Baby Names - Hot or Not?

I wouldn't say that I'm OVERLY interested in names, but I have always been curious about what people are naming their kids nowadays.  Some people actually get OBSESSED with names and it's a hobby.  For me, I just like to check the list each year to see what new names are added.

Each year, lists are published which show the most popular names so I thought I would share the most popular names so far in 2013.  I used a variety of sources and according to BabyCenter, one of the most popular pregnancy/baby sites, here are the Top 20 names (in order) :

1. Liam - Emma
2. Noah - Olivia
3. Ethan - Sophia
4. Mason - Ava
5. Jacob - Isabella
6. Jack - Mia
7. Lica - Emily
8. Jackson - Charlotte
9. Logan - Amelia
10. Aiden - Abigail
11. Benjamen - Ella
12. James - Lilly
13. William - Madison
14. Oliver - Chloe
15. Elijah - Avery
16. Alexander - Harper
17. Michael - Sophia
18. Jayden - Hannah
19. Luke - Addison
20. Daniel - Grace

Now, let's do a recap of 2012.  Some 2013 names are on the list, however, others have obviously moved down the rank and are no longer in the Top 20 today

1. Liam - Emma
2. Ethan - Olivia
3. Noah - Sophia
4. Mason - Ava
5. Jacob - Isabella
6. Jack - Mia
7. Aiden - Ella
8. Logan - Emily
9. Jackson - Lily
10. Lucas - Chloe
11. Jayden - Madison
12. William - Abigail
13. Benjamin - Amelia
14. Ryan - Charlotte
15. James - Avery
16. Michael - Harper
17. Alexander - Addison
18. Elijah - Sofia
19. Matthew - Grace
20. Daniel - Hannah

Looking at another source, the tally is a bit different, but many of the same names have similar ranks:

I know everyone has their own taste with names, but I would probably have a nameless child if  a) it came down to resorting to the Top 3 Baby Names due to lack of creativity or b) I had to make up a name.  I cannot believe some names people choose for their children that they will be stuck with forever.   I don't know what is worse - having a super trendy name that tells everyone you were born between 2005-2010 because there were ten million "Olivia's" OR having a completely made-up name that sounds like you drew syllables from a hat.   When someone had the bright idea to name their kid Aiden, it evolved.  Jayden? Cayden? Brayden? Zaden? Javen? Raven? Maven? Crayzen?   You may have not heard of all those, but trust me....they are already out there or are coming soon to a town near you.

IF I were forced to, I would be much more likely to choose a classic name, even if it happens to be popular at the time.  I don't think you can go wrong with biblical or more traditional names because you won't see Matthew, Mark, Luke or John hiding in the corner because of their made up name....it will be little baby Crayzen Elixir all because his mom wanted to name her son something "different."  Yeah, it sounds "different" alright.

Here are some popular biblical and more classic names to consider:

• Aaron - Abigail
• Adam - Anna
• Alexander - Maria
• Benjamin - Hannah
• Daniel - Catherine
• Eli - Elizabeth
• Ethan - Isabel
• Jacob - Naomi
• Jared - Mary
• Joshua - Leah
• George - Julia
• Matthew - Katherine
• Nathan - Rachel
• Noah - Rebecca
• Samuel - Sarah
• Zachary - Jane

I'm not a huge fan of the many of the above names for first names, but nearly all of them would make excellent middle names.

How about you?  What do you think will be popular in the upcoming year?

I am SO thankful that the couple names I have in mind are not in the top 20.  In scrolling down the entire Top 50 lists, I do see my favorite boy name (which I cannot disclose) towards the bottom and hopeful it will not move up the ranks too much.  The primary girl name I like (probably for a middle name) isn't on the list at all so here's to them both not becoming trendy and popular within the next couple years!

[ Bedtime ] Routine ?

I have always strongly believed babies do best with structure and I plan to enforce this in the future. In my babysitting days, it was so easy to tell those babies and kids who were in a steady routine compared to those who ran wild and didn't have any consistency - - eating dinner at random times, consuming way too much junk food, having full control of the TV and not having a bedtime routine.  Trust me when I say I could tell by their behavior if they lacked consistency in their lives.

You might think a routine is only important for older kids, but that's not true.  By having a schedule, even if it's occasionally a touch on the loose side, there are not as many surprises.  This is especially the case in when establishing a bedtime routine  (insert : trying to get a screaming, overtired baby to sleep or dealing your crabby first grader who was up until after10:30PM instead of going to sleep at 8:30PM).

I think the key to having success in establishing a routine is by starting early!  Surprise!  Literally, you can start having a routine the day baby comes home from the hospital.  By having a sleep routine, you teach baby that certain events will be followed by going to bed and they are much more observant than you think.  In time, they will know exactly what to expect because they will pick up on your cues... the fresh scent following their bath, the dimming of lights, the rocking and snuggling in the glider. They will become relaxed, physically and mentally, and will be prepared to fall asleep.

I've read over and over again that by putting baby to bed earlier, they are able to sleep better and longer.  Literally, there are 100s of blog posts where moms have sworn by this and attested that their kids stayed up until 8:30PM, when in reality their first signs of sleepiness showed at 7:30PM.  When they tried earlier bedtimes, their kids actually slept more deeply and longer the following morning.

