This is the prayer, written by Brooke's cousin (Justin) for the Entrustment Ceremony.
Caleb Josiah
May you possess a great name in the earth and Heaven above.
See yourself as you truly are - the salt of the earth and light of the world.
What is desired is that you take hold of all that your Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, has provided for you. There will be much opposition but you must remember that you fight from a position of victory. Be strong and of very great courage. Obey those God has put over you and inherit His promise of a long life on the earth.
May you have the patience of Job, the faith of Abraham, be a leader like Moses, a warrior like Joshua, with the heart of David, and commitment of Uriah, the wisdom of Solomon, and blessings of Jabez.
Amen.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Baptism Weekend - 2/20/2011
Just over a week ago, our little man was baptized into Christ's family. What an awesome day! Actually, the whole weekend was pretty awesome. We had quite a few family and friends come into town for the occasion. It was so cool to watch our family members meet CJ for the first time. While he won't remember this, it will be imprinted in my mind forever (along with the 400 pictures that we all took).
Saturday night, after most of our family had arrived, we went to dinner at a local pizza place. We pretty much took over the dining area and enjoyed time catching up, passing the baby around, and eating delicious pizza. It reminded us a lot of our rehearsal dinner, which was also at a pizza place.
Sunday was amazing! Matt's Grandpa Fischer (who also baptized Matt) performed the baptism. CJ wore the baptismal gown made by my Grandma Fincke, which was worn by me, my dad, my brother and my nephew. The gown confused a few people at church, who commented on how beautiful our daughter was. What are you going to do? I corrected a few people, but I just couldn't correct one of the little old ladies. I'm sure she figured it out when the pastor introduced Caleb Josiah. We packed the church with friends and family, who have supported us throughout this entire process. It was really neat to look out into the congregation and feel so much love. After church, we invited everyone back to our house for a party. While there was very little room to move, it was fun to catch up with everyone. It touched our hearts that so many people were there to support us. One highlight from the party was watching Great-Grandpa Fischer hold little CJ with such a big grin on his face. All in all, it was a very special day!
While having 5 adults and 1 child stay at our house was a little chaotic at times, I was so sad to see everyone go on Tuesday morning. It reminded me how much we want CJ to know his extended family as he grows up. Thank goodness we live in a time with Skype! While it was hard to see everyone go, we look forward to August when we all meet up to celebrate the wedding of my sister Liz.
Saturday night, after most of our family had arrived, we went to dinner at a local pizza place. We pretty much took over the dining area and enjoyed time catching up, passing the baby around, and eating delicious pizza. It reminded us a lot of our rehearsal dinner, which was also at a pizza place.
Sunday was amazing! Matt's Grandpa Fischer (who also baptized Matt) performed the baptism. CJ wore the baptismal gown made by my Grandma Fincke, which was worn by me, my dad, my brother and my nephew. The gown confused a few people at church, who commented on how beautiful our daughter was. What are you going to do? I corrected a few people, but I just couldn't correct one of the little old ladies. I'm sure she figured it out when the pastor introduced Caleb Josiah. We packed the church with friends and family, who have supported us throughout this entire process. It was really neat to look out into the congregation and feel so much love. After church, we invited everyone back to our house for a party. While there was very little room to move, it was fun to catch up with everyone. It touched our hearts that so many people were there to support us. One highlight from the party was watching Great-Grandpa Fischer hold little CJ with such a big grin on his face. All in all, it was a very special day!
While having 5 adults and 1 child stay at our house was a little chaotic at times, I was so sad to see everyone go on Tuesday morning. It reminded me how much we want CJ to know his extended family as he grows up. Thank goodness we live in a time with Skype! While it was hard to see everyone go, we look forward to August when we all meet up to celebrate the wedding of my sister Liz.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Month in Review
As you can imagine, I've learned quite a bit over the past month. It seems like everyday brings a new lesson. Here are ten things I've learned, in no particular order:
1. Showering is optional, unless you are going out in public. There have been days that I just cannot find the time to take a shower. Some of you may be thankful that you haven't seen me in awhile.
