Show & Tell | Names

Today I am linking up with Andrea @ Momfessionals for

The topic today is Names.

Let me start by saying I typically like traditional names, Mic likes unique names.

Shockingly we were actually able to agree on names pretty early on in our relationship.

Before having a child was even a for sure thing with us, we were dead set on naming a girl Savannah.

We just loved it!

We looked for pictures when we honeymooned in Savannah to bring back home to possibly put into a little girl's room some day.

We even deemed the formal living room in our house the Savannah room.

We have photos hung from Savannah, and southern style furniture, decor and colors.

Since there is a good chance we are a one and done family, I think my Savannah room is as close as I will get to having a little girl.

#keepinitreal

Moving on....

So in 2011 we found out we were having a little boy :)

For years I talked about liking the name Xavier (said X-za-ver).

We even had a friend who joked with us about no longer being our friend if we named a child Xavier since he went to Cincinnati.

But as soon as we found out we were having a boy I knew it would be Xavier.

Mic would mention other names here and there, but nothing sounded better to me.

It is just the right amount of traditional mixed with unique :)

Since the beginning we knew we would call him X for short, but these days my threenager is getting his full name said quite often :(

I think his name fits his traditional, yet unique personality perfectly!

My name....

In 1978 the top girl names were Jennifer, Melissa, Jessica, Amy, Heather, and Amanda.

So it is no surprise that at one point I was going to be a Jennifer.

However, my mom was watching an episode of Starsky & Hutch one day and as I was told a tall, thin girl with long dark hair was on the show. Her character's name was Vanessa.

It stuck with her and my dad and I was named Vanessa in December of that year.

Now the funny thing about my name is that while it has never been a terribly popular name, when I began Kindergarten I was 1 of 5 girls with the name Vanessa!

How crazy is that!

For the most part we all continued through school together until high school graduation.

I have honestly met only one other Vanessa in my life besides those girls I went to school with.

I was always jealous of the girls in school that could easily shorten their names - Kimberly to Kim, Jennifer to Jenny, Melissa to Missy.

While most my friends called me...

It was never a name I could use on my school work.

And then I met Mic and all his family and friends started calling me...

I must admit, I hated it at first.

But now it has grown on me so much that I used it in my blog name!

As far as I have ever known, Vanessa means butterfly.

I even have a butterfly tattoo on my ankle in honor of my name :)

So there you have it folks.

Now I want to know, how did you get your name?

How did you decide on names for your kiddos?

** Did anyone pick up on my hidden announcement in my post on Friday? **