Overtired

Overtired adj. In a state of near mania, with periods of quiet punctuated by outright refusals to sleep. Almost as feared as "sick."

The second nap was a no-show today, and as we trudged around town running errands and doing our best to stay cool, young Samson became increasingly tired. At bedtime, he may as well have just gotten off a flight from Jakarta he was so off-schedule.

The showdown lasted six rounds, and ultimately (though it looked questionable for a while) nature won out. He is now curled up in his crib looking like the cherub he (almost always) is.

We spent an hour in Borders today, again trying to stay out of heat, and as I was patrolling the aisles with Sam in my arms, we passed a book that promised to provide expecting parents with the "coolest baby names." Intrigued by the backcover mention of "updated hip-hop names" (look for Fitty to become next year's Aidan), I took a peek inside. Sure enough, Samson was listed under "Cool Biblical Names," which made me happy --- because his name was my suggestion, and because it's a good solid name, with a good story behind it (both in the OT and Milton's retelling).

Which may account for my exasperation at the three questions we usually get following: "So what's your son's name?" What I actually say is in italics; what I'd like to say is in bold (which clearly, I am not).

1. "Oh, do you call him Sam?"

I do sometimes, and so does his mom. But I also like the full name.

Is the second syllable a deal-breaker for you? It's not like his name is Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo, for crying out loud."

2. "Is that from the Bible?"

Yes. We wanted a strong name with a good story behind it, and I've always admired the character of Samson because he was a champion of his people.

No, it's from the first season of Happy Days in honor of the Cunninghams' oldest son, who mysteriously disappeared the next season and was never spoken of again. [For those of you keeping score at home, the mysterious disappearing brother's name was actually Chuck.]

3. "Will you have a daughter and name her Delilah?"

No, I don't think so (awkward laughter).

Are you insane? Could you look at your newborn girl and say "here's a name she won't have to change when she starts a career in adult film..." I mean, really.