Donogb or Aoife

We're now entering week 14 of the pregnancy.

Samantha has a little more stable stomach... and we're starting to adjust to the idea of being parent's of three, if only slightly!

This being the third pregnancy I hope that I am at least slightly more accustomed to the up's and down's during the 40 weeks of waiting.

Waiting for the birth of your child is one of the most taxing ideas God ever came up with. It's like knowing the Tiger's are going to win the Pennant in '10 but still having to play out the season to get there! Ok, it's a little different than that!

One of the most challenging items non-medical items during that time is trying to decide what to name your child! Samantha and I have been on the same page for both of our first two, yet have found the decision process to be more difficult each time.

We live by a few rules: we must select a first name that is somewhat unique and the middle name is to represent someone in our line.

Aundrea was a variation of Andrea that I've always liked. Marlene was in honor of Samantha's Mom and her Grandma Moon. We had this middle name picked before we had even tied the knot. This was our only choice for a girls name as it just worked!

Tristan's name was a late pregnancy decision that came from a baby name book (not "Legends of the Fall"). His middle name, Lloyd, is my Grandpa's middle name and Great Grandpa's first name. It to was preselected. The challenge was really to find a first name that fit. I believe when I said "Tristan" to Samantha her immediate response was "That's IT!" No question's asked... we were locked in!

This child is proving to be a little more challenging. We have a few ideas, although we won't be sharing them until after the baby's born. The problem is that we have SO few idea's and neither of us are sold completely.

Today I cruised the internet for baby names. I typically like to cruise the Celtic names as they often seem to ring with me. Samantha is a little more hit and miss, she starts at "A" then jumps to "J" and so on.

During my cruising I ran across Donogb and Aoife. I guess they're a "little" unusual! One is for a boy and the other for a girl... can you determine which is for whom?

The search will continue and no doubt that by September 20 or so we will have a name selected!

Finally something worth reading!

It's been a few months since I've had a good book in front of my face, soon I'll have several!

I believe the last book was William Craigs' "Enemy at the Gates" which was later, in part, turned into a movie. I always liked the movie, until I read the book, the movie does little to capture the true events of the war itself.

I have always been a fan of books on war, human survival, and events that changed history.

I have been a big fan of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks "Band of Brother's" HBO mini-series. I have purchased several books written by Stephen E. Ambrose on the particular struggles of the unit and have read some of the books written by the men themselves.

The two have joined forces again for a new mini-series titled "The Pacific" many have said that it is incredibly realistic and is equal to the B of B. Tonight I watched a production flick on the movie and was introduced to two of the books that they have credited with helping with the plot of the series.

The first, Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific by Robert Leckie is a first person account of the war and is supposed to be one of the top reads on the war.

The other, With the Old Breed by E.B. Sledge is another first person account of the war. It has some ridiculous reviews from some very outstanding individuals.

With those two purchases I also made two more purchases! (I had to get the free super saver shipping!)

I picked up Undaunted Courage : Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West by Stephen E. Ambrose. Ambrose is one of my favorite authors, however the topic is a little different than my usual read. This book was recommended by my boss as a book I should read. We'll see how it turns out!

Last but not least is The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War by James Bradley. Bradley is indeed my favorite author. He penned "Flags of Our Father's" and "Flyboys" both are must reads. This book takes a very different twist and may change my perspective on Bradley. The book cover's T. Roosevelt era U.S. involvement in Asia. Teddy Roosevelt is my favorite President, however the book blames a great deal of his policies on an eventual Japanese aggression in Asia and Pearl Harbor. We'll see how it turns out.

I'll have plenty of time to get through these books during the spring and summer on some VERY long road trips for baseball. Looking forward to it!