Choosing a baby name...

When we were pregnant I was often asked if we had a name. When I told people we hadn't settled on a name yet, they assumed we just didn't want to tell anybody the name. That was never the case - we really had no idea what to name him. In fact, that was the case with the last three kids - we were scrambling the last day in the hospital trying to settle on a name so we could sign all the paperwork and be discharged.

This go around we took another approach. We wrote many of the names we were considering on the white board in our hospital room. As guests (mostly family) came by to visit, they would notice the names and we'd start discussing which of the options they liked. (knowing very well we could end up choosing a name that none of them liked, and that would be okay!) As our time in the hospital went on, names were crossed off when we decided they were no longer options.

We made it down to two names by the last day: Anderson or Briggs. We came up with middle names for both to help sway us in one direction or another. We both agreed we would be happy with either name. The kicker - Steve told me he loved the name Anderson but he wouldn't call him Anderson, instead he would go by a nickname. I insisted we name him the nickname then. But Steve wanted to name him Anderson. We didn't see eye to eye and we went back and forth on that subject for too long.

Ultimately Briggs walked away the winner. How's that for a systematic approach?!