Fatherhood

The greatest sound you will ever hear is a baby's first cry. I have heard this sound twice and both times I was overcome with emotion; I couldn't stop crying myself for both Briana's and Alex's birth (a lot more than even mom cried). So many things ran through my mind in the short time after Alex was delivered. First, I was just amazed at how beautiful he was. I kept thinking how did I get so lucky to be blessed with this miracle. I also thought about what he will become in the future. Maybe he will be a college professor (like dad), or maybe a counselor (like mom). He might be a doctor, lawyer, or even President of the United States. He might even quarterback Ohio State to the 2029 national championship. My mom always told me and my brothers we could be whatever we wanted; hopefully, Gretchen and I can convey this to Alex (and Briana).

I mentioned in a previous blog how I was in my dream job. I also valued my time as a coach. I viewed the title of "Coach" as a term of respect. I enjoyed being "Coach Turner" and still call all of those in the profession "Coach" (I have never called Ohio State's football coach by his first name, it is always Coach Tressel in our household; even Briana knows him by this name - same with Coach Hayes). Now, I am known as "Dr. Turner" because of my Ph.D. "Dr." is another title that you have to earn. However, the title I value most is "Daddy". I love hearing that come from Briana's mouth. The responsibilities with this title are so much more important than the other titles I have had. No other "job" compares to this one. When you think about everything you have to do as a parent, it is quite overwhelming. It is also far more rewarding than anything I will ever do in the future. Gretchen and I are going to do our very best to take care of Alex and to teach him everything he needs to know.

And so the journey begins. Everyday will be an adventure, and there will be some bumps along the way. I'm sure we will make some mistakes, but hopefully we can teach Alex right from wrong and to treat everyone with respect. It's been amazing seeing Briana go from a 3 pound baby to a beautiful, young kindergartner. It is an incredible feeling to know that I will now get to see 2 children grow to adulthood. I couldn't be happier!!!

1st pictures

Alex & Gretchen are doing fine. Alex is in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), but is making great progress. More updates to come.

Introducing Alexander Brian Turner

Alex Turner was born this morning at 9:47. He weighs 4 lbs. 13 ozs. and is doing fine (as is Mom).

More details (hopefully including pictures) will come later today or tomorrow.

Just a few more hours

Gretchen and I will be leaving for the hospital in a few minutes. If things go as planned, Alex will be delivered around 8 this morning. Check back later today for all of the details.

The start of school (at least for me)

While Briana has been in school for about a month, since Ohio State is on the quarter system, last Wednesday was my first "official" day. This year is amazingly my 20th year in education! I started at University Middle School in Waco in 1988. I also was over technology for the Waco Independent School District and a teacher/coach at University High School before leaving Waco in 1998. I was then a graduate teaching assistant at Ohio State while pursuing my Ph.D., followed by stints at the University of Oklahoma (as a visiting assistant professor) and DeSales University (near Allentown, PA, as an assistant professor and director of sport management). In 2004, I returned to The Ohio State University. I am now in my 4th year back in Columbus and besides being an assistant professor, I am the sport management program coordinator.

Ohio State is my dream job. While I teach an undergraduate class each quarter, we only have graduate programs in sport management. Because we are highly selective (we only accept around 35 out of 100-125 master's applicants and only 3-5 doctoral students out of around 40 applicants), we get some of the best students in the country. They are what make my job so fun and interesting. For example, this year's master's class includes an NCAA champion (in swimming; she held an American record until this summer), a student with a WNBA championship ring (the video coordinator for the Detroit Shock), and a current Ohio State cheerleader (he also cheered at Tarleton State during his undergraduate years and Oklahoma State when he was completing his 1st master's degree). In addition, I have 3 doctoral students (1 is a 4 time college champion in synchronized swimming) and have advised 2 other doctoral students who are now assistant professors (1 at the University of Louisville and 1 at Southern Illinois University). Probably the best thing about being a college professor is the flexibility in choosing my work hours. I teach 4 days a week (an hour and a half each day), but besides a few meetings, I can choose when I go in and when I leave work (as long as I finish what I need to do). This allows me to (usually) take Briana to school each day. If I don't have a meeting, I usually work from home on Friday. After the first couple of weeks of classes, I spend most of my time conducting research. In the spring, I only teach 1 class (2 days/week) so I am able to even further focus on my research. Besides teaching and resarch, I also get to interact with executives and administrators from sport organizations to help improve our program and to help students secure jobs.

