Church Shower

 Our 4th shower was thrown by some women at our church. It was a great evening! We had some yummy cookies, cupcakes, and spice balls, and pink punch (with ice cream)! We decorated burp cloths with puff paint and they turned out to be very cute! The suggestions for this shower was to bring diapers, children's books, or a casserole to put in the freezer for a busy day. We got lots of diapers, wipes, and books too! We are excited to begin reading these to Ashley in just a few weeks! I would like to say that we have all the diapers we need, but I know the stash will go very quickly! Thanks to everyone who came and those helped out with the shower, you all are a blessing. And thanks to Gigi and Mimi for coming to all 4 of my showers!

Miss Callista enjoying Ashley's new toys

Here is a great "devotion" that Meredith shared...
Celeste and Nate....going to become a family instead of a couple....
This will be a time in your life Celeste where you will understand God in a whole new way. Even though this baby has been living off you for almost nine months and was created with your egg and his sperm, this little baby girl is a completely unique and new creation from God. He planned the moment she was conceived and has the moment planned when she will take her first breath.
You will become concerned about every sound that comes from her when she is awake or asleep. When you are asleep, you will dream about this new life and even wake up wondering if the dream was real and should you check on her, just in case something....
Then it will dawn on you two, that something miraculous has happened and it has changed everything. You are now someone's mother and father. She will look at you to realize what impact she has on people, for your voice and face and touch will tell her what she wants to know. "Am I special to you, are you my protector and provider, do you want to talk and play with me, are you proud of me and is that why you kiss my face and hold me so close?"
Now, I want to share with you, the greatest storey ever will be revealed to you as you love your newborn baby girl. She is selfish, she is scared, she is helpless to feed herself or know how to care for her own hygiene...she will want you whenever her eyes are open, or a pain is felt.
Celeste, God has a wonderful way of revealing His love for us in our completely helpless estate, by giving us this role of parent as we perceive how great our ability to show love to one who wholely depends on and trusts us. We love to meet all those needs and then just delight in watching them happily enjoy themselves in their little secure life. There is deep mystery in this nurturing and protecting stage as much is revealed about us. We now begin to understand the relationship between the Father and the Son, and how He has showed us the greatest love and sacrifice because He wants to be known as Our Father.
These precious days of discovery are quite brief, but then the interaction becomes more autonomous and independent...now a relationship develops a new dimension, a reckoning of the wills. You must now balance nurturing and training, while still having her feel loved and secure. There will be rebellion and hostility and she is only 15 months old.
Your Lord and Savior Jesus, will be with you and reveal many new things through this role of mother. The tears will come more easily, your heart will expand and the wounds will occur. Don't fret the little moments that are just acts of willfulness, cherish the smiles, hugs, and "I love you's" that come so quickly when they are small because they are so used to hearing us tell them that...so why is it the smiles, hugs, and I love you's become infrequent as the years go by, perhaps it is because we are not smiling, enjoying or hugging them quite as much. This is the way it is as they grow up, they are autonomous, yet so intrinsically linked to our hearts and dreams.
Yes, this is an exciting change for you and Nate, but, my dear, you will encounter so much more than you ever expected and your praise and worship to your Lord will be sweeter and there will be more thankfulness for all He does for you. Your prayers will be more earnest as they are tracking the heart and mind of one so dearly loved, who you must release for the sake of their own meeting, and depending on the one true Father through their relationship with His Son, our Lord Jesus. He has entrusted this dear little girl to you and Nate, and I know you and your families take this seriously.
Celeste, tonight we celebrate with you,. the role of motherhood, and will delight in sharing many moments of joy and trouble with you as she grows and goes.