Dale Earnhardt Jr. reveals the family ties behind new baby daughter’s names
Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Thursday revealed the birth of his and wife, Amy’s, second daughter, and why they chose Nicole and Lorraine as her first and middle names.
On his Dale Jr. Download podcast, the retired NASCAR driver explained how Nicole is Amy’s middle name and Lorraine is the middle name of his late mother, Brenda Jackson.
Earnhardt said it was his wife’s idea on their baby’s middle name.
Nicole Lorraine Earnhardt was born on Monday, Earnhardt announced on his podcast.
“Amy had a pretty good pregnancy,” Earnhardt reported. “She said it felt like it was a long one because of (the) COVID (pandemic) and all that, but we’re not going to complain, because we have a healthy little baby girl.”
The Earnhardts have yet to release photos of Nicole Lorraine, who joins 2-year-old big sister Isla Rose.
Earnhardt said he and his wife “didn’t figure out” their new daughter’s first and middle names “until the very back end of the pregnancy. Just recently.”
“We were going in another direction for months. and then, right at the end of her pregnancy, we both just sat down and said, you know, I don’t know if that’s the one, and started from scratch.”
No nerves with 2nd birth
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Earnhardt said he and his wife’s nerves were far more settled the second time around. “When we came home with Isla, we were a ball of nerves,” he said.
This time, he said, they couldn’t wait to leave the hospital for home. Earnhardt is from Mooresville, where he and Amy have their home.
“No basket of nerves,” Earnhardt said. “... It’s just been smooth.”
Nicole Lorraine was “extremely quiet” the first day, although she didn’t sleep “super well” that night, he said.
“Last night was a great night,” he added. “She slept really good. It’s going great. She is super quiet. Doesn’t cry.”
Listen here, dads
Earnhardt also lent some friendly advice to expectant dads on choosing the names of their children.
“You’re involved, but your wife’s going to choose it,” he said.
“What you do, if you’re listening, guys, and you’re in this position, you just sit back. You can obviously be vocal about the names you’re not a big fan of. Don’t be too vocal about the ones you do like.
“She’s going to narrow that down for you ... to the two or three options you’re OK with and then the one. When I mean ‘OK with,’ that you like as well. Not like, yeah, that’s decent.”
“Nicole Lorraine” to me is great,” Earnhardt said of the names. “I love all things about it.”