And the votes are in...

Thanks to all 43 of you who participated in the baby name poll!

Caleb holds the number-one slot with 16 votes (or 37 percent). That's one of my favorite names, but it's not flying with my husband. (Also, I've sadly since discovered that it doesn't have the most flattering meaning: dog.) Other top names were:

• Hudson (10 votes)
• Matthew and Oliver (6 votes each)
• Luke (5 votes)
• Charles (4 votes)

Less popular were Isaac, Russell, and Thomas, with three votes each. Carl and Henry each got two (odd, since Carl Henry was a famous theologian), and Clark, James, and Walter just one. Poor Theodore and Ivan got left out in the cold with not a single vote, probably a nice, clear indicator that we should stay away from those.

My husband also ran a poll on his blog. Interestingly, James got the top vote, followed by Caleb and Luke. Oliver, Henry (Hank), Russell (Rush), Clark, Matthew, and Charles also got the thumbs up from a few people.

More recently, we've discussed Jonathan and Jack.

Regarding the later, I'd like to name him Jack, but my husband thinks we should put John on the birth certificate and call him Jack because it is odd to give a child a nickname as his full name. He has a great point, but I believe many people consider Jack a name in its own right (your opinions on this are welcome). And it seems slightly strange to name him one thing and have no intention whatsoever of calling him that (though he could chose John when he's older, of course).

Don't worry, baby, you'll have a name before you're born—I hope! :-)

Gearing up

Lately, we've been accumulating gobs of baby gear for our little one who is due to enter the world in about three months. The nursery (which still contains a double bed we've used for guests) is jam-packed. Having these items makes the whole idea of parenting a little more real.

I was especially grateful for all the good deals God provided for us, including:

• A wooden rocking chair in a furniture store's clearance section
• A dresser my husband's parents gave us (cute childhood furniture of my husband's that happens to match the rocking chair and crib splendidly)
• A coupon we used to save on the high chair
• The exact stroller, playpen, and car seat we wanted at a discount baby store
• A fabulous deal on crib bedding online

Plus, very generous people have given us assorted gear and toys and plenty of adorable little pants, shirts, pajamas, hats, and booties (I especially love a tiny Hawaiian shirt). My sweet sister-in-law and a few kind friends are planning a shower for mid-March, so I'm sure I have a lot more ooohing and aaahing to do.

Now that we've accumulated most of the essentials, there's the hard work of carpeting and painting (OK—my husband's hard work on the carpet) before the real fun of decorating the room begins. The bedding and decor will be in a nautical theme, a thrifty move since I'm transferring many of the decorations from another room.

I can't wait to welcome our baby into his little world!

I envisioned having a traditional, wooden rocking chair.
The blanket on the back is part of the nautical bedding set.


Some of the baby gear: high chair, stroller, car seat
The book "Baby Bargains" was a lifesaver! I highly recommend it.

My husband assembling the high chair

A smile for just completing the car seat assembly