name

We have finally chosen a name.  Trent Tāne Mercer.  


Trent is Lonnie's middle name....or at least it was until we got married.  When we were married, I wanted Lonnie and I to have the same surname, but I also had a hard time losing my maiden name, so I kept it, replacing my middle name.  In a show of solidarity and understanding (or coercion, depending upon your point of view), Lonnie also changed his middle name to my maiden name.  Trent has found a home again with our wee little man.  Additionally, the name Trent refers to the River Trent in England.  One branch of my family on my father's side are from this area.


Tāne (pronounced Taah-nay) is a Māori name.  Having been born in New Zealand, we wanted part of his name to connect here.  Tāne is the Maori god of the forest (and when you see New Zealand, you understand how amazing the forests are).  He was part of the Maori creation myth pushing apart his parents, Mother Earth and Father Sky.  


As we considered various names, Lonnie and I joked that we were floating name ideas around like we were considering a run for political office.  We threw around various names throughout the pregnancy, discussed them with a lot of people, and even had a couple polls on this blog.  It's an interesting process to go about naming a child...obviously a name becomes a huge part of identity.  We definitely appreciated hearing everyone's thoughts, opinions, and votes on the blog polls, and in some way all of it helped us.  In the end, we tested the name out for a couple of days before making a definite decision.  It seems to fit him well.