What's in a Name?

I suppose you can say I am turning a new leaf.  Not only is this my very first blog entry/creation, but at any given moment, I am going to blindly embark on a new, profound adventure -- motherhood.  With great anticipation and a mutual befuddlement, my partner, Mark, and I look to add a little man to the mix. 

This leads me to the subject of a name...  "What's in a name?"

The act of choosing a name for someone is a difficult feat!  I personally believe that a name should have a specific meaning and should help to describe the character traits of the person.  It's essentially a string of words that, in my opinion, should lay the foundation for their life story.  I realize this is a strange, serious undertaking, seeing we've yet to meet our child.  I'm nearly superstitious, but equally optimistic!  In naming our son, we had a few objectives...

First of all, we wanted to express our shared Norwegian ancestry.  Both of our mothers are of Scandinavian descent.  I must also confess, being the proud Irish American girl that I am, I felt it necessary to include an Irish Gaelic name too.  Secondly, we both agreed that we wanted to choose a unique, uncommon name.  With this being said, we flipped through a pile of books and perused numerous websites, muttering potential names to each other for many nights.  We finally selected a name that held, in our minds, both meaning and cultural distinction...  Aksel Kieran.

Aksel literally translates to mean "father of peace" in Norwegian, which was a sweet alternative to the many warlike, mythological names we encountered.  Our middle name selection, Kieran, is of Irish and Gaelic origin, and is believed to be the namesake of a saint from the sixth century who was best admired for his generosity.  The name literally translates to mean "little and dark" or "black." 

At this juncture, prior to laying sight on our baby, we look to give him a loving, distinct name.  With hope, he is our peaceful, generous child...

I'm eager to embrace this great life experience! 

Thirty-Eight Weeks, Four Days Pregnant.