Harry is just easier to understand.

I've been tagged by Shiso Mama for a meme about names:

Give the meaning of your kids’ names, and write about what or how or why you gave the name to your kids. Tag five people to play along and leave a comment at their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

I have had my children's names picked out since my early twenties. I've stuck to them as well. The names I have for girls are still just waiting to be used on a future daughter, even though one of the names has become slightly popular (Talullah nickname Lula). The other name will probably never be popular, Luciana. These names go with my basic theme for good names: Either they are names that sound southern and old fashioned or they are Italian. My number one boy's name has always been Harlan. I don't know where I first heard this name (or Talullah for that matter, but I did have a neighbor named Luciana when I lived out in Bensonhurst which is where I basically fell in love with all the Italian names). When I worked at Tiffany's and told all my coworkers that my favorite boy names were Harlan Clyde and Rocco they all spat food out of their mouths with laughter (it was lunch time). They said it sounded like I would have a litter of bullies.

Well who's laughing now, huh? I get complimented on Harlan's name often and he's the only one I have come across who is under the age of thirty. When I was pregnant Joe and I decided on two things together about the name, 1) that it would be Clyde, because Joe wasn't sure about Harlan but we both liked Clyde, and 2) that we would keep the name quiet until the baby was born. Thing #2 was a fantastic piece of advice given to me by my old friend Lindsay from when she was pregnant with her daughter seven years ago. She told me that everyone has an opinion and that most people are underwhelmed by whatever name you tell them. Sooo true. I have so many friends with babies now who had miserable results from telling their families the chosen names prior the the birth. One friend even had her mother in law burst into tears at the suggestion of the name Lulu. The MIL told her that the name should really be a family decision (since when?) and that she would die if she had a granddaughter named Lulu. They ended up giving Lulu a different first name but they all call her Lulu. Oy.

So how did Clyde become Harlan you ask? When I was in labor it was rough. The major contractions lasted 36 hours and there was back labor involved. After the first 12 hours at home I decided I could not handle any more "natural" childbirth and begged to be given anything to take the pain away. The anesthesia lasted for a while, but had to be re-administered over the next day and then taken away during the final hours of pushing so that I would be able to feel what I was doing as I pushed out the ten and a half pound baby-man. Needless to say Joe told me during this time that I could name the baby whatever I wanted.

When I called my grandmother and told her Harlan was born and that his name was Harlan her response was (imagine this being said in a Boston accent), "Well don't you just think people will call him Harry? It's so much easier to understand." To this day I like to call Harlan Handsome Harry as a nickname.

Not much crafting going on right now- lots of preparing to move: Looking at houses online, figuring out plans on how to deal with everything from getting a TX teaching certificate to a bio fueled car to what to keep and what to sell and give away. Plus I can't breathe out of my nose. Clairitin and Sudafed don't do squat. If anyone has any suggestions I'm begging you to put me out of my mouth-breathing misery.

By the way, for the meme I'm tagging Anastasia, Bitter Betty, Angelina, Veronica, and Ruth.