Linden Bloom -- the name

After the Big Surprise, once we had settled into St. Francis Hospital and Laine's health stabilized, Dr. Leonardi asked us if we had a name for our baby boy or girl. We told him that we hadn't finalized a name yet, to which he replied, "You might want to think about that" with a smile. He asked us again the next day and, when we told him we were still thinking, he said, "You won't need it today, but probably in the next few days."

It's unacceptable to have a blog post
without any pictures, right?

Names are important and choosing a name was one of the most daunting aspects of parenthood for me. Laine and I each love our names and felt the pressure of coming up with a name for our child that we would all like. 

I was named Van Christopher Miller for my grandfather, Perry Evander Miller, who went by Van and his son (my mom's brother), Van Bloom Miller.* For nearly a day though, I was called a different name -- Jeffrey Todd Miller, or J.T. My parents didn't put it on the birth certificate the day I was born though and they changed their mind by the next day, changing my name to Van Christopher. 

Though we hadn't settled on a name, I knew that I didn't want to try to decide after our son or daughter was born. There is a deadline -- you can't leave the hospital without a name -- but I knew that in our case, that could be weeks. So Laine and I took a look at the list of names we had been compiling for the past few months. 

We had about 30 names total -- half for boys, half for girls. There were a few clear front-runners but it was difficult to strike any out. Linden was a clear favorite on the girls side and Laine and I each separately found ourselves favoring that name. The day before Linden arrived, we talked about how Linden Bloom was our favorite girl name but we were still keeping the door open. 

On the morning of September 9, following a visit with Dr. Leonardi where we were informed that today would be the day, we knew we had to come to a decision. Laine was confident -- Linden Bloom was what she would name a baby girl. I agreed, but worried about buyers remorse. I loved the name and didn't have any others I preferred. But as the realization sunk in that this would be the name...for life...I started to feel a bit stressed. 

This one's not the most flattering but, hey, nobody takes good pictures all the time. Not even babies.

I thought about how we came up with that name and why we liked it. A linden tree is a large, flowering tree native to Illinois. Knowing that our baby was coming early and would have a lot of growing to do, I liked a name that suggested future growth and strength. Bloom, as I mentioned, is my Uncle Van's middle name and my maternal grandmother's maiden name. Paired together, Linden Bloom, seemed like the perfect combination. 

So Laine and I had decided. Linden Bloom would be our daughter's name and I would announce it to everyone when she was born. (See video in "The Biggest Surprise" for Linden's birth announcement)

It was nerve wracking to have a deadline on a decision of such magnitude, but that's actually how Laine and I make some of our best decisions. We regularly shop on www.woot.com, a website that features a deal per day. You have from midnight to midnight to decide whether you'll purchase. We've bought a variety of items from here, everything from sewing machines to headphones, and have never regretted a purchase. Somehow, I took comfort in that. :)

And now that she's here, the name seems to suit her and we love it even more. When Laine was pregnant, we referred to the baby in her belly as "the bean." She was the "jumping bean" when we'd see her on an ultrasound and "little bean" at other times. L.B. can stand for Linden Bloom or Little Bean, so I like to call her that sometimes too.

*Yes, my mother's maiden name is Miller. She swears that, like Laine, she didn't change her last name either. 

Linden holding my wedding band