Jack

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What Not to Name Your Kid

There are some topics I would love to write about but I know they’re way too controversial or potentially offensive- this is one of them.  But if I am vague enough and only give over-the-top examples, I might be able to pull this off.

When naming our son who is due to arrive in November, a few ground rules were that the name had to be easy to say and spell, easily recognizable, and not made-up.  So that’s one of the many reasons we went with the classic American “Jack”.  Other than my dad, I don’t know anyone else with that name, yet it’s highly popular in movies and TV- therefore making it popular but not overused.

I do take requests as far as topics I write about.  “What Not to Name Your Kids” was an idea suggested to me by a few different people and I decided to take the challenge.  After all, we all are familiar with baby names that we say, “oh, I like that” when the soon-to-be mom tell us, yet we later tell our friends “you gotta hear this name, it’s so weird…”  So I have come up with a list of “no no’s” when it comes to naming a North American child.

Last names for first names that are not classic or already decently popular. Madison and Mackenzie are acceptable.  But when I hear more obscure ones like Middleton, Smithwell, Dresden, Spurlock, Applegate, and Hester, I can’t help but feel sorry for that kid.

Wrong gender names. Obviously names like Jordan and Taylor are good names that truly are completely neutral and work well for a boy or a girl.  But when I hear of a girl being named James or Scott or Todd, or if a suffix is added to a boy’s name to make it feminine like Markley, Davidanna, or Johnlyn, I get irritated.

Funny names. Jack B. Nimble, Robert Robertson, and Sunshine Day.

Random, made-up names that are supposed to be cute. Spiffet, Tindle, Gladdon, and Marxon.

It used to be that a person’s middle name might be a little different or off-beat.  But nowadays, parents are going all out on the first names.  That will surely be a trait of the Class of 2030.  Weird names.

10 Comments Posted on Health, People, Spirituality, Storytelling, Uncategorized

dad from day one: The Gender of the Baby

“Sadie, Chloe, Sammy, or Max, chillin’ in a baby sack.  Tristan, Evan, Lily, Zoey, or Jack…” -Candy Butchers, “Let’s Have a Baby”

Nineteen weeks.

After my grandmother’s dream and my wife’s co-worker’s psychic’s prediction of it being a girl, it was pretty obvious to us what the gender of our baby would be.  I drove down to the appointment yesterday full of excitement, knowing that I could finally tell everyone that our intuition was correct once I would get the official confirmation.

Several anxious moments passed as the nurse showed us pictures our  our baby, then finally she asked us, “Do you want to know what it is?”

Laughing, full of confidence, we told her that we were quite sure already, but yes, tell us for sure.

“You’re having a boy.”

I wish I had a YouTube clip of our reaction.  “WHAT?!  NO WAY!  ARE YOU SERIOUS?!”  Etc., etc.  All exclaimed while hysterically laughing.

Not that it mattered either way to us.  I just don’t think I’ve ever been more surprised in my life.  I wish there was a way to type in a “laughing font” to better show my tone here.  I’m so happy!  We’re having a boy!

This is an “under the scrotum” shot.

Of course now it’s time to answer the other question: What are you naming him?

First name: Jack

Middle name: William

Last name: Shell

Here’s how we came up with the name:

He will go by “Jack”, which is my dad’s name.

Which is an alternate version of John, which is Hebrew (Jewish) for “God’s grace”.  Which just sounds like a cool name.  It’s simple, not too popular, and easy to spell and say.  And Jack also happens to be the name of the lead character of the best show ever made, LOST (played by Matthew Fox, who is also part Italian.)

Plus, my wife’s name is Jill… so it’ll be “Jack and Jill”.

His middle name, William, (my wife’s dad’s name) is German and loosely translates as “protector”.

His last name, Shell, (originally spelled “Schel” at some point in American history) is German and loosely translates to “loud and noisy”.

That being said, Jack William Shell is a Jewish-German-German name which fully translates as “God’s gracious gift of loud and noisy protection.”  I’m already picturing a little boy wearing a pot on top of his head, running around the house, banging a pan with a wooden spoon, being “loud and noisy”.

Most importantly, Baby Jack is healthy, thank God!

Jack, the boy.  Who knew?

