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!
All posts by jlope23
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.
Details about my shoulder injury
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.
‘Cucumber’ … ‘cum-ba-coo-la’
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):
Sarah hits the magical 32nd week of pregnancy
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.
The second part of our Christmas journey
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.
Oliver gives the ending of ‘Jingle Bells’ a little boost
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!
Happy New Year! What will the next decade bring?
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.
Blog Full of Letters 