As some of you already know, on Thursday, March 16, 2006, at 5:40 AM, our son, Oliver Nelsen Connell was brought into the world, weighing in at 8 lbs. 5 ozs. To see 63 photo of Oliver in various stages of rest and relaxation, click here.

I know what you’re saying, “The kid was born four days ago, and you’re just sending this email out now. What’s up with that?” Well, it’s been a rough couple of days, because little Oliver was born with a severe case of Bracket Fever, resulting in several nights of restlessness and constant cheering. It turns out that, much like a baby bird, a baby human will have an instant connection to the first thing he sees. In Ollie’s case, this connection was formed during Boston College’s double-overtime win over Pacific in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Ever since that night, all Oliver can do is cheer for the Boston College Eagles. To the average listener, his cheers sound like plaintive high—pitch wails, that cut right to the back of your brain. But I know he’s really saying, “Let’s go BC! Eagles Rule!!”

I’ve asked Oliver why he feels such an affinity to Boston College—it’s a random attachment, seeing as neither of his parents went there, and, as new members of the ACC, BC is technically a UVa. Rival. However, he noted that the women’s college Grandma Connell attended is now part of BC, adding, “plus it’s run by the Jesuits. What’s not to like? Come on BC! All the way to the final four baby!!” etc. and so on…

On Saturday night, Boston College continued its run in the NCAA tournament by thoroughly trouncing upstart Montana. This of course set Ollie off and he could not shut up about it. He was cheering for BC every hour on the hour from 11:00 PM, clear into the next day. Enthusiasm is one thing, but this was sheer showboating. Again, to the average person these cheers sound like mind-numbing screams, but I know, they’re just the start of a strange attachment to the Boston College Eagles. Fortunately, the Eagles are off until Friday, when they play number-one-seed Villanova. So, perhaps, we’ll have some peace until then.

The First Days of Oliver Nelsen Connell on Flickr - Photo Sharing!