How Jack Got His Name

As a girl, I've always been a little obsessed with baby names. I've never been a huge fan of "too different" names. Being an Ashley I wanted something not too common but not too different. On a side note my name was suppose to be Stephanie but my dad changed it at the last minute. He had been fishing in Ashley County and he really liked it. Also, the name wasn't too popular in 1982 and I only know one other Ashley who is older than me. 

Before Jack was born when we talked about having a baby we always assumed it would be a girl and her name would be Laynie. I have a student with that name and she is just precious. It is cute, simple, and not overly used. Plus my husband loved it also. When I found out I was pregnant every name became open to me but I was also guarded about it.

My first several months (like the first six) felt like I was not pregnant. I would have dreams where I would drink and then suddenly remember I was pregnant. I never felt sick and there was zero indication that I was pregnant except no monthly visitor. Every moment I was scared that I wasn't pregnant after all and it was just a sick joke. I really never felt pregnant which was great but scary at the same time. I always joked that if I were still getting my period I would have been one of those "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" people. Too afraid to settle on a name I just tried to put it out of my mind. I told myself we would worry with a name once we knew the gender. 

We cut the cake and SURPRISE! We were having a boy! We really were shocked. We already knew my mom's vote-Jack. She had always loved that name. When my sister had my nephew my mom had pushed for Jack but her friend had just had a baby named Jackson and it was just too close for such close friends. The day we cut the cake it was just known that he would be Jack. We would play around with other names from time to time but we also came back to Jack. 

Not anyone in our K-5 school had the name. Not anyone that I personally knew had that name. It was classic and traditional but not an overly used name for this area. Jack's middle name Henry is also my husband's middle name. It sounded southern-Jack Henry. We could call him Jack or Jack Henry. Using 2 names is a very southern thing to do. We never would have thought that we and everyone else would be calling him Jack Jack. I think maybe he'll grow out of the Jack Jack name and be called Jack Henry. However, I do have a student that we call John John. 

Today I couldn't imagine any other name for him. He is our little Jack Jack.