Tuesday, April 29, 2008

we're packed!

(the pictures are oldies from last week since we're in the middle of moving, but I promise new ones soon!)


Hey everybody! I (Amy) am sitting on the floor in my empty house writing this blog entry! The big truck is officially packed & taking off late tonight, thanks to many of our RUF students who have been so WONDERFUL to us. We are working on all the little nitty-gritty stuff like cleaning, patching holes & paint touch-ups, etc. So tomorrow, Marc will take off towards Virginia in our car, and then Caroline & I are flying there on Thursday! Hopefully the big truck will arrive this weekend sometime. Crazy times!


Guess who slept for 6 hours straight for the first time last night?!? woo-hoo! (I think all of those shots might have made her a little more sleepy than normal...) It's such a good thing that new babies are pretty flexible because the next several days are going to be a little crazy! (can you tell we might have a thumb-sucker on our hands soon?)
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Monday, April 28, 2008

2 month check-up


Hey guys! This afternoon I went to my 2 month doctor's visit, and I got 5 shots!! (plus an oral vaccine) I cried during the shots, but thankfully the nurse was fast and as soon as she handed me back into Mommy's arms, I settled down pretty fast. Nurse Kim said, "When they soothe themselves and settle down really fast like that, it's a good sign that she won't have any bad reactions to the shots." I knew there was a good reason for all the baby fat on my thighs!


But the great news is that the doctor said I'm in the 95th percentile on how much I'm eating & how well I'm sleeping! (for you moms who care about silly little details... I'm eating 4 oz. every 3 hours during the day, and I'm sleeping about 4-5 1/2 hours at a time at night!) Oh, and guess what? I now weigh 13 lbs, 15 oz & I'm 23 3/4 inches long!! I'm a big, strong healthy girl! We Corbetts love to eat... :)
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Sunday, April 27, 2008

the best day of our lives...


Marc and I agree that today was perhaps the best day of our lives yet. After all the wonderful festivities of Caroline's baptism this morning, this evening our church had a special service where we finally became an established church instead of a church-plant as we were before. It was a momentous occasion for our church, and we have prayed for & longed to see this happen for Providence Presbyterian Church as long as we have been in Lubbock. (and it happened on our last Sunday night here!)


So after a GREAT worship service, our church had a beautiful reception which also doubled as a farewell party for us. I can't even begin to comment on how amazing this evening was for us-- it's almost 1:00am & I can't sleep because I'm still on cloud nine. Let's just say it was like going to your funeral, except we weren't dead yet. :) Some people that were very dear to us took turns sharing stories and reflections on the time with us, and oh, it brought us to TEARS. (so forgive me-- I'm highly emotional as I write this!) In fact, I bawled pretty hard after our pastor Jim spoke some of the nicest words I've ever heard about us, and immediately afterwards, our sweet RUF students came up to us, got in a line, and hugged both me & Marc one at a time as I cried in their arms. I think it was the first time it really hit me how sad it's going to be to leave Lubbock & the dear people we love so much here. Here's a group pic of the RUF students from tonight.


After my good cry, I finally pulled myself together somewhat to take a pic with my dear friend, Anne, who has been so special to me as a godly woman and experienced Mom. :) So far, I think I have been in task mode and haven't let myself really FEEL the fact that we're leaving, but after tonight, it is going to be terribly hard to leave. Our church family has showered us for seven years with so much love, support, gifts, prayers, hugs, encouraging notes, homecooked meals, and friendship. The body of Christ is AMAZING when it is "loving one another as Christ has loved us." Marc & I have seen and felt it in a very real way today, and there is nothing on earth like it.


Many thanks to Jim & Emily (our pastor & his wife) for your friendship & co-laboring in the ministry out here in West Texas. Thank you for all that you have done for us. We love y'all and will dearly miss you, but we look forward to what the Lord is going to do through you here. Okay, that's enough of my blubbering... I promise Caroline will be back tomorrow with more cute baby pictures! :)
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baptism, part 3


We are so thrilled that Megan, her son, Brayden, her mother, and grandmother, (along with Amy's parents, aka. "Pop & Mamie") were all able to come to Lubbock for this special time! We had a great time together, and it feels like they are family to us. We are so glad Caroline will be able to look back at these pictures and see how loved she is by so many people.


