Most Awaited Package

I am a little behind in posting this, but about two months ago I received the package that I looked forward to the most. It contained an item that I had spent months and months searching and agonizing over for Baby C. It was on my mind day and night. I would spend my days on the internet or in local shops looking for it and lay awake at night trying to determine what would be the best item. Nothing ever seemed to just right. And I didn’t want to settle. So, you are probably wondering what this item could possibly be. This is it:

Yep, an outfit. I was ecstatic the day it arrived. Oh, and it was packaged just perfectly.

So neatly wrapped in the box with a little thank you note

Even came in a miniature plastic covering, so cute!

I’m sure you think I am a snob right now. But there is more than meets the eye here. This is not just an outfit. It is the outfit that we are going to baptize Baby C in. Let me give you some background information about my decision on picking this particular outfit before I explain the deeper meaning of why this is so important to me.

First of all, I did NOT want one of the fru-fru outfits that are typically worn for baptisms or christenings. And I especially did not want my son in one that looked like a dress. Plus, those outfits are very costly. There was no way I was going to spend more than $25 for an outfit (even that amount is somewhat high for a baby outfit). One requirement was that it had to be white. Do you know how hard it is to find an outfit that is white and less than $25? I could have used a white onesie, but I thought that is too casual for this type of event. I also had to think about the weather. We are in the Northland no doubt, so the weather in June is unpredictable. I can wrap him in a blanket if need be. I would find an outfit that was cute and met my standards, only to read terrible reviews about it. I finally stumbled upon the outfit I purchased, even though I did not purchase it right away. With shipping and handling, it would have been too much. But I kept coming back to it until one day I came back to it and it was on sale. It was now under my budget with shipping and handling, and part of the proceeds went to help tsunami victims in Japan. There was no second guessing this one!

So now for the reason to why this is such an incredibly important event for us:

We will not baptize our children because of the sentiment of the ceremony, the tradition of family or church, or the superstition that it will protect them from hell, but because we believe that the Bible teaches us to do so. As parents, we are testifying that we will trust and follow God in raising our baby by baptizing him as an infant. This sets us on the trajectory of raising him in the fear and admonition of the Lord, so that one day he might profess faith in Christ and grow in spiritual maturity. We will treat him as a child of God from the beginning. Our hope is that Baby C will never know a day when he does not know the Lord.

Baptism is a sign of the covenant of salvation. In other words, it is a visible sign of the invisible grace that God gives to believers. God will fulfill his covenant promises to those who place their faith in him. Since Christ, baptism has replaced circumcision as the covenant sign of salvation. Both signify a spiritual cleansing from sin. As the infants of covenant parents were included in the covenant sign of circumcision, infants of covenant parents are included in the covenant sign of baptism today. It is important to note that the act of baptism is not what saves us. Faith is the only condition of being included in the covenant of salvation. Additionally, you will find examples in the New Testament of households being baptized. We should assume that children are included just as they were when the Old Testament speaks of households being circumcised. Look at Acts 2:38-39: And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (ESV).

There is much more I can say, but this is the general gist of why we will baptize Baby C as an infant. For more information, I would suggest you read Why Do We Baptize Infants? by Bryan Chapell. It is a short, easy read on the topic.

Finally Legal

My car is officially legal now. It’s about time!

We are coming up on our 1 year anniversary of moving to the Northland in about a week. When we first moved here, we didn’t waste any time getting our cars registered in Minnesota and getting new license plates. We were on the ball. However, when it came time to take my UGA plate off the front of my car (I never had to register my car in Missouri, so according to Georgia regulations I only needed a license tag on the back of my car), the bolts were so rusted that we could not get them out. We tried everything that we could except a bolt cutter which we didn’t have. I wasn’t too thrilled with having to remove the UGA plate, so I put up a fight about destroying it to get it off. I wanted it intact; I honestly don’t know why either. We gave up for a while, or at least until we could get someone to cut the bolts off. Then I got sick from being pregnant and didn’t drive for about 4, maybe 5, months. We just parked my car in our parking spot. No use fooling with it if I wasn’t driving. During that time, the snow came and buried my car. Once I did start to drive again, it was safer and more reliable for me to drive my husband’s car with all the snow still on the ground. Plus, it was just too cold to mess with the bolts. About a month or so ago, when it started to warm up a little, a man from our congregation came over and cut the bolts off (in case you are wondering, the UGA plate wasn’t destroyed!). Once again, the car just sat there. But with my dad and stepmom coming into town in 2 weeks, I knew I needed to get new bolts to put the license plate on since they will be using my car during their visit. So that’s what I did yesterday. It only took a little under a year! But now I can drive my car without worrying about getting a ticket!

My husband’s car is still better than mine, so any chance I get I will be driving his car! Plus, it has the only car seat base we have installed in it, which by they way has been installed properly according to the car seat safety clinic I attended last week.

What are your plans for today?

