This time last year...

This time last year, Brian and I went to the hospital excited to bring home a baby boy, ecstatic about meeting him for the first time, nervous about the delivery, but sincerely overjoyed that we were venturing into a new dimension of what it means to be a family.

We welcomed Chase Alexander Whited into this world at 3:28pm on Tuesday, April 1st. He came earlier than expected and fooled us all by arriving at 37 wks 2 days. We immediately fell in love with the sweet lil guy. I remember holding him briefly while I was coming out of the anesthesia and Brian being overjoyed to tears! I was a little loopy due to the meds, but I do remember Brian bringing me a snapshot of our new son and I treasure that picture probably more than anything material item in our household. I placed it on the inside of my journal which marked my new life as a parent. I left some pages blank for Brian to write me a note and I still cling to his words of encouragement on the toughest days. I have the most endearing husband who loves me so much!

Chase- we have loved every moment God has given us with you! You are such a sweet, smiley, cuddly kid- for sure the cuddliest kid we've ever met! You have hilarious expressions and love to use your eyebrows to communicate! We are so blessed to have you in our life!

Chase's first hour of life outside the womb!

Day one

1 week

2 weeks

3 weeks

1 month

almost 2 months

3-4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

The last day before our baby turns one!!!

Buds

I thought I would post some cute pix of Chase and his buddy, Caedmon. Caedmon is only about a week and a half older than Chase and it wasn't until recently that the two lil guys really started noticing each other. In fact, Caedmon likes to push Chase around in the walker when they are in nursery at church. This appeals to both Caedmon who is a proficient mover (and practically walking) and Chase who often prefers to be moved around by someone else.

Fish in a fishbowl

The Boys Wrestling
(Chase may have to cut his hair to escape this one! hehe)

Faceoff

Aren't they so cute?

Chase Alexander Whited... Child of the Covenant!

On March 1, 2009 (our son's 11 month b-day), Chase Alexander Whited received the sign of the covenant. Here are some photos of the grand event! Brian and I were beyond pleased with how everything went.

Myself, Brian, Chase and our Pastor

Brian holding Chase as we woke up to SNOW! (Chase's first snow!)

Photo of the dessert Brian and I prepared (A dump truck full of dirt dessert, worms and all)

Chase enjoying some dirt dessert while entertained by his friend, Kathryn.

Chase, so handsome in his Indian kurta. I want to teach him that he has a rich cultural and spiritual heritage. My dad bought this one for him. Pretty cool that it's scarlet and ivory. Quite symbolic.

Picture of the cake my aunt Jean and uncle Lee brought!! Shows just how much he's grown!! We missed some family and friends who couldn't be there, but are thankful for all who made it to this historic event!

Too much of a good thing?

I was reading the back of my shampoo bottle in the shower and it mentioned the age-old saying that "you can't have too much of a good thing". I thought about that as I was scrunching my hair ... I think that it totally depends of our view of our own hearts: if by nature we are selfish/sinful or if we are good-natured victims and only corrupted by the things outside us.

My pastor preached an awesome sermon on Sunday. In fact it was Chase's baptism so I was excited in general for the whole experience- placing the sign and seal of the covenant on our son, becoming members of our church, hearing God's Word preached, enjoying the presence of family and friends, and being able to show them hospitality.

The sermon hit on the nature of our hearts: "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? 19For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.") 20He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' 21For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' " (Mark 7: 19-23 NIV) So this passage shows how envy and slander, etc are not things that enter into us but are products of our hearts. I'm sure that there are temptations that the world offers, but in all reality, it is our hearts that take things (many of which are good things and not innately evil) and make them into idols before the Lord. Even good things! Think about it! There's a fine line between wanting to own "nice" things and greed. Even as a mom, I'm totally guilty of chalking up my kid's behavior to my dilligent schedule but in all seriousness, there's a fine line between that and arrogance. And when does not telling someone the complete truth because you want to protect them fully turn into deceit?

Some of our desires (NO MATTER HOW GOOD)-when blown out of proportion, put before the Lord, and allowed to reign over our desire to please God- will produce evil in our hearts. It's one thing to have an innately evil desire (like cheating on your spouse); but I think most people struggle in the grey areas where they tell themselves "how could too much of this be bad for me?"

Can too much ice cream be bad? Can too many friends be a bad thing? Can loving mankind too much be bad?

I think an overabundance of anything can be bad when it outweighs our love for the Lord. Too much time leads to boredom. Too much power can lead to pride. Too much money can lead to love of money. Too much emphasis on education can lead to trusting in one's own knowledge. Too much success can lead to insatiable hunger for achievement. Too much busyness can lead to restlessness. Too much reliance upon feelings can lead to faulty thinking. Too much ice cream (admittedly) leads to love handles...If only too much exercise was my struggle.... hehe