Again, who would've guessed that the Lord would bring us a friend in Caroline's birthmother? We joke with Megan about how people are afraid that their birthmother is going to come back and steal their baby. Megan said she'd love to, but as soon as she started crying, she'd hand her back over to us! :)


It was SO great to see the Bailey's again! We knew the boys when they were 3 & 6 years old, so it was neat to see them grown up! Rob & Scotty have a foster child, Cameron, that they are hoping to adopt!


It was such a special morning for our last Sunday in Lubbock. After laboring for 7 years, this was almost like a fairytale ending for us.
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baptism, part 2


After Pastor Rob prayed for our family and we all sang a hymn that Mommy & Daddy sing to me ("I am Jesus' Little Lamb"), Daddy preached a sermon on adoption. (I LOVED the parts in it when he talked about ME!) If any of you would be interested in hearing his sermon, the church should post it on their website sometime this week: www.providencepca.org.


Mommy played violin at church for our last Sunday, too!


A family pic after the service...


with birthmommy, Megan...


with Pop & Mamie...

baptism, part 1


April 27, 2008- I was baptized this morning on our last Sunday in Lubbock, and it was such a special morning. I wore a beautiful dress & bonnet that my Granny & Papa gave me, with little booties that my Mommy wore when she was a baby girl.


Mommy and Daddy went up before the entire church, which was packed out today! One of our church members said they left at 3am from New Mexico this morning just so that they could be here for my baptism! Lots of the RUF students came and celebrated with us, too! It was so neat to be surrounded by our sweet church family. We will miss them SO much.


We were so excited that the founding pastor of our church, Rob Bailey, was in town to participate. He said a few things to the congregation about infant baptism, then gave Mommy & Daddy a charge to always teach me the Gospel (even when I get older & parenting me gets harder), so that one day I will place my faith & trust in Christ. Perhaps the nicest thing Rob said was to my birthmommy, Megan- "As a father to 3 adopted children, Megan, I want you to know what a hero you are and we thank you for being here."


Then our pastor, Jim, asked Mommy & Daddy the questions & they took vows that said they acknowlege themselves to be sinners in need of God's grace and then they promised to raise me in a Christian home.


Then Daddy took me in his arms and said, "Caroline Elizabeth Corbett, I now baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." He poured the water on my head 3 times, and since the water was cold, I had to cry a little bit. It was still a precious moment that Mommy & Daddy had been waiting on & dreaming about for years....

Saturday, April 26, 2008

poses with the parents...


Before dinner tonight, I took a few good shots with Mommy & Daddy... (notice the stack of boxes behind us...)


I LOVE my Daddy's arms.


Mommy thinks I look like an angel when I'm asleep...


Being a baby is so much fun... I've got these people wrapped around my little finger!
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welcome to lubbock, everybody!


Hey, Pop & Mamie! I'm so glad you came out to Lubbock for my baptism tomorrow!


And birthmommy Megan is here, too! She brought her son, Brayden, her mom, & grandma, too! They drove into town this afternoon & when they got to our house, Mommy & Daddy put Megan right to work changing my diaper!


After we all went out to dinner tonight, we went over to a park so Brayden (almost 2 yrs old) could run around, but I think we ALL had just as much fun as he did!


We're all so excited about the big day tomorrow!
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Friday, April 25, 2008

why we baptize caroline...


This Sunday, we are so excited that Caroline will be baptized at church, and even birthmommy Megan will be there to celebrate with us! Marc wrote the following to be printed inside the bulletin:

Baptism: "for you and your children…” (Acts 2:39)
By Marc Corbett

On this day, April 27th, 2008- it’s my joy and privilege to baptize my daughter, Caroline Elizabeth Corbett. This may be strange to those of you who, like me, grew up in a Baptist home (after all, in West Texas, aren’t their more Baptists than there are people? :) ) Why would we baptize Caroline before she has made a profession of faith? Are we only doing this because of some Presbyterian tradition which carried over from the Roman Catholic Church?

The reason Amy and I are baptizing Caroline is because our conscience is bound by Scripture alone and not by any tradition. The question from Scripture is NOT, “should we baptize believers OR infants?” The question from Scripture is this: “Should we baptize believers AND also their children?”

