And Her Name Is...

...Hannah Marie Brewer.

We're about a month from the scheduled delivery date, so I entered this weekend feeling we should really figure out our daughter's name so that we don't end up blanking on a name in the delivery room. So the name is one thing, but how did we arrive at the name?

Tammy and I had dozens of boy names ready to go, but for some reason, we just couldn't come up with any girl names. Finally, we asked Reese if he had any ideas for his little sister's name. His response was Hannah. But I admit I initially balked at giving a name that's spelled the same forward as backward. Plus, there's Hannah Montana. And Hannah rhymes with banana.

But we didn't rule Hannah out. For one, it is a pretty name. For two, we didn't have any better options--unless we wanted to give her a boy's name. Then, we went to church this morning and the scripture was 1 Samuel 1:3-8, which is about Hannah's faith in the Lord against hard times. The only bigger sign we could've received is for an airplane to spell out the name Hannah in the sky.

With Hannah figured out, I thought of the middle name Marie, but I didn't want to suggest it. My mother's (and her mother's) middle name is Marie, and I didn't want to pick a name that was just from my family. So, I suggested Nicole, which Tammy liked too. After an hour or so, I realized that Nicole wouldn't work, because Hannah Nicole sounds a little too much like Anna Nicole.

Tammy and I put our middle name hats back on, and I kept coming back to Marie, but I didn't want to suggest it. There had to be another name that worked. Finally, Tammy said, "I think you had mentioned the name Marie before. That's my Ma-ma's first name, and it's your mom's middle name."

As usual, Tammy and I were thinking the exact same thing. "Perfect," I said.

And so now the little girl has a name, and that name is Hannah Marie Brewer. The only thing we can do from here on out is wait for her to enter the world.

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Wondering what Hannah Marie means?

Hannah means "God has favored me with a child" or "gracious."

Marie has debated meanings, ranging from "bitterness" to "wished-for child," or even "beloved."

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And we just learned from Tammy's father that his father's mother's maiden name was Hannah. So, the name is becoming even more perfect.

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Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer

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Here are some things that might've made our decision making process easier, though I don't think we could've done better:

• The Baby Name Wizard: A Magical Method for Finding the Perfect Name for Your Baby, by Laura Wattenberg.
• Hannah Montana Forever: Final Season DVD.
• Marie: A True Story DVD.