Shelly came downstairs immediately after I had completed the List of 56, and she read through it. She reacted with surprise to a few of my suggestions: "Vanessa? Tessa? Cora?" As we headed out the door to Chili's (we had a gift card), we left the list behind, but had a general idea of its contents. One of the first things I mentioned in the car was that of this long list, there were only two new names that hadn't really been discussed seriously before that I think I would put in my "serious" tier: Monica and Tessa. Shelly wasn't too taken with Tessa, and said that when she hears Monica, she can only think of Monica... (I thought she was going to say Lewinsky, but she said)... Gellar.

At dinner, we talked about our most favored names. I asked Shelly which ones were in her top tier, and she said (in no particular order): Sarah, Kate, Leah, Rachel, Rebecca, Jenna, Maria, and Julia. I answered the same question as: Jane, Paige, Mary, Leah, Rachel, Julia, and Faith.

I asked her about the forms of the names she would prefer for Kate and Rebecca. She would be all for the given name of Kate, since Katherine isn't what she's likely to call a kid with that name. She would prefer an interchangeable combination of Kate and Katie. I wondered if Katie isn't overused, as some of our kids' cousins apparently have cousins on the other side named Katie. Not that that should stop us.

Shelly wasn't as clear on her preference between Rebecca, Becca, and Becky. The way I perceived it, I think she would like one of the nicknames at least while the kid is a kid, with the option of the more sophisticated full name as she gets older (this is sort of our philosophy with Elise and Johanna). She commented on all the wonderful people she's known and loved throughout her life named Rebecca/Becca/Becky. I commented on the fact that I dated a Becky for a long time at BYU, and that might be a bit weird for me.

We talked about how we both seem to like the Jewish Matriarch names Sarah, Leah, and Rachel. (Rebecca, of course, is also in that category.) Shelly talked a lot about all of the Rachels she's known, whom she's had both good and bad feelings about, depending on the Rachel. I haven't known very many Rachels very well. Interestingly, though Monica Gellar looms over her name, Rachel Green apparently doesn't.

Shelly tried to explain why she's not as big on Jane as I am. It's too traditional, simple, unflashy, and unexciting for her. I said that's the main reason I like it. In fact, I lumped Mary and Sarah into the same category and said I like them for the same reasons. I tried to explain how Paige is great because it's so unusual but with bright, lovely sounds, but Shelly said it just sounds like a page of a book.

No conclusions were reached in this conversation except one - Rebecca should probably come off the list. Becky, if you're reading this, it's nothing personal. I really do like your name, but it's so tightly associated with you, I'm not ready to give the name to my daughter.

That was the dinner conversation, but it wasn't the end of our naming activities for Saturday. More to come...