Jonathon and Katherine Smith

Ian plays and talks.

jandksmith — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:11:20 +0000

It has worked out well that Katy puts Ian to bed (usually later than I can stay up) and I get him up early. Around 5:00, I prepare him to leave with Katy to spend the day at Grandma’s house. Occasionally he will immediately fall asleep after he eats, but most mornings, he stays awake and plays.

Because some of our family has yet to hear him try to talk, I took a video of him playing on his mat yesterday morning. He is such a fun guy.

And that’s Wire’s album, Pink Flag, playing in the background.

-Jonathon

Introducing…Ian Parker Smith!

jandksmith — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 03:03:07 +0000

A week ago tonight, Kate gave birth to our first child, Ian Parker Smith. He was born at 6:41 pm on November 1, 2011 (our eighth anniversary). He measured 19.5 inches long and weighed six pounds and one ounce.

We made a couple videos for out-of-town friends and relatives. The first showcases his long fingers and big feet.

Since newborns spend so little of their time awake, this second one catches him with his eyes open.

Jonathon’s sister and brother-in-law visited on Sunday and took a picture. Kate was less than flattered by the family pictures in the hospital, in her glamour gown, so we figured we should get a few, nicer shots. This is one of them.

-Jonathon and Kate

An uneasy empathy.

jandksmith — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 14:28:42 +0000

I spent a little over a year making my newest album, An Uneasy Empathy. At times, the process was maddening: repeatedly throwing out entire sessions for songs, re-working arrangements based on feedback from my wife and endlessly tweaking mixes so they sounded good on something besides my studio monitors.

Art can be made in isolation, but I don’t know that isolation always makes good art. I hope this album reflects where I have been the past two years. I’ve embraced friends, struggled with identity, ignored my wife, battled misperceptions and tore into the New Order catalog. I feel like this may be my strongest batch of lyrics, but they certainly don’t make me look good. When I hear myself sing, ”How quickly I rely on emotions when I forget just who I am,” I am floored and question how I ever got to a place where I would make such an admission.

I probably should not pull back the proverbial curtain too much. You will understand the album; it’s not so cerebral that it’s not enjoyable. I hope you enjoy it. (And hopefully, if you enjoy it, you will buy a copy. All proceeds go to support our cloth diaper fund.)

-Jonathon

Einstein loves Autumn.

jandksmith — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:32:40 +0000

11/1/11

jandksmith — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:50:30 +0000

Yesterday I attended Katy’s appointment with the obstetrician. While it was just a routine weekly visit at the end of her pregnancy, it also served as a follow-up to last week’s visit to a specialist at the hospital. Doctors have been monitoring a blockage between Ian’s right kidney and the bladder for a while, and after reviewing everything from the ultrasound last week, they feel it has worsened. Since we’re at 38 weeks and Ian is doing well otherwise, they want to induce labor just before the due date. They want to make sure he is born and can get treated before the blockage potentially closes completely, which would cut off the kidney and cause issues with it functioning.

Right now, the plan is for us to go to the hospital the evening of October 31, and they will induce labor early the next morning. Ian will probably be born on November 1, our 8th wedding anniversary.

-Jonathon

As the “dude date” approaches …

jandksmith — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 04:04:05 +0000

J and K being cute at the baby shower

It’s been awhile since we’ve updated things, and there’s news on the baby front to share as the due date draws very near.

Our good friends Jonathan and Lena Andrews hosted a co-ed open house shower for us on September 10, with Jon’s dad and step-mom supplying much of the amazing array of food, and my job hosted one for me on September 13. Both were fun and we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of those around us. Our son has been provided with most of his basic necessities, and we cannot begin to fully express our appreciation for all of the things we’ve received. We’ve been slow in getting all of the thank-you notes out for gifts, but they are coming, and there are people we simply can’t thank enough for prayers and encouragement through this crazy experience.

Kate's baby shower at work

At the baby shower, Jon announced that we’d picked out a name for the baby. For those who haven’t heard yet, his name is Ian Parker Smith. Ian is a name I’ve always liked, and it’s the Scottish form of John, so he’s somewhat named after his dad. The name means “God is gracious,” and we hope that’s reflected in Ian’s life. Contrary to popular opinion, Ian did not come from the host of 80’s British rock heroes Jon has, though he did pay tribute to some on a recent podcast. He did base the middle name on a musical icon, though, deciding to honor Charlie Parker, the great alto saxophonist from Kansas City. If he could have had his way, Jon probably would have given Ian about 10 names to cover his favorite musicians.

