Waiting for Walter

If you had asked me last night at 9:00 if I would be having a baby today I would've said yes. I had, after all had light contractions starting Sunday night. I had some contractions on Monday and started to have regular contractions yesterday (Tuesday) starting around 1:00 p.m. clear until 10:00 p.m. They were approximately five minutes apart, but never lasted more than one minute.

Although I was having contractions they were never very strong. It was early labor. The tightening-of-the-stomach-that-takes-your-breath-away kind of contractions. They never lasted long, some only lasting 10 seconds. And they never got stronger. Josh asked me if we were going to be going to the hospital in the middle of the night.

But. . . at 10:00 p.m. my contractions stopped all-together and I haven't had one contraction since. It was nice to sleep through the night, but I was hoping to be having a baby this morning. If he's not born by tomorrow night we will be going to the hospital around 8 p.m. to be induced. This means the baby would be born on Friday.

I haven't blogged about what we plan to name him yet. We plan to name him Walter. I have a friend Phoebe who reads my blog. She named her first son Walter about three years ago. If you had asked me when she had her baby if I would ever name my son Walter I would've said "I love that name, but good luck getting my husband to agree to it." I've always liked the name Elijah and thought for certain that would be the name of my first son. Unfortunately, Josh isn't a big fan of the name Elijah so we had to find a name we both agreed on. Josh likes very usual, old-fashioned names, like Thomas, Andrew, and James. I like slightly unusual names that are unique, but not bizarre, like Elijah.

I've always liked the name Walter, ever since I read the Ann of Green Gables series (she names her youngest son Walter. He was my favorite of her sons). So Josh and I were talking about names for a few weeks, early in our pregnancy. Every name I liked Josh said no, and vice-versa on names he liked. One day, out of the blue, Josh suggested the name Walter. I've always liked the name. It's unique because not many people are naming their child Walter right now, so I liked it. It's also common so Josh liked it. The minute the name Walter was suggested it was as if there wasn't any other choice. We tried to think of other names, just as "second-runner-up" choices, but nothing would come to our minds. So Walter it is.

We haven't decided on a middle name yet. My immediate family doesn't have middle names, so I let Josh suggest all the middle name choices. I definitely didn't want to throw the name "Elijah" into the mix just in case we ever have a second son. So Josh's choices are (of course) names that I had said "no" to for a first name: Andrew, James, and Thomas. My brother is having a baby boy in a couple of months and are thinking they may use the name James as their son's middle name. I'm leaning towards Thomas, but I think Josh is leaning towards Andrew. He really likes the nick-name "Drew" for Andrew. I like Thomas because I have a great-uncle Thomas Ewell (who is related to Josh as well). Yes. We have a common relative. Luckily my Great-Uncle Thomas Ewell is my uncle only through marriage, while he is related to Josh (distantly) as a blood-relative.

Please vote on what you think our baby's middle name should be. The winning name may (or may not) be used as our son's middle name. Remember: the baby will be here on Friday, April 9th, so you only have until the 10th to vote.