How we picked a name for our baby

World, meet Leonidas Latimer Gerard.

Sweet baby Leo, meet world.

Leonidas was always going to be a Leonidas.

We knew this years before I was pregnant with him. Before we could have known for sure we would have a second boy. Long before I was even pregnant with Archer, Tyler and I would talk baby names and I would have a running list in my phone notes. Please tell me we aren’t the only ones? Do I sound a bit crazy?

Let’s pretend I am not a total weirdo who has had baby names in her phone for the past decade (all selected and shortlisted until we have the right ‘feeling’ that this babe belongs to the name we have chosen). Haha…

It was late spring of 2016, when I was a couple months along with baby Archer and we had TWO names at the top of our list.. Leonidas and Archer. (Because I rejected Bjorne and Tyler vetoed Cade, among others). We were on a walk with the dog on a sunny morning in May, teas in hand, when I proclaimed that this boy was Archer. And that without doubt the next one would be Leonidas.

You might be wondering, “well, why Archer?” Some speculate it is because my husband is an outdoorsman. Really it comes down to a cartoon. Silly, right? But the adult spy cartoon by the same name was a show Tyler shared with me and we binge watched together when our friendship slowly grew into something more. It was the show we enjoyed after a small roadtrip, and after my exams when he made me chocolate cake (the man can bake, and makes icing from scratch too! Heart.. be still! *swoons*).

Flash forward 4 years from that time and we were expecting unexpectedly. So when you think about it, it’s fitting that we were inspired by the show that played a small part in our unexpected romance for our unexpected blessing.

So Archer it was.

Jump forward another couple years and we have our home, a wedding, and baby two on the way.

Before the gender reveal I agonized over not having a girl name picked out, after being SO certain of the girl name we had narrowed down to in 2016 I was wavering. Names vetoed were Stella, which I had long loved until I recently felt like its a better name for a dog (maybe a cutE little Boston Terrier puppy?!). Katarjzyna (Kasha for short) was beautiful but prone to mispronunciation and just didnt feel right given our lack of Russian roots. Arie was also vetoed by Tyler. So we ended up with a complete impasse on girl names – and there we stayed.

By the time I headed for my post-anatomy scan appointment with the doctor, I was still very certain I was having a boy (even though hopeful thoughts of a sweet girl had me doubting my instincts). As with Archer, I just KNEW. I had the doctor write the gender on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope. Straight from their offices I went to the party place to request a gender reveal balloon. The lady behind the counter excitedly told me to come back in 20 minutes. I use the opportunity to fulfill the craving of a McDonalds chocolate milkshake and some fries (I mean, do you not? *’Archer’ tv show reference*) and make my way back.

I carefully secure the balloon in the back of the car and drive like I have a newborn fresh out of the hospital, oddly paranoid that somehow the balloon would pop while I am alone in the car and ruin the surprise for Tyler – and I would be stuck with a bunch of tiny balloons floating around the car.

Want to see the reveal and our reactions — see the video here!

As I am sure you have guessed by now without watching the reveal video, baby two is a boy! And like I mention in the video, I was actually relieved! If it had been a girl we would be pushing the deadline on birth registration because we might still not have settled on a name, haha.

So why Leonidas?

If you ask my husband he might say “He is named for the Spartan warrior king. People remember his name 3000 years later. Our entire civilization would be different if not for him.” (He might have gone off on more of a tangent on his greatness, if you know him you know what I mean!)

If you ask me? I have always loved the name LEO. It is sweet, yet strong. I wasn’t crazy about Leon, Leonardo (I mean, I have some Italian in me.. but not THAT much), or Leonard (reminds me of Big Bang Theory, a show Tyler hates). So when Tyler floated the name from his shortlist (guys have shortlists too!), it was a perfect match.

His middle name: Latimer.

This is my maiden name. And my mother’s maiden name. It’s not a hyphenated last name, but a twist on carrying on the tradition of the last name. I always feel like a middle name for a child should have significance, perhaps a nod to their character if you will. My middle name is Dawn, which is named for my mother’s father Donald Latimer. This man believed in my mother’s dreams and her drive, helping her to start her own farming business and supporting her every step of the way. He was traditional, hardworking, with a wry sense of humour. I remember so many summers spent on their farm, playing and working, and he would always let me scratch his lotto tickets and give me a kinder egg or Popeyes candy. He passed when I turned 12, and it was really hard losing my Papa. As a single mother to 6 children under 14 years old this devastated my mother. So this middle name carries his legacy as well as that of my mother, who passed before her time. She was a best friend and an inspiration to me, and will be all my life. I was born with her name, and proudly represented it for 28 years.

Archer’s middle name is Scott. The same as his father, and his grandfather and great grandfather. Maybe it goes further back, I’m not sure. But the simple classic middle name carried onward as tradition seemed fitting. It also complemented Archer’s more unique first name. So two boys with family names as their middle name, carrying a piece of the past into the future.

What I have realized from all this however, is that there really aren’t many names out there that I really REALLY LOVE. And that Tyler also really loves. It’s hard not to get bogged down with indecision when there is the mounting pressure (UM, HELLO… due date is the deadline and you can’t change that!) to choose something so important for another person.

How did you do it, I wonder?

How did you go about picking a name for your children – and how easy did you find it?