On your first birthday

Welcome Benjamin Levi!

Going home

My dear baby Benjamin,

A year ago at this very moment I was walking into the operating room in preparation to meet our son or daughter. I had been so nervous the weekend before your scheduled delivery, and I felt a rush of peace wash over me. God meets us in our moments of need, and I felt him with me. The nurse assigned to me was calm and strong; two important qualities in a situation like that. We waited for everyone to arrive including the anesthesiologist, who was the last to arrive and has a very important job! The surgery took a long time, and we were so excited to hear your cries as you entered the world at 12:10 p.m. IT'S A BOY! Such exciting words that we had been waiting to know for nine months. With each pregnancy it has been harder to wait those nine months to find out if it's a boy or girl, but it's always worth it on delivery day! You were healthy and pink and beautiful. What a miracle.

These last 12 months have flown by in a few blinks. It's wonderful and sad. My early days of nursing and rocking you are over. Our through the night slumber parties are in the past as well. You ate your first food, you've crawled your first crawls, you've produced your first two teeth, and you've walked your first steps. You are calm and a watcher. You are cautious of others. You love your Momma but get so excited to see your Daddy in the evening. You are a snuggle bug!

You love blueberries, a warm bottle, showers (you'll crawl in with all your clothes on if I'm not paying attention!) and your sister and brothers; Daddy's arrival home and animals, splashing in the tub or a mud puddle. You are my sweet fourth born child, and I'm so glad we trusted God to give you to us!

This morning we made chocolate cupcakes for your party with our family and friends this evening. They'll be beach cupcakes (of course!) and yours will be a larger one with a big "B" on it. I took pictures of you in the backyard, front yard and inside. I got a few inside that I just LOVE so I'm pretty excited that our photo shoot was a success.

My precious boy, we have prayed over your life in this last year and asked God to protect you in every way. We have prayed that he will reveal your purpose to you early and that you will run this race with endurance. You are a little arrow that we are sharpening for His kingdom, and I pray everyday for more wisdom, more patience, more eternal perspective, more of HIM in me.

I love you, my sweet little man, and I hope your first birthday is a wonderful day! We'll have lots of pictures to show you when you're older!

Love,

Mommy


Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2


Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12