ALSO BY JUNE COTNER
Amazing Graces
Animal Blessings
Back to Joy
Bedside Prayers
Bless the Beasts
Bless the Day
Christmas Blessings
Comfort Prayers
Dog Blessings
Earth Blessings
Family Celebrations
Forever in Love
Garden Blessings
Get Well Wishes
Graces
Gratitude Prayers
Heal Your Soul, Heal the World
The Home Design Handbook
House Blessings
Looking for God in All the Right Places
Miracles of Motherhood
Mothers and Daughters
Pocket Prayers
Say a Little Prayer: A Journal
Serenity Prayers
Soar! Follow Your Dreams
Teen Sunshine Reflections
To Have and To Hold
Toasts
We Are Women
Wedding Blessings
Wishing You Well
For my grown children,
Kyle and Kirsten—
and my dear, sweet grandchildren,
Shay and Weston
baby blessings
copyright © 2017 by June Cotner. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews.
Andrews McMeel Publishing
a division of Andrews McMeel Universal
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106
www.andrewsmcmeel.com
ISBN: 978-1-4494-8541-2
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016951824
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Contents
Letter to Readers
Thanks
one
Pregnancy
Prayer for a New Family
Pregnancy
Leaving Their Mark
A Baby Is God’s Opinion
Making the Decision to Have a Child
Freight Train
Surprise
On My Daughter-in-Law’s Pregnancy
The Answer of Love
When You Slide Out Singing
You-and-I
Expecting
Movement
Hello
Waiting
two
Birth
A Tiny Star
Welcome to the World
At a Child’s Birth
Parents’ Prayer at the Birth of a Child
Pre-Dawn Before His Birth
Crowning
Star Child
My Wish for You
Deliver Me
Our Son Was Born Under a Full Moon
Connected
The Wonder of You
The Birthing
Come Forth
At Last We Meet
three
new baby
Baby Fair
The Gift
New Baby
Rejoice
Simplicity
Instinct
Happiness Is . . .
The Beginning
Colic
Parents’ Prayer at the Adoption of a Child
My Preemie Son
Infant
Prayer for a New Baby
An Infant’s Prayer
Promises to a Newborn Daughter
Sleep Cycle
Time Enough for Milestones
All of You
Gift of a Grandchild
Remembered Rhyme
Head and Heart and Hands
A Promise of Love
Midnight Feedings
Instructions for the New Mother
Not to Worry
My Baby
On Baby’s Birth
Thank You
My Gift
Baby Blessings
Baby
Dear Special Child
four
babyhood
There’s Something About a Baby
Prayer of Blessings
Prayer to Baby’s Angel
Two o’Clock in the Morning
Expectations
I Could Call You Beautiful
Baby
Reading Time
Momentary Grace
About the World
Ecstasy
Perspective
First Steps
When First I Held You
The First Year
Are You a Bird, Little One?
Perfection
Nourishment
Sweet Love Divine
A Baby Inspires Us . . .
Loving You
A Fascinating Thing
In the Deep Grace of Night
five
lullabies
Summer Lullaby
Song for an Unborn Child
Cradle Song
Brahms’ Lullaby
Lullaby
Slumbertime
All Through the Night
six
baby-naming ceremonies
A Baby-Naming Prayer
Naming
Bless This Child
A Prayer for Naming
Here in . . .
For a Naming Ceremony
seven
christenings
The Starmaker
A Christening Prayer
Christening
A Baby Blessing
A Baptism Ceremony
Baptism
Our Wish for You
Blessing Wish-Song
Waters of Life: A Christening
A Dedication Prayer
Baby Blessing
A Christening Blessing
eight
reflections
Today
Second Child Secrets
To My Eurasian Grandchild
Caretakers of the Future
Finding Balance
Normal Changes
Parenthood
For My Daughter on Her Twenty-First Birthday
Our Fragile Emissary
The Courage to Love
Sense of Wonder
A Blessing for Our Children
Miracle
nine
inspiration
Celebration
Today
Many Hearts
We Are Their First Teachers
My Son
Soft Moccasins
A Parents’ Prayer
Your Children
God’s Message
God’s Sign
A Weeping Willow Prayer
For Life
Author Index
Permissions and Acknowledgments
About the Author
Letter to Readers
It has been a long time since I’ve had a baby of my
