Dear Family and Friends,
We are so delighted to welcome and introduce the newest addition to our family: Olajuwon Victor Adeyemi!
Olajuwon Victor Adeyemi
Born January 5, 2023
8:30 am ET
7.3 lbs and 21 inches
Olajuwon is healthy and whole, and already bringing joy to so many. Because time flies and memories fade, I took a moment to write this blog with a few details about Olajuwon’s becoming. It warms our hearts to know that his arrival has brought joy to so many, and I wanted to be able to share a bit of the story with those who are interested. Thank you for being a part of our village!
Choosing the Name
Tolu and I knew we wanted baby’s first name to be from the [Nigerian] Yoruba language. The name Olajuwon stood out because of its special meaning: wealth and honor are gifts from God. Essentially, our son is a rare gift from God, and he is greater than any wordly gift or honor. Tolu and I have been very blessed over the years, and we acknowledge that every great gift is from God.
Also, because I am from Houston, Texas, there was a sense of familiarity with the name Olajuwon. Who can forget the great Hakeem “the Dream” Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets’ 1994 & 1995 championship wins? I liked that the name gave a gentle nod to my hometown of Houston and also honored Nigerian legacy.
Continuing with the themes of championship and winning, we chose the middle name Victor, meaning conqueror or one who overcomes. We know that challenges will arise in his life as it is inevitable. Our prayer is that he has the courage and strength to overcome whatever comes his way.
The Birth Story
“Fast and furious” were the words I used to initially describe Olajuwon’s entry into the world. He was not due until today (January 17) but in the very early morning of January 5 (around 2:30am), I started to feel very mild contractions. I woke Tolu up to tell him what I was feeling. I told him I was going to shower and try to relax a bit, hoping that the contractions would go away.
Around 5:00am, I realized the contractions were not letting up. Because I wasn’t in immense pain, I told Tolu we would wait until Tayo’s daycare opened so we could drop him off at school and then head to the hospital. Tolu called my doctor to let him know we’d be headed to the hospital in a couple of hours, and I continued to labor at home with mild to moderate contractions until it was time to go.
6:30am - Tolu leaves to drop Tayo off at daycare.
6:45am - Tolu picks me up from home and we head to hospital. We stopped at McDonald’s because I wanted some oatmeal, and Tolu ordered coffee. The 55-minute ride to the hospital was smooth. Tolu and I chatted with an occasional contraction interrupting here and there.
7:50am - Arrive at Sibley Hospital and park the car.
7:55am - We enter the Labor & Delivery Unit to check in. My contractions are much stronger by now but I still felt I had another 3 hours to go at least. While being checked in, I asked to go to the bathroom.
[sparing you some details for brevity + modesty]
8:10am - Nurse comes in bathroom after hearing a few audibles coming from me. She returns with two more nurses and a wheelchair, and they whisk me away to an open delivery room.
8:30am - Baby Olajuwon Victor Adeyemi was born, healthy and whole, only 35 minutes after we arrived to the hospital. Tolu cut the cord.
We are grateful for the wonderful doctors and nursing staff at Sibley who helped safely bring Olajuwon from womb to world.
Brotherly Love
Tayo has already fallen in love with his little brother. He wants to help with almost everything that involves Olajuwon, and we’re doing our best to include him in diaper changes, getting baby dressed, and more. Tayo insists that baby brother wants to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with him (Tayo’s personal favorite) but we’ve let him know baby only eats mommy’s milk for now. haha
Some have said that Olajuwon looks a lot like Tayo as a newborn. I’ve included one newborn picture of Tayo below (far right) for comparison. One big difference is that Tayo was born with a mohawk but Olajuwon has a full head of hair.
Naming Ceremony
This past Saturday, Tolu’s parents led a small Naming Ceremony for Olajuwon at our home.
“The Naming Ceremony in Yoruba Culture is taken seriously because the Yorubas believe that a child eventually lives out the meaning of his or her names. A lot of thought, research, family traditions and history are considered before a name is picked for a new baby in Yoruba culture. A child’s name is mostly derived from the family circumstances before the child is born, or at birth. Long-standing family traditions, professions, or religion play a significant role in selecting names for a new baby.” (source)
It was a beautiful ceremony where family prayed over him, and we spoke about our intentions as parents and what we hope for in raising him. Olajuwon also met his paternal cousins, Ire (3yo) and Wale (6 months).
Lots to Celebrate + Appreciate
Because Olajuwon was born almost two weeks early, I’ve been spending the past few days getting caught up with all the things I intended to do leading up to January 17, his actual due date. My mother-in-law has been a tremendous help, and my mom recently arrived from Houston to help as well.
In addition to Olajuwon’s arrival, we’ve also had a couple of other reasons to celebrate including Tolu’s recent promotion to First Vice President (woo-hoo!) and my 38th birthday, which was yesterday. I enjoyed a mimosa or two for my special day, my first cocktail since early 2022. :)
We are so very grateful for our community of friends, family, and colleagues that have been there for us. Whether it was a note of encouragement, a gift from our registry, or just a simple prayer on our behalf, we thank you for sharing in our joy and the new life we’ve welcomed. Our sincerest gratitude and love to you!
This is us,
Emerald, Tolu, Tayo, and Olajuwon