Snow Day... Days?

So we had a snow day today; TBC canceled all services because of inclement weather. Our family webcast the services from Tenth Pres in Philadelphia. Drs. Ryken and Tripp preached well and profitably on Solomon and choosing the right path in life, and God's love and our love as Christians respectively. We saw two of our friends - Sarah and Anne - in the congregation, which seemed rather like stalking, but we didn't choose which video feed to post....

Jen & I had a very relaxing and refreshing evening without Jackson last night, which included patronizing Baja Fresh and Starbucks, bringing towels to flooded friends, a brief stint as take-out delivery people, and Yahtzee. Do NOT ask about our Yahtzee scores. (Jen says, "Wow, that's a low score" ... looks over at mine "oh, um... oops" laughs)

Jackson slept through the night and had to be woken up at 7:00! Woo-hoo!

The weather forecast seems to indicate that school will not be hindered tomorrow morning. I will refrain from comment on what I prefer. Suffice it to say there may very well be snow-dancing tonight. Ask Wayne about where this came from; I'm not really that pagan.

Well, check the online picture album for several recent additions including videos.

Cheers

The Rest of November

There, my title covers me from being criticized that I skipped weeks of Jackson's life. Speaking of Jackson, three of the five who took our recent poll are to be commended for correctly identifying Edward as NOT being one of "Stonewall" Jackson's names. His full name was Thomas Jonathan Jackson. Check out our new poll ... whenever I write it.

Since last post, Jackson got to see 2 of his aunts baptized and added to the Grace Reformed Baptist Church in East Haven, CT. Of course, Jen and I are very thankful that 2 more sisters are now also sisters in Christ. The Cute Little Fellow also met his great grandma Lee, great uncle Gary and his new wife Delana. See our Picasa album for documentation of Jackson's first Thanksgiving. More pictures will be added once we've gotten contributions from the other cameras present.

Jackson slept through the night for the first time a few weeks ago, and was on a roll until a few nights ago. Now he's making a stink around 4AM every day. Maybe it's because he's already outgrowing his bassinet (thanks to the Seversons for that great gift!), and is now transitioning into his Pack-n-Play as crib.

Jen & I took Jackson with us to Willowbrook Mall yesterday afternoon. I hate malls. A lot. But Christmas shopping beaconed, and it turned out to be a useful trip. Jackson got cranky pretty quickly, and I had to keep walking in loops out in the halls (isn't there a better name for the halls in malls?). This meant I got exercise, lots of time with the little guy, and a serious allergy problem. How is it possible for every store that sells scented anything to pollute the entire airspace of a whole wing of the mall?!? (Don't tell me, Brownian motion, diffusion and all that good stuff.... It's still irksome, even if science seems to demand it.) Anyway, Jen had a useful trip, we even saw Tim Hartline there (and I had a "yeah, I NEVER come here either!" moment with him), and we got to introduce Jackson to Borders. And then I made my sole purchase... ok, technically there were two: a medium cappuccino and a 5"x8" planner/ address book. (It's Moleskine, it's "the legendary notebook, used by European artists and thinkers for the past two centuries, from Van Gogh to Picasso, from Ernest Hemingway to Bruce Chatwin" website brags. Don't worry, after trying my dad's "if it doesn't list a price it must be free" line, I got it for the price of a smaller sized version. And then I used a 25% off coupon. So I'm not snobby-because-I'm-artsy-simplistic. I'm practical.) Anyway, back to the main point: Jackson didn't like the mall, and I was pleased by this.

Oh, and one more mall trip complaint: That 23/46/80 interchange that is STILL under construction is STILL life-threatening, and now there's another bridge in the area closed (actually one-way) for no apparent reason. Finish the project this decade please!

Jackson gets to have several hours tonight with Grandpa and Gram so that Mommy and Daddy can share a few sane hours without worrying about feeding, crying and diaper changing.

This just in: My sister Alison was accepted to a creative writing masters program at prestigious university in the British Isles. No word on whether she'll take them up on it.

I've probably forgotten things, but I've got to get back to work. G'day.

