This last Sunday, our good friend Katie Gaspard took some 36 week maternity photos for us. She has the cd waiting for me in Dallas– here are the two preview pics she sent me. Please don’t be horrified at the crazy belly button ring scar. Kind of ironic, considering how much my mom warned me against getting a piercing, saying it would “get infected” (she even wanted to take me off our health insurance!). And, wouldn’t you know? It didn’t get infected until I took it out, 6 years later!! I regard it as my cautionary tale for anyone reading Dante late at night– don’t pierce or tattoo anything, just because you’re reading Inferno!
Orthodox Prayer from Shower
As I am still overwhelmed by the baby shower yesterday (one lady alone contributed over $100 in gifts, etc.!) I forgot to post one of my favorite parts of it: a beautiful Orthodox prayer that all the women prayed out loud for me.
Some of you might be thrown off by the 2 mentions of Mary (not me, Mary, but the Theotokos, Mary). All I can say is that it’s way more complex than I have time to get into, but we don’t believe that anyone else but Jesus can “save us from our sins” (I put it into quotations because we don’t use that terminology, but I remember it as being the Protestant equivalent of what we mean). There are different kinds of saving, and we believe that Mary, Mother of God has a specific intercessory role with child-bearing women.
Anyways, it’s a beautiful prayer, and I had to fight tears the entire time. Read it if you want! Pray it for us if you want!
O Sovereign Lord Jesus Christ our God, the Source of life and immortality, bless Mary and the fruit of her body that was given by Thee; favor them and animate this child by Thy Holy Spirit, and let it grow a healthy and pure body, with well formed limbs.
Sanctify this child’s body, mind, heart, and vitals, and grant this infant that is to be born an intelligent soul; establish him in the fear of Thee.
A faithful angel, a guardian of soul and body, do thou vouchsafe him. Protect, keep, strengthen, and shelter the child in her womb until the hour of his birth.
O Lord Jesus Christ, place this infant upon the right hand of Thy grace, and through Thy Holy Spirit sanctify him and renew him unto life everlasting, that he may be a communicant of Thy Heavenly Kingdom. Amen.
O All-Merciful Christ our God, look down and protect Thy handmaiden Mary from fear and from evil spirits that seek to destroy the work of Thy hands. And when her hour and time is come, deliver her by Thy grace.
Look with compassionate eye and deliver Thy handmaiden from pain. Lighten her infirmity in the time of travail and grant her fortitude and strength for birth giving, and hasten it by Thine almighty help.
For this is Thy glorious work, the power of Thine Omnipotence, the work of Thy grace and tender-heartedness. Amen.
My most gracious Queen, my hope, O Mother of God, the joy of those in sorrow, help us, for we are helpless.
Intercede thou and pray thy Son, Christ our God, that He lighten for his handmaiden Mary this season while she is with child, and that He ease the burden of heaviness of her, and bestow His blessings upon the child to which she is giving birth.
For we know no other help save thee, no other hope save thee, O Mother of God, that will guard and protect her and her child. For by thine intercession and help we send up glory and thanksgiving for all things unto the One God in Trinity, the Creator of all, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Dallas Baby Shower
This afternoon, Courtney and Katie held a St. Seraphim Ladies Shower for me. Just like the CA shower Tess and Julie threw, I became overwhelmed by the love and generosity shown to me by everyone. Even though these people have been a part of my life for the last 3 years, it still amazes me how generous everyone was. Not only did Courtney collect enough money for both the expensive carseat and stroller I had picked out, but there was about $100 leftover! Plus we received countless other gifts…truly overwhelmed. It’s almost as if God knew that Jesse and I don’t have any money to spare these next couple months since I’m not working. It’s also almost as if God knew that gifts are my “love language”…
For the quick version of the carseat/stroller story…I had originally picked one out an infant carseat/stroller combo travel system at Sears. The kind folks at my CA baby shower pitched in enough for me to buy it. After talking to a few other moms, reading some reviews, etc, I realized that while a “click in, click out” infant carseat works well at first, it only lasts for a few months before they’ve outgrown it. I decided to use the Sears $ I had received for baby room essentials, and trust in God’s timing and provision for the carseat and stroller. Turns out, it’s a providential thing that I waited! The Combi Corocco carseat in this next picture works from infancy– 3 years old, plus, it fits well in compact cars such as our Corolla! The stroller is a nifty jogger, with a swivel front wheel. Not as nice as a “BOB” stroller, but 1/2 the price. And it even has an MP3 player dock, with speakers near the baby’s head.
Oh, and a few weeks ago, one of the moms gave me a hand me down “click in click out” infant carseat she used for her 2 kids. If I can research it and discover that there haven’t been any recalls, I can use it too! I’m very glad I didn’t buy one back in July.
36 Weeks
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