Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Brady Maybe (For Sarah)

When I was pregnant with Danyo, we didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl. I knew, but "technically" I didn't know. But we had picked out the name Jonathan if he was a boy. Almost immediately after he was born, both J and I commented, "Wow, he's just not a Jonathan". We were kind of bummed, because we really like that name.

We named him about 573 names and 46 other variations of those names before we left the hospital. He came home unnamed (those birth certificate people take their jobs VERY seriously and that woman all but got out her shotgun and hunted me down at home when we had the nerve to leave without naming OUR baby). We finally agreed on Danyo. Yeah, it's a little weird, but we like it. :)

For the next 5 months of his life I wanted to change his name no less than 4 times a day. And I always had a different name picked. I don't know what my problem is, but I just couldn't settle.

Needless to say, my kids picked up on it. Avee called Danyo "Tucko" the first week of his life.

When Danyo was about 4 months old I heard the name Brady and that was the flavor of the day for a couple of days. Every time I went to J in all earnestness to change Danyo's name, he'd roll his eyes and end the conversation. He never took me seriously.

Well Bo did. And he also really liked the name Brady. And so it stuck. He pretty much calls him Brady all the time. Sometimes he gets caught up in all the Danyo-calling we do, and forgets. It doesn't really come up much though, it's not like Bo walks around talking to or about Danyo all the time. So I forget about his tendency to call him Brady.

However. Last month for Show-n-Tell, Bo took a picture of Danyo with him to share. When I picked him up I started asking him about school. I asked, "Did you show them your picture of Danyo?" He said quietly, "Yeah, but I didn't say Danyo, I told them his name is Brady."

I laughed quite heartily.

The next week I had his parent/teacher conference and his teacher, a very sweet woman who remembers EVERYONE'S names says, "Well hello there little Brady, aren't you sweet...."
I blushed fiercely. I haven't blushed in ages. But suddenly I felt very stupid having to tell my son's teacher that this little boy who is so bright, didn't quite get his little brother's name right.

She thought it was pretty funny, bless her heart.

Then, on Sunday as I was leaving church a girl grabbed my arm and said, "Now what is your baby's name? I'm just sure it isn't Brady, but that's what Bo kept telling me." Since we were both heading out, there wasn't time to explain why Bo is being weird and random so I said, "Hmm, Brady? Really? That's interesting---it's Danyo."

What I'm thinking now is to join Bo in calling him Brady and see if we can't effectively change his name, without really changing his name. He'll be one of those people, "Danyo ________, but I go by Brady" because that makes so much sense! We've all met someone like that, right?

And now, for my only mildly related segway:
Pictures of Brady Danyo!

GETTING AGGRESSIVE



















This one cracks me up because it's a king-size bed.
Danyo has discovered the joys of the bathroom. Particularly toilet flushing. Interestingly enough, he's my only child who bothers to do it. Every once in a while the bathroom door is left open and he bolts for it. When I come to get him he starts squealing and scrambles to get away. Now, Avee has spent her ENTIRE life laughing at me and evading me. But this one, he loves nothing more than when I enter a room or when I come to pick him up. So this is new. I tried to capture it, but he seemed to know what was up so he didn't do exactly what he usually does, but I thought this was pretty dang funny.

12 comments:

megachick said...

your kids are too stinking cute.
what was the money for, though?

brooke said...

Wow, I always thought that Danyo was maybe a nickname for Daniel (like maybe one of your kids couldn't pronounce the L and that's how it cam out or something). That's a cool name.
And one of my brothers goes by a name that is neither his first or middle name... he was at a party and when he introduced himself that's what came out. People who knew him thought it was funny, so they played along, and people who didn't know him just thought it was his name. Now even my parents call him that. He puts it as an AKA on job applications and stuff... it's really weird when I think about it too hard, but mostly it's just his name.

brooke said...

Oh my gosh, I wrote a book. Sorry.

Leslie said...

oh that's so cute. i love that sound.

Anonymous said...

Thanks :) I feel like a rock star's biggest fan that just had the rock star say their name on MTV... yeahhhh

Mamarazzi said...

i heart your kids...and that giggle...oh man, it melts me!! are you pimping their cuteness...looks like Bo came back with a little cheddar!

S said...

HEY I was JUST telling your Dear SIL today that her baby is ALEX to me. She said she feels the same way, do I feel a wind of change coming????
Baby Danyo's laugh is contagious!!!!

PS love brady! Brady Bunker-Jones
PPS Congradulation SARAH!!!!:) You crazy lady.

S said...

That would be a Congratulations;0 my bad!

S said...

Hey I love the laundy basket decor, I have the same look going. We are so much alike:)

omar said...

10th!

I just recently read an article about parents who wanted to (or actually did) change their kid's name. They told the story of how this girl found out when she was 6 that her parents had changed her name when she was something like 4 or 5 months old. She found out because they were watching an old home video, and everyone was calling the baby by her original name. The girl was like, "Who's that?" And the parents were like, "oh, that's you." Then they had to explain it to her. Poor kid's probably in therapy right now.

On a marginally related note, I am fascinated by grown-ups who go by a nickname. Like Tiger Woods or Tipper Gore. I secretly always wished I had a nickname that stuck so well.

Tori :) said...

Your posts always thoroughly entertain me. :)

Sketchy said...

Do you just send Bo out to scrounge up some spare change for diapers or something? I would totally give him a quarter or two if he stopped by my house, just so you know.

I'm calling Danyo Brady from now on, just because Bo needs some support here. He's waging a one man name changing campaign. He's a trailblazer. A go it alone try to get something done kind of person. And that kind of person deserves my respect and support.

Oh and baby giggles, oh! I'm melting!