Date: Fri 17-Jan-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

first-baby-97-Price

Full Text:

with cut: Newtown's First Baby Of '97

B Y A NDREA Z IMMERMANN

Although their baby was due December 28, a five-day delay made Jody and Jeff

Price of Lone Oak Meadow, Sandy Hook, the winners of The Bee's First Baby Of

The Year Contest. Now that mother and child are home from the hospital and

have had a chance to establish a schedule, the family sat down for an

interview this week.

Jeff came to Newtown in 1979, when his family moved here. He and Jody, who

married ten years ago, just moved to a new house they are finishing. Although

both of them had seen the contest advertised in the newspaper, it was Jeff's

mother who called to enter their names.

"Things were a little hectic, so my mother took care of it for us," laughed

Jeff, as he tied the shoes of his five-year-old son, Shane. The couple's

second son, Stephen, was born 12:33 am on January 2.

Both sets of grandparents are close by and will be able to enjoy the latest

addition to the family. Chuck and Diane Price live in Newtown, and Jody's

parents, Marvin and Sherry Gelb, live in Monroe.

Jeff is a carpenter foreman for Drywall Associates, based in Newtown.

What does young Shane like best about Stephen's arrival? "Now I have another

boy in my world," said Shane, who likes to sing Rock-a-Bye Baby to his

brother.

Right now, his main concern is not letting the new baby put anything small

into his mouth. But when Stephen gets a bit older, he looks forward to having

lots of fun with him. "We'll play ball and soccer," said Shane, a

kindergartener at Sandy Hook Elementary School. "We'll go on my sled. But I do

the brakes."