Run Toto Run – Sleepyhead(Passion Pit cover…and very appropriate song title!)
At 8:37 am, we celebrated the second full week of Abe Harrison. Well, actually I’d set my alarm for 8:36 am to give us a minute to prepare for the occasion, but I awoke to some uninterested party guests. Zeke was curled up on the floor, passed out with frustration and fury at the sound of a crying baby all night. Amy and Abe were enjoying that oh-so-lovely-and-intimate bonding experience of breast feeding in the other room. And I was left alone, alarm in hand, celebrating the 14-day anniversary of the life of Abraham. What a party. To celebrate in another way, here’s a few photos of the week we shared. Enjoy!
Monday
Papaw's first chance to see Abe
Tuesday
Yep...that's something to be proud of.
Wednesday
Abe on TV...just like his Dad used to be...
Thursday
Napping like a sweet old man
Friday
There's a whole world out there...
The Weekend
"You guys sure it's not too cold for a stroller ride?"
Passed out with Pops
"What's up ladies?!"
Today
Cowboy Curtis...glad to give Abe his second snowday ever!
At 8:37 am, on a day like this one week ago, we welcomed our son Abe into the world. Here’s a look at his first week as a member of the Harrisonian. If a picture speaks a thousand words, get ready to read 20,000 words!
We went to the doctor yesterday and the he said he expects to see this baby in the next week. Little Abe will be here before we know it (Lord willing!). We are anxious and excited and, believe it or not, ready. I know this is the part where all you parents laugh and giggle and swear that we’ll bite our tongues for saying that. You may smirk and smile and suggest that we have no idea what’s about to happen and that we’ll never get sleep again for the rest of our lives and that one day we’ll “really understand”. You know what? I’m sure you’ll be right. But you know what else, we really don’t care! We are ready:
- Ready to hold our baby boy
- Ready to look into his little eyes and hold his little hands
- Ready to see my proud, beautiful wife be a mother with her son
- Ready to see both sets of parents become Grand before my very eyes
- Ready to read to him, even though it will be some time before he understands
- Ready to increase my prayer life (while I incessantly beg for God to stop the crying)
- Ready to be a father, to raise up a man after God’s own heart
- Ready to lose sleep, because we’re ready for the Harrison family to grow
- And last but not least, ready for our family photos to include one more, even if Zeke doesn’t look too thrilled about the idea.
Just the three of us...for one last time.
Love and peace. Pray for Amy and Abe. Pray for Zeke to grow into his role as a big brother. And pray for me that I don’t faint and fall or slip into a cold coma.
We had Abe’s room clean and clear on December 24th.
One day later? Not so much!
Just enjoying the calm before the storm here at the Harrisonian. Amy’s due January 15th and the Doc says she’s right on target. We’ll keep you posted on any updates. She was dancing a bit in church today (no, we don’t go to a Pentecostal church) so that may bring our boy around sooner rather than later!
This is one of the posts that was meant be written a couple of months ago. I’m not sure if it was really that long ago, or if it just feels like it’s been that long with everything going on. Either way, a couple of months ago I was able to embark on two of the greatest journeys I’ve always hoped to encounter throughout my lifetime:
1 / Become an expert BBQ smoker
2 / Become an expert Dad
I’m not sure which one of those you’re laughing harder at right now. Both seem infinitely impossible, but a boy’s gotta dream, right? With a fresh rack of ribs to work with, and a box full of instructions and pieces, I spent a Saturday afternoon smoking ribs and putting together my son’s first bed. How did all of it turn out? Well…the crib took remarkably less time than I thought it would and it turned out just beautifully.
little babe-raham's first bed
Since we’ve put it together, I can’t walk by that room without thinking that a breathing baby boy will be crying and laughing and sleeping and smiling there before I know it. That whole nesting thing isn’t just true for women. I think it’s had a pretty profound impact on me as well. It’s brought a little reality to this whole abstract idea of being a Dad. That and my wife’s slowly expanding beautiful little belly.
Dad Lesson #1 /Read the instructions. Follow the instructions. Don’t forget that you ever abided by and believed in this rule. Instructions are good. Got it? Good.
