What is in a name?

My last name has not always been Bhe (which, by the way is pronounced Bee). My name used to be Millar (pronounced miller), then I met my husband, we got married and bam, my name was changed. It is not like I met my now hubby when I was young, I was 26, I was in graduate school, I was a Millar. Granted, people butchered my name even then, because I was Leigh Millar (they would say, lea, leegaha - truly they did say this - lay, etc. Then my last name was always something like mylar. So, I went through life being lay mylar. Was it fun? No, but it was me and I was used to it. I didn't know any other millar's in chapel hill, and then people could always say, oh are you Jim and Claire's daughter? Yes, I am why thank you very much. Anyhow, back to the story, I met my now hubby and when I realized he "might be the one" I thought, how in the hell is this going to work? My name will rhyme, I will be Leigh Bhe (or lee bee). Guess what? My nickname in elementary school was leebee (said quickly, lebe not leeeeebeeee), so I marked it down as destiny, my nickname was going to be MY NAME for all of the world to use.

That feeling did not last long! One day, a few months before our wedding, we were eating out and I said some along the lines of 'so, what if I didn't take your name'. Needless to say, my argument of "well, I am older than you and I have had my name longer" and "there are no other millar's in my family to carry on the name" didn't go over to well.

After we got married I kind of hyphenated without actually using a hyphen for my last name. My excuse was "well, everyone at work and the university knows me as Millar and it is just easier to use both names". In reality, I just was not ready to part with the Millar. I felt like a Millar, it was me, it always has been me.

Then we had a daughter. I tried to get her named Millar, but that did not fly. Her last name is Bhe. I quit my job. No need for Millar any longer. I had heard from friends with different last names than their children that it could be a pain to deal with. So off I went to duties of a stay at home mom as a Bhe and only a Bhe. Now, the questions I get are these:

1. How do you pronounce your last name? Bee, I respond. Ah, I would not have guessed that.
2. Wow, I have never seen your last name before, what is the origin of it? Pennsylvania Dutch from what I have been told!
3. So, your name is Lee Bee (not really a question, but more of a statement of amazement)

Often, when I introduce myself people look at me a little strange, and say, "lee bee that is so cute". Sure, it is cute, try having it!

Finally though, my sweet hubby said "I should have just said you could keep Millar, but I wanted someone else to have to deal with Bhe as a last name also!"