Meet Our Son

It is with great joy that we announce the birth of our son, Carter Million Underwood Lee. We invite everyone to call him, “Mills.”

He was born June 22, 2023 at Wellstar North Fulton Hospital in Roswell, GA at 6:38pm. He is 19.5 inches long and weighs 6 lbs. 4 oz. Both he and Courtney are doing great.

Little Guy, Long Name

You probably read that name several times and may have wondered if it was as long as it seems. You did not misread, there are 4 names and 25 letters. Let me explain…

Famously, in Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses word play to express Juliet’s lament that if Romeo wasn’t a Montague then she would be free to marry him.

The mere fact that Juliet is prevented from a relationship with Romeo belies her assertion that names don’t matter. They can matter very much indeed.

Choosing a name turned out to be more difficult than we thought. Our last name got in the way of a few of our favorites, initials that spelled words spoiled a few more, and potential nicknames crossed yet more off of the list.

After months of trying out different names we are so pleased with the result.

Carter

Named for his Third-Great-Grandfather, Leland Carter Abington. This name was the first one that we picked. It was a desire of ours to have him be connected to his Abington heritage by name.

When he is old enough, we will share with him about the hard times the Abington and Nichols families faced as they grew up in Kansas and Missouri. His first name is a reminder that God is still at work in the lives of his people even during difficult times.

Million

Named for the maiden name of his Second-Great-Grandmother, Verna Delta Million. She died before Austin’s dad was born, but the stories about her love and kindness are still being shared today.

Austin’s grandfather spoke so highly of his mother for the rest of his life and made it a point to share about her love and kindness with Austin’s dad, who in turn shared those stories with Austin.

Not only are these stories still being told, but her love and kindness were so evident in the lives of Jack and Brian Lee. We want our son to live fully into this legacy of love and kindness.

Underwood

Named for his Seventh-Great-Grandfather, William Wedgebar Underwood. William Underwood was born in 1759 in Buncombe County, NC. The county seat of Buncombe County is Asheville, NC.

Austin has always loved the mountains and specifically felt a special connection to the Asheville area. We did not consider it a coincidence when we learned of this ancestral connection to this special place.

Those mountains are the place where Austin and Courtney fell in love and are so special to them that they chose Asheville as the place where they were married.

Lee

As Mills grows up, he will hear only stories about the people whose names he carries, with the exception of his last name. He has two grandparents, an Aunt and Uncle, two cousins, and two parents who all carry the name “Lee.”

He will watch us and learn from us what it means to be a “Lee.” Historically, our family has not focused on developing our family history. I, however, have developed a keen interest in my family’s history and heritage over the years.

I have explored how my life and faith have been shaped by those who came before me. And, I have found a more complete sense of who I am by exploring my family tree and learning about my family’s history.

We are very proud for our son to carry the Lee name and all that “Being a Lee” means.

Welcome to the world, Carter Million Underwood Lee. We can’t wait to see who you become.

Until our next adventure,

Austin, Courtney, Mills, and Willow