Elliott's baptism

Elliott became an official "child of God" this past weekend. Spence and I traveled up to Waynesboro to have Elliott baptised in the same church where I was baptised. She even donned the same christening gown that has been worn by most every member of my father's side of the family (including ol' Humes himself). Our home  church in Roanoke (Church of the Holy Spirit) does not do traditional baptisms but rather a more informal infant dedication.

We awoke in Waynesboro on Sunday to a gorgeous August day and dressed Elliott in a beautiful purple smocked outfit. We didn't dare dress her in the ancient, wilting but beautiful christening gown. (Thank you Babbie for sewing up the hundred tiny little holes the night before.) As you can guess from the previous blog entries that we had a distinct fear of poop ruining this sacred gown!

We made it to the church with a relatively happy child only to have her start fussing as soon as the first hymn was done. All of Elliott's immediate family members including the Wiegards (Ya-Ya, Pooh Ba, Pierce, his girlfriend Ariel, Max, Rebecca and cousin Millie), the Franklins (Pop, Babbie, Tripp, Jean, Brodie, Mary Quinn and sister-cousin Thea, and G.G.), Waynesboro "family" (Randy McGann, Sarah Leech, and Judge and Peggy Ricketts), Roanoke "family" (Stan and Michaux Chopski and Elliott's best friend, Millie) and finally Elliott's God Parents (Whit and Lauren Ellerman). She had quite the crowd and we packed our tiny Lutheran church.

I spent most of the beginning of church in the back singing the "ABC" song to try to get her to stop fussing. Then wonderful Pastor Pence summoned me (in front of the entire church) back into the sanctuary for the sermon which incidentally, happened to be all about me. How embarrassing. Pastor Pence recalled when I was baptised (he wasn't there then but he did confirm me at age 13.) and related the special day of my daughter's baptism to mine and how everything had come full-circle. It was actually quite inspiring and very thoughtful and it meant so much that Elliott got to become a child of God in the same exact spot as her mother.

Elliott was STILL fussing when we got to the official baptism part. Spence and I took a stripped-down naked child (still in her pampers) up to the baptismal font along with her God Parents. We renounced the Devil and promised to teach our baby the ten commandments and take her to church. We then placed our naked child into a large silver basin of holy water. She actually stopped crying for this until Pastor ceremonially poured water over her head three times. Oh she really screamed for that. Elliott was next wrapped in a towel and we raced to the back of the church to get her into the christening gown. What I didn't realize at the time was that there is a little slip that went under the gown that had to go on prior to the actual gown and both of them are really long and impossible to get over the head of a flailing, screaming infant.

Meanwhile as we are flustering and trying to dress Elliott, the music had stopped and the church is silent, awaiting our return with Elliott. Only the slip made it on before we raced back into the sanctuary to finish the ceremony. Elliott was anointed with oil by the sign of the cross, we lit a beautiful candle and WHEW, we were done! We took our applause as Pastor introduced Elliott to the congregation and wouldn't you believe it, Elliott FELL ASLEEP. After all that, she was exhausted.

We had a small, brief reception at the church before heading to my parent's garden for a lavish champagne brunch. It was tradition when my brother and I were baptised that my Franklin grandparents had a champagne brunch so naturally I followed suit. We had chicken salad, shrimp and grits, ham biscuits, tomato and goat cheese tarts, fruit salad and the most beautiful cake ever. (A mini wedding cake!) You had your choice of champagne or mimosas, lemonade or raspberry tea. Babbie had tables with pink linens and hydrangea and lily flower arrangements. Needless to say, it was amazing and so incredibly special and Elliott had no idea that all the fuss was about her.

But Mommy and Daddy will remember it always as the day Elliott entered God's family. We are forever blessed.