What's in a name?...

Gabe and I officially decided on this baby's name, Mason James, back in February on our way to California.  However, it should be noted that back when we were having Maddie, she too would have been named Mason if she was a boy.  It's been our favorite for a long time.

This week the Social Security Administration published it's findings stating that Mason is now the #2 name in the country for little boys.  USA Today reasoned that it's because Kourtney Kardashian had named her now 2.5 year old Mason.  I have to admit that this gave me a little panic.  I don't want people to think that I just jumped on some bandwagon and copied a celebrity reality personality to name my child.  Ugh.
I began reflecting.  Since I knew that over 6 years ago I already loved the name Mason, I had to remember where I first heard it.  And then it came to me.

It was 2001 and I was 23 years old.  I was really into Jack Johnson and had tickets to his concert in San Francisco.  My boyfriend and I got there early and we heard the opening act; it was Mason Jennings.  I immediately fell in love.  His music consisted of just him and his guitar (a harmonica here and there) and I LOVED it.  I bought his album and it sort of became the anthem in my old Toyota Camry on my way to class at SFSU everyday.
 
So, what does all that mean.  I guess it means that I first favored the name because I loved (and still do) the music someone with that name made.  I think it gives me some nostalgia for a time from long ago.  A time without much responsibility and with a lot of freedom.  It reminds me of California and the Pacific Ocean.  It feels like home.

When Gabe and I chose it for our baby this time we reflected on the fact that this will be our only son and in fact that word "son" is actually in his name.

I don't know what it is about me that wants the world to know that I in fact loved the name long before anyone heard of the Kardashians, but I do.  So there.  I was years ahead of the trend ;)

Listen below to hear one of my fav's :)