Sunday update

I am feeling better - finally! - today, and am hoping to go back to work tomorrow morning. Please pray that I will have the strength to go and that I'll be able to get things back in order at school and home.

Jen has been taking pictures like crazy. I thought it was new fathers who are legendary for their picture-taking mania, but apparently this includes new mothers. Anyway, due mostly to her efforts, there are 25 new pictures on our Picasa photo site. Alie and Dani, don't even think of viewing them all at once. Spread the experience out over a few days, or else you'll be on my back by Thursday that I "haven't posted anything new in forever!" :-)

On an entirely different note, Andrew Hanko had a fantastic race for Navy XC on Saturday at the NCAA Div.I Mideast Regional. Click this link to view his results. Grove City College mens and womens teams also did very well in a very competitive region. Email Coach Severson your congratulations if you concur.

Good night.

Long time coming

My apologies to those of you who have been checking our blog, waiting for another installment. Between classes, grading, TCS athletics, church and softball, I've been running around.

Then this past week I accompanied the 7th and 8th grade classes to Spruce Lake. We had a great time - excellent chaperones, great weather, intense ping-pong and air hockey, cliff rappelling, quality devotional times, no major injuries etc.

On Saturday, I played on the victorious (although admittedly a little stacked) Parents team as they battled the junior high soccer team. We won either 4-0 or 5-0, I honestly don't recall which. I scored 2 goals, one of which was the result of hustling when the kids didn't, and one of which they gave us by a hand ball 20 yds from the goal.

But the thrill of victory was short-lived. Jen & I left Jackson with Grandpa and Gram and headed over to one of our favorite places anywhere, Caffe Buono (which McKayla prnounces "Cawifawnia"), to do some grading. I started feeling particularly achy all over and unable to mentally focus. This was not so out of the ordinary, so I wasn't worried. I mean, I'm getting old; Jen reminds me of this frequently. But then we got back to the Lee parents' home and I started getting extremely chilled. Yes, folks, you guessed it - a 101*F (where's the degree sign on Blogger?) fever... and by the next day it was clearly the dreaded flu. So I'm home sick from school, missed my softball game tonight, and am feeling pretty useless. We got a little grading done, at least. The latest "PC World" got a little attention, as did Michael J. Behe's excellent recent volume The Edge of Evolution, plus a little time on a work of forensic fiction. (Detective Cross....)

Jackson is doing well. Jen figured out the source of some of his crying... let's just call it #3. He's been well behaved, and we're told he's unlikely to get sick from his daddy's current ailment. As I write, he's crying for no reason we can tell. Please pray with us for a buyer for our condo so that we'll be able to buy the larger condo that we're under contract to purchase.

Head over to our Picasa site for pictures from the past couple weeks. Sorry, I didn't bring a camera to Spruce Lake. Oh, wait, y'all don't care about Spruce Lake, only about the little guy. Fair enough.

Weekend update

Jackson met so many people this weekend in Connecticut.

Well, first he suffered through the longest trip from NJ to CT that Mommy or Daddy has ever suffered through. Almost four hours. And he didn't cry once. Starting getting a little worried a few times, but Mommy assured him we were still there, and he was just fine.

Here are the relatives he met: Grandaddy, Aunt Emma, Uncle Zack, Uncle Ger, Cousins Gavin & Chase.

He also sat through his first service at the Grace Reformed Baptist Church of East Haven. He heard Grandaddy preach the whole sermon until the applications section, when I had to hold him at the back. All the woman at GRBC loved him, of course.

Oh, and I forgot my church clothes in NJ; don't even ask what I wore to church. Good night, our faithful readers. (There are new pictures on our online album, of course.)

This just in...

5:50 PM Jackson just laughed for the first time! He's been smiling more regularly the past few days, and now actually laughed.

Sunday evening

Jackson has not yet met the Reformed Baptist pastor who is sure to most appreciate his name. (For guesses as to who this is, write in the comment section; it should be obvious.)

