Well, today LJ is exactly one month old. It's hard to believe I've really been a father for an entire month already.

LJ is Here!

Well, the day has finally come. Our little gift from God has arrived. His name is James Madison Prevatt, III but we'll be calling him LJ (Little James) for short.

Stats:

• November 5, 2008 @ 12:50 pm
  
• 6 lbs., 10 oz.
• 20 inches long
  

Baby Shower for LJ

Our friends at church threw a baby shower for us and LJ. We were extremely overwhelmed at the generosity of everyone that attended and gave gifts.

LJ (Little James) at 28 weeks

Here is today's 3-D ultrasound of baby James taken at 28 week. You can see almost his whole face (he's nestled up against Mommy) and both of his hands.

One Semester Down

Well, I finally completed my first semester toward my Bachelor's degree at Liberty University. I passed the history survey course with an "A" and the English course with a "B." Have I ever said how much I hate poetry and writing about literature? Well, it's overwith and on to the second semester where I'll be taking courses on worldviews / apologetics, biblical literature, and microcomputer applications. I'll be sure to breeze through the computer course and I'm looking forward very much to the other two. One thing I love about attending a Baptist college is the emphasis and intermingling of aspects of Christianity into each class.

Pregnancy Progressing

We just had a visit to the doctor and it appears that everything is going just fine in our pregnancy. We are currently at 24 weeks with mom and baby doing just fine. Hopefully, this will be the norm for the remaining 16 weeks and I'll be holding my boy at the beginning of November.

Is My Life So Boring?

Is my life so boring that I can't find something to write about at least once a week or am I just lazy? The dates on my blog entries go back to May 2007. This is only my 26th entry in over a year and most of the entries are short blurbs about what is going on.

So, here's my goal: at least one post (of any length) per week with at least one each month being of a substantial length. Let's see if I can follow through this time!

Family-Friendly Entertainment?

Here is another excerpt from a paper I wrote for my English class:

Entertainment media are becoming less and less "family-friendly" and, as parents, we have to be more careful about what our children watch than our parents had to be with us or their parents with them. Even the so-called children's channels and programs can sometimes cross the line to subjects and words that children simply should not be hearing. It is for this fact that my wife and I have decided that our child will not have a television or computer in their bedroom so that we can keep a close eye on what they are watching and doing.

One mistake some parents make is thinking that just because a television program or movie is animated that it is suitable for children. But, this is simply not always the case. Even the MPAA ratings for movies cannot be completely relied upon as a foolproof indicator of whether a movie will be suitable for children. Yes, it will take lots of prayer and trust in God for parents to actually spend the time making sure that what their children are watching is wholesome and appropriate for them. While it is certainly okay to allow ourselves and our children to be simply entertained, we do need to make sure that the content of that entertainment does not contradict the good morals and values we are instilling in them in other aspects of life so that they will continue to make good entertainment decisions even when we are not around to make sure they are watching the right things.

A Return to Holistic Education

This is an excerpt from a paper I wrote for an English class I am taking:

One of the saddest failings in the modern educational environment is the focus on fact-based knowledge. In most schools ranging from elementary all the way through to some post-secondary levels, students are being taught according to whatever test will be administered in each subject. If it is not going to be on the test, students are unwilling to learn and teachers are unwilling to teach due to the emphasis placed on the test scores and quantity, instead of quality, of knowledge. This situation is also compounded by the fact that each subject is usually taught in isolation of all other subjects. The mass of facts that students must learn in each subject is so extensive that it has also been said that no single person could effectively teach all of the subjects that students are required to learn.

We need to return to a more holistic approach to education as was the norm in ancient and Renaissance times. A scholar or student during these periods would have been taught not only facts but would have been more accustomed to critical thinking to be able to solve problems that did not come out of a book as well as seeing the interconnectedness that exists between and within all disciplines of knowledge. A return to that type of education would find more students getting excited about learning rather than seeing school as simply a drudgery of facts and isolated knowledge to be regurgitated on demand then forgotten because they have not been shown how this knowledge could help them in life outside of that particular subject.

