Yes, they are comparing her name to craps....

Yesterday someone commented on Laurel's beautiful name.  This never gets old..it warms my crusty heart everytime.  While Laurel has expressed that she doesn't like it and would like to be called Barbara, I have never regretted the choice.  

I first heard the name in 1986 on the CBS soap As the World Turns.  Sierra was pregnant and she didn't know if the father was the evil Antonio or dullard Craig.  But nevertheless, she picked out Bryant for a boy and Laurel for the girl.  She said that the name Laurel sounded beautiful, strong and wise.  I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, she had a boy, he was saddled with name Bryant and of course, the baby daddy was Antonio.

I loved the name so much that I was afraid to tell Ching.  What if he said no?  Luckily, my warrior like childbirthing skills convinced him that I should make the name choice.  We also thought the name was more like her when she was born.  The name sounded calm and when she was born, she was very calm.  (Honestly, she was drugged out of her skull. Since I had an epidural shortly before birth..she was feeling the epidural.  She was three sheets to the wind.)

Not everyone was keen on the name.  Ching's family was not for Laurel's name at all.  Since Mandarin Chinese was the first language for the older generation Wang, they had a very hard time saying it. Apparently, L's and R's are very hard to say and Laurel is a power combo of the two sounds.  Ching could of told me but honestly it wouldn't have made a difference.  Ching's Aunt Angela had a very difficult time mastering the name.  Her daughters told her to think of "low roll" as if she were rolling dice (yeah, they are comparing her name to craps).  Low roll merged into Laurel.

Even the aunt, who could say it, didn't hide her displeasure as was evident in a one sided phone conversation after she was born.
CCW:  "Her name is Laurel Alexa"
(pause)
CCW: "Laurel"
(pause)
CCW: "No, Laurel.  LAAAUUURRREEEL" (yeah Ching, slow and loud..that helps)
(pause)
CCW: "L-A-U-R-E-L."
(pause)
CCW:  "Her middle name is Alexa."
(pause)
CCW:  "No, we are not calling her that."  (Hear it comes.  Count it
down with me..3, 2, 1)  "Jude picked it out."


Not to worry, they got used to it.  


Regardless for her love of the name Barbara, I truly believe that she will love her name as much as I do.  But then again, perhaps my mom felt the same way about my given name, Judith..which I would like to give back.