Northwestern Game

Yesterday was the 500th game at Ohio Stadium (my 16th at the stadium) and man were the Buckeyes impressive. One minute into the 2nd quarter, it was already 35-0 (Final score - 58-7). It could have been a lot worse, but the starters played very little in the 2nd half. The team has now won 22 consecutive regular season games (last loss - 10/8/05 @ Penn State) and is 8th in both polls. If the team keeps improving, they could make another run at a BCS bowl game. Briana went to our rec facility to play and swim, and as usual she had a great time (Gretchen had over 7 hours to herself, so she also had a great time!).

7 days!

Believe it or not, the Turners have been very busy preparing for our new addition. Even though I am on "bed rest" I have kind of made my own rules for what I can and cannot do (don't tell Dr. Pool). I have to get the house and nursery ready-no heavy duty cleaning, just light laundry and putting things away. IT IS ONLY 7 DAYS AWAY, PEOPLE!!!
Briana and her daddy had a great experience on Saturday learning how to be a big sister. She got to go to a class at the Ohio State Medical Center to learn what to expect from a baby and how she can help her mommy and daddy. She is so excited. She told me that she got to see "real live babies"! We will certainly keep you all posted if anything changes. Check back often! We will definitely have an update on the 26th!

Briana will be a big sister in 13 days or less...

We have a definitive date! The doctor has declared that if my health stays stable, she will deliver Baby Alex on the morning of September 26th. I have an end to my house arrest!!! We will welcome a beautiful baby boy very soon! I will get sapphires from my husband (September's birthstone)! On Monday the doctor will measure Alex to see how he has grown. We will keep you posted!

Briana's on coachtressel.com!

Prior to the game on Saturday, a photographer came up to us and asked if she could take Briana's picture for coachtressel.com (the OSU head football coach's website). Her picture is now online! You can click this link to see the picture (click on the thumbnail to see the full picture; right now it is on the top row, 3rd one over, but that will probably change). Or, you can go directly to this link to just see the picture.

Game 2 - Akron

As Gretchen mentioned, her father Bill was in town to see his alma mater Akron take on Ohio State. After a 1st half of rain, it turned out to be a pretty good day. The fans were really not happy with the offense, but Coach Tressel played a lot of players again, freely substituting in the 2nd half even though the score was relatively close. The defense was dominating, forcing 13 consecutive 3 and outs and only allowing 3 first downs the entire game (Akron had 71 total yards). It ended up being a easy win, 20-2. Hopefully the offense will play better next week.

We are all hanging in there

I am still on house arrest, only allowed to leave for doctor appointments. I sure do miss shopping and eating out. At least I get meal service from my loving husband. My tests are stable, not healthy but not getting worse. My blood pressure is OK, but it seems to jump around quite a bit. The bed rest really does help, but it is much harder than I would have ever thought. I confess, I do more than I should. I weighed my mental health against my physical health and decided to push the limits of my bedrest sentence a little bit. My parents are coming this weekend for a nice diversion. Bill, who played football in the early 50s for the Akron Zips, and Brian will go to the Ohio State/Akron game on Saturday (gee, I wonder who might win). Briana will go with them and go to Scarlet and Gray Saturday at the Recreational Facility. She loves to swim and play games in the gym. It is a great deal! I can just hang out and be pampered by my mommy all day!

I'm out of the Hospital-for now...

Well, I'm free-or I should say on house arrest. The doctor let me go home from the hospital today but has put me on strict bed rest. Poor Brian, I know his job just got much harder. I am supposed to do nothing but lay down on my side. I am even supposed to eat in bed (I don't think that will happen, maybe on the couch). The baby is fine, but I do think that he will be with us soon. He is moving like crazy. Briana is very excited about becoming a big sister very soon. She is a real trooper and can't wait to meet her baby brother, Alex. I am on bed rest and running tests that Brian will deliver to the doctor. I will see my doctor on Wednesday and we will get to look at Alex and make sure all is well. A lot will depend on the test results. I am 33 weeks. They would like to keep me pregnant until 36 weeks, but that will depend on Alex and my health. Naturally, we will keep you all posted. Stay tuned...

Hilliard makes national news

The suburb of Hilliard, OH made the national news a couple of weeks ago because of a prank at the 1st football game between the city's 2 high schools. Davidson was recently rated the top athletic program in Ohio by Sports Illustrated after winning the state championship last year. Check out the video below to see the prank they pulled on Darby. Darby (the school Briana will eventually attend if we don't move) got the last laugh, winning the game 20-6. The student (a senior at Davidson) who masterminded the prank got in-school suspension plus cannot attend any school functions this year.