However, he did have the special privilege of briefly meeting one of my few most esteemed heroes, Pastor Edward (Ted) Donnelly. Pastor Donnelly's preaching was used by the Lord in my own salvation. (This series of sermons is available here: Donnelly on Heaven) He is not only one of the humblest, funniest and most eloquent preachers I have ever heard (with the coolest accent!), but one who evidently knows the Lord. Would that the Christian church had more men with his ability to clearly open the Word. We hope Pastor Donnelly will be to Jackson another godly man to emulate.

Sunday morning

Today Jackson was introduced to two of his future pastors, should the Lord be pleased to save him and bring him into our church. He heard (though of course without any comprehension) Pastor Carlson in Sunday School, through the webcast. And this evening, he heard Pastor Dave Chanski preach by webcast. I informed him I hoped these would be his pastors, but he didn't seem to care much. Seriously, though, we pray he will care greatly in a few years.

Our little son also experienced Trinity Baptist Church this morning for the first time, though he was not up to being present for any of the service. He met his Aunt Julie and Uncle Jeff (and it was decided that they could still be Aunt and Uncle to him, though I have called them that for years). This means that he has met all our pastors (and planned pastor) except his father's namesake Pastor Martin.

Condo listing

Check out our condo listing at http://www.forsalebyowner.com/listing/4B4AD

Feel free to send this link to family, friends, acquaintances, etc who may be interested. This condo has been a great blessing for which we are thankful. But it's feeling crowded with a crying baby. So pray for the Lord's continued provision.

Saturday morning update

Yesterday afternoon, Jackson got his first taste of three very important things: the sport commonly called soccer in America, TCS sports, and our friends from TCS/TBC. Oh, I guess it was three very important things and one very important person, that person being George R. Barnes. [This is not to be a slight on anyone else who was there, but come on, this is THE Gearge R. Barnes.] OK, so in English, we brought Jackson out to the TCS varsity girls game against Timothy Christian at the Camp Dawson fields. He couldn't take the fact that Trinity was losing 0-1 at halftime, so we had to take him home out of the cold. Of course, a quick stop by Gram's house on the way home was obligatory.

Last night, Jen & I got a little comic relief by watching a few routines by Brian Regan on his website and Google video. We enjoyed the hearty laughs.

For the first time, Jackson kept us up for a while last night. He eventually fell asleep after a little more feeding and a little more blanket-layering. (It was a little chilly for the first time last night, which Chris loved and Jen wasn't quite so keen on.)

Also, we got the contract to buy the 2-bedroom condo in the mail yesterday afternoon. So I am working on listing our current place to sell for part of the day today. Please pray that I would do a good job with that task, that our 1-bedroom place would sell quickly, that we would obtain the best mortgage for our situation, and that the move would go smoothly, if this would be the Lord's will for us. Interested buyers should visit forsalebyowner.com starting later this afternoon. (A shameless plug, I know....)

Last night

Well, the first bath went about as expected. Jackson pretty much screamed the whole time he was actually being cleaned and only settled down when wrapped in one of those towels-with-a-hood (which are really handy, by the way). We got most of the bath on film (if by "film" I mean an 8cm DVD), but I still haven't had the time to make our camcorder and computer talk. The first DVD-R did play very nicely in the computer's DVD drive, though, so there's hope!

Keep praying for Jen, please. The Lord is upholding her well, but she needs continued grace.

First full day home

Jen and Jackson had a couple visitors today. Jackson managed to get fingers (3!) into his mouth today and suck on them. This was a useful addition to the please-wait-another-few-minutes-while-mom- finishes-eating-before-feeding-you repertoire. He's healing up nicely from birthing and such. He's also getting stronger lungs, which is a mixed blessing. That's right, he can scream twice as loud as yesterday. Seriously. He also took his first nap with daddy this afternoon, during which he was very content until Mommy took a flash picture. But he settled back down for 45 minutes after that. Oh, and we also got a few smiles out of him today - not the first ones, but the first time there were several in succession.

Later tonight: baby's first bath! Let's hope the smiles continue....

