Sometime during my 24th week, we finally got confirmation that our Flower was really a Spider! We hadn't really started looking for a name but with the gender now confirmed, it was time to start shopping. My first-born's name actually came from America's Next Top Model - Cycle 2. Stan was watching re-runs during my entire pregnancy and we had been choosing names from various contestants across cycles. I think our choice of "Naima" was quite fortuitous, with me ending up authoring this blog (if you read my header, you'll know why!)! "Naima" is actually an Arabian/African name which means tranquil, graceful, to be contented. We paired it with a mainstream name chosen by my sister - which meant clear, bright, famous.
For Spider, N and Stan are hooked on Hell's Kitchen so for now, he is named Ramsey Spyfer (Spyfer because N really wants Spider and we told her that it was not a "real" name for a baby). But I want a unique first name for Spider paired with a mainstream name.
Happily, I remember that sometime in 2002, my professor in Special Proceedings - now a Court of Appeals Justice - Magdangal de Leon - had shared a list of Filipino names to a classmate who was an expectant father. I tracked down his list and he generously emailed it to me in mid-September. You can access the list here. So what are my choices? One of the names I want is Alon - which means wave (from Filipino) and "Oak Tree" in Jewish. It is not in the list but it is the name of the son of environmental lawyer and breastfeeding advocate Ipat Luna. My other choices are Sidha (esteem, respect, as part of character, perfection; also Sanskrit for perfected, accomplished); Raem (Ilocano for dignity; also an Arabic name meaning one who has a desire and searches) and Rigon or Sarig (both meaning strength. Sarig is Hebrew for branch. Can't find any other meaning for Rigon).
Check out the list and share your suggestions for Spider's name!
