Howard "Houdini" Hovel

Our first grandchild was born on 1 Jan 2024 at 2:31 am. Howard "Howie" Leo Hovel entered this crazy and beautiful world in the dead of night on a the first day of the New Year. We often see images in the newspaper of a young infant or toddler with a sash reading the year, and old man time, representing the prior year, moving off to the side. The movement of time is one of the few certainties in life. The little boy will get bigger and pull off varied antics. His paternal grandmother was/is quite the adventurer so it may be in his blood. His first night home he was able to de-swaddle himself, hence the moniker Houdini.

Howard, 1 Jan 2024

I believe it was my son who said one medical provider was impressed with his eye--hand coordination. Perhaps this led to his determination to get out of his swaddle. I like that, it shows tenacity and determination. Today, apparently due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), infants are tightly swaddled, and laid not on their side or belly, but on their back. The swaddle makes some sense to me as they were in a tight space in the womb, but another part of me wants to start a campaign to Free Howard Hovel. Let him move those tiny arms and legs to build muscle. Let him kick and squirm. The way infants are tended today is a marked change from even twenty years ago.

Howard and his Hovel grandparents, and dad

Even though Howie turned only a week old as I write this on 8 Jan 2024, one week can represent a big change in the life of an infant. My wife cried when each of our kids turned a week old. Why? because they were a week old. Time was changing them. The funny thing is sometimes I feel more anxiety about Howard and how he is doing than I did or do about my own boys. I chalk it up to the fact that I saw my kids regularly and tended to know what was going on, but that is not the case with Howard. It is in part because babies are so vulnerable, and reliant. They need a great deal of care, and hence I wonder how Howie is doing. 

Howard with his parents, 2 Jan 2024

When in-utero, the parents would not tell us the name they had picked out. In utero he was given the name Dallas by my sister, which is a long-story about a Dallas her husband works with. I am not sure if the guy is a trouble maker or what the deal is. Hence, we started to refer to the unborn child as Dallas. I still find myself referring to him a Dallas. But, I do like the Houdini nickname, my son gave him for his escape from his swaddle that first night home. It has that alliteration we all like to see. My first son was to be born Christmas Eve in 1991, but came three weeks early. If he had been born on his due date I was going to name him Homer Howard Hovel, Ho Ho Ho, for short. Although, I am sure I would have had to battle with my wife on that name. Here, I now have Howard "Houdini" Hovel. The way children are, I can see him pulling off a few more escapades. Not that his rule-following grandfather would even encourage him. 

Howard and his Hovel grandparents
2 Jan 2024

When they chose the name Howard, neither of the parents knew that my wife's father was Howard Gerald, since he always went by Jerry. I had a brother, uncle and grandpa (maternal) that were all named Leo. Here is a fun fact, in Dallas', I mean Howard's, Hovel line of direct ancestors, I have to go back to Howard's eighth great grandfather, Simon Havel, to find a direct line male ancestor who first child was a girl. Now, the males in the line were not all first born, but the first child born to them and their spouse was a boy. Just an odd fact that I realized as I was typing this that I would pass along. 

A proud and beaming grandma,
Too bad the mask is on

Howard, showing the patience of his paternal grandmother, decided to arrive ten days earlier than his due date. As a first born child, it will be interesting to see the traits he develops, and whether he follows those traits, that are so exhibited in his first born dare-devil paternal grandmother, or the more laid back, rule-following approach of a middle child exhibited by his paternal grandfather. Howard, my thoughts are prayers are with you as you grow. I am looking forward to the fun times we will have.