Baby Boy Costanzo is comin' to town!!!
Yes, the biggest news from our world this Christmas season is the soon-coming advent of our own little baby boy! This fall, we attended what we affectionately refer to as "Baby Boot Camp" -- a series of classes designed to help you feel prepared for the rigors of childbirth and childrearing. While we feel somewhat prepared, the best way to describe what we really feel is excited, scared and slightly overwhelmed!
We have been blessed by the many friends who have pitched in to help us feel supported at this time of transition. Some have lent us maternity clothes & baby gear, many have been praying for the safe growth of little baby Costanzo, and we have been truly blessed by a baby shower given by our church in Maryland, as well as one by Mike's classmates.
We're still thinking about baby names; as it turns out, there aren't many boy names that sound good in Japanese as well as English and go with the last name of "Costanzo." But we're confident that we'll find something by the time Jen's contractions are 4 minutes apart!
Mike's school is progressing well. Not only has he been learning lots of good academic stuff in the classroom, he has also grown by leaps and bounds as a counselor through his internship at the school clinic. He is looking forward to his upcoming graduation this coming May and is already having to start thinking about job-hunting, resumes and interviews! Mike's recent "clinical review" meeting to discuss his progress with all his supervisors went very well -- everyone was very enthusiastic and encouraging! But what's even more exciting is that in January Mike will be finishing up his required hours at the clinic! This means that when the baby comes he'll be able to be at home to help Jen most nights in the week. What a wonderful blessing! We are thankful!
Meanwhile Jen has been working hard at her job as a case manager for a medical care-cost firm preparing Medicare Set-aside Allocation packages. Fun fun fun!!! We are still prayerfully exploring what will be the best work schedule for Jen to try and juggle after the baby is born.
An Old Christmas Carol Made New
Every Christmas we try to find an old carol that, even though we may have heard it a thousand times, helps see something new of Jesus' birth. The following French carol is written as the words of a father who, hearing of the birth of Jesus, tells his two daughters to follow him to where the baby Jesus is:
Bring a torch, Jeanette, Isabella! Softly now unto the stable, |
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Our hope and prayer is that each of us may, like this man and his daughters, recognize the wonderful gift of Jesus this Christmas season!