The naming game…

I had this (silly) notion that this time around picking a name would be easier. Or at least a lot like last time. Boy was I wrong! We had Cashel’s name selected months earlier in the pregnancy then we did with our second, whom we have affectionately called “Bro-Bro” or “New Baby.”
I can’t tell you the numbers of names that have been “tossed out to us.”
The countless names that have “made the list,” “went off the list” and “stayed on the list.”
Some specific requirements made it harder.
1. We wanted his name to be of a similar level of “uniqueness” to our sweet Cashel’s name. 
When naming him we wanted something with familial ties, but something that was all his own. 
Boy, did we find it. And again that is what we wanted for our New Baby.
2. We also felt strongly about wanting a full name that had a built in nickname that we both loved. We also wanted to like the full name and the nickname equally. 
(This may have proven to be the toughest criteria to meet).
3. I felt strongly about a “hip” factor. 🙂
4. We love Gaelic and Irish names and had hoped to carry on the tradition.
5. And of course there was the fact that we are “ABC” and many wanted a “d name.” We didn’t find ourselves liking or agreeing on a single one of those, so sorry to disappoint but that pattern didn’t hold on.
6. We also knew early on what middle name we wanted to use so we needed a first name that fit with it well.
7. We wanted it to go well with Cashel too – this criteria got added later but I’m glad we had this in mind when selecting his name.
8. And finally, meaning was originally very important. However we found one that in most “books” or “online sources” has no official meaning. We love the meaning we found when researching though.
In the end (actually on Valentines Day) we landed on the name. A name that suits our family, and suits this little boy that we have been getting to know over the past 37 weeks as he is so mobile and expressive already.
It’s hip, has a full and shortened name, sounds super cute with Cashel (which later became an added criteria), is all his own, and has familial ties that we are proud of.
I’ll start with the middle name since that is where we really began. It served as the springboard.
His middle name comes from his Papa’s family and their history and love for Lawrence, Kansas where Benjamin grew up. It also is a tribute to the family’s love for the University of Kansas Jayhawks. Cashel’s middle name Rock is for the team chant “Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk” and this New Baby’s name is a tribute to a historical coach of the team Forrest “Phog” Allen. He known as the “Father of Basketball Coaching” and he coached the Jayhawks for 39 seasons. With him at the helm the teams won 24 conference championships and three national titles. Hence the slogan “Beware of the Phog.” Forest became known as  “Phog” because of his distinct fog horn like voice when he was a baseball announcer. Additionally the home basketball arena at the University of Kansas, Allen Fieldhouse, was named in his honor when it opened in 1955. Some seriously rich history!
***A really fun addition (thanks to a tip from my cousin Adam) “phog” also has a neat meaning in the Irish language. It translates from Gaelic to English as “his kiss.”***
Added 3/4/14
His first name is after a small village in the County of Kerry in Ireland. The beautiful town of Camp is on the Dingle Penninsula in the west best known as a spot for “holiday makers.” I love that because already I know this little man is going to bring so much joy – much like a long “holiday” brings to your soul.
We are so excited to say…

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