We got a lot of alone time today with Owen, which was special. We also were visited by his great-grandma Frieda, great-grandpa Gil and his sister Anna, my parents, his grandma Annette and her sister, and, of course, his big brother Oliver.
But what I’ll remember most about Owen’s second day is the way he opens his eyes wide and just looks around at everything. He appears so curious about the big world out there. He’s been (**knock on wood**) very quiet. He makes little, whimpy cries when he’s hungry, but otherwise he just lays there, eyes darting around the room and soaking in his environment. Wonder what he’s thinking about …
Monthly Archives: February 2010
A bit more about Owen August’s first day; plus Oliver meets his little brother
Owen August’s first day has been a good one. He came into this world crying, but has been pretty quiet since. He picked up feeding right away, and has been doing well all day. In terms of measurements, he’s 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and his length is 20.5 inches. Here’s a little bit more about our day:
We checked in at about 5:50 a.m., and were prepped fur surgery. The delivery was quick and easy (but it was surgery, so not THAT easy – just relatively so). Afterward, we headed to the recovery area for about an hour. Both sets of grandparents arrived around 9 a.m., so we brought them into the room in pairs (only two guests at a time). First, the grandmas, then the grandpas. Those were really sweet moments.
Next, Owen was whisked to another area of the hospital for measurements. After we settled into our permanent room, I took the grandparents and Oliver down to the cafeteria for lunch. It was only 11 a.m., but I was STARVING! When we came up, we let Oliver into the room to meet his little brother. Tired and ready for a nap, Oliver wasn’t too interested. He just stared at Owen, as seen in one of the first pictures of their encounter here:
And here:
Eventually, we negotiated with Oliver. “Give him a kiss and we can go and you can take a nap.” He complied:
Then he grabbed my mom’s hand to leave. Everyone was gone by 1 p.m. We had a quiet afternoon, napping, bonding with Owen, talking to nurses and watching U.S.A. destroy Finland by a score of 6-1 in the Winter Olympics quarterfinal game.
Sarah’s Aunt Kay arrived around 5 p.m. and stayed for an hour. After that, I grabbed lunch, we bonded more with Owen and now we’re just waiting another 90 minutes until his next feeding. In fact, as I type this, Sarah and Oliver are both sleeping. They both look so innocent.
Sarah is feeling – and appears – much better after this surgery than she did two years ago after the emergency delivery of Oliver. She just ate some Cheerios, which was significant as it was the first solid food she was allowed to eat since last night. She’s been such a proud, sweet mom today:
We hope to be in bed by about 10 p.m., and we have a busy day on Saturday with lots of guests stopping by. Should be fun.
Introducing: Owen August Lopinot
Owen August Lopinot arrived at 8:01 a.m. this morning. Mom and baby are doing fine. He came in at 7 pounds, 13 ounces. I’ll have more about this later, but for now, some pictures:
Three hours to go
It’s 4:30 a.m. The alarm just went off, and Sarah’s in the shower. I’m going to grab a quick breakfast and then we’re out the door and on the way to the hospital. We actually slept pretty well last night – just not long enough! Getting up this early will do that to a person.
The baby arrives in about three hours. The next time you hear from me, there will be four in the family. Wish us well!
This is it …
This is it … the baby arrives tomorrow morning. Bright and early. Like 5:45 a.m. check-in early. We’re both full of nervous excitement. Last night, I was awake for about three hours in the middle of the night, just thinking about the baby to come. I’m sure tonight will be just as tough.
We still haven’t settled on a name. Sarah and I plan to discuss it tonight, and hopefully come to a conclusion.
My parents are at the house, and they’ll be watching Oliver for the next few days. The end of this pregnancy is so much different than the first one. This time, we know the storm that’s coming. However, just like last time, there really is no way to prepare for it.
That’s about it for now. I’ll post updates as I can. Wish us luck!
Feeling nostalgic: My presentation at Fontbonne University
Today, I had the honor of presenting to students at Fontbonne University during the “Student Alumni Association Brown Bag Lunch Series.” I delivered a brief presentation, using photos and work samples from freshman year to the present. The point was to give students an idea of how I’ve used my degree and built my career. I also spent quite a bit of time talking about my current employer, Standing Partnership, and our work in education.
I was feeling quite nostalgic, both over the weekend while going through and scanning old photos, and on campus, walking into the library where I had work-study so many years ago. I met some great people and students. And I almost talked my way into checking out the new office for The Fontbanner, the school paper for which I served as editor-in-chief for three semesters, but the current editor had a class after the presentation. Oh well.
Hopefully I will have additional excuses to get up to campus in the future, as I loved my time at Fontbonne. Many of the people who shaped the person I am today are still there, teaching classes, running dormitories and overseeing the university. I’d also like to meet new people there, including “talking shop” with the marketing/PR team at some point.
Below is a photo from my presentation. Enjoy!
Oliver, you’re going to be a big brother soon
Oliver … he has no clue what’s coming. In just under a week, our second son arrives. Though the chances Oliver will ever read this blog post are slim, I thought it would be a good time to write out a little message to the boy. If he could understand, this is what I’d tell him:
Oliver, you’re going to be a big brother soon.
Your mommy and daddy love you very much, and we will love our new son, too.
He’s going to be your little buddy.
Oh, sure, you’re going to fight on occasion.
But you will be the best of friends.
He’ll be a friend for life.
A friend who plays catch and passes pucks with you.
A friend who pulls for you and encourages you to be the best in everything you do.
A friend who comforts you through life’s highs and lows.
A friend who stands with you at your wedding, holds your children and grandchildren.
And a friend to console you when I’m gone.
You will have so much to teach your little brother.
He won’t be tiny for long.
Soon, he’ll be crawling, then walking, then talking, then singing and saying his ABCs, just like you.
He’s going to look up to you, so you need to be a good boy.
You’ll be his role mode – he’s going to try to be like you.
I can’t wait to see the two of you grow up together, side by side.
After the baby arrives, our lives will never be the same again.
Soon there will be four of us – well, five counting Molly.
Oliver, you’re going to be a big brother soon – a big, proud brother.
We love you very much.
Twinkle, twinkle, little future rock star (or choir boy)
During Oliver’s 23 months on this Earth, we’ve spent many a night up late with him, feeding him bottles, soothing him back to sleep and singing him songs. Early on, he seemed interested in “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” and Sarah would sing it to him regularly. After a while, she tired of singing the same lyrics over and over, so he came up with her own verse:
“Silver, silver shining moon
I will see you oh so soon
When the sun has gone to bed
And you rest you sleepy head
Silver, silver shining moon
I will see you oh so soon.”
Simple, I know, but at least some variety. Anyway, Oliver continues to take a liking to the song. Lately, we’ve been catching him singing Sarah’s version of the song. It’s pretty cool. I captured a good clip of him doing “Silver, Silver, Shining Moon” two nights ago. Enjoy:
Update on our next baby – the countown is under way
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.
Blog Full of Letters 