Bradley Bates, son of Zach and Whitney, is here! (renamed)

[Full enough quiver]

I don't get the "I want to be surprised" thing. Whenever you find out, its a "surprise" (not much of one. There's only two possibilities, unless it's intersex. Now that would be a surprise). Anyway, when I was pregnant, I really, really wanted a girl. If my daughter would have been a boy, I'm sure I would have loved him to pieces, but I honestly would have been a little disappointed at first. I did not want my first emotion on seeing my baby to be disappointment. I wanted my first emotion to be pure joy. So I found out the sex ahead of time, so any disappointment could be dealt with , and when he was born, I would feel only unconditional love and joy. The tech said girl, and I was overjoyed. I chose a beautiful girl's name, and from then on, called her by name, instead of "it" or "the baby". Made me feel more connected. Everyone is different. I know I didn't want to wait.

[TheJewAmongUs]

It could be - according the wiki page about the Bates, Lawson is actually William Lawson and Nathan is actually Kenneth Nathaniel.

Gil's first name is William.

I always thought it was funny that Michael became Michaela and Lawson and Nathan don't use their given names. Like it took Gil and Kelly a few tries to get it right with naming their kids. Like they were 2 for 5, but then with Alyssa their average started improving.

[RosyDaisy]

Congratulations, justmy2cents! I'm happy for you!

[Violet]

Gil's first name is William.

I always thought it was funny that Michael became Michaela and Lawson and Nathan don't use their given names. Like it took Gil and Kelly a few tries to get it right with naming their kids. Like they were 2 for 5, but then with Alyssa their average started improving.

2 of the Munck daughters go by their middle names (Elizabeth and Amanda) and Leah Calvert's (Teen Mom 2) daughter Aleeah is usually referred to as Grace, which is her middle name. It's not as common nowadays but neither of my grandparents use their first names - similar to the Michal/Michael/Michaela thing, my grandma was named Annie (they were aiming for Ann but weren't sure on the spelling so decided to spell it with an i and an e) she hated her name and went by Nancy instead. My grandad was named John like his father and grandfather so used his middle name to avoid confusion.

[Jana814]

I was obsessed w/ the Osmond family back in the late 90's (during Donny & Marie's second show). I looked at the family website all the time. Well apparently within the 9 kids in the family 3 of them go by their middle names (Marie ( who's legal name is Olive (like their mother) the oldest son (named after their father but he goes by Viril & also Wayne.

[nana sew dear]

I had 2 bio children pre-ultra sound (1977 & 1980) and then adopted 4 times. Knowing is better.

[singsingsing]

I had 2 bio children pre-ultra sound (1977 & 1980) and then adopted 4 times. Knowing is better.

I hope what you meant is that knowing was better for YOU. The height of insanity would be to insist that a preference like knowing a baby's sex ahead of time must be the only right way to do it.

[E Street Fan]

Does anyone know why they go by their middle names?

It's common in the South. For instance, my birth grandmother is one of thirteen. Nine or ten of them go by their middle names. They were mostly named after relatives, so I guess they use middle names to avoid confusion. I know a lot of younger people in the South who use their middle names, maybe for the same reason.

[Mela99]

Announcing a baby's gender and name before it is born is like opening your Christmas presents a week ahead of time. It's more interesting when you don't know.

Not if you're a planner. We're TTC soon and I get twitchy at the suggestion. That and I'd like to be able to refer to the baby by name and not as 'it' or 'Baby'.

[Jessica]

The kids in my dad's family all go by their middle names.

[ILoveJellybeans]

2 of the Munck daughters go by their middle names (Elizabeth and Amanda) and Leah Calvert's (Teen Mom 2) daughter Aleeah is usually referred to as Grace, which is her middle name. It's not as common nowadays but neither of my grandparents use their first names - similar to the Michal/Michael/Michaela thing, my grandma was named Annie (they were aiming for Ann but weren't sure on the spelling so decided to spell it with an i and an e) she hated her name and went by Nancy instead. My grandad was named John like his father and grandfather so used his middle name to avoid confusion.

I didn't know Elizabeth and Amanda Munck went by their middle names, I thought they were their first names.

In my family, my granddad went by his middle name for his whole life, and it was only a few years ago that I realised his first name was actually John.

[keen23]

Not if you're a planner. We're TTC soon and I get twitchy at the suggestion. That and I'd like to be able to refer to the baby by name and not as 'it' or 'Baby'.

We called our gender surprise baby Sigmund while in the womb. The next two we found out by ultrasound and amnio ahead of birth. One was called by her name. The other was number 3. Because we honestly didn't have a name for her until we met her.

