At my current rate of blog posting, Elise may well be in college when I get caught up. It's sad when you look at photos from events you're (finally) posting about and think, My how the girls have changed since then! But between work, kids, and well... life, we've been too busy creating bloggable memories for me to document them in any sort of timely fashion. So bear with me. And if you're reading about Elise's first birthday around the time she starts kindergarten, well so be it. That seems to be a pretty accurate portrayal of the speed with which these sweet girls are growing up on me anyway...
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| Elle, January 2009. It isn't the same kid, I promise. |
Elise was baptized on July 8, 2012, in an absolutely perfect ceremony at our church. We were honored to have Bob Kerr-- who married us and baptized Elle-- participate in the service. Elise wore the same christening gown her sister spitup on wore three and a half years ago. Except she almost didn't, because the location I chose to store it in was so super safe and protected that I couldn't remember where I had put it. At the last minute, I found it in the same hanging bag as my wedding dress. Of. Course.
Not sure what it says about us that we needed THREE pastors to handle the occasion!
Elise was a perfect angel, unbelievably calm and happy throughout the entire church service and baptism that followed. Given her recent mild anxiety around NotMama, I was just a bit nervous about how she'd respond to being carried up and down the aisle by our pastors. But she just stared up at Karen as if they were best buds, and smiled that heart-melting smile.
Family flocked in from everywhere for the joyous occasion of watching us dedicate our precious little one to the Big One who so wonderfully made her and entrusted her in our care.
Because life just works that way, our air conditioning would die a sweltering death the day before we have 30 people scheduled to arrive for a post-baptism lunch. I'd be lying if I said I remained calm, cool, and collected when the upstairs thermostat hit 90 degrees. But with some creative sleeping arrangements (billed as an exciting family "campout" in the coolest-by-default basement, and decision to move the lunch to the church fellowship hall, things went far more smoothly than I could ever have expected.
Extra bonus: No risk of melty cake icing when the festivities aren't in your sauna house. Tragedy averted, Elle.
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| Apparently the cake decorator hasn't changed in 3.5 years... |
And the afterparty is so much cooler (literally) in your basement pack-n-play than in your crib.
All in all, a perfect day. For a perfect occasion. And a perfect baby girl.