All pictures with the “JHP” logo were taken by Joe Hendricks Photography:

Blog- www.photojoeblog.com

Website- www.joehendricks.com

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LOST Recap: Season 6, Episode 14- “The Candidate”

 

What’s sadder than sad?  Having Korean couple Jin and Sun be separated for three whole years (by different continents and different decades) only to be reunited for a few hours before meeting their fate in a leaky submarine.  Knowing that their daughter, Ji-Yeon, will be an orphan, and that Jin never even met her.  He only saw a few pictures of her.

Hurley has always been one of my favorites.  For me, one of his best moments was when he wailed after learning about Jin and Sun.  Devastatingly tragic.

And while none of us would have chosen for the Kwon’s to meet their Maker at such a young age, never getting to raise their child together, this happening only reminds us of one of the many reasons we love LOST so much.  Despite its saturation in sci-fi, the show reminds us a lot of real life.

In real life, good people die young everyday.  People who were just getting started and just getting things figured out.  For the past six years, the stories of Jin and Sun have been nothing but tragic.  They never, as a couple, seem to catch a break.

However, despite such a great loss of characters, admittedly, Jin and Sun’s slow death was one of the most romantic and sincere ways to die.  After losing her for so long, Jin would rather die with his wife rather than live the rest of his life without her.  He sacrificed his life to spend Sun’s last moments with her.  Which became his last moments as well.  And in doing so, Jin also sacrificed his life for Sawyer, when Jin refused Jack’s help.

Speaking of sacrificing, the often Jesus-reminiscent Sayid gave his life for everyone on the sub.  I don’t know what exactly his deal was.  Was he actually Sayid?  Mostly Sayid?  Fading Sayid?  No matter what, the real Sayid was in there somewhere and as the island’s true protector, he died so that the others would have a chance of living.  Goodbye Zombie Sayid.  And thank you.

So what does this all mean for the remaining three episodes of LOST?

As I mentioned last week, the whole reason Jin and Sun had to come to the island was to have a baby, which could have only happened on the island, but the baby could have only been born off the island.  And once little Ji-Yeon was born, ultimately, the island no longer need Jin or Sun.

Mark my word (or calculated prediction), by the final episode on May 23rd, we will learn that Ji-Yeon Kwon (Jin and Sun’s daughter), will have a major role with the continuity of the island.  And finally, we will all see what happens in the year 2010, since LOST has refused to show us what happens past 2009, even in any flash-forward.

The name of the episode was “The Candidate”.  Moments before his rush to death, Sayid told Jack, “It’s going to be you.”  In other words, Jack is the candidate to become the new Jacob.  Which I’m sure will happen.  And once Ji-Yeon grows up, she will eventually replace Jack.

I can’t predict any other deaths.  The island was finished with the Kwon’s, and they died.  The island is done with Kate, and despite being shot, she’s still alive.  But I do believe Jack will survive to serve his purpose of being the new Jacob.  Jack can’t die anytime soon.

Below, I am posting links to think last couple of LOST recaps I have done in case you missed them.  Note that I still did new LOST post last week (“The Kwon Kid”), though last week was a rerun:

LOST Recap: Season 6- The Kwon Kid

LOST Recap: Season 6, Episode 12- “The Last Recruit”

LOST Recap: Season 6, Episode 11- “Everybody Loves Hugo”

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LOST Recap: Season 6, Episode 13- “The Last Recruit”

Jack and Sawyer are both against The Smoke Monster, so technically they’re on the same team.  Sawyer is escaping The Smoke Monster, while Jack is choosing to face him head-on to attempt to defeat him.  Ultimately, the ongoing theme of science vs. faith and dark vs. light will take place when Jack soon challenges The Smoke Monster.

I forgot Jack has a son in the flash-sideways world.  Who else could Jack’s ex-wife be other than Juliet?  I can’t think of a better candidate.

Hooray, Jin and Sun reunite, at last.  I just wish it wasn’t tainted by the unbelievable storyline of Sun not being able to speak English until she saw Jin again.  But hey, I can’t complain.  They’re back together and they weren’t instantly shot by Faux Tina Fey as soon as they reunited.

Yeah, Jin and Sun have to stay alive a while longer to establish the importance of Baby Kwon as one of the chosen Kwon.

In case you missed last week’s recap for “Everybody Loves Hugo”, click on this link:

http://wp.me/pxqBU-IN