For love of a baby

Babies are so sweet and mysterious, almost magnetic and yet for some, unreachable.  I love any reason to celebrate, it is a kind of fun that is almost transporting to me. I like planning events so this weekend's baby shower for Robert and Da'quisha at church was super fun but a little bittersweet for me.
I got to recycle my ideas from April's baby shower (scroll way down this LONG post) and use up some party favors, too!
We party-planners hoped for about 20 church folks to come, which for our sweet little church is a pretty substantial turnout. So most of my plans were with that in mind. To my great joy Robert and Da'quisha practically brought their own party in family members! There was plenty of punch and cake, mints and nut, to go around but I was little shy on activity sheets. But, maybe God knew how many little blessing beads I needed for the mother's necklace and I had just the right amount. Perhaps they were multiplied in that little bag like the loaves and fishes when the number of guests were counted!
I bought a little blanket zipper pouch that goes over baby already dressed in sleepwear for everyone to sign with blessings or well-wishes.

I love the idea of someone sleeping wrapped in blessings and well-wishes. (When I lay dying- do this for me!)

There were little paper buttons for baby blessings to go in a box and we wrote motherly and fatherly advice (I'm so old that most of my baby showers are female only- how nice that this one had several males!) and a favorite childhood memory of an adult in our life on little  cards. Da'quisha and Robert read a card before opening a gift.

 There were lots of gifts of diapers and wipes, you think you will never use this mountain of supplies but they will be gone all too soon I imagine, books, bottles, a pack and play, a gender neutral diaper bag (loved this for Robert!), but, who can resist adorable, sweet, baby girl clothes? There were plenty of them. Miss Eryn will be quite the baby fashionista.

Judah brought paper good and tablecloths, Sue made a deliciously simple punch, Cindy brought a sweet baby cake, and Sandy had us well-supplied in nuts and mints. Old-fashioned refreshments-I loved it! My former MIL supplied the punch bowl and cups.

Aren't they just the cutest couple?

Our last activity was to take a bead and give the mother a blessing for her delivery which could be made into a necklace or bracelet to take to the hospital. It was a sweet time with a sweet young couple.

I enjoyed every minute of the planning, prep and party!

But as I drove home my heart was breaking for my sweet girl and her partner who want a child so much they've spent years and lots of savings trying to have one with no success. No countries outside the US (and only private adoption here) offer adoption to same sex couples. Single-yes, heterosexual-yes. Openly gay, committed partners need not apply. Many states do not recognize two parents in a same sex couple family, only one so my girls are continuing to live in a state where a gay couple can both be legal parents hoping for this to be a reality. My state does not allow for it. Shame, shame, shame.

I hope the universe has a sweet child for them somewhere and that the three of them will be wrapped in this kind of community love.

Living in the juxtaposition of celebration and heartbreak.