Lainah's Blessing Day

On Easter Sunday, we blessed our little baby girl. It was the perfect day for a baby blessing. It just seemed fitting that on the day that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which means everlasting life for all of us...that we also celebrated the new life in our little family. Lainah is now a little over two months old, and she has been such a blessing in our home. We all just can't get enough of her sweet little spirit. Sunday morning as I was getting her dressed in her white dress, I was telling her how beautiful she was...and then became overwhelmed with how much I loved her. More than that, Andy and I both felt completely surrounded that day by loved ones from up above. We felt so strongly that our little Lainah was being surrounded on her blessing day by people who loved her. I worked on her little dress for a few weeks prior to her big day. I usually had to wait until late at night to work on it...but I enjoyed every second of it. I've made each of my girls' blessing dresses, and they are each unique in their design...just like each of my daughters are special and unique.

Sunday morning, I pulled out all of our family's blessing outfits and put them on my bed. I didn't get a picture of them all, but it was quite the sight...Andy's, mine, Taylor's, Rachel's, Brooklynn's, Matthew's, and little baby Lainah's blessing outfits. Rachel especially loved looking at her little blessing dress, and couldn't believe how small she used to be.

Easter was a beautiful sunny day...but not very warm, so we only took a couple of outside pictures. We just wanted one picture with the sun on Lainah's face.

She was much more comfortable inside. She has kept her dark hair so far, and has the most beautiful blue eyes to go with it. And her little dimples are so precious!

In this picture, I was talking to her, and she was cooing back at me and smiling. She is such a happy, sweet baby!

So right here, I don't know if we really want to know what Taylor might have done to produce that reaction from the girls. :) I also love how Matthew is just completely out of it in these pictures. Nursery wears him out, and by the time we get home (it's a 30 minute drive), he is usually zonked out and ready for a nap. So for these pictures, we just propped him up on the couch, it was pretty funny.

Andy gave Lainah the most beautiful blessing. I love how each of the kids have had very unique blessings. Many of the things are the same in each one, but yet each child has also been blessed with things that are completely unique to them and their personalities and missions in this life.

I'm so thankful that Andy is the type of father he is. He is strong, he is caring, he's a good teacher, he gets down and wrestles with his children...and yet he can also be so serious, and bears the responsibility of fatherhood well.

Here is little Lainey...in daddy's arms, and holding hands with her Daddy.

The easter bunny also visited our house...and although she can't eat chocolate yet...we're getting her all prepared for when she can. :)

Taylor was our little photographer. This picture he took and then said, "oops...I cut off your heads", but it's actually one of my favorites. I think he might have some talent at photography!

Lainah Lorraine Thuernagle

Easter Sunday, April 12th, 2009

Mayfield Ward, Kirtland Ohio Stake