Business in front, party in the back

When I was pregnant with Phoebe, I wondered how I could possibly love her as much as Bruce. And then when she was born, I somehow did. I had the same misgivings about the third kid: how could I possibly love one more as much as Bruce and Phoebe? I'm still not sure how it is possible, but it is. I love Oliver. I sometimes like to compare Bruce and Phoebe, thinking of them as complete opposites on a spectrum - Bruce with his calculated and serious moves and Phoebe with her daredevilish and silly ways. I was wondering where Oliver would fit on this spectrum, or if he would redefine the spectrum altogether; I'm thinking it's going to be the latter. As Scott put it, "Oliver is his own man."

He is his own man, starting with the name. Oliver isn't a family name; it's just a name we both liked and agreed on. It means "peacemaker," which I thought would be a good thing (although realistically I don't think he will be that go-with-the-flow third child). Ironically, his middle name could be translated as a Greek god of war, but "Mars" refers to the amazing family that I am from. I hope to channel that legacy into my own family and my hope is that Oliver will be "Mars Strong" - always genuinely caring for his siblings and serving those around him.

Oliver Mars is doing amazingly well in his first few days of life. He was on oxygen for the first day, but was weaned off of that quickly. He is currently under the biliruben lights to correct his "baby jaundice." Because his skin has to be exposed to the lights, he lays around in nothing but a diaper all day; he stays in an incubator to keep warm. Sadly, he has to wear those little sunglasses to protect his eyes, so it's hard to get a good picture of him. He is still young to try feeding, so he gets his nutrition from an IV and a feeding tube in his nose. Next week we may get to try feeding; about 33.5 weeks is when babies learn to suck and swallow. Until then, I'm feeding a plastic breastpump and dripping it down his tube.

Oliver is a good mix of me and Scott; he has Scott's forehead and my nose and mouth. He has lots of hair that is lighter than Bruce and Phoebe's ever was and looks strawberry blonde sometimes. It's hard to tell in the photos above because I took these under the bili lights and used the not-so-good white balance setting on my little camera to try and get them somewhat normal looking (under the lights, he looks like he has blue skin and blue hair). Anyway, I think he looks a little red-headed, but it might be my wishful thinking too. His hair is all neat and short in the front, and he has a little tufty mullet in the back. Scott and I both have long fingers and toes, but Oliver definitely takes after Scott in this way. Their nails are shaped just the same way and the way they move them is just the same too.

The doctors say Oliver will be in the NICU for a minimum of three weeks, but it could be more depending on how long it takes to learn to eat and what other complications may develop. We are still taking this day by day, but are feeling good about where he's at right now.