Luke 18:16

On Sunday, November 29, Henry was given the sacrament of baptism and welcomed into the Kingdom of God and the United Methodist Church.

I was raised in the Southern Baptist Church, which does not practice infant baptism...so when I was exploring the possibility of joining the UMC, this is one of the things about which I was most interested. I was intrigued by the idea of infant baptism, but I wanted to be certain that I was in agreement, doctrinally, with the concept before I agreed it was the right thing for me and my family. Without going into any theological detail, my research assured me that infant baptism, as the Methodists practice it, is something I could absolutely embrace. It is a wonderful celebration of God's prevenient grace, and I was so excited for Henry--and for Barry and me--to go through this process.

We were especially thankful to have many of our friends and family join us for baptism day. It was one of the most special days of my life...one of those days that I am certain will still be etched in my memory when I am old and gray.

For those of you who weren't able to be there, please know that we were thinking of you and praying that you will be a blessing in Henry's spiritual life as he grows in faith.

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Luke 18:16

Many, many thanks to the amazing Kate Crafton, who has captured so many special memories for our family, including those you see here. If you like her photography, please check out more of her work here.

3 Months Old!

Dear Henry,

You are three months old (+ one week...Mom is a tad behind)!

It seems like just yesterday we brought you home from the hospital, and now we are starting to pack away clothes you've outgrown!

Here are some of things we want to remember about you at this age:

• You are sleeping through the night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! By the technical definition, anyway. Ever since we unswaddled you and moved you into your crib (from the bassinet) you have been sleeping so much better. Most nights you go down to bed at about 9:30pm--some nights you sleep through until 6:30am, but mostly you get up sometime between 1:30am and 4:30am to eat, then sleep until about 7:30am.
  
• The latest, most exciting development is that you've given us your first belly laugh!! It happened for the first time while Granny Margaret was playing with you while she was here visiting for Thanksgiving. What a cutie you are when you laugh!
  
• You have also started to play with toys. You love your Winkle the most right now, because it's easy for you to grab onto, and you can get it into your mouth. You've also discovered the toys that hang down from your activity mat--you especially love the whale and you get frustrated when you can't get it into your mouth. Which brings us to the next point...
  
• You put EVERYTHING into your mouth. All of a sudden, you love to chew! We thought this meant that teeth might not be far behind, but both of your Grannies tell us it could be a while.
  
• You have started to notice Miss Lucy and you watch her a lot.
  
• Your love for television has grown...you could probably be entertained by it for hours if we let you.
  
• You have started to pull Mom's hair.
  
• You are holding your head up so steadily now and you can sit upright assisted very well. You like to sit next to Dad on the couch and watch TV.

You are growing and changing at an amazing rate these days...we love all the new changes, and although we're sad to see you "growing up," it's very exciting for us to watch you learn new things and develop.

We can't wait to see what the next month brings!

All our love,
Mom & Dad