Baby Bitner

Say hello to 'Baby' Bitner. This ultrasound was done September 4, 2007 and at that time the baby was measuring to be about 9 weeks 6 days along. I am positive that the measurement is off by a few days but that is besides the point.

We are quite excited for this new addition to our family. Duane doesn't mind if we have another girl so long as she is a healthy baby. Actually, Duane would prefer if this baby is another girl and so would I. I really love my girls and would be happy if we had a third little girl. Boys are nice and all but I don't believe I would have it in me to mother a little boy.

As far as naming this baby goes, I have a HUGE list of names--mostly girl names, of course. I had a list of favorite names when I got pregnant with Mayah but most of those names have been overused since then so I had to start from scratch. People keep asking me if I will give this baby an 'M' name as I already have a Mayah and a Malia. First off I have to say that I didn't intentionally go with 'M' names. It just so happened that I liked names that started with M's when I was naming my girls. I have to admit, I am leaning towards 'M' names yet again. Although, I don't believe I will choose an 'M' name for the sole purpose of keeping the theme going.

I keep saying I will choose the baby's name which is mostly true. Duane and I have an agreement that goes back to when we were engaged. I feel that since the mother does all the hard work, the mother should get to choose the baby's name. Duane is okay with that so long as he can veto any weird names like 'LaFawnduh'. Its lucky for Duane that I am not that "creative".

If anyone would like to make any name requests feel free to do so. Just know that I make no guarantee that I will put your suggestions on my list or that I will even like them. I don't mean to be a jerk but I am pretty picky about names.

I have a whole system that goes into naming my babies. There is a filtering process that each name must go through, which is:

a. The name must not be overused/popular but it also cannot be too unique or different.
b. The name must have a strong/good meaning. Example: Mayah is a hebrew name and it means 'Close to God').
c. If the name belongs to a notorious person or even just someone I really hated growing up, the name has been tainted and I won't consider it. Example: The name Joshua is forever ruined for me because I have known SEVERAL Joshuas that were total jerks...that is not to say ALL Joshuas are jerks--just the majority that have come into my life. Also, I will never consider the name Monica for obvious reasons.
d. The name cannot rhyme with any body part, adjective, or anything else that could be used against my child in school yard battles. Example: Fat Pat
e. I am not a fan of using family names. So far I haven't used any family names. Don't get all offended if you submit your name and I don't use it. I am not going to have 100 children so I won't be able to name my children after every single relative. I don't want any jealousy so I figure I might as well not use ANY family names. If that still doesn't clear things up, just remember that Duane and I won't even consider using our own names.
f. I don't use surnames as middle names. I don't want there to be a question of whether or not we are hyphenating our children's last names or whatever. My children only have one last name and that is Bitner. I feel that a middle name is a second name that my child can fall back on if they decide that their first name isn't what they want to go by. Example: There was a kid named Lance that went to school with me. It turned out that his first name was Gary and Lance was his middle name. I can see why he went by the name Lance when he was a kid/teenager since Gary is more of an adult name.
g. I will never use a name just because it "sounds cute".
h. The name cannot be made up.
i. I do not believe in alternative spelling. The spelling of the name must already exist in order for me to consider the alternative spelling. Why make it more difficult for people to pronounce the name?
j. This isn't exactly super important but I do like names that I can shorten and make into a nickname. Example: I usually call Mayah, My-My and Malia, Li-Li (pronounced Lee-lee).

I realize that my baby naming system is ridiculous but I want to make sure that my kids have good/strong names that will be with them throughout their lives. I also want my children to know that I put a lot of time and effort into naming them. My baby naming process is one way for me to let my children know that I love them.