It's been a while since I've posted anything about Sarah's pregnancy. Well, the countdown is officially under way. Yes, there are less than three weeks to go!

We had another ultrasound last week and the boy is on track. He's estimated to be in the 64th percentile, clocking in at 6 pounds, 11 ounces. (Of course, being a Lopinot, his head circumference is a bit ahead of schedule at 34.5 centimeters).

We still haven't picked a name. We've gotten our list down to about six or seven contenders. I'd like to have that issue resolved ASAP. We'll see ...

Yesterday, my in-laws came over (thank you!) and we painted little guy's room. It's an aqua-ish, sky-ish blue. Very light. Looks good. We also got the crib we are borrowing until Oliver transitions into his "big boy" bedroom set.

After the baby is born, I'm planning on taking four weeks of paternity leave, thanks again to an awesome policy at my place of employment, Standing Partnership. Should be fun.

And that's about it. Kinda random, but a few items I wanted to get out there for family and friends. If you have any questions about the pregnancy, leave a comment.

        

If you've been around me or are one of my Facebook friends, you know that I have a separate shoulder. I've been getting a lot of questions about it, so I thought I'd put a few things on my blog for all to see. Let's make it a Q&A. Here we go:

How'd it happened?
At ice hockey last Sunday, I was skating next to a guy who was hooking me with his stick. The ref's whistle went off, so I relaxed my body and stopped worrying about the play. Then, the guy kicked my skates out from under me. As I fell, I instinctively grabbed onto his arm. Then, the guy forced me to the ice, left shoulder first, and plowed his weight onto me at the same time. Ouch. Nice guy, too ... very classy for a men's league (joking, of course).

How bad does it hurt?
My shoulder only hurts when I move my left in certain directions. If I keep it in my sling or hold my elbow close to my chest, it feels fine.

Will you need surgery?
It's considered a Grade III separation, meaning it's borderline in terms of requiring surgery. For now, the doctor wants to wait and see if it heals naturally?

How long will that take?
It's supposed to take about four to six weeks to heal, then I'll need some physical therapy.

Isn't the baby due soon?
Why yes, the baby is due soon. In less than a month, actually. Great timing, I know.
 
So what exactly is going on with your shoulder?
There are two bones, the clavicle (collarbone) and scapula (shoulder blade) that usually are about a centimeter apart. In my case, they are now 2 centimeters apart and two of the three tendons that hold the bones together snapped. They should, however, reattach and heal on their own. Or at least that's the hope.


Are you on pain meds?
I was given Percoset and took it the first night. I slept great, but woke up dizzy and nauseous. I then got a prescription for a less powerful painkiller, which I've only been taking at night. During the day, I either just endure the pain or take something like ibuprofen or Aleve.

Can you still work, or does this affect your ability to type?
I can still type. At first, I had to get into a somewhat awkward position so my fingers could hit the keys without pain. But it's been a week now, and I'm in much better shape for typing normally.

Will there be any permanent damage?
It should heal and my mobility should be normal in due time. However, I will have a slight bump on my left shoulder for the rest of my life. It's hardly noticeable, but it's definitely there.

Aren't you too old to be out playing ice hockey?
While I may be getting up there in age, I enjoy playing hockey. Plus, it's one of the few times during the week when I get to spend time with my friends. I've been skating with most of the same guys for many, many years now and it'd truly stink to give that up. I will say, however, that at some point I need to consider a less competitive league. But that also would mean an end to many of the friendships that I've developed.

So that's about it. Pretty sucky, but oh well. If you have any other questions, let me know.

        

Oliver attempts a three-syllable word, and has a few issues with it (was much funnier BEFORE the camera came out, but still kinda goofy):

        

Today is a special day. It marks the 32nd week of Sarah's pregnancy. That's significant because the baby's development in the womb allegedly is complete at this point. Now, the baby will just grow and grow until the end, gaining about a half pound every week. We'll find out the approximate weight in a few days. At least check, about two weeks ago, the little guy was about 3.5 pounds.

It's hard to believe the end of Sarah's pregnancy is this close. Keep growing, my future son ... we can't wait to meet you in a few weeks.

        

Here's my much delayed post about the second part of our Christmas journey. I realize it's really late, but I wanted to get something posted and on the record. Here we go:

We spent the days following Christmas in Springfield, Mo., at my parents' house. We were joined by both of my sisters and their men and my Grandma Carol. We stayed for a few days, and we had a lot of fun.

Oliver immediately bonded with his "super-grandma." It was really sweet to see him dig through his pile of books, pick one out and tear over to my Grandma Carol so she could read to him. Usually short on patience for long books, Oliver would sit through some long ones like the unabridged version of "The Cat and the Hat" as long as super-grandma was reading to him.



Oliver also had a blast opening presents. We opened gifts the second night we were there and the following morning, and we went through stocking gifts that afternoon. Each time, Oliver would start with lots of enthusiasm and then eventually wear out, get crabby and require some sleep.



Also joining us for the weekend were my sisters' dogs. They were pretty fun together, and generally well-behaved. However, I now have a new appreciation for our goldendoodle Molly (we didn't bring her; thanks to some free housing offered by my in-laws!). Scary as it sounds, Molly would have likely been the least "in-your-face" dog, and she definitely would have been the only dog to go potty after being asked just once!

