Welcoming Cypress

Baby Cypress Ballentine, that is.

My friend and co-worker, Heidi, is soon expecting a baby boy.

To celebrate mom and baby, we threw them a surprise shower at school recently.

It was a breakfast party and I contributed Lemon Monkey Bread; same as I took to Nic and Kristiina's for Mother's Day, but this was the first time I tried it.  I saw the recipe on Pinterest and have been eying it for weeks (and it's going gangbusters over there - it's been repinned from my Yummy Food  board over 2000 times!).  This was the perfect opportunity to give it a go, because Mama's been craving lemon!  It turned out super yummy!  Here's the recipe:

Lemon Monkey Bread
(from Creations by Kara)
12 frozen dinner rolls, thawed but still cold
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1. Cut rolls in half and place in a greased 9×13″ pan.
2. Drizzle with the melted butter.
3. Mix lemon zest and sugar together in a small bowl. Sprinkle HALF of the lemon sugar mixture over the rolls. Cover and let raise till doubled.
4. Sprinkle remaining sugar mixture on top. Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from pan.
5. Combine glaze ingredients. Drizzle over rolls while still warm.

I adore the colors of Spring!  The blues and greens are so fresh and vibrant!

Whoa. That's some wonky action editing on that photo!

My love of these colors is quite apparent in my color selection of hand-made gifts for this Spring baby!  I seem to (inadvertently) have a theme going here!

That was a happy day. 

(Doubly happy for me, because coincidentally, it was the same day as my own precious child's 30th (!) birthday. Oh, the indescribable joy she brings to me.)

Over the past couple of weeks, Mom Heidi has had a pressing matter on her heart.  Little Cypress is breach.  He's never chosen to position himself head down, and his lack of turning is becoming disconcerting.

Following numerous remedies to encourage him to turn, Heidi had an appointment last week for an external version (before he gets any bigger), but he wasn't happy about the process and after four tries, they decided to stop and schedule a C-section.

That was heart-sinking news for his all-things-natural mom.  Like most moms, she wanted to experience natural child birth, wanted to avoid drugs, not to mention anesthesia, knives, and barrier curtains.

But alas, this is motherhood.  Sacrifice.  And she knows it... she realized a long time ago that she would go to the ends of the earth for whatever is in her child's best interest.  So, she's taking what comes, but that doesn't make it any less disappointing.  Derailed plans - they're always hard to adjust to, initially.

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."   ~ Jeremiah 29:11

One way or another, dear Heidi, he'll arrive. Whether as the result of your relentless laboring, or by the hand of one holding a scalpel; he'll be born, and you'll have that first, magical moment with him - he'll be wet and shrieking at this new sensation of cold and light, and you'll draw him close, shh-ing and cooing; instinctively wanting to protect and comfort him in the warmth of your bosom.  He'll settle down almost immediately, recognizing your voice, and you'll wonder at the miracle of life, laughing and crying, knowing that in this moment, you are at the absolute end of yourself. 

And in that same moment's time, your future will flash before you and you'll wonder if you can do this... shape this vulnerable little bundle into a man.  Time will pass too swiftly, and before you know it, the dizzying days will have spun out a grown up person ready to face the world. You'll have taught him to share his toys, to be polite and mind his manners, when to wear a tie and when not to wear white socks; more importantly, you'll have taught him respect and honor and integrity.  Your love and pride will be immeasurable.  

And it's all because of grace.  That we mothers, in this broken world, are able to do anything right at all with the precious souls entrusted to us... it's pure grace.

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9

With love and prayers and excited anticipation, I am among those who are eager to welcome little Cypress. 


(...and from another Mom's Heart on how we miraculously get this done...)