The Name Game

Scott and I didn't want to tell Will about the baby too soon, but it was almost like he sensed something this fall. Sitting in a bathtub full of bubbles, he says, "Mommy, we should get a baby." He said it so casually, I almost thought he meant "puppy," but, he repeated that he was ready to be a "big 'brudder.'"
Giddy with my secret and unsure how to proceed, I continued the conversation as if he had said "puppy."
"Really? Should we get a boy or a girl baby?"
"A girl," he said.
"What should be name her?"
hhmmm ... little wheels start turning and finally: "Tennessee"
"Tennessee? Really? That's beautiful. But, what if we have a boy? Then what name would you like?"
hhmmm ... tongue hits the upper lip in a look of concentration: "If it's a boy, I think 'Lightning Shoes.'"

"Wow, Will! Those are great names ... we'll have to remember those if we get a baby." (tee-hee)

Anyone who has ever met Will knows that he is absolutely in love with his first and last name. An unsuspecting person could get their head bit off by calling him "Will" instead of "Will Tappa." We're unclear where this began, but we think it may have been because he got in trouble a lot at daycare at a formative age, "Will Tappa! Don't step on babies' heads!"

Anyway, now that Will is in on the secret, he's been coming up with even more possibilities. His inspiration has sometimes been obvious: "Santa" during Christmas, "Hamburger" (pronounced "hangaber") while eating dinner, and "Will" (but not "Will Tappa" because "that's my name") when he was feeling a bit less creative. A few of his teachers at daycare were told his latest baffling pitch before I heard it ... they broached the subject a bit awkwardly, asking, "So, you're having a boy? And his name is going to be Walter?"
Oh, boy.
"Will? Did you tell your teachers that our baby's name is going to be 'Walter?'"
"No, I didn't say that. His name is going to be 'Walter Forever.'"
Oh, of course. I'm going to have another child who demands a two-name moniker. Regardless, I think it's going to be a few months before Will's willing to share "Tappa."