Day 61: Finding a Name

First of all, let me mention that our new puppy is 2 months old and she is a Rat Terrier mix. She is absolutely amazing and has done so well adjusting to our family and our home. Of course, like a newborn she kept me up most of last night so it was really nice to be able to work from home today. She also has a little separation anxiety when I go into another room. The sweet thing is that she likes to stay close so even if we're in the front yard I don't need to keep her on leash. 

In regards to finding a name ...

We've definitely gone through a few names, so I can't promise this one is final. I started with a couple names taken from women's rights activists and women philosophers (Cadie - Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Simone - Simone De Beauvoir). Then I came across Tashi, which means Lucky. How perfect I felt that would be! Lucky was my childhood dog and she was a Cocker Spaniel/Terrier mix - all black with a little white on her chest (just like our new puppy). But for some reason, the name Tashi just wasn't working out with this little puppy.

The most recent one me and Cambria liked was Zoey, which means Life, and that felt like the right name for our new puppy. Not only does that describe her - full of life, but it also is a beautiful reminder for us. It's a great way for us to remain aware of life and all its ups and downs, craziness and excitement, good times and bad, rewards and challenges. It's simple and all encompassing. 

This is what's making it hard. I love finding names that really have meaning, but more than that, the name needs to fit our puppy. We have to give it a trial run to see if it works. See how it makes us feel when we identify her as that name. So after using "Zoey" all afternoon, I'm not quite sure I'm completely in love with it. 

Then I thought of Layla. I had actually thought of this name the night before I got her, but was avoiding it because it was very close to my friend's dog's name - Lola. But tonight when I looked up the meaning, I was completely shocked to find that Layla means "Dark Beauty" (or night, black). How perfect is that?! 

So this is where we leave off. Layla is the new standing name for now. I'll have to talk to Cambria about it tomorrow morning and see what she thinks. Then of course we'll have to try it out and see how that goes. Ahhh what a process. But oh, how I love it. How I love her.