I don’t know about you, but I am going to go about my usual business today. For those of you who haven’t heard, Harold Camping, a Doomsday prophet, has predicted that the world is going to end today, May 21, 2011. Clearly, I do not believe this. In reference to the end of the world, Matthew 24:36 says, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (ESV). Dr. Robert Peterson, one of my favorite professors from Covenant Theological Seminary, responds to Camping’s predication. Check this out: http://www.fox2now.com/news/ktvi-final-days-coming-reverend-harold-camping-51911,0,6786101.story.

A note to my son

Hi Caleb, it’s your momma. You can come any time now. We are eager to meet you. I love you.

Nesting in full force

I am not a neat-freak, germaphobe, or safety nut by nature, but this pregnancy has temporarily turned me into all three. Honestly, dust never bothered me, but now I can’t stand the sight of it. I get frustrated because I deep clean one day just to find I need to do it again a couple of days later. The work is never done, and as long as it is like that and I am like this, I will continue to clean. Well, at least until the nesting phase is over.

I also am very cautious, probably to the extreme, about washing my hands after going anywhere and touching anything. I seriously think I have washed a layer of skin off of my hands. I carry antibacterial gel with me and use it frequently. I now use those wipes at stores to wipe down carts. And I don’t just wipe handle, I get all the edges. Oh, and those who plan on visiting Baby C, be prepared to wash your hands thoroughly before even coming close to him. And the antibacterial gel isn’t enough. Sorry. I’m sure I will get over this at some time. I realize that a little grime is ok for building healthy immune systems. I have one of the best immune systems of anyone I know. I mean, I recently spent a whole year in a school in close contact with kids and didn’t get sick once. That school suffered greatly that year with illnesses, too. My great immune system probably has something to do with the fact that my home growing up was not the cleanest. It wasn’t disgusting, but it wasn’t squeaky clean. Honestly, I hope this germaphobe in me dies down just a bit.

As for being a safety nut, I try to stay on top of all the current safety news for babies and kids. I have my friend look up products on Consumer Reports. I try to read all reviews. I check recall lists. I even get the monthly emails from the JPMA. I measured between the rails of the crib to make sure they didn’t exceed the recommended distance. I will give my baby a pacifier at night to prevent SIDS, but not until the correct form of latching has been established. He will ride rear facing at least until he is 2 years old and meets all the qualifications. I am taking the car with the installed car seat to the local fire station’s car seat safety clinic this week to ensure that the car seat has been installed properly. Don’t tell anyone though, but I am using a bumper. That is the one case where I am not going with the recommendation. I am concerned about having the best and safest for Baby C. This may never go away. I have been entrusted with the complete care of another human, one who is part of me. His well-being is my responsibility, and I don’t take that lightly.

Additionally, this pregnancy has turned the planner in me into overdrive. I have been trying to get my ducks in a row. My to-do list grows longer each day. And it’s not like I’m not accomplishing tasks on that list. I created a very detailed birthing plan. I’m sure my doctor thinks I’m crazy for it, as well as for the million of questions I ask. For the most part, I have my bags packed for the hospital. There is a list for what isn’t packed yet. We already have Baby C’s baptism planned, as well as the meal with family afterward. I have a list of things people can help us with and a list of things visiting family can do if they need to get out for a bit. I have multiple lists of the necessities that we will need for Baby C, the things to pack for the hospital, and tips for caring for a baby. I read book after book, website after website, email after email to prepare myself for the ins and outs of pregnancy, birth, and child-rearing. I even try to make sure my husband’s life is planned out, unsuccessfully though. I have tried to plan the next couple of months down to the minute, all while knowing that the next couple of months will be the most unpredictable months. The only thing I can’t plan, even though I am trying, is when I am going to have this baby. The unknown is driving me nuts!

This nesting thing has completely taken over me! I go nonstop until I crash. I typically overdo it which results in a lot of discomfort, pain, and exhaustion later. But that’s what nesting is all about, right?

Mother's Day A Little Late

Those of you who know me really well know that I am not a big fan of Mother’s Day and you know why. For those of you who don’t, I’m sorry but I’m not going to address that today. However, we always send gifts to my mother-in-law and stepmother. I always try to find something unique and creative. As my nesting was going in overdrive, I found a project to make for them this year. Check out the tutorial if you are interested. I had a lot of fun making them. Here are some pictures of the final project.

Also, this was my first Mother’s Day. Some would debate this since my baby is still in my womb, but I say that I already have been caring for my baby for the past 37 weeks so I am a mother. My wonderful husband treated me to a pedicure and manicure. It was so nice to be pampered. Other than that, I didn’t make a big deal out of it, and that was perfectly fine with me. I don’t expect for future Mother’s Days to be a big deal either. That’s just part of my story. I am very thankful that God chose me to be a mother to Baby C, though, and can’t wait to mother him outside my womb soon.

Pregnancy Progression

In honor of reaching 36 weeks today, here are pictures of various weeks throughout my pregnancy. Some of these you have seen.

16 weeks


20 weeks



26 weeks (missed 24 weeks, I guess)


28 weeks


32 weeks


36 weeks