My Cup Runneth Over

Today marked Carter's first official road trip! We drove about 9 hours to Cary, NC to visit my parents for a week. Since they were in town this past weekend, I followed my dad, and my mom actually sat in the back with Carter because we weren't sure how he'd do. (As you may recall, some of his worst crying moments have been in the car when I have been driving and unable to do anything except tear up and fret.) Thankfully, he did great! And because he was in a car seat all day, he must have had some pent up energy. When we got here, he talked and cooed and squealed for over an hour. He also worked up an appetite... while in the bathtub, he grabbed his feet and shoved his left one into his mouth. The whole acrobatic routine was complete with sucking noises. Scott and I want to teach our son good social skills, but we didn't realize the lesson of sticking his foot in his mouth would come so soon.

On our way here to Cary, we stopped in Spartanburg, SC to introduce Carter to his other great-grandmother, Mimi. She has been anxious to see him, and it was so touching to finally see Carter in her arms, smiling up at her face. I will post pics of the sweet moment soon.

Below is the post I began drafting last night but did not finish because it was close to midnight and I was still packing for the trip....

What a joyful day! Scott and I not only celebrated Mother's Day, but we also had Carter dedicated to the Lord this morning at our church. As I responded to my pledge to raise Carter in a godly home, I felt the weight of responsibility but also the joy of having such a priviledge. We shared a verse we selected for Carter in honor of the occasion: "The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." -Zephaniah 3:17

As I thought about the last three and a half months of motherhood, I also reflected back over the last couple of years. Last year, Scott and I spent Mother's Day at Lake Martin with my family. Still aching for a child and mourning the loss of two babies, it was a difficult day to say the least. Scott gave me a Mother's Day card and reminded me that while I hadn't yet held a child of our own in my arms, we would one day meet our two children in heaven. On that challenging day last year, I shed some tears, prayed several desperate pleas, and in an ironic twist (or more likely through God's perfect timing and providence), conceived Carter.

One more thought that came to me today....I remembered walking out of the doctor's office on September 8, 2006, after receiving the news that the 11 week old baby inside of me had no heartbeat. Scott walked me to my car (we had met there for the appointment), and I climbed in behind the wheel practically choking on my tears and the physical pain in my chest. For some reason, a lesson about Job that I had recently heard came to mind, and I began thanking and praising God. With tears streaming, I uttered words that had to have come only through the moving of the Holy Spirit in my inner most being. Let me be real with you... I had absolutely no ounce of gratefulness in my heart, and I spoke the words perhaps out of obedience rather than true emotion. Maybe I thought I was saying what I was supposed to say, following the example of Job. In retrospect, I believe the Holy Spirit was speaking through me on my behalf. In His omniscience, He led me to say thanks for blessings that were yet to come.

What I didn't know that September day was that I was thanking God for Carter. I was thanking Him for the child He would faithfully deliver to this waiting mother. I was thanking Him for the healing He would bring about. And I was thanking Him for the joy I now feel with such overwhelming power on this Mother's Day. I learned that thanking God for the unexplainable, the unknown, and the unforeseen is what having faith is all about.




My family
Scott's family
Celebrating the Mothers

The proud daddy and grandfathers
Carter wore this gorgeous gown that was smocked by his Aunt JuJu!
Mommy and Carter
Daddy, Mommy, and Carter
After the service, we came back to our house for lunch and cake. I had prepared a bottle for Scott to give Carter while I set out the food. Carter tried to hold onto the bottle for the first time!
So I am a sucker for smocking. :) This was his Mother's Day outfit. (I find lots of "occasions" for new outfits.) :)
We all LOVE this picture! Carter was all smiles while sitting with his great-grandmother, MaMa.
More closeups of Carter in his dedication gown prior to the service. Maybe he had stage fright?