What's in a name?

Recently, my friend Kate who has the blog Daffodil's, sent me an email requesting that I do a post on how I came up with my children's names.  At first I just kind of chuckled and didn't think much about it.  But, as I thought about it some more, I knew it was a great idea.  For one, my kids are always asking me how I came up with their names, why we named them the particular name they have, and they always want to know about their nicknames.  So, here we go.  

Kalen Isaac Klippel

I must admit that Kirk and I never had an easy time naming our babies.  Not.easy.at.all.   With regard to Kalen's name,  I grew up with a great family who had a son named Timothy Cale Poore.  Cale, as in the veggie, but spelled with a "C."  I liked Cale, but made it into Kalen.  We chose Isaac because it sounded nice.  Kalen likes his name but when he was little "Kaitlyn" was also popular so he was called by that name a lot.  I often ask him if he wants to be called "Kal," but he says, "no."  I think it would be a great nickname.  When he was younger a close family friend, Glenn Wallwork, started calling him "K-lo" and it stuck.  We call him that to this day from time to time.   

Gwyneth Marie Klippel

When I found out I was having a daughter, I knew I wanted a name that was fit for a princess.  Kirk, my husband picked her name.  Other names that were on the list for her were Gwendolyn,  Abigail, Stella and Georgia.  I am so happy that we named her Gwyneth.  It's such a lovely and beautiful name for the great girl that she is.  I chose Marie for her middle name because at the time I was becoming great friends with Marie Wallwork.  I already knew Marie and I had something special and I wanted that reflected in my first daughter.  

I told Gwyneth early on that her name was Gwyneth.  People could call her Gwen, but I wanted her to be comfortable with both.  I only call her Gwyneth.  Her dad calls her Gwen, mainly, and it seems split with friends and other family.  My nickname for her is Gwenna.  I think it's so cute.  I called her this all the time when she was little.  Our dear family friends, the Stepans, call her Gwenny.  It's so cute because to this day both their teenage sons, Kent and Joe call her Gwenny.  

Reece Andrew Klippel

We made a list for this second baby boy which included names like Reece, Wyatt, Jamison and Chase.  We chose Reece.  I love his name.  I know it's also a girls name but I think it sounds very masculine.  His middle name is Andrew after one of Kirk's best friends, Andrew Strong.  I love his friend Andy, he is so great.  So, it was a great fit to name Reece's middle name after Andy.  

Reece probably had the most embarrassing nickname out of all the babies.  I called him "Diddles."  Haha!!!!  Just look at that baby face!  Doesn't it look like a "Diddles???"  You can imagine how I could get going...diddle boo, diddle bop, diddler...I could go on and on.  The older kids would crack up laughing when I would start in with the "Diddles."  :) 

Georgia Eileen Klippel

Georgia, Georgia.  Her name was on Gwyneth's baby name list and funny enough "Summer" was on Georgia's baby name list.  We just chose Georgia.  I love Georgia's name.  If I could choose to have another name, I would choose Georgia.  I just think it is theee most precious name.  

Eileen is my mom's middle name.  It's so fitting for Georgia too because she loved my mom so much.  Out of all of our children, she talks the most about my mom and tells me in private, on a pretty regular basis, that she misses my mom, or "Grandma Judy."  

And of course for those who know us well or this blog she has the most famous nickname of all and that is "Bearn."  She is "Bearny B."  She's also "Bearnsy", "Bearnsy-licious", I mean there are so many I can't even list them all.  She's just a Bearn, plain and simple.    I also love to call her Georgina.   It's a great name too.  She laughs when I call her this, and then she says, "stoooooooop."  

Shane Lawrence Klippel

Kirk has a nephew named Dane.  I think the world of him and I love his name.  He's just a great guy.  He's funny, happy and kind.  And he loves our kids.  So, I really liked Shane because it's similar to Dane, and it's also similar to my name, Shauna.  Incidentally, my husband, Kirk loves my name and really wanted to name one of our daughters after me.  Seriously.  So, I figured Shane was a good compromise.  However, I am so fickle and crazy when it comes to making decisions sometimes that even after Shane was blessed with his name and everything I started to change my mind.  On our list of baby names for him were Brice and Chase.  Believe it or not for about 48 hours I started to call him Brice.  I'm so glad we went with Shane.  I can be really nutty, I realize that.  Ha! 

Lawrence is Kirk's middle name.  I'm glad we chose Shane to have Kirk's middle name because Shane resembles his dad so much.  

Shane's baby nickname was "Wubby."  It's almost rivals, "Diddles."  To this day people still call him "Wubby."  Now, we call him "Shaney" and Tane.  

Summer Ann Klippel

Oh Summer.  She breaks my heart.  Just look at her.  I could not decide on a name for her.  I just could not.  And my husband was so bad at choosing as well that he wasn't much help.  In choosing her name was the first time I went to Heavenly Father for help.   And guess what?  I got a very definitive answer.  As clear as day the name Summer came into my mind after praying.  I remember going to the phone right after my praying, and calling Kirk.  I told him there was nothing he could do to argue about what her name would be because "Heavenly Father himself said it would be Summer."  :)   I wish I had prayed for all of their names at that rate.  :)  

Like I said, her name was on Georgia's baby name list and it finally came full circle.  And I have a theory as to why her name is Summer.  To be honest half of the time she is more like winter, the season. Ha!  Bless her heart.  I just mean she can be harsh, stubborn and cold...like winter!   So, I believe Heavenly Father knew she needed a name to temper her colored and feisty personality.   

I love this current picture of her because she looks so happy.  Her middle name is after her Grandma Klippel who is Lesly Ann Klippel.  

I had so many names on her baby name list.  I wanted so badly to name her Fiona.  Kirk would not have one thing to do with that name.  I still love it but not for Summer.  

William Patrick Klippel

And last but not at all least, is baby boy William.  Look at him!!!  He was born 3 months early as a micro preemie.  Today, he is so big, handsome and sharp.  I can't believe my eyes when I see him in that picture on the left.  He is not a little baby anymore.  

With the chaos that followed William and his tragic circumstances at the time, Kirk and I just wanted a strong name for this baby who was going to have a very weak start.  I love the name William.  It's a very common name.  You can see our perspective changed a bit as we got older and had more kids.  Back with the first few kids we wanted pretty unique names.  By the end it didn't' matter as much.  I think William is a great name for this boy.  

Patrick is my dad's first name.  And since I adore my dad, I'm so happy to have Will take his name.  

We have a lot of nicknames for William.  They are mainly Will, Wills, Wilm, Wilmsy and Wilma.  Yep, I call him Wilma.  I can't help it, it's just so cute.  The kids mostly call him Will and Wilm.  

And there we have it!  A little family history post on each of their names.  I love their names.  But most of all I love them and who they are becoming.