Random update, 2

From my extensive and detailed observations, the following are true of my son:

-He is already a Yankees fan. When, only minutes after finishing the delivery, Dr. Scian joked that his first few screams sounded like a declaration of other not-even-to-be-spoken-here baseball loyalties, Jen quipped "Send him back!" (I knew there were so many other good reasons I married her that I couldn't put my finger on before!)

-He is really, really cute. The evidence is available on our Picasa photo site. And no, not all babies are cute. But he is. (I assume this is from his mother's genetic endowment.)

-He will be a runner, or at least a football player (true football, not the American version). This is based on the fact that he came out kicking, literally. And also that he squirms and whines about being wrapped too tightly. And because he got my amazing running genes. (Who am I kidding? No, I didn't think anyone.) Also note that when my father reached over to point out Brooks-running-shoe-worthy feet, Jackson lifted his right foot and displayed it for the camera. There is videotape evidence of this. Enough said.

Random updates

-Jackson was 20 inches long when measured in the nursery last night. Women like to know this measurement for a reason I will probably never comprehend. And then there's Josh R, who will probably inform me as to the precise location on the "American male Caucasian infant length at birth" bell curve where my son falls....

-Jackson is named after the Confederate general Thomas Jonathan Jackson, known to the history books (where real history is still studied!) as "Stonewall" Jackson. His steadiness under heavy enemy fire, because of his absolute belief in a God of Providence, is said to have earned him his nickname (despite the fact that he rarely kept the men under his command standing still anywhere). In the hospital, Jen and I read some moving passages regarding Jackson's piety from chapter 3 of Christ in the Camp by J. William Jones. We hope and pray that our son will also be a man of sterling character, unwavering conviction and of great feats in the Kingdom.

-Jackson's middle name, Daniel, is after our dear friend Dan Haynes, who went home to be with the Lord on July 3rd. (Read about him at http://www.vandermay.com/ Select "For more obituaries click here" and then select "July" and his name.) This name was an appropriate continuation of our theme of Christian character, as Dan was remembered by all as not only very funny and possessing amazing spreadsheet skills, but most of all as a quiet, consistent, sincere Christian.

-As I hope is evident, Jen & I are more concerned with character than athletic or academic success, or any other thing parents may legitimately hope for. We pray God's grace will be evident in our lives also, as this new responsibility is used by the Lord to mold us more into His likeness.

-No, Jackson is honestly not a covert way of naming our son "Jack", notwithstanding the coolness of Jack Bauer of (fictitious) "24" fame, and despite the wit of Jack Anderson of GCCCC renown. We actually prefer the full version of the name over any of the nickname variations. (And yes, we did think through the nickname possibilities, including those we wouldn't terribly mind and those that would be truly unfortunate.)

visiting hours

For anyone other than aunts, uncles and grandparents the visiting hours (at Chilton Memorial Hospital on West Parkway in Pompton Plains) are 2-8PM. Jen is on the second floor in room 215.

A couple notes of thanks

I would not be able to sleep tonight without a few words of thanks: Jen & I are so thankful to the Lord for His grace through this ordeal and for the privilege of rearing a son for His glory. We praise him for the answer to prayer of health and strength for mother and son. We are also very grateful for the gift of a camcorder that many of the TCS family contributed toward. There are already pictures online, some of which were taken with it. We have been so blessed. Praise the Lord with us for His kindness!

It's a boy!

Jennifer & I are pleased to announce the birth of our son Jackson Daniel Lee at 10:35PM on Monday, October 8th. He weighed 7lbs, 11oz and has blue eyes. Head on over to CLICK HERE for a few pictures (video clips to follow). Jen is doing great and I am crashing with a terrible headache, and yet am so thankful and excited. There will be more pictures, videos and news tomorrow, Lord willing.

Good night,
Chris

It's time!

Hey new blog-readers and friends! Jen & I are leaving for Chilton Memorial Hospital in less than half an hour. She just saw her doctor, and he thinks the baby will come this evening!!! We're so excited. I hope there's more news the next time I'm at this computer. Pray for Jen for the grace to face this new and unknown experience.

God bless,
Chris

So I posted something here finally... an updated picture