Alpha and Omega ... and my new maternity skirt

On the day Lilly was born, the hospital gave us the bear on the left.  A family that had lost twins donated the bears to the hospital as gifts for other families who had babies that died or were not expected to live.  I honestly struggled with all the sad thoughts wrapped up in that bear, and so I just put him on a shelf and ignored him. 

When Lilly died, the little white casket we buried her in came with a bear.  (This is the bear on the right in the picture.)  The bear's shirt says "loved and cherished."  This bear is precious to me - as it is from inside Lilly's last resting place on earth.

When I set up my dresser top with some of Lilly's things, I sat the bear on the right up there too.  Then not to long ago I thought about the first bear, and suddenly it became precious to me to.  We got it on the day Lilly was born!  I put it up on the dresser too, and put the hat Lilly wore home from the hospital on it's head.  I took another hat that my friend K. made for Lilly and put that on the other bear.  The bears are now complete ... together.  A bear from the beginning of Lilly's life (outside the womb) and a bear from the very end of her life (on earth).

I've dubbed the bears "Alpha" and "Omega."  Those are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.  But I also think of what Jesus says in Revelation:

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." - Revelation 22:13

In this last picture, I wanted to share my new maternity skirt.  When I'm not pregnant, and have lost my pregnancy weight!, I'm actually a skinny enough person.  But when I'm pregnant, and especially in the last few months, my body just seems to keep gaining weight in spite of my faithful exercising and good eating.  So, as I'm now in my last trimester, I am feeling and looking huge!  Recently I knew I would soon need to go up a size in some maternity clothes.  And as I thought about this, I started thinking I needed a "Lilly colored" outfit, like everyone else in our family has.

I have several maternity skirts that I love from The Modest Mom.  So I got the idea to contact the owner, C., and see if she would make me a maternity skirt if I supplied the fabric.  I shared a bit of Lilly's story and why I would like it.  C. replied she couldn't refuse my request.  :)  So I sent her the red fabric with white stars and she promptly sewed the skirt for me.  (She added a nice white stretchy panel at the top.  You can see it peeking out because my shirt is getting too short!)  Not only can you buy maternity skirts from The Modest Mom's website, but there are also women's skirts, tops, and nursing covers.  Everything I have bought is good quality.  And I am so grateful to C. for my special skirt!

And speaking of the reason I need this maternity skirt - "Rainbow Baby" seems to be doing very well.  I had an appointment with my midwife today.  He's in a good position (no longer breech - yay!) and his heartbeat is good.  We are really looking forward to meeting the little guy in September.  :)