About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

Read More About Me

You May Also Like:

What do you think?

15 Comments

  1. What a beautiful story from a beautiful mother with two beautiful kids 🙂 JNE, you are always such a pleasure and I absolutely loved your story. Imogen and Oliver are not only gorgeous babies, but man are they gorgeously named! Thanks so much for sharing your story, I had such a great time reading it 🙂

    Reply

  3. Thanks, everyone! Your comments are really lovely!

    And thank you, Abby, for the opportunity to share the story! And yes, the records lady is quite the curmudgeon. Some of the nice nurses ‘warn’ the moms about her beforehand. She was abrupt with me when I had Imogen as well, but we filled out the form more quickly that time so she didn’t have as much time to really get her knickers in a twist that time. I do believe one of her statements was to the effect of, “I’m not here to wait for you to figure out what to name your child, you need to fill out this form!” And I thought, well, really, yes, it is actually your job to do exactly that – wait for parents to figure out what to name their babies! You are so right, though, I am certain there must be at least a few parents who were pressured to make a decision they weren’t 100% sure of! She’s an extremely pushy woman.

    Thanks again!

    Reply

    1. Knickers in a twist! Hehe, I love that!

      I don’t even remember seeing as records lady at the hospital either time I had my children. The nurses just gave us a whole stash of forms – name info in there – and we just gave it back to them when ready.

      And you’re right, her having to wait is totally her job! Sounds like she’s not the right person for her job. 😛

      Reply

    3. You’re welcome, JNE – and I really appreciate you telling the story. It’s great to get see your adorable kids, too. It feels like Oliver was born just last week, but wow, he’s getting big!

      Reply

  4. The other thing I love is the use of Lily in the middle spot. I love an ends-in-y middle name. They often work really well, but they’re so rare.

    Reply

  5. So fun to see a photo of your two children. 🙂 I totally love their names too and the British-vibe to them. And I like how you waited to see whether your daughter would be an Isadora or not.

    That is terrible that the records lady was trying to pressure you into deciding on a name for your son!

    Oh and my husband and I liked Lily too, but didn’t go with it for the same reason – it’s increasing popularity. Friends later did name their daughter Lily. And at that time other friends said that Lilian / Lily was at the top of their list too.

    Reply

  7. Your children are gorgeous ! I agree with photoquilty & Abby 🙂
    Cool names that seem to fit your family really well 🙂 Your and your husband’s name also really seem to fit the vibe of your family . The 4 of you are such an interesting set. Once again, your kids are gorgeous !

    I love this ( Go with what you love, is what I

    Reply

  9. I love how the syllable emphasis is the same for both kids. It makes their names match without being too matchy. 🙂

    Reply

  10. awww your children are beautiful! and so are their names. imogen and oliver are gorgeous together (i tried to get my husband to go with imogen for one of our girls but he wouldn’t budge). thanks for sharing your story 🙂

    Reply