Okay, let's try this again. I had posted but was in one of those moods where I didn't want to share too much so deleted the post. Anyway...
I actually do have a new name. My birth name was Tina and I always hated it. It seemed so short especially with my one syllable maiden name. And for years people always asked what it was short for, imagine that. So I changed it legally to Cristina a few years ago. When I started thinking about changing it it was actually between Christina and Jenna. I figured some people would end up still calling me Tina so went with Cristina without the H-just like the way it looks without the h. I think Cristina fits me better than Tina.
Anyway, as far as the kids. If the boys had been girls one of them would have been Carrie. We had that name chosen from the very beginning if we ever had a girl, after DH#1 grandmother who raised him for the first 10 years of his life and after my great-grandmother who was named Caroline but always went by Carrie. If we had had 2 girls not sure what the other whould have been named because with each pregnancy we had the same girl name picked, that never changed even though I had always adored the name Jennifer. So when I finally had a girl I may have gone with Jennifer at the last minute but BIL & SIL beat us to the name. So...had Carrie been a boy she would have been Ashley Ryan. I know Ashley now days is primarily a girls name but it used to be a boys name. Of course I always wanted Matthew and it may have changed at the last minute. What ruined that name for me was hearing some lady call MATT at the top of her lungs in a store. Love Matthew-hate Matt. When naming the kids also I tried to come up with a name that had no nickname, not one for nns. Of course I think they just evolve over time no matter what sometimes. Jason has never gone by a nn, he actually goes by his mn sometimes which is fine. Josh I never cared for. I always called him Joshua till he came to me in grade school and wanted to be called Josh. DH#1 picked the kids first names and I chose their mns so all is good. Now with Nathaniel had he been a girl we had decided on either Amanda, Amy, Jennifer, Angelica/Angela or Megan with the mn Elizabeth or Leona after my grandma. Didn't really do much on the list for a girl because I found out I was having a boy. Before deciding on Nathaniel, we had Bryce, Bryson, Alexander, Nathan and Matthew on the list.
Angie~I love the name Marie, it is DD mn after my Aunt. I couldn't come up with a mn I liked. we orginally had my middle name tacked on to Carrie but I couldn't do that to her. It didn't fit at all. Which is a good thing as I changed that to.
Katy~love the sound of Ella Jane. But then I have always loved the name Jane. My SIL is Jane and they named their little girl Sarah Jane which I think is adorable, the niece and the name.
Jane~I too love the name Amy-it was actually on our short list when I was pregnant with Nathan. I liked Mitchell also but V didn't. I have a cousin named Mitchell, an Aunt Mary and a nephew Jeffrey. Funny their are no Katies in the family. Katherine but she goes by Kathy.
I have to say I have always been fascinated with names and their meanings.