[Violet]

I didn't know Elizabeth and Amanda Munck went by their middle names, I thought they were their first names.

In my family, my granddad went by his middle name for his whole life, and it was only a few years ago that I realised his first name was actually John.

You can read all about it here:

walkingajourney.com/2010/10/what-is-in-name.html

[Emme]

We called our gender surprise baby Sigmund while in the womb. The next two we found out by ultrasound and amnio ahead of birth. One was called by her name. The other was number 3. Because we honestly didn't have a name for her until we met her.

I love that you called her Sigmund in the womb!

[anjulibai]

I don't think it's strange to call someone by their middle names. My family does it, and has for several generations.

What I find weird about the Bateses is that they started call Lawson and Nathan Willy and Kenny, and then changed it (I'm trying to remember where I read that, but can't - think it was their TLC site).

So, they did change their out of their oldest 5, they changed 3 of their names a couple of years after birth. That is kind of odd.

[16strong]

2 of the Munck daughters go by their middle names (Elizabeth and Amanda) and Leah Calvert's (Teen Mom 2) daughter Aleeah is usually referred to as Grace, which is her middle name. It's not as common nowadays but neither of my grandparents use their first names - similar to the Michal/Michael/Michaela thing, my grandma was named Annie (they were aiming for Ann but weren't sure on the spelling so decided to spell it with an i and an e) she hated her name and went by Nancy instead. My grandad was named John like his father and grandfather so used his middle name to avoid confusion.

After 12 kids, it's amazing that they've managed to continue the tradition of naming their kids after family members. How have they not run out of names by now?

[Ms Lucy Fur]

This happens a lot in the South. We love to name our progeny after family, even if 5 generations have the same name. I am almost certain this his how the nicknames Bud and Bubba came into being.

[anjulibai]

After 12 kids, it's amazing that they've managed to continue the tradition of naming their kids after family members. How have they not run out of names by now?

Depends on how big their families are and how many generations they go back to find names, plus whether or not they look at middle names and last names for inspiration. It's very doable even with lots of kids.

[ViolaSebastian]

This happens a lot in the South. We love to name our progeny after family, even if 5 generations have the same name. I am almost certain this his how the nicknames Bud and Bubba came into being.

I always thought Bubba was a southernism for brother, because no southern girl worth her salt could properly pronounce "brother" and thus it became "bubba." Sissy and Bubba.

[RosyDaisy]

It is. My sister and I call each other "sissy".

[Vivi_music]

On the topic of using middle names, French Canadians do that too. Traditionally, the name you use in everyday life was the last one on the list. For example: someone named Marie Geneviève Sylvie Leblanc (fictive name*) would use ''Sylvie'' in her everyday life. So I think what name you use might just be cultural.

[singsingsing]

My dad and his brother are both named Joseph, their sisters are all named Marie. None of them go by Joseph or Marie. (French Canadian Catholics)

[Jana814]

On the topic of using middle names, French Canadians do that too. Traditionally, the name you use in everyday life was the last one on the list. For example: someone named Marie Geneviève Sylvie Leblanc (fictive name*) would use ''Sylvie'' in her everyday life. So I think what name you use might just be cultural.

Thanks for the info & the example!

[Snarkle]

After struggling with infertility due to a hormonal condition we believe came through my dad's side, I wanted to know if I was going to have a boy or girl. I had always, always wanted a girl - pictured dressing her up in cute outfits, us bonding as she grew up - so when I learned I was having a boy I was slightly disappointed at first but shortly was relieved because I knew my son wouldn't struggle with health issues like I did. Now that's he's a teenager I can definitely say I was meant to be a mother of a boy. Bone problems run in my mom's family so that also made me glad I had a boy. My mom's sister was so relieved when she had two boys because she had scoliosis and had a Milwaukee brace - her doctor was the guy who invented it - and it is less likely to affect boys (they were fine). In fact I asked the doctor twice if he thought I was really having a boy, and on the ultrasound he actually typed in arrows pointing to the baby and types BOY alongside it. So for me, while I feel there are so few surprises in life and it would have been fun to wait, I am glad I found out. [i also realize as someone who (with my brother) slit Christmas presents open to find out what I was getting and then taped them up and rehid them, my parents none the wiser, I probably wouldn't have done well waiting.]

[Jana814]

My dad and his brother are both named Joseph, their sisters are all named Marie. None of them go by Joseph or Marie. (French Canadian Catholics)

Interesting why did they have those names if they were not going to use them.