Meet the Pip

As of 4:35 this morning, Chateau Steelypips has a new member (though not yet resident, for a couple more days):

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This photo, with the traditional sky-bison for scale is our new baby boy, David Nepveu Orzel, henceforth to be referred to on the blog as "The Pip." Because "SteelyKid and The Pip" sounds like a crime-fighting duo to be reckoned with, it fits with the old domain-name scheme, and it's obviously a nickname, unlike the two other contenders, both of which were based on real-ish names suggested by SteelyKid ("Porter," short for "Transporter," which was SteelyKid's first suggestion of a baby name, and "Tory" after one of the MythBusters (her favorite tv show)).

Vital statistics: 7lbs 14 oz, 20 in long, 37cm head circumference. I don't know why the last figure is the only one in SI units. Everyone involved with the birth is healthy but exhausted.

As for SteelyKid, she's pretty psyched to be a big sister. This is about the best photo I managed of her:

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In most of the rest of them, she's just a colorful streak of motion blur, because she kept jumping up and down excitedly.

As Google helpfully informed me with today's Doodle, The Pip shares a birthday with the great Polish scientist Marie SkÅodowska Curie, which can only be a Good Thing. (For the record, SteelyKid shares a birthday with James "The Amazing" Randi, so her geek horoscope is also positive). If you're into numerology, his birthday is a palindrome (provided you write it in American style, and only use one digit for the day (or three for the year)), and is exactly three years and three months after SteelyKid's, which is the sort of coincidence that would lead a superstitious person to buy a bunch of Lotto tickets with 7's on them.

And now, I'm going to bed.

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Hello The Pip ~ you've struck lucky

By Michael Fisher (not verified) on 07 Nov 2011 #permalink

Congratulations to you, Kate, and the whole family!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the family - very happy for you all!

Congratulations to all.

By Elizabeth (not verified) on 08 Nov 2011 #permalink

Congratulations.

I do have to say that I think you passed up a terrific baby name.

Naming your child Transporter would probably set some sort of geekiness world record.

By Drivebyposter (not verified) on 08 Nov 2011 #permalink

Congratulations!

By Michael I (not verified) on 08 Nov 2011 #permalink

Congrats! Best wishes to your whole family!

By Nialscorva (not verified) on 08 Nov 2011 #permalink

Congratulations! Get as much sleep as you can, and enjoy the experience.

By fizzchick (not verified) on 08 Nov 2011 #permalink

Congratulations!!!!!

Congratulations, so SteelyKid and the Pip sounds like mischief in the making to me.

Huh. And all along I thought this was a reference to Lem's Cyberiad.

Congratulations!

By ScentOfViolets (not verified) on 08 Nov 2011 #permalink

How does Steelykid feel about HER Sky bison being used for Pip's scale pictures? Is Appa being handed down?

Congrats to you all!

By Jo in OKC (not verified) on 08 Nov 2011 #permalink

Congratulations to all, and the world could always use another David.
There's a Gladys Knight joke lurking around here somewhere, but I can't put my finger on it.

By David Owen-Cruise (not verified) on 09 Nov 2011 #permalink

Ah, same weight and height as ours, born eleven days ago, during the Halloween blizzard. Same blanket, too. Let the sleep deprivation derby commence.

MAZAL TOV!