My New Year's Resolution....

is to name the baby!


It has been very difficult to call our baby "It" when we knew we had a son.  Then we decided on a name but didn't tell for a while...okay okay...a few days. That is a while for me.  I don't have any real reason for keeping things a secret, or attempting to, for any mean reason.  I just like the idea of sharing something special with Ronnie for a moment.  Something that no one else knows but us.  When we decided to begin trying to get pregnant, we shared it with friends so they could pray for us, but not family.  We didn't want that pressure of telling them and it becoming a difficult process.  There is a lot of pressure to become pregnant when there are no other grandchildren on one side!  Once we were pregnant, we shared the news pretty quickly because someone had a feeling and asked me point blank if I was expecting.  I was not about to jinx my happiness and say no, so of course I affirmed my condition.  We then informed the family in a variety of creative and sentimental ways that same week.


Once we made it through the first trimester, I began to collect family names.  My side was easy because all I have are my mom's parents to consult.  I don't have any contact with either of my parents, so their names weren't really considered.  My family has some pretty normal, old-fashioned names.  Since I was raised by my grandparents, I have always had a lot of respect and appreciation for their effort to help me have an opportunity at a future.  I adore my grandpa.  I always hoped to use one of his names for my children one day (he has 4 names...I guess it is a Irish Catholic thing, maybe?).  Ronnie's family has a ton of names, some normal and appealing...and some, not so much.  The Troutman side is from Kansas.  The Miller side (maternal side) is from Virginia and Lakeland, GA.  The Miller side has some unique names, but not so much strange, just names you never hear anymore.  I liked most of them.


Now, Ronnie is named after his father.  So his name is Ronald Dean Troutman, Jr.  I always assumed that when we had a son, he would want to name him after himself.  Many men in both of our families are named after their fathers.  When Ronnie said he wasn't really sure he wanted to do that, my heart skipped a beat I think.  Don't get me wrong, I love my husband, and everything about him...even the stuff I hate (if that makes sense at all!), but I just was NOT a fan of the name Ronald.  I understand that it was a popular name in the 1940's and we had a wonderful president with the same name, but I just didn't want it for our son.  Hate me all you want...  Anyway, I wasn't too concerned with the name because I had a feeling I was having a girl.  I mean I had the perfect name picked out and everything!  Then we get blindsided with the news of a boy! 


We then began to discuss names we each liked, then both liked.  We also tossed around the idea of using one family name, and coming up with a new one, and that way we could start a new family name.  We always liked Dean, so we knew that we were using it regardless.  I love Dean, I love it as a first name and a middle name!  We have decided to keep it as a middle name, because it sounds funny (to me) to have a one syllable name, followed by a two-syllable middle and last name. 

Drumroll....

Our son's name is Preston Dean Troutman!

Preston is Ronnie's maternal Great-great grandfather's name and Dean comes from Ronnie's middle name.  Nan, my mother-in-law, told me that it has been said that Papa Dick (that's what they called Preston, because his name was Preston Robert) was the nicest old man.  She said he would rock her to sleep and sing her songs.  She also told me that people say that he and his wife never had an argument.  I love using a name that means so much to the family and reminds them of someone loving and kind.