What's in a Name?

So, Andy and I decided last week that we will name our little guy Henry Morales Pratt. Henry was an easy call. We wanted a traditional sounding name that wasn't overly popular and we've been thinking Henry for a long time. We also knew that we wanted a Hispanic middle name, and were actually leaning towards Miguel before we got the referral. When we received our referral, we both felt it was important to keep part of the name his birthmother gave him. I was leaning towards Morales because I thought it would be nice for Henry to have his birth last name. Andy liked Moises (I think in part because of Moises Alou, the baseball player). We actually decided his name by flipping a coin.

Now, I'm having second thoughts. Moises is Spanish for Moses. In the Bible, Moses' mom put him in a basket and sent him down the Nile. The Pharoh had decreed that Jewish baby boys should be killed. She didn't abandon Moses; Moses's sister stayed in the reeds and watched until he was found. He was found by Pharoh's daughter who adopted Moses as her son. Of course, there's a lot more, but that's the basic story of his birth.

Andy and I know from the information that Henry's birthmother provided when she brought Henry in that she attends church. We have very little information about the birthmother and the fact that she told our attorney that she attends church leads me to think that being a Christian (Catholic, most likely) is important to her and that she wants us to know that she is a Christian. That makes me wonder whether she chose the name Moises because Moses was given up by his mother to be raised by another woman. She must know the story.

Did she choose Moises because she was giving her son up for adoption? If so, that is a very powerful name choice and I would want to keep Moises. But, like so many other parts of this situation, we just don't know and will probably never know.

So right now, its back to Moises or Morales. Definately, Henry M. Pratt, in some form.