Dad Lesson #2 / Even if you try to make your wife’s growing body sound like a great, gorgeous thing…she’s probably still going to be offended by it. Don’t do it again. Got it? Really got it? Good.
As for the ribs? Well they took remarkably more time than I thought…in fact about 6-8 hours more than I initially thought…but they still turned out incredible. I cooked up two racks that I’d split into halves. So, seeing as how I need to experiment enough to one day have the skills to rival Whole Hog here in Little Rock, I tried four different seasonings and rubs and bastings. After 8-10 hours in the smoker, I took these bad boys out and was blown away.
the big winner? that beauty on the far left.
We couldn’t just take pictures of them though. After all that time slaving away, we needed to eat. We invited over my folks and devoured as much meat as possible. Turns out, the rack I seasoned the least turned out to be my favorite, but they were all tender and tasty. I’m on my way.
BBQ Lesson #1 /Let the meat and smoke speak for itself.
BBQ Lesson #2 / A whole bunch of eaten ribs, even if photographed beautifully, still makes one a little queasy after devouring that much meat!
one man's trash = one dog's heaven
I’ve got a couple of months, Lord willing, until little Abe arrives. Here’s hoping in that time, I’ll be able to keep preparing for my two life-conquests. From working on my reading voice for story time to figuring out a way to lower that cooking time on those ribs, I’ll be hard at work. Since Amy’s basically just sitting around and getting beautifully bigger, I figure at least one of us better be doing something.
Lesson #3 / Apologize to your wife before she reads this very public post. There’s at least a chance, then, that she’ll be gracious and understanding!
Amy’s now 7 months along in the pregnancy. Which sounds good and fun, except for this fact: she’s 3 months away from giving birth…which means we’re 3 months away from being parents! Sure we’ve been a fine mother and father to our dog, Zeke. But a human? A real eating, breathing, crying, smiling, hand-holding, life-living boy? We’ll be sailing thru uncharted waters…and we couldn’t be more excited/nervous about it.
We’ve been told that you’re not supposed to pick out a name and settle on it until you actually see your child. I can see some value in that. That almost prevented us from full-on already picking out a name (and who knows, it may change when we finally hold him). But here’s the deal: I’ve already seen our son. A couple of months ago, I saw this:
As soon as the nurse said, “it’s a boy”, one name came to mind: “Abe.” Abraham had been on our mind. It was on our short-list, but it was certainly not decided or definite. That is until I “saw” our boy for the first time. Abraham became his name in that moment. Even if I’d wanted to change it, I couldn’t. It was already his and it was no longer ours. He was as much Abe as I was Bobby.
I’ve always valued names. I believe in the power of them and I’ve seen the biblical precedent for casting a vision thru a name. I wanted to do the same for our child. Amy and I spent a long time crafting out possibilities, until this all came together. Below you’ll find a piece I’ve written to our son. When he’s old enough to understand, I’ll give it to him. He will, for the first time, understand why he is who he is. I hope his name gives him a solid foundation. I hope it guides his footsteps and fashions his faith. I hope it inspires him to be a man after God’s own heart.
We certainly have many hopes. But our largest hope in all of this, one that I hope never gets lost in the brush, is that as much as we can build a name, what we’re really hoping to build is a man.
here it is:
your name, built for you, by us
Joshua Abraham Harrison
Joshua Joshua because “He” is before “me.” Jesus is first. “He saves”. I pray it’s always a clear reminder for you that “Abe” comes second. Always put others before you. Always put God before you. Always display your real strength in this kind of way. He did.
Joshua because it was he who led Israel faithfully into the promised land. He himself was not first, but when called upon, Joshua took the lead from Moses and finished out strong. He did not cave under pressure but rose to the occasion and stood tall. May you be a mighty man of valor one day and lead. May you be a leader among your friends and family.
And Joshua because of one of the greatest men I know. Joshua Holland. A strong reminder that God is good and blesses us beyond our belief. A good, good friend…the best a man can ask for. Here’s hoping that you grow strong and faithful like him, and that one day you have the kind of friendship the two of us share. May Joshua be a reminder and testament to friendship.