Here's Parker during one of the few moments where she was pooped out:



And here's Smith, also during a rare down moment:



We really had a great time. My parents are awesome hosts and really made the visit special. We had a blast hanging out with Jennifer and her husband and Carrie and her boyfriend, playing dice, cards and Wii. And it's always special when we get to see my Grandma Carol.

The last day we were there, my mom brought out a cake to celebrate my birthday a day early. It was great, too, and Oliver loved eating off my plate.



Overall, this was one of my favorite Christmases of all time. We have lots of awesome memories to stay with us forever.

        

During the past week, we have caught Oliver singing to himself quite a few times. He tries so hard to make the words come out for the ABCs, the "Happy Birthday" song and "Jingle Bells." And for the past couple of days, he's started to chime in when we sing those three songs. For "Jingle Bells," he yells out the last word, "sleigh," and makes the most excited facial gesture. It's not the best video ever, but below is one we shot of him doing his big ending. Enjoy!

        

Well, the "Aughts" ended with a whimper last night, as we stayed in. But we had a lot of fun, playing games as a family and ringing in the New Year together.

I could go on and on about the past decade, as so much has changed. I've been working the entire time, going from editor to reporter to a media relations specialist to my current job at Standing Partnership. I've also earned a master's degree, met and married my sweet Sarah, fathered a beautiful baby boy, started teaching classes at UMSL, bought my first house, got my byline into about a dozen publications, started blogging, lost some hair, started getting a few gray hairs, gained some weight, got a dog, made dozens of new friends, played lot of ice hockey, started playing Texas Hold 'Em and so much more.

Soon, I'll be the father to a second son. I'll also turn 40 this decade (**gulp!**). What else could possibly be in my future? Whatever happens, the next 10 years are sure to be full of countless highs and lows.

        

Many of you already know this, but today is my birthday. Another year older. I started the day by going to the DMV to get my drivers license renewed. I spent a good amount of time making sure I had the right shirt on and would be making the right smile/face for my photograph. However, it was all for naught. Yes, the face that will appear on my drivers license for the next six years resembles that of a swollen, burnt marshmallow. Really nice.

This afternoon, we were looking to do something as a family so I chose ice skating. We went to Frontier Park in St. Charles, along the Missouri River, where they have a temporary ice rink set up. I wanted to take Oliver out for his first skate.

Well, it could have been worse, I guess. He was really, really crabby. We only made it around the rink one time with his rented ice skates on. Here's the only proof I have (look close at his feet) that he did "lace them up" before his second birthday:



He really wanted to walk around, so we put his shoes back on and he calmed for a bit. Then, he wanted to go back out on the ice with me. I held his hands and he would either walk or drag his feet as I pushed him around the rink. On some occasions, he'd lean way back and make eye contact with me, saying, "Upside down," and smiling ear to ear. It was really cute, and I'll always remember that look he gave me.
 


But then other times, his face would curl up into "pouty" mode and he'd be inconsolable. You can see that in some of the pictures, like this one:



A few times, I'd hug him and he'd just want to watch the skaters whiz by, like in this picture:



Other times, he just wanted his mother. He even coaxed her into taking him over to look at one of the nearby train cars. However, once he got over there, he still was cranky:



He finally relaxed after we got some food in his tiny stomach. He had to eat his hot dog with a spoon, but he sure enjoyed it:



The rest of my birthday went well. We're relaxing now, after putting Oliver to bed. Plus, it's been a long week and I have to work tomorrow. I do owe you all a blog post about the second part of our Christmas adventure. Hopefully, I can get something posted this weekend. Hope you all had a great holiday and will be safe on New Year's Eve.

        

The first part of our Christmas journey ended about an hour ago, when we got back from Sarah's brother's house. Oliver has had a blast during his second Christmas. He's really come into his own, and he just loves opening presents, as seen here:



He got some really cool gifts, including lots of fun toys and this little shirt and tie combo he's holding, courtesy of his Great-Grandma Frieda:



Our crazy goldendoodle Molly had a pretty exciting Christmas, too. She got a stocking full of treats and this cool little sqeaky toy:



Santa delivered quite a bounty, and Sarah tried to pose in front of our tree and the gifts with Oliver and Molly. The boy struggled to get away and do something else, while the dog showed her excitement with a yawn:



One of my favorite gifts was a calendar that my sweet wife put together with pictures of our family. Here I am showing the pictures to Oliver:



What a Christmas. I'll have some great memories for years to come, that's for sure. But our Christmas journey isn't over yet - it continues over the next few days, which we will be spending with my parents, my sisters and my Grandma Carol. Should be fun.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everybody out there.

        

We've been bad this year. About that holiday card of ours ... no, it didn't get stuck in the mail. In fact, we didn't send any out this year. For one thing, it's been a really busy month for us. I hate offering excuses, but I've been working quite a bit (at my day job and doing the UMSL thing). Add that to everything else that comes with raising a toddler, and time just flies by. The next thing you know it's Dec. 23 and you're blogging for just the second time in weeks.

So to those of us who sent us a holiday card this year, we say "thank you." And to those of you who normally would have received a card from us (and for those who just like my blog or me), we offer a picture of our boy after eating a "holiday" Oreo. It had green and red filing, and the boy went crazy on it. He was pretty darn cute. Below's a picture. Have a great holiday season!