Monday, January 6, 2014

Noah's Baptism 12-22-13

I'm not sure what happened...
I had these photos on my computer & edited the day after Noah's Baptism, but somehow I never blogged them.  So...better late than never.  Here are some great pictures captured by my sister's significant other, Eric.

I strategically planned Noah's baptism for December, so we could thoroughly enjoy the beautiful Christmas decor/spirit at the same time.  My alarm was set extra early, so I could get myself ready early before either of the kids woke.  I pumped every other night the week prior, so I could have a bottle ready in case I needed to feed Noah during the church service. I bought myself a cute, non-nursing friendly dress to wear, so I wouldn't feel frumpy.  I had both boys dressed festively.  Cameras were charged & ready.  We arrived at the church 35 minutes early to allow time for me to calm a screaming baby, if needed (as he hates the car & we had a 30 minute drive to church).  I walked Noah to sleep in the parking lot of the church just minutes before we had to go take our seats.  Connor was beyond excellent, thank goodness.  He was so well behaved & exactly what I needed since I was anxious to see how Noah would perform when it was our turn to head to the front of the church.  Noah woke the moment we sat down & the service started.  He usually cries almost instantly for a feeding once he wakes, so I was afraid he'd start squawking just as we were called up.  It happened with Connor's baptism just as it happened with Noah's.  It's as if God knows I need my boys to behave.  Both, Connor & Noah, didn't make a peep through their baptisms.  It was a massive relief.


Big brother made me so proud :)

Our best attempt at a family photo post church service.  You can't tell in this photo, but I had just endured quite the episode about 20 minutes prior.  Just following Noah's baptism, we headed back to our seats for the service.  Noah became a little squirmy, so I gave him his bottle.  Well, I tried to give him his bottle.  Noah wasn't having any part of the artificial boob.  He was now mad.  As I sat in the front row of my church, I knew I needed to exit right away.  I left the bottle.  I left the diaper bag.  I left Matt with Connor.  I calmly, but quickly, found the nearest door.  

So, here I am.  I realize that through all my planning, I was faced with a dilemma I hadn't planned on.  My baby wanted to eat and I was wearing a dress that I couldn't get unzipped by myself, let alone by myself with one arm as I hold my baby in the other.  My entire family was still in church & I had no way of reaching any other them.  Oh dear.

I bee-lined it to the baby room, which was thankfully empty.  I plopped my screaming baby in a bouncy seat they had available (I tried to pretend it was clean & never used), and I tried my hardest to contort my arms to get my dress unzipped.  This is when God laughs and miraculously gives me the power to get out of my dress enough to calm my hungry, angry baby!  So here I stand in the tiny bathroom area equivalent in size to an airplane restroom, nursing my baby with my dress half off.

This is when God gives me a hand again.

I hear the door open & Matt & Connor come in, just in time for Matt to help me as I would have never been able to get my dress zipped back up.  I was sweating.  Connor kept asking if church was over.  I, then get a call from the gatehouse in my neighborhood saying that Connor's dad was there to pick him up.  Mr. Dependable had forgotten about Noah's baptism, driven all the way to my house, for me to have to get on the phone with him to remind him that pickup was at my church.  He was not happy to say the least, but I wasn't about to let him affect our memorable day.  Instead, I enjoyed the extra 20 minutes with my sweet Connor. :)


It was a beautiful morning in church, followed by a lot of Mom stress, followed by a beautiful ending.

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