Rollins

Ok, so I'll have to confirm some of the details, but here's the quick version of the "Rollins" story. My grandfather Marvin Rollins was born Marvin Rosenfeld (lest ye doubt my Jewish heritage...). In the 1940s he applied to medical school in Ohio. Applying as Marvin Rosenfeld he was rejected multiple times. He knew this was bigotry at work, so he decided to change his name to something less obviously Jewish. The story I always heard was that he saw Collins Street on a map, but wanted his initials to remain the same, so decided to change his name to Rollins. As Marvin Rollins, he was accepted to medical school and became a successful doctor. There ya have it: the sad, but true and interesting story of my maiden name. So, should he be Coley Rosenfeld Wells? Yeah, we don't think so either.


Here's me with Marvin.................. here's my dad with his dad.

Here's me with Laura Rollins - Nonnie - who's having a lot of trouble remembering that I've made her a great grandmother, not just a grandmother, as she says whenever we talk on the phone.

Here's my dad with Coley.

Why "Coley"?

This oil painting of a school of fish hangs above my desk and is one of my favorites in the world. My great grandmother, Mildred Lawrence Coley, painted it when she was 93-years-old (she was born in 12/19/1892). She was starting a new hobby! I was 10-years-old at the time. I got to know Mildred pretty well, as she lived to be 100! I remember her as a large, kind, forward looking woman with a big smile who was curious about me and my life.

I've always thought "Coley" was a great sounding name and luckily Anna agreed! We might have called our dear boy "Kitchel" after my other amazing, 100-year-old great grandmother - the green-crusader Helen Binney Kitchel! Or after Helen's father Edwin? "Ed" Wells? Or her son "Tim" Kitchel? Or then there was Robert, Wyatt, or Jasper? Those don't have the perfect ring to it them way Coley does. So it was decided! Coley Rollins Wells.

I didn't know Mildred Coley's husband Clarence (born 12/1/1877). He always seems so kind and gentle in photographs. You can see him below as a young man (looking much like his amazing granddaughter Binney - my mom) and then later in life with Mildred. Clarence was an mechanical engineer who invented the blind shaft elevator (which skips the bottom floors) and designed and managed the mechanical side the Equitable Building which was the largest building the world for many years. It was later passed by the Empire State Building in 1931.

So that's a tiny bit of the history behind the name Coley. Next, Anna will have to write a post about Coley's middle name "Rollins." It has a fascinating past. In fact Anna's grandfather Marvin invented the name Rollins in the 1940's.

Clarence Coley circa 1900. My great grandparents Clarence and Mildred Coley circa 1950.

Coley update and new pictures

Hi everyone! On the eve of Coley's 2 week birthday, here's an update and some pictures. Coley has put on about a pound over the past 10 days. He was born at 7lbs 6 oz, went down to about 7lbs, and is now at 8lbs 2oz! He's eating like a champ (he eats whenever he wants, which is about every 2-4 hours) and growing fast. All our nurses and doctors are very impressed with him.

Ted is home on paternity leave for the rest of this week, which means he'll get to see him grow and change all day, every day for 6 days in a row!

Here are the pictures (the first one's my favorite):


He practices smiling in his sleep.


Precious.


The Full Monty!


This is how he spent his first Patriots game.


Hunh?

He loves his Pa and his Pa loves him:


The "jaguar" position.

8 pounds 2 oz

Show us those big blue eyes!

With Daddy...

With Auntie Hylah and Grandpa Bob (taken last Sunday, 9/7, a mere 4 days old!).