And the name is...

ALEXANDER BRIAN TURNER

We'll call him Alex. Gretchen earlier explained our naming process and we decided on Alex last week. Why Alex? Gretchen had final choice and has always liked the name. It's a noble, ancient name from Greece (Alexander the Great conquered the world!). We'll probably be announcing his birth later this week.

Briana's Favorites

Color: Pink
Food: Mashed potatoes with gravy
TV Show: Hannah Montana
Cartoon: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Movie: High School Musical 2
Song: I don't dance (from High School Musical 2)
Character from High School Musical 2: Gabriella
Toy: My Little Ponies
Sport: Basketball
Team: Ohio State
Coach: Jim Tressel
Book: Disney Princess Collection of Stories
Activity: Swimming
Outfit: Dresses
Flower: Dandelions
Shoes: High School Musical flip flops
Number: 5
Animal: Elephant
Princess: Sleeping Beauty
Restaurant: Steak & Shake
Thing about kindergarten: Riding the bus
Drink: Chocolate milk
State: Ohio
Letter: K (for kittens)
Game: Uno
Player: Ted Ginn, Jr.
Mascot: Brutus

Gretchen Update

The last time Gretchen posted she thought she might be going home tonight; unfortunately, that's not going to happen. The doctor wants to keep her in for more observations. It's highly likely we'll have the baby before October 19th.

College football is finally here!

I really love college football and for the 1st time in my 4 years back in Columbus, I was able to get season tickets. For those that don't know, every game is sold out at Ohio Stadium (105,000+ each game). First year professors aren't eligible for season tickets, and 2nd year can purchase a half-season package (which I did in 2005). Last year, the demand was so great, I didn't have enough points to get season tickets (points are based primarily on years of experience; you had to have completed 5 years as an assistant professor to be able to purchase tickets).

Columbus is a great place to be in the fall. Fridays are designated "Scarlet & Gray Fridays". I was amazed at how many kids at Briana's school wore OSU t-shirts and jerseys (Briana wore an Ohio State dress).

Games are so electric at Ohio Stadium. I have been a "VIP" at ESPN's College Gamday 3 times (see picture from last year; Gretchen has a Kirk Herbstreit jersey that he autographed for her). After yesterday's 38-6 victory over Youngstown State I have seen Ohio State play 16 games in person; they are 15-1 in those games (unfortunately the lone blemish was against Gretchen's alma mater Wisconsin)! Seeing Michigan lose was icing on the cake.

Update on Baby Turner

It is amazing all of the things in life that you cannot plan for. Even if you are the most organized list maker or palm pilot user around, some things throw you for a loop no matter what. As Brian mentions earlier, we met my new doctor on Wednesday. She seems really good and I have now met many people (particularly OB nurses) that have her as their own doctor. She is a Trinity University Undergrad (San Antonio), and a University of Texas (Hook 'Em Horns!) medical school graduate. She and her husband moved to Columbus to do their internship and residency and like another Texan we all know and love-decided to stay in Columbus. You might wonder how I have met so many of her patients already. Well, it seems that many of the nurses in the Labor and Delivery ward of the Ohio State University Medical center use Artman, Turner, & Pool as their OB/GYN group. I have always heard that the best recommendation for a doctor comes from a nurse. Lucky me! I have met so many nurses because I have been granted the luxury of bed rest in the hospital due to my blood pressure and high risk of preeclampsia. I came Thursday and did some tests and was sent home to monitor my blood pressure. By Friday afternoon, the doctor decided to admit me. It is now Sunday morning and I know I am here until at least tonight, possibly longer. I don't think Baby Turner is going to make it to the countdown that Brian posted in an earlier blog. They have checked him twice. We have another confirmation that he is a boy and he is weighing in between 3 lbs 14 oz and 4 lbs 2 oz. As many of you know, Briana was a wee little 3 lbs so we are feeling a little better about the growth. We don't know anything for certain, but the doctors are taking great care of me. Good thing we have a name picked out (check tomorrow to find out)!



Brian and Briana are doing very well. She, of course, has kindergarten and friends to help distract her. Brian is visiting me often with her and taking great care of his little girl. I know it is not easy for him, but he is an amazing father and wonderful husband. He is so strong for all of us.