Kevin Bacon, E-Dog, K-Pop and WHAT?!

According to my mom, becoming a Grandparent is one of God’s greatest gifts. She had a boatload of grandchildren and great-grandchildren that she loved to the moon and back and they loved her even further. Mom came from the old school where she took up the name Granny. Today’s guest-blogger Donna is about to embark on the amazing journey of becoming a grandparent and she’s looking for a cool name. Enjoy her post and help her choose what name her precious grandson will call her.

Shari

Sometime next month, my youngest daughter and I will each hit a lifetime milestone. She will become a first-time mom, and I will become a first-time grandmother. As we are quickly approaching her due date, I cannot wait to meet my new grandson. I helped with setting up the new nursery; threw a baby shower and probably bought too much for a child not here yet. I am doing better restraining myself with the promise, I can buy him more when he gets here. But there is one thing I am struggling with – what will this baby call me?

Growing up we called both my grandmothers, Grandma. But as a child I found it confusing, especially when my mom would say we are going to grandma’s house. My brother and sister and I would ask “Which Grandma?” And my parents would add their last name Grandma Stumpf or Grandma Wingender. But even as a kid I felt that was too impersonal for someone so important.

When my kids were born, my mom had already staked claim on the name Grammie and my mother-in-law became Grandma Jeanne. They both had different names, and it was not confusing.

When my daughter Livy and her husband Barrett first told us they were expecting they told us they already picked out names for the soon-to-be first-time grandparents. Barrett’s stepdad Eric would be E-Dog, my husband Kevin would be K-Pop.  Ok, I can see where they are going, trying to keep them current, short and easy for a child to remember.

But their name selections took a crazy left turn from there. Apparently when Barrett was little, he told his mom, Sarah, that he was going to have his children call her “Kevin Bacon.”  Neither Barrett nor Sarah remembers his reasoning behind the name Kevin Bacon. So that was settled (only in Barrett’s mind). Next was my turn, nervously I waited – what did they want my new grandchild to call me? I was ok with E-Dog and K-Pop, but Kevin Bacon? What was I going to be called?

Finally, Barrett jokingly blurted out the first D – word that came to mind, (and shall not be repeated in this blog). “WHAT?! Nope, nope, nope, we are not going with that!” I told them. Sarah jumped in and said she was ditching Kevin Bacon.

Since the day Livy and Barrett have given us their suggestions, Sarah and I have talked. We did not want to choose the same name. And neither one of us wanted the traditional Grandma. At the baby shower last month, Sarah told me she was going with, “Honey”.  So now, less than a month away, I still can’t decide.  Here is the list of suggestions with my thought.

My Grandma Name List

1. Grandma, Granny Grams, Gran – No, I don’t want any form of Grandma.
2. GaGa – My sister-in-law is GaGa. I always thought her grandchild called her because they couldn’t pronounce Grandma, but when I did a search for Grandma names on the internet GaGa came up. They live in NJ and we only see them a few times a year, but I am ok with her being the only Gaga in the family.
3. Meemaw – No offense to the Meemaw’s out there, but I am not from the Midwest or South, I am a Jersey Girl and Meemaw is not me.
4. G-Bet – My nephews called their Grandma Betty G-Bet. I like this because it fits her and it’s a one-of-a-kind name.
5. Meme, Nona, Oma, Bubbe, Nana – These are all names for Grandma in different cultures. Bubbe is a word I use a lot, but I use it as a term of endearment. So that would not work for me.
6. Mimi, Gigi, Didi – I like all three of these. My grandmother wanted my kids to call her Gigi when she became a Great-Grandmother. So maybe GiGi’s are more modern. I like Mimi, and I had not heard of Didi until it came up in my recent internet searches. I like that too.

So, there’s my list. Mimi and Didi are my two front runners. But I am still hesitating to commit to one of them. What do you think? Feel free to leave your favorite or maybe a new suggestion in the comments. What did you call your grandma? You can also email me D.Lavoie@gesmv.org.