What’s in a name...

...a lot actually ;)

I read Bonnie’s post about her kid’s names and then Jenny’spost about her kid’s names.  Because Jenny and I have two of our children sharing a first name and one kid sharing a first and middle, it made me want to explain my children’s names.  And so, I am linking up Team Whitaker to talk about my boy’s names.

Aaron Christopher Wilkerson II
Nickname- Monch, or Chi Chi (mine only)

In my family it is VERY common to name a son after a father.  So common in fact, that I was shocked when I found out how ‘controversial’ it could be.  Several people passionately warned against doing it.  We heard horror stories about sons hating fathers and then being strapped forever with the name. I think the stories freaked Big Aaron out enough that until his birth, we were going to name him ‘Aidan Christopher’.  But I was always confident my husband would do exactly what he did, make a game time decision in the operating room to call him Aaron.  Technically, I think, he is supposed to be a junior, but I was terrified of A.J and didn't want him to be called Jr. so, on his birth certificate, we put Aaron Christopher II. 

Nickname- I think I may have shared this before, but when my first was born, he had the cutest hairy shoulders and back.  He was so furry. And his face was so round. And his ears were so perfect.  He reminded me completely of cartoon characters on the show “The Monchhichis”. I started to call him my little monchhichi.  Then I called him chi-chi and now I call him monch (pronounced munch).  When I holler ‘Aaron’ sometimes he doesn’t answer, there are two of them afterall. But when I holler, ‘monch or chi-chi’ he listens right away J

Joseph Michael Wilkerson
Nickname- Josey (me) Joey (everyone else)

I always wanted a son named Michael.  Always.  BUT, in Aaron’s family, there is already a Michael Wilkerson and he felt that was a good enough reason to reject the name.  So sad. However, Aaron really liked the name Joseph.  Here’s the thing, I loved the saint, but I am not a fan of the name ‘Joe’ (sorry Joes).  And one thing I have always said is I am not going to name my kid something and then spend his whole life correcting people who want to nickname him.  If you name a kid a name like Joseph, you’ve got to expect people are going to call him Joe.  And I just couldn’t deal with that.  Until St. Joseph’s feast day.  I can’t really explain it, but after being totally opposed to the name, on St. Joseph’s feast day, I knew with certainty that should be my son’s name.  And as quickly as that, it was done.  Joseph Michael (I got it as a middle name after agreeing to Joseph) has possibly the most fantastic saints interceding for him. I love when we reach St. Joseph’s feast day and I look at my son. I love that so many Churches have statues of St. Joseph and we are able to discuss the importance of him (st. Joseph) interceding for my Joey through his whole life.  I LOVE my Joseph’s name.

Nickname- You guys won’t believe this.  I call him Josey.  As in Josey-Grossy. As in Josey-Grossy from the movie "Never Been Kissed". I am not sure how it happened, but Josey is his nickname from me.  Everyone else calls him Joey, which is the cutest little boy name ever. 

I LOVE Joseph’s name.

John Paul FrancisNickname- Giovanni, Gio, YouGseemo (me)

Pope John Paul II was a significant person in my life. I remember sobbing in Rome after his World Youth Day address, truly understanding that hope can be tangible. I remember him smiling and dancing on several occasions when I was blessed to see him.  His passion for youth shaped the way I view teenagers.  The way he loved, shapes the way I love.  When he died, my heart was broken. I was working at the time, and in the cafeteria.  A teen (who incidentally, I REALLY struggled to see Christ in) told me.  I went to the back of our building and just cried and cried.  I really mourned him.  Which was funny, how do you mourn someone you don’t know?  But, I did know him.  Anyway, when I was pregnant with our 3^rd, it was announced that John Paul would be made a saint.  And I knew my child would carry his name.

The problem?  Everyone and their sister’s brother who is Catholic has a John Paul, so Aaron was VERY opposed to naming our kid John Paul. As much as I tried with our two sons before, I was told again and again it was never going to happen.  But John Paul’s pregnancy was tough on me. With two babies at home, being sick every day, gestational diabetes, potential genetic issues, iron infusions for anemia and non-stress tests weekly…by the end I had HAD it.  After a particularly terrible appointment, I made a decision and used a card I had never used until then and will never use again.  I called Aaron and said, ‘Here’s the thing, I’m the one who has to go through all this, I’m the one trying to work in four doctor’s appointments a week with babies at home, I’m the one in constant pain…and my prize is that I am naming this kid, and his name will be John Paul’. I am sure there was more negotiation after that point, but in my head we knew it would be his name. 

In the meantime all this hoopla began with my new best friend, Pope Francis. He truly and really did ‘have me at hello’.  We went through so many middle names, but none of them sounded right. I wanted to make sure to give him a middle name, so people would know his first name was John Paul.  The only thing that sounded right, that made sense was ‘Francis’ for a middle name.

And that is how we got the most righteously Catholic kid’s name ever.  It’s fun to share in talks with very Catholic crowds, because, like, for real…we named our kid John Paul Francis.

Nickname- At World Youth Days, as a teen, the crowd would always chant the Holy Father’s name saying, ‘Giovanni Paulo’.  When we got home from the hospital, that’s what I started calling him. But then I shortened It to ‘Gio’ and then ‘YouGSeeMo’ *????*. I call him variations of all three, so does lil’ Aaron which is adorable.

Those are my kid’s names- cool huh?  Link up with Team Whitaker if you are feelin’ crazy and want to share your kid’s names as well J

 Today, I am continuing to link up with 7 in 7 at Conversion Diary- 7 posts in 7 days!