When I was pregnant, I prayed often for the sweet baby growing inside of me.  I had a journal and a prayer book just for documenting new baby happenings, prayers, special dates and verses.  I prayed for every piece of Cedar - for her fingers and toes, for a healthy gut and two working legs, but mostly I prayed for a good sleeper.  I prayed long, hard and often for a child who would sleep well.

I'm not sure why this was so huge for me, but from the moment I found out I was pregnant, I started heavy research on babies and sleep.  I borrowed sleep training books from my friends, recounted all of my nanny/babysitting/daycare memories with infants and began pleading with God for an infant who, for the love of God, would just let me sleep!  I also prayed for a baby who would grow into a child - and then an adult - who would know, show and share true and lasting joy. 

This, I prayed for, because I've struggled with my own attitude my entire life, and I wish for Cedar to walk through life without anxiety, without fear of the future and in confidence of her place in this world and beyond.  I pray that she wouldn't take after her "Negative Nancy" of a mother, but instead would light up a room with her presence, like her father.

Cedar and me at 38 weeks. 

And 39 weeks - the night before I went into labor.

Enter Cedar. 

 She was born with a smile on her face.  From the beginning people talked about her contageous joy (or gas) and we marveled at how well she slept.  She scared the crap out of me by sleeping straight through the night when she was just eight days old.

I don't mean to paint a perfect picture.  To be perfectly transparent, Cedar's baby-hood was very difficult for me, and we did spend many nights listening to our baby 'fuss it out' in order to teach herself to go to bed on her own.  This was not easy and it was not fun, but God certainly blessed us with an easy going little one who brought much joy and laughter to our lives when we needed it most.

He answered my prayers with a Yes!

 I chose this scripture to pray over Cedar since before she was born, and today it is tacked up in her room behind a canvas so I'll always remember.

1 Peter 3: 8-9

Finally, all of you, be like - minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.  Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult.  On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

So will you join me in praying this over my daughter?  Will you pray it over your children, too?  This world is so negative and terrifying and wrong.  My heart aches at the thought of our tiny little child being thrown into the world to be a light, but that is beyond me and not in my hands.  

So for now, I pray.  For my baby, and for yours, too.  And for us.  The parents and grandparents.  The aunts and uncles and friends and neighbors.  That we would raise a generation that is strong and solid in The Faith.  That our kids would start great movements in Christ and would be fearless.  And most importantly, that they would understand and truly know the quality of God's love for them.  

Amen.