Name that kid!!!

With just over three months left before September 3rd, we are at the crucial point of trying out names for baby Erb, and although we've got it narrowed down to a specific two or three "top picks" at this point, nothing is set in stone. Let me tell you- Erb is a strong name, but somewhat difficult to find the perfect match. Thankfully, Kevin happens to be a pretty talented wordsmith, (as you can see from his post below) so he's helped us compile some good criteria for the best blend of a name that flows well:

Rule # 1: It can't end in "er" or "or," as it could sound like the first and last name run together. (i.e... "Tanner Erb" sounds like Tannerrb and "Connor Erb" sounds like Connerrb")

Rule # 2: It's got to have at least 2 syllables. Otherwise, it has a distinct Asian feel. For example, some one-syllable names seem a bit short and choppy. (Joe Erb, Max Erb, Cole Erb.)

And Rule # 3: Because of the vowel-sound at the beginning of Erb, we definitely prefer for it to start with a consonant rather than a vowel like in "Owen." And it shouldn't end in a "b," like "Jacob" or "Caleb."

Overall, we'd like it to be somewhat traditional, but not too common, and something that won't offer a lot of opportunity for nicknames. It's a huge task dictating what this little person should be called for the rest of his life and we all know that names have such a strong association for many of us- does it project creativity, authority, intelligence, lack thereof? Ahhh- the pressure!


Now for some other updates:
We celebrated the wedding of some special friends of ours this past weekend- Congratulations, Ted and Charity Murphy! You may recognize the dress I'm wearing, since it's same dress that I wore to another event back in March... At this point in the pregnancy, I don't have many formal dresses to choose from and I was pretty excited about fitting into the same outfit that I was able to wear over 10 weeks ago!

Last Thursday was our 24-week doctor's appt, and everything went well. The heartbeat was a strong 155 bpm, and I'm measuring right where I should be for this point. After that, we'll be increasing the appointments as we enter into the third trimester and go every 2 weeks until closer to the end of the pregnancy when I will begin to go weekly. All in all, I begin week 26 on Monday and things are still going great- Our excitement is growing by the day!