Questions about Affirmation of Baptism

This Sunday we went through the service of affirmation of baptism. This has raised some questions for me I don't have much time to ponder:

1. What is going on when baptism is affirmed?
2. Is this the same as what Luther means when he talks about using baptism?
3. What is the propriety of the language of covenant in baptism?
4. In the LBW baptismal rite, the baptized, sponsers, congregation, and parents make promises. How do we understand these promises theologically? Martin Bucer introduced them as a prefatory rite/preparation for baptism so that he could understand infant baptism as baptism conditional on these promises. Where should these be and what do they do?
5. How many rites of baptism include a prayer for the blessing of the water? Does Luther's flood prayer do this? What function does this prayer have?