My middle name

I can't believe this... the other day, Sameer was saying that looking back he didn't think he should have encouraged me to change my middle name.

It came up when we were chatting with his cousin Waidehi about baby names and what we were going to do for a middle name. As usual I was writing and reading out loud to him as he was playing carom. It came up about my changing my middle name to his first name, as it's the tradition in India (kids there also carry their father's first name as a middle name, regardless if they're a boy or girl). I had jumped in wholeheartedly to change mine, since it seemed like it meant a lot to him. Then, come to find out, he's feeling bad that I gave up the sweet middle name that my parents so thoughtfully chose for me!!!! Of course I had felt bad about that, too, but it seemed a small sacrifice for something that would help unite us properly in his eyes....

The funny thing is that in order to legally change my middle name, I had to go through hoops and run all over town getting fingerprinted, background checked, filing court papers, paying out expensive fees, etc. so I would have the legal documentation needed to change my name on my drivers' license, passport, etc. If I had simply changed my last name, all I would have needed to do was submit my marriage certificate! The irony of it all...

Anyway, I don't mind having "Sameer" for a middle name. I think it would have been hard growing up with a boy's name for a middle name, but it doesn't really show up as an adult so much. Except on mail from the bank, which always freaks me out because they write out my full name and I think it's for him not me at first. ha ahaha

So, our son will likely have "sameer" as a middle name, too.