If nursing (or giving a bottle, if that's your thing), I've always been told that feeding should always initiate the bedtime routine, not end it.  This makes sense to me because if you end the routine with nursing, baby will become dependent on the comfort of nursing to fall asleep.  Obviously I am speaking in general, as sometimes baby will want to comfort nurse, especially when teething, approaching a growth spurt or preparing for a milestone. Baby's nourishment is always most important, so you must understand growth spurts and cognitive leaps during their first few years.  With these things come increased wakefulness and fussiness and a desire to eat around the clock, be soothed and snuggled.

I believe there are some elements of a bedtime routine which if done consistently, can aide in establishing a routine you'll want to follow.  The basic steps I plan to follow are :

• bath
• nursing
• burping
• clean diaper
• sleepy clothes
• rocking and/or soothing, accompanied by a book
• room and crib

I also plan to use a sound machine, low music on the radio or a fan for some "white noise."  I don't remember having any of these things, which I honestly believe is why I am such a light sleeper and once I'm awake, I can never fall back asleep.

That's it for now.  I'm looking forward to the day when I can let others know if these steps are "tried and true."

Establishing... Family Traditions

Just like a couple must make holiday plans, a new family must also decide where to go for each holiday, when and in what sequence,  for how long and what traditions you'd like to start or continue.  Though I have no personal experience, I suspect it can be tricky adding a baby to the holiday mix and it's something you will need to discuss with your SO.  Hanging out with each others' families on the same day or on two separate days is nice, but some definite planning will need to happen beforehand so you're able to do the things you want to do as a family and so you don't drive all over creation.   Since I never grew up having any hardcore family or holiday traditions, it is something that I definitely want to do with my kids and I've thought a lot about it.  Traditions are a way to add some fun,  foster togetherness and make each year unique and more memorable.  I hope that one day we have the opportunity to establish our OWN traditions, not just do things others expect us to do around the holidays.

Thanks to Pinterest, I have a few things in mind that I would love to try and hopefully make a habit out of doing.  This post is to recap some of my ideas so I can re-visit it down the road...

Wintertime Ideas (December, January, February) :

• Go sled riding, play in the snow, or build a snowman, followed by hot chocolate atleast once
• Make snow-cream, something I've never done
• Go to the Festival of Lights at the Zoo
• Cut paper snowflakes and hang them in the house       
• Make pinecone bird feeders with peanut butter and seeds  

•  Christmas-
• IF "Elf on the Shelf" is still around, have either A) our Elf arrive on December 1st with the "First Gift of Christmas" for each kid.  In a wrapped box, bow included, have new festive PJs, popcorn, cocoa or other snacks, and a new movie to watch during the season or B) have arrive on December 1st and do the PJs/movie idea at home every Christmas Eve
• The night before Christmas, put out "Reindeer food" and cookies for Santa
• Put Christmas lights on the house.... of if C has anything to do with it, make the house look like the Griswold's
• Decorate the Christmas tree together
• The weekend before Christmas, get the kids in PJs and all ready for bed, but instead of going to bed, surprise them with a drive around the area to look at Christmas lights.  Find out where the coolest lights are ahead of time and if they're old enough to not make a mess, allow hot chocolate in the car with popcorn too
• Do a "New Year's Interview" for each kid and save them to show things they learned things they enjoyed, what they look forward to and depict their personalities.  It would be cool to look back on these        

•  Valentine's Day-
• Host a mother/daughter Valentine's Brunch
• Have an "all-red or pink" meal with family, even if it's pink eggs, strawberries, yogurt, toast with strawberry jam

Spring (March, April, May) :

• Plant a single tree for each child at the farm.  I think it would be so amazing to do this so that over time, my kids could watch it grow and mature, just like them
• Dye or decorate Easter Eggs, something I have not done in a VERY long time.  Seeing as I love hard boiled eggs and we eat lots of them, why not make them pretty?
• Go for a walk in the rain (umbrellas optional)
• Draw family chalk portraits on the sidewalk and driveway
• Play putt-putt golf
• Go watch a Memorial Day Parade to honor those who died in the armed forces, watch the people and cars, collect candy

Summer (June, July, August) :

• Pack some picnics and eat outside, even if it's just for at the park across the street.  Going to a lake, the beach or under the shaded tree at the farm would be cool too
• Go for family bike rides and walks regularly
• Make dad breakfast in bed
• Measure everyone's height at the beginning of each school year on a chart (you could also measure at the end of the year, or throughout the year)
• Eat snowcones and icecream
• Watch and/or light fireworks
• Blow bubbles
• Create a summer scavenger hunt

 Fall (September, October, November) :

• Roast marshallows and make smores
• Have movie nights in front of the fireplace
• Rake leaves into a huge pile and have a photoshoot
• Take a walk though the woods at the farm right before the leaves fall to see the beautiful colors
• God trick-or- treating
• Go to a pumpkin patch or for a hayride 
• Host a Modern (vs. Traditional) Thanksgiving
• Make or eat caramel apples