the name game

2nd trimester is just about wrapping up. 3rd timester is approaching and it's bittersweet. i'm super duper excited of course to get closer to my due date and meet the 'lil guy. but i'm also nervous and sad.  nervous because 2nd trimester was such a breeze and i know 3rd trimester won't be as easy (i almost wouldn't have known/felt i was pregnant these last 3 months unless the scale kept reminding me).  sad because i know these next 3 months will be the very last 3 months of just the two of us - ap & me. i was a wreck during the1st trimester. i wasn't enjoying the pregnancy due to the constant nerves and worries and impatience. those 3 months seemed to just drag! then i had an epiphany. i decided, no matter what happens, i was going to enjoy the rest of the pregnancy because this was the last time ap and i would be alone. we'll never get these days back. ever! ever since, it's been easy peasy. but i know these next couple of months will be uncomfortable and again, my impatience will try to get the best of me. but i have to remind myself to indulge every minute of it. because it'll never come around again.

the time has come. we need to name this child. at the rate we're going, he'll be born as "bang bang" (as my coworkers call him) or "baby". boring. the first question people ask these days is "do you guys have a name?". i never thought this question would make me so uncomfortable. i always thought naming our baby will be the most fun part. uh...NOT! we've grazed the point of World War III in our home since we found out it was a boy. we were set all set on a girl's name which is why i was so sure it was going to be a girl. then we saw the little wee wee and i thought - oh crap - the name! i like modern, unisex names. ap likes traditional (boring) names. i'd rather pluck every nail off my toes (as nene on r.h.o.a. describes it) than name my son francis, stewart, or george. GEORGE! i don't know what goes through ap's head when he suggets such names! i love peyton, liam, bradyn. i was watching the tlc special 'bakery bunch' the other day (based on a bakery right here in fullerton! hello! how cool is that!) and the couple's triplet have the cutest names - adler, conlan, gennaro! ok, maybe not the last one. but adler is an adorable name! ap said no before i could even finish the sentence. and i've even offered to go the traditional route by suggesting henry. another reject by ap. i've suggested just about every name on the following list of 2008's most popular baby names:

1. Aiden

2. Jayden

3. Ethan

4. Jacob

5. Caden

6. Jackson

7. Noah

8. Jack

9. Logan

10. Matthew

11. Nicholas

12. Ryan

13. Brayden

14. Michael

15. Gavin

16. Dylan

17. Lucas

18. Caleb

19. Andrew

20. Connor

all with the exception of 1, he's rejected. well, that and a couple of these names are already in the family so i cannot use anyway. had the first question to each other when we first met in december 2003 been "what names are you thinking of for your son?", there would've never been a first date. i would've walked away the second he mouthed the name george. so we've narrowed it down to 2 names. and believe me, it wasn't easy. one of the names is what we both actually liked and even agreed to name our future son when we were dating.  it was perfect back then but now that he is actually in my body, i haven't been as enthusiastic about it.  reality is so different from fantasy.  the other name is actually one of the names on the above list.  we decided to keep them to ourselves and decide on our own without anybody's opinions and inputs. i'm easily persuaded/influenced so telling others and hearing their opnions might be disasturous and put us back to point zero w/no name. we're leaning 90% towards one name than the other but every other day, a million things about the name runs through my head. i mean - our child's entire life is dependent on this single decision we make for him! ap sticks to his decision and runs with it, whereas i am the indecisive, second-guessing freak. our shower is about a month away and i just know i'll get the same question asked 25 times all day. how will i deflect them? gosh, i hate awkward questions and situations! and i'd feel rude to say "oh, we're not sharing the name until he's born. next question?" ok. that's just the english name. i'm praying his korean naming process is much smoother.

as for the 'lil guy - he assures me everyday that he's healthy with his routine kicks and turns. feeling those kicks are the highlights of my day. the doctor has given me a chart to start counting his kicks starting week 28. i've already started charting mentally and have figured his routine out somewhat. he's definitely most active at nights and early mornings so i'm already preparing myself for long nights/mornings!