We named our new daughter Johanna Lynn Astle, in a complete break from the way in which we named our first, Elise Virginia Astle. Ellie was a conscious effort to look not to the past, but to the future. Annie, in contrast, looks straight backward.

I've actually wanted to name a daughter Johanna Lynn Astle for a very long time. At least since my college days, perhaps longer. It was a very close alternative choice for our first daughter, but Shelly got her preference that time. I got mine this time.

Johanna is my Grandma Astle's first name -- she went by Ann, and thus we call our little one Annie as well. (She might go by Ann or even Johanna later on, but you have to call a baby Annie. Besides, that way we get to sing John Denver to her just like we sing Beethoven to Ellie.) A lot of my cousins and one of my brothers have used the name Ann as a middle name for their daughters, at least in part to honor Grandma. I started noticing the trend several years ago, and I wondered two things: 1) why do they always use it as a middle name, and 2) why don't they use her full name? So I decided that I would be the one to give a daughter the first name Johanna.

I honestly think it's kind of funny that it took this long for someone in my family to do it. Other names in my own immediate family are meant at least in part to honor the fact that Grandma Astle was born in Holland: my brother Dirk's name was chosen in part because it's Dutch, and my other brother (who claims Johanna is next on his list if he has a girl) gave his son the middle name Hendrik -- the name of Johanna's father, my great-grandfather. When I sent out the email to family and friends announcing Annie's birth, one cousin wrote back to say that Johanna was one of the finalists she was still considering for her daughter, due any day now (perhaps born already and I just don't know it--wonder what they decided).

Grandma Astle is the perfect person to name your child after. I have such wonderful memories of her just doing everything she could to make her family happy and to serve and love us all. She was the perfect grandma, and even though Annie will never meet her in this life (Shelly didn't even get to meet her), I want her to remember her great-grandma. I didn't even notice till the deed was done, but Annie's birth was six years to the week of Grandma's death at age 91.

Lynn is sort of a joke, but also an honor. That's my dad's name. From time to time he gets made fun of for having a girl's name (it helps that he has no middle name), so I always thought it would be a good joke on him to name a daughter after him. And indeed, when I told him the full name over the phone from the hospital, he was audibly taken aback. "Wow," he stammered. "I never thought I'd get a grandchild named after ME."

Of course, it's all even better because Lynn is also Shelly's mom's middle name. So we can honor two of Annie's grandparents with one fell swoop. Again, both are wonderful people who Annie will grow up to know, and can always look to as examples.

So when you hear me introduce my daughters as Ellie and Annie, your first reaction will be "Wow, what similar names. Vowel-double soft consonant-I-E. Can't you come up with anything original?" But your first impression only goes skin deep. Down inside, my daughters' names are as different as can be.

P.S. For the record, our runner-up name (that is to say, the name Shelly advocated) was Katie. My next choice would have been Jane, which was one of my favorites last time too. But I don't think any other name besides the one we went with was really a serious contender, though I humored Shelly, because I had made it very clear to Shelly that Johanna Lynn was the name I really wanted, and Ellie's name was her idea. Besides, Shelly wanted to give her the full name Kate, when everyone knows the antecedent of Katie is Katherine. I guess we'll duke that one out next time we are expecting a girl.