Abraham
Abraham because of faith. When the Father asked this father in the Old Testament to show his faith in the most difficult way imaginable, he came thru. Abraham was a “Father of Nations” and paved the way for the rest of history. He is the Father of our Faith. May you one day be a father like him, like me. May you one day father others in the faith.
Abraham because of our country’s greatest president. “Honest Abe”. A man of virtue and value. A man of unwavering confidence and strength. A man who’s mythology may be greater than his actual being, but who can dispute a legend? May you stand in the face of adversity and trials with the same stature and belief. May you be a pillar for others to look to. May you always be honest.
Abe because of something silly and simple, and your mom and I always value silly and simple. A is for Amy. B is for Bobby. E is for Everything. You’re Mom. You’re me. You’re our everything. You’re our Abe.
Abe because it is simple, but it carries real weight. It is a strong name filled with courage and class. Carry it well, but never carry it alone. You’ll never walk alone.
Harrison
And Harrison because it is the name of our Fathers. My father and your father. One day, I pray you will say the same to a son of your own. Harrison: A surname of presidents. A name that’s stood the test of time. Not that there’s any real strength in the name alone, though. The real strength will come through the first two names, and how you live them out. But eventually, you get to this last. The most stripped down paring of me, your dad. The name I’m giving to you for you to give yourself.
Harrison has no deep symbolic meaning to me. Just the old worn word that feels more like home to me than anything else. Writing it out, those 8 letters with double-R’s that I love to capitalize, brings me thru childhood to college, marriage and ministry and now here. Writing it brings me to you.
I pray one day you have the gift of writing your wife’s name next to it, the way that I have. Seeing her maiden name moved to the side to be only next to yours is the most humbling reminder that she is yours to lead. Not because she is weak, but because she is strong. I pray that you have the reward of one day leading in that way as well. I pray that you have the reward of one day loving someone as much as I love her…and as much as I already love you.
A few months ago, a friend of mine posted on a photographer out in California that does these amazing photo shoots. even cooler though (as far as I’m concerned), sometimes, a videographer friend of hers comes along and makes these wonderful “Home Movies That Rock” from the shoot. I was immediately inspired and knew that I had to do my own sometime. On Monday the 24th, the opportunity arose.
Amy did an amazing photo shoot of our dear friends Brett and Lauren. Brett and I have known each other longer than nearly every other person I’ve known (other than family). We’ve shared trips, sports, schools, friends, girlfriends (that part is a lie…or is it?), dreams, and many, many, many memories. Monday, I was able to share in on the experience and video the photoshoot. I spent the week editing it (whenever I could boot my wife off of her work computer to use Final Cut) and officially gave it to the couple last night.
After leaving the broadcast industry a couple of years ago, there’s been a void in me. I don’t miss the job. But I do miss the creative story-telling process. The cinematography. Editing pieces here and there. Adding a soundtrack. Seeing it all come together. I think my own version of “Home Movies” will be able to use those passions in a way that better suits where I’m at right now. I’m hopeful to do more of these, to capture couples and families completely and to tell their story sweetly. I’m calling my version, “Love Like the Movies” (based on an Avett Brothers song). I want every video I do to transport these ordinary people into their own little movie. I think Brett and Lauren make a lovely little movie couple. I hope you do as well. Check below to see for yourself:
I believe the last post on the Harrisonian was sometime in April. April! April?! Are you kidding?! I’d say we’ve just been really lazy recently…but I suppose we have a bit of an excuse. Let’s see what the Harrison’s have been up to since the last write-up:
APRIL
* We’d been in our new house a month
* Older sister turned 28! What a geezer!
* Played my first ever solo-show as a paid musician. Pretty cool.
* Attended a fantastic William Fitzsimmons concert
MAY
*I spent a week in Canada sharing a bed…I mean bedroom with my Wise Counsel at an amazing Pastor’s Conference
* Amy made trip #1 to Chicago to see friends
* Visited by two of my best friends, Daniel and Zach, for an entire week!