So I thought I might offer a quick explanation from Scripture, not necessarily to convince you to believe in infant baptism, but so that you can see that we practice it because we believe it to be biblical.

When a believer was baptized in the New Testament, their whole family was baptized as well. Of the 10 Christian baptisms recorded in the New Testament, about 85% of the time where a believer may have children, those children are baptized (“you and your household”).[1] Never do these Scriptures advocate not baptizing a member of one’s family until they are old enough to make their own decision for Christ.

Throughout the Bible, God establishes covenant relationships with families, not just individuals. For example, God told Noah, “ “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you (singular) righteous in this generation.” (Genesis 7:1). Because a believing parent is in covenant with God, their children are considered holy or set apart from the world.[2] We treat them this way by praying with them, teaching them about Jesus, and also giving them the sign of the covenant. The OT sign of circumcision is replaced with baptism in the New Testament (Col. 2:11-12).

So, today, we joyfully give the sign of the covenant to our daughter. Not because we believe baptism saves her. But, it’s an outward sign that points forward to what we hope and trust will be an inward reality in the future: when Caroline Elizabeth, child of the covenant, is born again and places her trust in the blood of Christ which cleanses her from all unrighteousness.

______________________________________
[1] Pentecost: Acts 2:38-39, “…you and your children…”; Acts 8:12; Cornelius & his household: Acts 10:2, 44, 48; Lydia & her household: Acts 16:14,15; Jailer & his household: Acts 16:31-34; Crispus & his household believed & were baptized:; Acts 18:8; Stephanus & his household: 1 Cor. 1:14, 16.

[2] 1 Cor. 7:14 - “For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy (set apart).”

Thursday, April 24, 2008

changes...


Ahhh... hi, everybody! Today I'll tell you about some new, exciting things I'm learning this week! My awake times are getting more active and fun! I'm starting to really take in the world around me and I just LOVE looking at people's faces, watching their expressions, and making my own back at them.


Look how I can hold my head up all by myself sometimes when I'm being burped! Let's hear the ooh's & aah's-- this is major stuff, you guys!


My latest development is that now I have figured out I have LEGS!!! I just LOVE to kick, kick, kick! I sit all by myself in my bouncy seat or on the floor and kick away! Sometimes I move my legs separately really fast, and sometimes I pull them in and kick together! I also like to straighten my legs so it looks like I'm standing up on Mommy's lap! Mommy & Daddy are amazed at how all of a sudden I seemed to go from a sweet, sleepy infant to a baby-on-the-GO! Watch out, world-- here I come!


More changes... today we had to say our goodbyes to Mommy & Daddy's old neighbors, Loyd & Ruth, who have been like family during their 7 years here in Lubbock. They love me so much already. We all cried a little bit (well, I cried because I was getting hungry, of course) and it was very sad to leave. Mommy & Daddy are busy packing with only 1 week left before we move to Virginia, so pray that they'll get everything ready in time PLUS have some time to reflect & say their goodbyes to so many people they love here. Talk to you tomorrow!
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Wednesday, April 23, 2008

favorite song...


Since Daddy wasn't feeling too well today, he was around the house a little more during the day to rest, so I took advantage of it & loved getting some extra time with him!




Guess what my favorite song is right now? Believe me, I've now heard just about every song ever written, and whenever Mommy or Daddy (mostly Daddy) sings Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire," I usually burst out with smiles! It's the only song I do that on consistently, so right now, it's at the top of my list. (but you've GOT to sing the little trumpet part at the end of each line in a funny trumpet voice...)


See ya later, alligators!
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Tuesday, April 22, 2008

a day of smiles!

Granny & Papa, you always tell Mommy & Daddy that you love the pictures of me smiling. Well, guess what? You're gonna LOVE this post because today I gave Mommy a TON of 'em!










I am developing SO quickly right now! Every day it seems I make a cute new gurgling sound when I try to talk back to Mommy! And when she makes a funny noise at me, it makes me smile! (but I can't laugh just yet, so I just smile ear to ear & show her my gums!) I'm learning how to vocalize! I'm also figuring out that I can kick my legs, hold my head up more, and hold onto things when Mommy puts them into my hand! It's a whole new world & so fun!