What's In A Name?

As I mentioned in my first post, I didn't think marriage would happen for me.  However, I thought if it ever did I'd probably be well into my mid to late 30s and "taking my husband's name" wouldn't even be a consideration.  I then went and got married in my mid-twenties.  Now it was decision time.  I don't consider myself a feminist (though some may say I am).  I guess I am somewhat of a 'modern woman' but not to extremes.  My husband, D, is what I would consider a feminist.  As a result, he didn't want me to take his name.  Or more accurately, he left the decision to me all the while secretly (or not so secretly as he told me multiple times) that his preference would be for me to keep my married name.

Now I did like my maiden name.  I'd lived 2.5 decades with it.  But it was my decision to make.  Although I didn't know whether marriage would happen for me, I knew kids would.  The idea of having kids with my husband and not all having the same last name sealed my decision.  Taking D's last name became my decision.