I tend to write a lot about faith on my blog, which might strike some as odd, considering I have been to church maybe once, besides the holidays (shout out to all my Chirstmas and Easter peeps- I see you🙋🏻♀️) since I found out I was pregnant. I am not exactly out there living in the “word.” Unwed mother doesn’t scream model Jesus follower, ya know? I admittedly have shied away a bit from organized “church.” However, anytime I do some searching of that heart of mine, I tend to find myself looking through the lens that sets it’s focus on my own faith in God. God’s faithfulness is something I have clung to throughout every uncertainty that has been Plan C ( and the rest of my life, for that matter) and is something I hope to share with my baby as she grows…..
On February 4th, Henley Marigold was baptized into faith. This was something I comptemplanted a lot but ultimately wanted for my daughter. In my opinion, faith should be your own personal choice, one Henley will have to make on her own one day. I personally do not believe there is any magic in getting baptized and I certainly don’t belive my sweet two month old baby had any “sins” that she needed washed away in that water, but yet, I still wanted to have her a Christening Day. I wanted to do this because I wanted to create a foundation for her and show her that her dad and I, with the help of her Godparents and our family are committed to raising her up in God’s love. It’s my prayer that she will always knows the peace of Jesus, the light of his love, and the joy of his spirit within her to help her “take heart” through this life… that is why, we chose to have Henley baptized. Welllll…..and the pomp and circumstance….I love any excuse to get dressed up and have party 💁🏻♀️
Henley was baptized in the same church I was, almost 30 years to the date. The church has had a bit of a face lift but the Priest who baptized me actually did the mass leading up to Henley’s baptism, which was pretty cool!
The Dress… the real reason a girl wants to get Baptized😉
First and foremost, I need to state how crazy, stupid expensive baby christening outfits are… it is RI-DIC-U-LOUS. Seriously, I need to get into that biz.🤑. I really wish Henley could have gone vintage and could have worn mine, but my mom had no idea what she did with it- 3rd child life! So after ordering a discount purchase on Amazon ( you can seriously buy EVERYTHING on amazon) for Henley’s dress that slightly resembled a table cloth, my Gram stepped in and really wanted Henley ( and me) to have something special. She offered to purchase us another beautiful gown from a local boutique, chosen with my mom’s help! It was so sweet 🙂 The pictures do not do it justice- it is super hard to maneuver a squirmy baby in an oversized dress-FYI. She looked like a little angel… but she wasn’t a fan of wearing her bonnet ( Jon said her bonnet made her look amish/ traveling the Oregon trail etc. etc. the jokes were flowing). It was almost worth the small fortune to see how darling she looked in her dress- almost!
J and I chose my sister, Krista and my brother- in-law Ryan to be Henely’s Godparents. The choice was easy. Krista and Ryan have 3 little boys, so this a was chance for them to have “their girl” without, risking “trying for one” and getting another set of twin boys 😉 . I have looked up to my sister for as long as I can remember. She has always been my role model. Like Henley, she is the first born girl in our family. I know she will play such an important role in Henley’s life, guiding her through every step and stage, helping her pick out prom dresses and probably buying her a shot on her 21st birthday- Godparents can’t be all business 😈 . Ryan has become the brother I never had and basically treats me like one of his own sisters ( always picking on me and the reason I am aunt Bey…orgianlly aunt B****… you get the picture!). In all seriousness, Ryan and Krista have always, always been there for me. They are amazing and patient parents to their boys. I continue to look up to them for guidance. I know they will be great Godparents to Henley and take a special interest in her life. She one lucky little lady!
The whole baptism process had me thinking a lot about my hopes and dreams for Henley. I hope she grows up to have a sweet heart, and treats others with compassion. The world can be cruel and I hope she stands up for others that can’t stand up for themselves, even when it isn’t the easy thing to do. I hope she shows kindness to people, even if they don’t “deserve it.” I hope she isn’t afraid to fail, because in those moments, she will learn so much about herself. I hope she never has her heart broken but when she does, as I’m sure she will, I hope she uses it to find out just how strong she truly is. I hope she is confident in herself and always knows her worth. I hope she won’t place her value in material things of this world, how many likes she gets on instgram ( if that even will still be a thing), beauty or wealth, because Lord ( and her mamma) knows that all is fleeting, if you enter that rat race, you will never, ever measure up, there will always be something or someone more “er” (… prettier, smarter, richer, insert whatever “er” you like ) than you. But rather, I hope she roots her significance in that she is a child of God….
I am sure she will find out sooner, rather than later, that she wasn’t planned by her parents and I hope that never makes her feel any less than. I love this scripture…
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!-Psalms 138: 13-17
I hope Henley knows that even though she wasn’t originally part of my plan, she was always a part of Gods. She is Fearfully and wonderfully made. She is a MIRACLE. Before I even knew she was there, God loved her and knew her, and he knew who she would be and her purpose….. that brings so much joy to my heart and I hope, one day, hers as well. What an honor it is to shape her into the person God has created her to be. Henley Marigold, your life is such a gift to me and I am so lucky to watch it unfold…. I thank God everyday for you, my precious girl! I am so, so, blessed to be your Mamma. Thank you for sweetly reminding me, of just how faithful God truly is…
xoxo Heather
More Christening Pics
📸Cred- Cousin Dan
Plan C 
Lovely post and gorgeous pictures!! Wish you all the best – speak766
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Beautifully said Mama! She has an excellent role model.
Your faith in trust in God is not found in a church with four walls. It is found in the hearts of those who believe.
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