It's a Boy!

We just found out right this very second that we're having a boy. How exciting! Now we can start deciding how we're going to decorate the nursery. We're going to have him carry on my name and be the "III."

New Child and Job Search Continues

Well, it's finally happened! After 5+ years of trying, my wife and I are finally expecting our first child. This is most definitely a gift from God as my wife had just about all but given up hope of us having a child naturally, though I always had faith that He would make it happen when he thought it best for us.

That was the positive and this is the not-so-positive: my most recent assignment ended on Friday. I am sure God will provide me with a way to continue to support my (growing!) family so I am not afraid of what the future may hold. I did have an interview this morning for a position open at a restaurant downtown and I though it went well. I should hear something either this evening or tomorrow about whether I have been chosen for it. In the meantime, I will continue to apply for jobs and pray that God will provide as he always does.

Procrastination is Key

Well, I finally got around to update my business's website to reflect the fact that I am now a Certified Bookkeeper. At times I think my procrastination gets out of hand. I started writing this entry on Friday but didn't finish and publish it until now.

I've Been Certified

No, I haven't been certified crazy. I am now a Certified Bookkeeper! What is a "Certified Bookkeeper" you might ask? Well, according to the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers, through whom I received the certification, I have now proven I have "the level of knowledge and skill needed to carry out all key functions through the adjusted trial balance, including basic payroll, for firms of up to 100 employees." This is an important step for me since I have been unable to complete my degree in accounting as of yet. This now gives me verifiable proof that I have the knowledge that I say I do. Now the fun begins!

I've Gone Mainstream

Well, I've finally decided to go mainstream with my blog rather than continue to use my own website and software package because I'd like to be able to interface with other sites as well as use the mobile blogging feature here. I will be transferring all of the entries from my old blog to here as time permits. This move will also mean that updates should be almost daily but will not be any farther apart than a week.

Here Comes the Sun

Well, I was just called today to begin a new assignment. It was an assignment I was offered the day after my last one ended but I had to turn it down at that time due to commitments I had made knowing that I was ending an assignment. The person that had accepted it didn't work out so it was offered to me again. Then, as if working wasn't enough to get excited about, we received a small financial windfall from my grandmother's passing a couple months ago. Yay!

Still Looking

Well, as my current assignment winds down (my last day will be Tuesday, March 11), I find myself again relying on God to make sure an opportunity comes my way. Since I knew I didn't want this position on a more permanent basis, I had never stopped looking the whole 2½ months I have been there and have had a couple interviews in that time; but, nothing has resulted in a job offer yet. Well, I know that God will provide as long as I do my part and trust in him for the rest.

And Another One Bites the Dust

Well, another month has come and gone! I just can't figure out where time keeps going. I am going to attempting to make at least one entry each month, most likely at the end of the month, to summarize what has occurred in that month.

The main thing that has happened in my life this month is my wife and I moving into a house. While we are still only renting, the house is bigger than the apartment that we were in. This is also going to be the first time since moving out of my parents' house almost 9 years ago that I have had to worry about doing yard work since we've lived in apartments, condos, and townhomes ever since we were married.

I'm still on a job hunt and I'm only one test away from becoming a Certified Bookkeeper. I've had a few interviews since November but none of them have resulted in a job offer as of yet.

Things Are Looking Up

Things in my life are beginning to look positive again. I was laid off from my primary job 3 months ago and while I have not found a “permanent” job yet, I have had steady assignments from a temporary agency for the last 1.5 months. I have also been working toward my Certified Bookkeeper designation ever since I was laid off and should be finished with it by the end of February. Once that is done, I plan on trying to start my own bookkeeping practice: JP's Bookkeeping Services.

We're also moving from our cramped one-bedroom apartment to a two-bedroom house starting in the middle of February. We moved into the apartment almost two years ago when we were having financial troubles so we could catch up on everything. But, now it's time to move back into something larger so we can start to build our family.