Baby #2 & Year in Review

Well, once again it has been a very long time. There has been a lot going on in our lives since we last met. First of all we have a baby on the way! In fact, Katie is 33 weeks pregnant and due on January 31 with our baby girl! We are obviously so excited and so is big brother Drew. He lovingly kisses mommy's tummy and talks to the baby everyday. He took a big brother class at the hospital today and is ready to help care for the new baby now. Actually he was only interested in the snack and changing the baby's diaper. He didn't really care about practicing to hold the baby, feed the baby, or burp the baby. But if he is going to take an interest in anything it might as well be in changing diapers. We don't have a name yet, but have been bouncing around a few ideas. Drew wants to call the baby "Kacie" after his Sunday school teacher.

Which brings us to the fact that we have joined Bellevue Arlington earlier this year also. It meets at Arlington High School right behind our house and we felt like it was so close that we had to try it out. Once we stepped inside we met a lot of wonderful people and have been very blessed there. The best part has been our small group where we meet with other couples in our homes each week. We have made awesome new friends and have learned a lot from them in the past few months.

In other news I have dropped the internal medicine portion from my residency training. I am now a full time pediatrician and loving it. I had somewhat of a crisis last year and considered several different options before ultimately deciding that I loved being a pediatrician and that it was the best place for me. I haven't looked back. In fact, I recently found out that I was elected to stay on an extra year after my three years as a peds resident to serve as chief resident! I am still deciding on where to from there, trying to decide between being a general pediatrician or doing a fellowship in a specialty.

The hardest part of the past year was losing Katie's father this summer. He had bypass surgery and a valve replaced and had several complications before passing away due to a clot that formed in his heart moving into his lungs. He had come home from the hospital just hours before he passed away, however, it was a blessing that he was able to be at home with his wife in the chair that he loved. I could say a lot, but instead I will put in the eulogy that his son, Katie's brother, Kyle, wrote that was read at the funeral. Please keep our family, Katie, and especially her mother and family in your prayers this holiday season. Hopefully I will be able to keep up better these days, especially as I'm sure we will have a lot of new baby pictures to share. Merry Christmas!

Mike Hopper 1950-2010

On March 18, 1950 Thomas Micheal Hopper was born. He was the only child+ of Thomas Walter and Mary Elizabeth Hopper. Born here in Memphis, TN. Although dad did enjoy traveling, Memphis was always his home.
He attended Overton High School and Memphis State University. He graduated one weekend, was married the next, and went to work the following Monday to begin life as husband to Ann Evans.
There is a lot I could tell you about my father but I’ll tell you what I remember best…
Dad missed his true calling as a chef. Dad said he would relax best while cooking. Whether it be barbecue shrimp, tomatoes and zucchini, chicken and dumplins, deep fried turkeys, tomatoes and macaroni, Hopper nuggets, fudge, sock it to me cake, or just a sandwich that always made your sandwich look puny Dad knew how to make your tastebuds happy.
Every July 4th you could find dad hunched over a vat of oil frying up that spring’s catch of crappie and bream.
Every New Years found him cooking Country ham, corn bread and black eyed peas. Every St. Patrick’s Day Corned beef and cabbage was on the menu
In high school Dad was the ultimate jock. Playing Baseball in the spring and football in the fall. His foot ball team went undefeated while dad was there due to a tough coach. Dad loved to tell the story of how he had to run once after a game well into the night because the team had not won by enough.
In baseball dad spent most of his time behind home plate. He was the catcher. Though his real value to the team was as a hitter. His idol was Babe Ruth and he was a home run hitter. His nickname by teammates was “Chopper” because of his skill with the bat.
Once the opposing team’s coach was discussing with Dad’s coach the ground rules for a game. The other coach pointed to a far off fence and said that if any player hit the ball over that fence it should be an automatic homerun. Then under his breath, “Of course I am sure we don’t have to worry about that now do we.” Dad’s coach just smiled at dad. Dad hit it over the fence his first two times at bat.
Dad’s love of sports did not end after high school. He was a long time lover of the St. Louis Cardinals. Whether it be listening on the radio or watching tv, he always loved the game of baseball. In fact the thing he hated the most about his month long hospital stay was that St. Francis Hospital did not have the Cardinals on TV.
Dad loved the Memphis Tigers as well. He followed the football team and the basketball through good years and bad years. He raised his children to love two teams the Tigers and whoever was playing UT. Dad was a dedicated fan. One year he had season tickets and did not want to miss the game. The rain was pouring and the temps were freezing. Almost no one came to the game that day. Yet there was dad sitting in the stands wearing his duck hunting waders, a winter jacket, and a huge poncho. He doesn’t remember who one the game but he remembers that game!
Along with loving sports dad was a sportsman. He loved the outdoors! A Biology major in college and a career in Environmental Sciences always kept dad in the outdoors and out of the office.
One of the happiest moments for Dad was always sitting in a boat, seeing the cork go under and pulling up a slab crappie.
Growing up Dad was a Member of the Stumpy Point Hunting club at the junction of the St. Francis and Mississippi rivers. There dad would hunt squirrels and deer. It was a time when men could be men. One of the storied hunting clubs of the South. In fact during the hunting season, the clubhouse even employed a camp cook that kept the men well fed on their latest kill and plenty of fried pies.
Dad Dated mom for 4 years though it almost didn’t happen. You see in 1968 the Beatles had landed and young men were growing out their hair. Dad, being the jock, had a crew cut. When he asked her out in April she said no. Thinking to herself she would never date a guy without any hair. Dad asked her out again in July. This time she said yes and the rest is history. Though Dad said he won in the end because of course dad went bald after mom married him.
Dad was a good husband but was ultimately a failed romantic. Dad had big plans of proposing to mom. He took her out to a fancy dinner on Feb. 13th and was going to ask her to marry him at midnight on Valentines day. Dad ended up proposing in the parking lot of Eastgate shopping Center after pulling over well before midnight. He claimed that the ring was burning a whole in his pocket. Mom was confused she had dated him for 4 years. Its not like she was going to say “no.”
They were married for 38 years. They had two children. Kyle in 1977 and Katie in 1980. To say that dad was a famly man would have been a major understatement! His life revolved around his wife and kids. Never missing a play or a game or a recital of any type. Though we were not wealthy we never knew it. for happiness and contentment were the best words to describe our house.
The only thing that could ever hold a higher place in dad’s heart than his family was his relationship to God. He was a follower of Christ and a servant to all. He loved his church. Growing up there was never a choice on whether we could miss church or not. We were there everytime the doors were opened. Dad was a deacon at Colonial Baptist for many years and a Sunday School teacher. He taught adults for quite awhile but it was 11th and 12th grade boys where he finally found his niche. Not many would sign up to teach that age group and especially boys, but dad loved them all and loved helping them become young men of faith.
Dad’s faith extended outside the walls of the church on a regular basis. He was asked to read the Christmas Story and prayed every year at the Shelby County health dept Christmas Party. He would show up early to work not to get a jump on the day but to be able to have a quiet place to read his Bible and pray.
One of the toughest part of the last two months has been dad’s loss of appetite. One of dad’s favorite things to do was to eat. Yet this past Monday night I know for a fact that my father heard the words “Well done good and faithful servant” as he sat down at the table about to enjoy the Wedding feast of the Lamb.