One of the great joys I’ve experienced spending mornings with my son is how much I’ve understood the Gospel in a new and deeper way. I look at him and admire his face, all his different little expressions. I think pretty much anything he does is amazing. I feel like I can relate much better to the love that our Father in heaven feels toward each of his children. Samuel has no clue about the love we feel toward him or the things that Bec and I do for him to take care of him, and yet that doesn’t make a difference for me. In fact, my love for him grows deeper every day, even when his poo leaks onto my pants or he pukes down my back (for the fifth time).

Another thing that’s been sinking in for me is the reality that Jesus was a little, tiny, helpless baby that cried and giggled and crapped his diaper and peed on Mary. He was a real, vulnerable creature that grew up to be the man I read about and worship. It’s pretty awesome to think about that while staring at Samuel’s little feet, while feeling his softer-than-anything-I’ve-ever-felt-before skin, or while hearing him rip a good one in his diaper.

It’s been hard finding regular time with God each day in prayer and meditation on His word (I’m definitely not a very disciplined person), but my mornings with SJ have made up for that, at least in the short term, by keeping my heart soft and the praises flowing. We usually have concert time, where I play my guitar and singing for Samuel, which he loves (which is obvious from the mesmerized stare on his face). Its been great practice for me and renewed my desire to finally learn some new songs. So far I’ve been learning some Radiohead songs which has been fun (Karma Police, and starting on Paranoid Android).

I am grateful for God’s hand in my life right now and the joy that comes with being a dad. I am grateful for the love He has for me, even when I don’t realize it or appreciate it, or even when I reject it. This is a sweet time for us as a family, both of us being able to work from home most days and getting to soak up and enjoy our ridiculously sweet and adorable child. I am grateful for it.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted pics or given any updates on him (hint: if you want to see more regular photos, find me on Facebook where that’s pretty much all you’ll get!), so here’s the rundown on Samuel’s changes in the last few months:

• Baptized on April 4, Easter Sunday
• Consistently slept through the night (7-8 hrs) at 8 weeks old
• Traveled to Merlefest, Charleston, New Bern, Blowing Rock and Boone!
• Rolled over from back to front at 4 months old (but has forgotten how to roll back over)
• At 4 months, weighed in at 16 lbs, 12 oz, exactly double his birthweight
• Found his voice with lots of yelling and screeching
• Started on solid food at 5 months old (rice cereal for now)
• Now eating only 4 times a day

P.S. I discovered recently a friend from college just had twins a few months before SJ was born and Rebecca and I have gotten a kick out of reading her blog, And Baby Makes Four (how does she find time to blog, I do not know).

As SJ has come alive, we’ve observed a few things about him that endear us to love him even more! We feel our hearts ever-growing with love for this tiny bundle of blessing and extreme cuteness. I mean, he makes even explosive diarrhea cute! So here’s a few observations and a couple statistics that you might find interesting:

• SJ Likes: bath time, being swaddled (in his Kiddopotamus), chest time with Dad (this is Dad’s absolute favorite too!), worship songs from the Powerhouse sung by Mom and/or Dad, rides in the stroller around the neighborhood, rides in the car.
• SJ Does Not Like: waiting for milk, pacifiers, nap time during the day.
• Number of Diapers Used Since Birth: about 200.  At almost $0.25 a piece, that adds up quick!  We’re planning on switching to cloth diapers around 3-4 months (Bec found a good deal on Craigslist).
• SJ Noises: As he squirms and kicks (he throws a mean jab) he makes little grunts that sound a lot like a billygoat.

Finally, Pippy and Champ have adjusted pretty well to having some major competition around the house.  Pippy likes to loiter around outside the nursery, but took a good two weeks before venturing in to officially check out the scene. Champ sniffs curiously at Samuel, but feels free to roam about the nursery, usually perching on the back of the nursing chair.  He’s been kicked out a few times for being annoying – no big surprise there.  Check out some photos of the cats first meeting SJ as well as others taken since the last update.

A photo a day of Bec’s pregnant belly.

• We had a wonderful experience with natural birth. If you’re wondering what does “natural birth” mean practically, for us it means swimming against the usual current a hospital puts you on that often involves various forms of often unnecessary intervention. We followed the Bradley Method, or husband-coached child birth, which is a 12-week class. Our instructor, Cherri White, was also our doula. Bec’s prenatal care was with the Duke midwives. The combination of all of that, and being well-informed about all the possibilities, really made our whole birth experience amazing. They say this never happens, but everything we listed on the “birth wishes” list we gave the doctors and nurses when we arrived came to pass. In fact, most of the time Bec was laboring, we were left to ourselves in the room, jammin’ to the mix of Radiohead, U2, Coldplay and other bands Bec loves. When it came to Stage 2, or pushing time, we switched to the Saint-Saëns, Organ Symphony, which was awesome! We are so grateful for the medical team at Duke that allowed us a peaceful birth without intervention.  We got to see Bec’s body do what it was designed to do!
• Courtney Potter, a good friend and fellow multimedia storyteller and UNC alum, was with us the whole labor and documented it. We’re going to work together to produce a short video on our birth experience. We are extremely grateful for Courtney using her gifts and talents to serve us in this way and for the sincere excitement and sensitivity she brought with her.
• Our good friends Bobby and Lois Suruki, whose due date was just a few days apart from ours, gave birth to their son, Marcus Benjamin Suruki, just a few hours after Samuel was born! While technically on two different days, we were so excited to share the experience at the same time. We are grateful that their birth was without complication and that Marcus is healthy. We look forward to Samuel and Marcus growing up together and becoming friends, and to sharing the joys and challenges of parenthood with such good friends.
• As Rebecca and I took a walk around our neighborhood a few days after being back home, we reflected on how blessed we are to know four pediatricians as friends. All of them have offered to be on call for us for questions any time, day or night. After living a year in South Africa, we realize what a privilege it is to have access to folks with such high levels of expertise.
• Jenny Jones, our housemate, not only cooks up a plethora of good eats (and shares them on her blog), but is also a huge help around the house and watches SJ as needed so Rebecca and I can grab a moment alone together. I have a feeling the help she’s given so far is the small tip of a ginormous iceburg.

You may notice in one of the photos below a neon glow coming from SJ’s back. This is called a “Bili Blanket” and helps his body break down bilirubin, which at high levels causes jaundice in lots of newborn babies. I won’t get into the medical details, as I barely understand it myself, but we’re happy that SJ’s levels are now in a low-risk zone and he’s doing great! The Bili Blanket made SJ look like he was hooked up to the Matrix and also would have made some sweet nighttime photos, if I hadn’t been way too tired to grab the camera.

For those wondering, Pippy and Champ, our two cats, have been adjusting well. I’ve got a gallery I’m building of photos of them interacting.

That’s all for now. It’s time to catch some ZZZs before SJ wakes up for another feeding!

Jason Harrod performs “Day and Night” at the Six String Music Cafe in Raleigh, NC, on 2/5/10.

Thanksgiving Feast

And speaking of food photography, I’ve been enjoying shooting and eating the cooking of our friend and housemate Jenny who just started a food blog called Eating Our Hearts Out. Check it out!