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I am with Ann. Consider this a standing ovation. :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: Glad it went well for you! I’ll stand and be part of the ovation: :clap: :clap: :clap: I’m glad you got to experience blessing your baby and I’m glad it went well. :thumbup: Outstanding. These moments are very precious. Before we know it, they are grown & have children of their own.
So happy to hear it went well. Thanks for sharing your story with us all. :clap: Sometimes there is more room in the church for us than we think.
I will be the most supportive. :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: 
I blessed my daughter during a period of non-TR holding and semi-activity. I wanted to make sure I said things that helped her and my wife, but without necessarily showing I was buying into everything I disagreed with. Many statements could be interpreted different ways — the way I interpreted them, and the way that a traditional believer might interpret them. I wanted to be authentic and true to myself, without being a renegade to the attendees. People say you should just say whatever comes into your mind because that is inspiration. When asked to give a blessing on the spot, that is what I do, but if I have time to think about it, I usually go in with a few things I want to say that I think are important, perhaps even a few key phrases established.
The thing is, no one remembers what I said 16 years ago when I blessed my daughter. I don’t even remember what I said. And there is a rule that you can’t tape or record stuff in church, so unless someone is taking notes, or you make a good journal entry afterwards, what you say may not go down in history as advice. So, I would encourage you to make a record of that. I can’t even remember blessing my son in church, although I do remember baptizing him. And I don’t remember what I said when I confirmed him either — nor do I remember what I said to my daughter.
I feel the benefit is in the fact that you know your family culture, and the blessing gives a forum for you to influence the thoughts and values of your family members who are able to understand the blessing.
We have a family mission statement with about five core values in it. My kids have it memorized and can stay it at the drop of a hat. I would consider, if you are into preparing for a blessing, saying things that reinforce those values, making sure the blessing is recorded someway (through note-taking perhaps, or maybe even a concealed microphone on your person) so you can pass it on to your kids.
Now you’ve inspired me to do this for my children now that they have clear personalities and challenges. One advantage of the blessing is that is seems to take on greater weight than mere conversation. It provides a forum where children may actually listen, re-read and internalize advice given through a blessing better than advice given over the dinner-table.
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