* I played my second-ever concert. Had my good friend Taylor Hall join me this go-around. Much, much better this time.
* Little sister turns 20! AHHH!!! Oh…and on the same day…
* Find out my wife is pregnant! AHHH!!! What? It was me? Oh…Hooray!!!
* Me and Amy both turned 25
* Our church staff took a very impactful trip to the Central High School museum
JUNE
* Played third-ever show. This time with Samuel Boultinghouse on banjo. Good times had by all.
* Our church’s 25th anniversary!
* DCamp – where I had my first every opportunity to be a Camp Speaker…all in front of 90 Middle School kids!
* Amy trip to Chicago #2 for Willow Creek Arts Conference. She flies home early though because her grandfather is sent to the hospital (he’s doing well now!).
* VBS at Fellowship with 100+ students throughout the week!
* Amy goes to Memphis to see “Wicked”. Claims it is the best musical since “Les Miserables”. She’s actually almost convincing me to take down my boycott on musicals.
* Kentucky Mission Trip Drive-In Fundraiser – we raise $3000+ for our students’ trips. Simply an amazing night.
JULY
* Head off to Colorado with the college students for the annual backpacking trip. One of the greatest weeks with students you could ever imagine. Just a smooth, solid, sweet week.
PRESENT…
Whew…that catches us up. I just got tired all over again. While I have a breath, though, here’s a look at the future:
* Big wedding this weekend that me and Ames are both in. Then…
* Kentucky Mission Trip all next week.
* Staying around for a few days to visit dear friends in that part of the country.
AUGUST
* Best buddy Adam Schaectherle should be visiting these parts to cover a tennis tournament for his employer, Wilson Sporting Goods. Yeah!
SEPTEMBER
* Me and Amy hoping to actually take a vacation!!! Maybe a late summer/early fall trip to Chicago. Trip #3 for her to the Windy City this year, hopefully!
* Oh…and the reason for the trip: 4 year anniversary!
OCTOBER
* My Best Friend’s wedding! Excited for him. Very excited. He found a good one.
* Back to Castle Bluff with Middle School and High School students to start the cycle up once again!
Life is busy, yes…but life is good. See ya next April…
i’ve recently read a few blogs on “Top 5 something to do with music”. as you know, i am a music expert, so i thought i’d put in my two cents.
however, mine has nothing to do with 5…too limiting. what you will find is an old artist and a new artist for each letter of the alphabet. fyi: sometimes “old” refers to artists who have been making music for awhile even though they are still around. sometimes “new” refers to artists who have been around for a long time who are still making music. also, if there’s a comma somewhere in the name…i’ve cheated. deal with it.
seriously though, if you see someone you don’t know, check ‘em out…
here we go!
A: Alison Krauss (with Robert Plant) / The Avett Brothers
B: The Beatles / Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama (extra points in Scattergories)
prep: have a vague conversation with God about what this year might hold…maybe, possibly, i don’t know, a house?
step #1: casually look for a house in the desired neighborhood, but assume there will be no commitment for at least a few months
step #2: find a realtor who tells you all the potential (and lack there of) of each house you enter; ask her a lot of dumb questions
step #3: make an offer on a house you’ve only “known” for 20 minutes in order to beat out a couple who’s undoubtedly been looking at the house for months
step #4: when making an offer, never forget the lessons well-learned from Price Is Right ($1 makes all the difference)
step #5: do whatever the nice, trustworthy-looking lady at the mortgage company says…ASAP!
step #6: borrow lots of money from all relatives
step #7: wait
step #8: repeat as necessary
step #9: sign your middle name for the first time ever
step #10: repeat approximately 101 times
step #11: hope to God you did everything right
step #12: share some bubbly with friends and fam
step #13: blow up an air mattress, calm your dog down (since he’ll be scared of the security system’s beeping), eat easy cheese, and call it a successful first-night-in-the-new-house night
step #14: ask yourselves one more time “what have we done?”
step #15: (aka. the most important) redeem tax credit after one year of homeowning bliss
