New male in my life!

This is my nephew, Oscar. He is so cute and sweet. My big brother, Paul and his lovely wife, Tara, have brought the cutest little guy into this world. His name is Oscar (isn't that just the best name ever?!) He is pretty quiet right now, as he is still a baby. Soon, Oscar will be letting this world know what he is all about with the intelligence that both of his parents inhabit. He is already a thinker! You can tell just by the pictures of him. Oscar Elliott was about a month early, born on August 10th. He was not due until the first full week if September ( I think the 7th was the due date). When he was still incubating he decided that it was enough time inside the warmth of Tara and wanted to let the powers that be know that it was time to get to out into the cold world we all know as Planet Earth. He arrived just before 9 pm (8:45pm PT) on August 10th, 2007. His Uncle Ryan and Auntie Emily were waiting, along with Grandma and Grandpa Zimmerman. Auntie Anne tagged along and hung out with Kathy and Nick in the waiting room watching the fish tank. (Grandma Deane wanted to be there but was on vacation in France thinking a full month was okay to be away.... Little Oscar had something else on his mind and wanted to have a story for all of us to tell!! I guess, when he starts talking we'll get HIS side of the story... )... On the T.V. was a Jack Black movie called "School of Rock". A funny little flick to pass the time. As the 7 of us waited (not so patiently) in the waiting room of Northwest Hospital, we read the headlines of August tenth, watched the movie of the week on tv, looked at the nurses station with dismay as they would do their jobs as they would every other day of the week not realizing that one of the most precious people in the entire history of the planet Earth was being birthed. As if people are born everyday in these peoples days.... Whatever! Oscar Elliott Zimmerman was being pressured into the world and we were all anxious to meet him. Paul and Tara had regular visits to the doctor and she had monitored his growth and found that he was done with the womb and should start growing on his own, with air and nourishment outside. Tara was induced nearly a full day before little Oscar was born. Heavy labor was about 3 hours (I think actually closer to 4 hours, but 2 1/2-3 hours of hard, hard pushing labor) before Oscar made his appearance. The doc's and nurses were a little concerned with his lungs, as I was told that they can be very weak when born at 36 weeks. I can't imagine what Paul and Tara must have been feeling once Oscar was born and the doctors and nurses were working so fast and not talking much. Trying to tend to Oscar and make sure that he was breathing on his own and his temperature was high enough. I was also told that premature babies have trouble keeping warm since their skin is pretty thin. The last month of growing inside the womb is basically gaining weight to prepare for life outside of Mommy. When Oscar was born he was only 4 pounds 4 ounces. That's pretty small for a baby to enter the world. But!!! Oscar is a Zimmerman, and is strong. He has a great pedigree to begin with and that is a plus in his direction. He was a little guy under 17 inches (16 and 3/4 to be exact.) But you must understand that height is so OVERRATED in this American society. Mommy Tara is just over 5 feet tall and Auntie Anne is just oh so very slightly taller than that (shrinking by the year, I swear it!) Although, I have no doubts at all that he will over come this small birth height and be a tall one. Who knows, he could be the tallest one in the Zimmerman family. As far as I know, not one of the Z males has gone over 6 feet, let Oscar be the first! I think I'm done growing (in height, that is. Growing in width is always in question.... especially the past few years and the medications the doctors have me on.)

...This entire post was brought on by looking at Oscar's web site that Paul and Tara have made for him. He's already so smart, he posts what is going on in his life and all the things that he is learning. The first Halloween, first joke, baths with Daddy, walks with Mommy, and all sorts of activities that he goes to. Even friends he meets and things he hopes to do in the near future. It's a great web site. If you have a few minutes to check out incredible pictures and astonishing writing by someone who was born only months ago, please visit oscarzimmerman.com. I am so proud to have him as my nephew (first "official" nephew). He is so cute, so innocent, so smart! I only hope to show him the good parts of Jason and my world (basically Seattle sports) I hope that he likes me as a Auntie and he doesn't think that I am a total nerd. I admire Tara and Paul for bringing such a sweet person into our lives and I eagerly await his future as I am a little part of his life. I hope to be a good influence in his life. I want only good things for him to learn and be a good human and contribute to this world. New life can be such a wonderful thing. Welcome little Oscar, to this little world of ours. I love you so much already :)

Oscar’s Musings