Jon and his dad finishing the crib assembly

My brother, Richard, moved out around the time of our baby showers. We’ve enjoyed having him around the past two and a half years, and he’s been a huge help when we’ve needed it. We’re glad he moved close by, so he’ll still be around a lot. Since his move, we’ve gradually been getting the extra bedroom ready for Ian. A couple of weeks ago, Jon and his dad put the crib together while his step-mom and I got everything else somewhat organized. As everything comes together, it is a strange, but wonderful experience to step in the room and think about a little boy living there soon.

We do have a couple of things to share and ask for prayers about. One is for Ian. I’ve been going in periodically for ultrasounds since July to monitor his kidneys. At my mid-pregnancy ultrasound, one looked bigger than the other. It’s not been a huge concern so far, and the doctors have downplayed it, so we’ve not talked about it much. This past week my doctor checked on things, and thought it looked worse, especially since now the bladder appeared to have issues. I had a more detailed sonogram at the hospital, and it confirmed a blockage between the right kidney and bladder, and the bladder now looks distended. Luckily, things are not quite as bad as my doctor feared, but they don’t know the cause of the problem, and Ian will need to see a specialist after being born. There’s also a possibility my doctor will want to induce labor a little early, something we’d prefer not to do for a number of reasons.

Jon's step-mom was very helpful with organizing baby stuff

With that, as we prepare for Ian’s birth, we’re still wrestling with Jon’s need of another job. We had been trying to wait to have kids until he could support a family, and so we’re now in a situation we’d hoped to avoid. I will be going back to work full-time within a few weeks of Ian’s arrival, and we’re starting to feel the financial impact of Jon’s long-term underemployment. We aren’t sure what life will be like, other than really crazy. We have no idea why Jon hasn’t been able to find a teaching job (or anything else for that matter), but we know life is going to be stressful with the baby, and it will be difficult to make things work.

To end on a positive note, other than the kidney issue, Ian seems to be fine. He’s almost six pounds, and everything else looks fairly normal. In spite of less than ideal circumstances, we are excited to welcome him into our lives. We know becoming parents will be an amazing experience, even though we’ll have a rough start. It’s incredible to watch Ian grow, and see and feel movements. I can’t imagine what it will be like to actually hold him. Thank you again to everyone who has shown us love and support. Please keep us in your prayers. Hopefully the next baby update will be about the arrival of a beautiful, healthy boy.

This is Ian's room. We're working on the finishing touches and getting a few more things put away.

Boredom.

jandksmith — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 15:20:22 +0000

Raytown Middle School parking lot at 2:55pm on September 2, 2011. 102 degrees.

Gift Registry Info for Baby Smith

jandksmith — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:17:11 +0000

Many people have recently inquired about where we are registered. If you would like to help us prepare for our first child, you can go through Babies R Us and/or Amazon.com. Both registries are under the names Jonathon and Katherine Smith, and links to each are below. We cannot thank everyone enough for their love and support as we get ready for the arrival of our son!

Babies R Us – Registry #46996466

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/registry/baby/SHJOT1GXS40B

It’s the small/tall things…

jandksmith — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 22:37:19 +0000

I love walking past this old watertower everyday.

Wasting my time.

jandksmith — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 13:13:39 +0000

Lately, I’ve been reconsidering what it means to waste time. So much of what I do never gets any results (that I desire), whether it’s completing numerous job applications, exhorting friends to love their families or even tweaking guitar tones.

I’m not sure what to make of this. Perhaps I should find more meaning in these seemingly mundane activities. Perhaps I derive too much meaning from results. Perhaps my desire to control has devalued my enjoyment of many experiences.

Obviously, there are many things that waste time. I probably indulge in many things that are, indeed, a waste. (Staying up late to listen to weird German music or reading interviews with Elton John come to mind.) I know what I should spend my time on; I guess I sometime struggle with feeling good about those choices.

***

I wrote that a few days ago, but I feel compelled to follow up with quoting a few paragraphs from Os Guinness’ Prophetic Untimeliness (which I just finished reading).

If we define all that we are before our great Caller and live our lives before on audience–the Audience of One–then we cannot define or decide our own achievements and our own success…

How do we each react when we find that our noblest dreams and most profound strivings are staring in the face of failure? Never for one moment must we allow ourselves an excuse to ease up in pursuing God’s call. Not for a second can we think of taking the bitter pill of apparent failure and sugarcoating it with rationalizations about the difficult times in which we live.

God knew the times in which he called us to live, and he alone knows the outcome of our times as he knows the outcome of our lives and our work. Our “failures” may be his success. Our “settbacks” may prove his turning points. Our “disasters” may turn out to be his triumphs. What maters for us is that his gifts are our calling.

So every day our work is like a prayer. And every day we give back all we can of God’s gifts to him–with love, and trust, and hope.

That is, indeed, encouraging.

-Jonathon