Throughout my pregnancy i thought i was having a boy. Not as a bias of any sort, just a gut feeling. And you know how people judge by your tummy and hips and eating habits whether you'll have a son or daughter, my usual reviews were that of a boy. MMW and i had decided to look up baby names once the second trimester was over, basically after the seventh month customary 'godh bharai' or 'shaadh' as we call it in bangla.
I only looked up boy names. MMW had one condition, just one in the entire baby naming process, the name had to start with A. So that narrowed it down immensely. And most of the names were so common that i didn't even bother listing them. My primary resource was the internet and a book by Menaka Gandhi on baby names borrowed from a friend.
One sleepless night (as are most nights during the last phase of huge tummy days), in my ninth month, i suddenly woke up MMW, "what if it's a girl? we haven't thought of any girl baby names? she'll feel so bad!" And thus began the hunt for a beautiful baby girl name. In a couple of days i chalked out an entire list of names and their meanings. Between the two of us, we'd picked and finalised a boy and girl name. In my enthusiasm i checked out the numerology implications of the spellings et all (my pregnancy website had a tool for the same!)
That moment on the 21st of april 2011 is etched in my memory forever. In the OT, in my blindfold i heard the baby cry for the first time. The doctors were busy stitching me up and i was itching with curiosity. The anesthetist very hesitantly asked me, "what did u want?" and believe me at that moment i only wanted to know that i'd had a healthy baby. "Here's your baby girl", he said, opening my blindfold for a second. My wet cheeks touched her soft face and she was taken away.
A very drowsy and heavily drugged me was wheeled in to the room post operation. The baby was put in a cradle next to me. MMW couldn't stop smiling. Between all the congratulatory calls, visits and the sudden added responsibility, he whispered in my ear "So, shall i register her as Aanya?". I smiled, and nodded and that's how we named our Aanya.
It means inexhaustible in sanskrit and gracious in hebrew. Before we named her, we'd hardly heard of any Aanyas. Now, everyone i know knows another Aanya. Yet, there's only one Aanya Purkayastha- our most awaited, most petted, most pampered- our first one!
I only looked up boy names. MMW had one condition, just one in the entire baby naming process, the name had to start with A. So that narrowed it down immensely. And most of the names were so common that i didn't even bother listing them. My primary resource was the internet and a book by Menaka Gandhi on baby names borrowed from a friend.
One sleepless night (as are most nights during the last phase of huge tummy days), in my ninth month, i suddenly woke up MMW, "what if it's a girl? we haven't thought of any girl baby names? she'll feel so bad!" And thus began the hunt for a beautiful baby girl name. In a couple of days i chalked out an entire list of names and their meanings. Between the two of us, we'd picked and finalised a boy and girl name. In my enthusiasm i checked out the numerology implications of the spellings et all (my pregnancy website had a tool for the same!)
That moment on the 21st of april 2011 is etched in my memory forever. In the OT, in my blindfold i heard the baby cry for the first time. The doctors were busy stitching me up and i was itching with curiosity. The anesthetist very hesitantly asked me, "what did u want?" and believe me at that moment i only wanted to know that i'd had a healthy baby. "Here's your baby girl", he said, opening my blindfold for a second. My wet cheeks touched her soft face and she was taken away.
A very drowsy and heavily drugged me was wheeled in to the room post operation. The baby was put in a cradle next to me. MMW couldn't stop smiling. Between all the congratulatory calls, visits and the sudden added responsibility, he whispered in my ear "So, shall i register her as Aanya?". I smiled, and nodded and that's how we named our Aanya.
It means inexhaustible in sanskrit and gracious in hebrew. Before we named her, we'd hardly heard of any Aanyas. Now, everyone i know knows another Aanya. Yet, there's only one Aanya Purkayastha- our most awaited, most petted, most pampered- our first one!
