Natalie & Family: My Baby's Baby Blessing

First off, yeah, I know that Scarlett is really our baby not my baby, but it sounded more personal and this will be a personal post (aren't they all). So, I have decided to leave that title up just now. Sorry, Brian.
Ever since our Scarlett was born, I have been dreaming up her coming out party after her baby blessing. We were going to have a luncheon outside with enough food prepared for ALL our friends and family, and it was going to be GOOD. And everyone was going to ooh and awe at how precious that lil' girl was in her beautiful, one-of-a-kind homemade dress Grandma made for her. And we would sit outside in the warm weather and visit with all the people who love us. All these fun things did happen (I'll post the recipe for our Café Rio Grande meal, trust me, you'll want it), but now I realize that those things were trivial compared to the sweet priesthood blessing that Scarlett received from her father.

Handmade down to the tiniest details...booties, headband, and bracelet!

       I decided to do some research on baby blessings, because I honestly don't know much about them. I believe that a baby blessing is not a saving ordinance required to enter into the highest degree in the Celestial Kingdom. The Family Guidebook to Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings says:
       "Priesthood ordinances are sacred acts given by the Lord and performed by the authority of the priesthood." A few examples of saving ordinances:  baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost (4th AOF), initiatory & endowments, sealing in the temple, and keeping covenants made ever after.
       "Priesthood blessings are given by the authority of the priesthood for healing, comfort, and encouragement."
       Ah, so our newborn babies need comfort and encouragement. Can't blame them. Its a cold, hard world sometimes. Don't worry Scarlett, its only temporary. Ha, reminds me of my upstairs neighbor. Every time our paths meet, she warns, "Oh, I'm so glad I'm not raising a child in this day and age." Uh, thanks, neighbor. I guess I shouldn't have been so careless and have a baby in these dreadful times. I'm glad her negativity isn't infectious.
        Moving on, D&C 20:70 reads: “Every member of the church of Christ having children is to bring them unto the elders before the church, who are to lay their hands upon them in the name of Jesus Christ, and bless them in his name.”
         Okay, okay, so I guess it is both an ordinance and a blessing...and it can be given to older children up to 8 as well. You Melchizedek Priesthood holders probably already knew this and are bored with my discovery....but hey I still learn things about the gospel and our church all the time.
       I probably should have prepared better spiritually for Scar's blessing than fussing over the after party. I didn't stop to think that Brian's blessing was going to be so special. Scarlett was so peaceful that day at church, which is unusual if she is awake in the afternoon. She just sat still on my lap until Brian uttered that he was a little nervous and Scarlett Claire Green was called over the podium. He took her up to the front of the chapel while other Priesthood holders in our ward and family gathered around her and he gave her a name and a sweet simple blessing.  I remember him blessing her that she would know how to make the right decisions quickly and that she would get married to a worthy man in the temple, but I mostly remember the feeling.
       I felt like Heavenly Father really loved our little baby, and that He was proud of her for coming on this mission to earth. I felt like He was blessing me and trusting me with the hefty responsibility to care for her, and I felt like Scarlett knew more about Heavenly Father and his love than I. These thoughts and feelings struck me subtly, but honestly. It was a unique feeling, seeing the power that my baby and our family holds. It sorta makes me nervous, when I think about our eternal potential. Hopefully we live up to it, because I know and He knows its there.
       Brian said that she kept still, sucked on her binky (of course) and looked up for the entire blessing, not that it was long. Then I had to bear my testimony in sacrament meeting because I couldn't get my heart to stop churning in my stomach or my bladder to calm down until I did. Brian followed later and one-upped me with a much more composed, wiser testimony (when I get nervous I tend to babble). Oh, I love him. It was a such a happy day, and luckily, we didn't run out of food feeding this crowd....