Milestones

Conor and I like to think of ourselves as pretty punctual people.  We try to arrive on time to functions, pay our bills in a timely fashion, renew our auto insurances and state inspections before the deadline that is set for us.  But there is one area in which we decidedly dropped the ball.

Our son's baptism.

When you think of a baptism, I'll bet you probably envision the following.  Precious newborn babies swathed in long, lacy christening gowns.  Drops of water trickled slowly onto their foreheads as they are cradled lovingly by their parents and godparents.  Coos and perhaps a few cries as the water slides down their cheeks.  A congregation sitting still and quiet as they observe the baptism of these darling newborn babes.

Now wipe all those images from your mind and start afresh.  Because our baptism was something quite different indeed. 

The first thing, of course, is the issue of our son's age.  As you know, our Fionny is nearly two years old now.  And boy is he ever two -- fiesty, independent, built like a tank.  He could not be further from that image of the sweet newborn babe.  Instead he is a daredevil, rambunctious, wonderfully curious and active little boy.  It became pretty clear that the long lacy white robes of yore simply would not do for our kid.  Besides the fact that he would trip over the long skirts in a New York minute, he would also look...well, pretty flippin' ridiculous. 

Obviously, the only other option was a seersucker tie and shorts.  Obviously.

Once we had the wardrobe situation figured out, we moved on to the other legitimate concerns that occur when you are baptizing a toddler.  For instance, there is the concern of mobility.  Obviously newborn babies are easily contained in the arms of their parents.  Two year olds?  Not so much.  The baptism rehearsal confirmed my biggest fears regarding Fionn's mobility.  As the Reverend talked to us about the events of the following day, our boy managed to run three laps around the entire church, spill a vase full of water and flowers, drive his matchbox cars along the altar several times, and eat his weight in snacks that were being handed to him in complete and utter desperation. 

As we looked toward the baptism the following day, I have to admit that I was worried.  It was not looking so good.  I definitely felt regret about waiting so long to find a church and get our son baptized.  I turned to Conor and whispered something to the effect of this: "If there's ever another child in our future, he/she will be driven straight from the hospital to baptism classes."  I was not even kidding.

Thankfully, I didn't count on a couple of important things.  1) Rehearsal is always much longer than the actual event.  2) Our church is awesome.

Indeed, the actual event seemed like a blink of an eye in comparison to the rehearsal.  As a result, Fionn had less time to cause trouble.  And that is always a good thing.

Also a good thing?  Our church does things a bit, er, differently when it comes to the ancient rite of baptism.  Not everything is altered, of course.  The sprinkling of the water and oil on the forehead is there alright.  The loving arms of the parents and godparents are similarly present.  But everything else looks a little unfamiliar (at least to my Baptist roots).  Instead of staying seated, the congregation gathers around the baptismal fountain in a semicircle so that there is very intimate atmosphere created in an otherwise cavernous building.  Then, after the anointing is complete, the Reverend (Paul -- we love him) walks to the front of the semicircle and introduces the baby to his/her "new family."  He then hoists the baby over his head as applause erupts from the crowd.  Conor calls it "Lion King style" which I suppose it is.  The fact that our Reverend bears a not-so-slight resemblance to James Earl Jones doesn't exactly weaken this comparison.

This might be a good time to remind you that our Fionn currently weighs in at over 30 pounds, and he never (and I mean never) stays still for anything for very long.  Another point of concern for the blessed event, mind you.

Well, I am happy to report that my fears were completely for naught.  Fionn was a total champ once the ceremony got moving.  It didn't hurt that he was the second kid up on the chopping block.  He seemed a bit puzzled by the water and oil on his forehead, but he likes water so you could tell he was kinda like "Okay.  Whatevs."  Then came time for Paul to hold him overhead.  I gritted my teeth and winced as Paul heaved him up over his shoulders.  Fionn again seemed surprised, not sure what to make of his new vantage point.  He just stared out at the crowd, taking it all in.  Our friend and fellow church-goer, Andrew, was kind enough to capture the moment for us.

Immediately after the above photo was taken, the crowd started to applaud vigorously and warmly.  I think there were even a few "woo-hoos!"  And our boy...Well, there is no other way to say it.  Fionn Ate It Up.  Check this out.

We have joked in the week since the baptism that if Fionny becomes a stage actor someday, this will have been his defining moment -- the moment in which he knew (and we knew) that he thrived off the attention of others, the applause of an adoring crowd.   It was really something.  I only wish with all my heart that we had a video of the event.  It is definitely among my Top Five Favorite Fionn Moments thus far.  Not really sure what the others are.  I'll have to make a list someday.

I have talked so much about the baptism ceremony, but the most important part of the day was the loved ones who were present for Fionn's special day.  Fionn's godparents, Colin and Meghan, traveled from Chicago to spend a long weekend with us.  It meant so much to us to spend so much quality time with them before the big day.  They came without their two adorable boys which was a mixed bag.  On one hand, we missed Callum and Liam, and we also missed seeing their interactions with Fionn which is always simply adorable.  That said, it was truly so special for Fionn's godparents to spend so much time focusing on him and getting to know him even better.  We appreciate you guys so much, Meg and Colin.

Also present was Fionn's Grammie Jean who traveled all the way from Minneapolis to be part of Fionn's baptism.  The day would not have felt complete without Jean, and we are so thankful and grateful to her for making the trip.  Fionn was delighted to have his Grammie Icky Hot in the hizzouse.

Fionn's fellow Gemini, Uncle Bill Keeler, also took part in the day's events.  He is such an important member of the family, and we feel so blessed that he lives in the DC area.  Doesn't he look dapper in his suit?  We love Uncle Bill!!

The rest of the baptism day was just perfect.  We returned home to a brunch of glazed ham and some store-bought salads (sorry, Martha Stewart).  After a hearty nap, Fionn enjoyed some QT of his own...with his brand-new WATER TABLE!

If Jesus can turn water into wine, I should be able to turn this into apple juice, right?

 Oh, how he loves his new toy!  It was the absolutely perfect baptism gift from his godparents.  Thank you, Colin and Meghan!  It was also a nice gift for Mama and Dada because it kept Fionn occupied for the greater part of the afternoon so we could hang out and drink beers.  Yay!  Fun for all!

Hey, you squirted me! 

Alright, no more Mr. Nice Godchild...I'm gonna get you, Auntie Meg!

Take that!  Boo-yah!

So there you go.  Our child has been baptized.  Better later than never, right?

Speaking of better late than never...I will have you know that our Fionn is now snoozing through Night #2 in his Big Boy Bed as I type this very blog post.  Hooray!  It is all very exciting...but the very definition of bittersweet.  More on that next time.

Until then...Adios!