2. Figuring out what a baby's cry means is not immediate. It takes time to learn what the baby wants/needs. We still have plenty of times when I have to try four different remedies before CJ stops crying.
3. It's OK to say "Thank you" when someone says "You look great for having a 1 month old!" At first, I would explain that he was adopted, as if to justify how I look. Then, I realized that accepting a compliment never hurt anyone. :)
4. Baby books cannot be trusted. Unless you read them with a grain of salt, you'll only end up feeling bad about how you're raising your child. I decided early on to read these as though I was at a buffet; take what looks good and leave the other stuff behind.
5. Random people are never at a loss for advice, suggestions or criticism.
I've been relatively lucky with this so far, but it is amazing how bold people (read old ladies) can be.
6. People don't know what to expect with an adopted child. It seems like most are surprised that he looks "normal." No, he doesn't have a bunch of warts or a hump on his back. I love hearing people talk about how cute he is, but some really seem like they were expecting to see Quasimoto.
7. Baby farts are always funny. Enough said!
8. The phrase "Nap while he's napping" should actually be "Do whatever you want during nap time." Everyone tells you to take naps when the baby does, but that isn't always possible. I have to be at the point where I literally can't keep my eyes open before I can nap. Matt can confirm that I don't always wake up well from a nap, and CJ really doesn't need to see that side of me yet. When I'm tired, I nap. Otherwise, I get ahead on cleaning, laundry or bottles.
9. Often, what is bothering mommy isn't bothering baby. CJ has had a stuffy nose for about a week. It doesn't seem to be a problem for him; I cringe every time he takes a breath. He also gets frequent hiccups. I feel terrible because his whole body convulses with each hiccup. He just sits there while it happens, acting no differently than when the hiccups are gone.
10. CJ is the most amazing baby ever. At first I thought I was biased, but after a month's worth of observation I realized that this is actually a fact. :)
1. Showering is optional, unless you are going out in public. There have been days that I just cannot find the time to take a shower. Some of you may be thankful that you haven't seen me in awhile.
2. Figuring out what a baby's cry means is not immediate. It takes time to learn what the baby wants/needs. We still have plenty of times when I have to try four different remedies before CJ stops crying.
3. It's OK to say "Thank you" when someone says "You look great for having a 1 month old!" At first, I would explain that he was adopted, as if to justify how I look. Then, I realized that accepting a compliment never hurt anyone. :)
4. Baby books cannot be trusted. Unless you read them with a grain of salt, you'll only end up feeling bad about how you're raising your child. I decided early on to read these as though I was at a buffet; take what looks good and leave the other stuff behind.
5. Random people are never at a loss for advice, suggestions or criticism.
I've been relatively lucky with this so far, but it is amazing how bold people (read old ladies) can be.
6. People don't know what to expect with an adopted child. It seems like most are surprised that he looks "normal." No, he doesn't have a bunch of warts or a hump on his back. I love hearing people talk about how cute he is, but some really seem like they were expecting to see Quasimoto.
7. Baby farts are always funny. Enough said!
8. The phrase "Nap while he's napping" should actually be "Do whatever you want during nap time." Everyone tells you to take naps when the baby does, but that isn't always possible. I have to be at the point where I literally can't keep my eyes open before I can nap. Matt can confirm that I don't always wake up well from a nap, and CJ really doesn't need to see that side of me yet. When I'm tired, I nap. Otherwise, I get ahead on cleaning, laundry or bottles.
9. Often, what is bothering mommy isn't bothering baby. CJ has had a stuffy nose for about a week. It doesn't seem to be a problem for him; I cringe every time he takes a breath. He also gets frequent hiccups. I feel terrible because his whole body convulses with each hiccup. He just sits there while it happens, acting no differently than when the hiccups are gone.
10. CJ is the most amazing baby ever. At first I thought I was biased, but after a month's worth of observation I realized that this is actually a fact. :)
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