific. Because here's the deal. I've got many friends who blog...but I can't seem to get one schtinkin' friend on this thing. And I've been trying for 3 years.

Alrighty! Well, until next March!
Just kidding!
I hope.

Oh. Updates on my life in the last year:

• Moved to Utah for school
• Ended up meeting the love of my life.
• Got married (yeah...this whole process took 6 months. How Mormon is THAT?)
• Got pregnant (I head those audible gasps...no judging...I'm creating human life and it's exhausting.)
• Got extensively ill because of said pregnancy. (Still dealing with that on and off. LOTS of fun)
• Survived my first Utah winter since I was 6.
• Aaaaand am trying to live happily ever after whilst making a body for a baby.

So. Lots of changes. I'm a pretty happy camper. Excited for the future. It's been a tough last few months, but they'll all be worth it when I get to meet this baby.

If I have any note-worthy thoughts, I'll try to remember to stick 'em here.
Kay, bye!