the power of christ compels you!

no, parker hasn't had an exorcism (yet?!), but he was baptized while pam and hank and laura were here! some time in december, paul all of a sudden mentioned to me that we might want to look into having it done while the family was in town for christmas. "uhhh, okay" was likely my response. i really hadn't given it much thought - though we had previously discussed that baptism was in the plan.

a few emails and phone calls later, parker's baptism was scheduled at boston ave methodist, where the family attended for years - with hank helping with the ceremony! we opted for sunday the 27th, the 11 am service rather than the 8:30. understandable, right? (i ended up having to get up at like 6 just to make it to the 11 service, so it was really a pretty sensible decision.)

um, wait a second. if you didn't know this, boston avenue televises their sunday 11 am service! TELEVISES. this means that I (who hates to be recorded in any fashion other than the occasional photograph) have to be TELEVISED. this is stressful when my sh*t is totally put together - but at four weeks post partum? with the whole family? in a ceremony i haven't been to since my OWN? i didn't even know what to expect! *cue minor panic*

it ended up being a great experience because our xmas eve party had been canceled due to the INCREDIBLY INCLEMENT weather (what's up blizzard! how you doin'?!) and this was our opportunity to see a number of friends and all my family and jazz. we were able to have all those folks over for a reception afterward.

we recorded the service on the dvr - it wasn't that bad! parker didn't cry once, and i found something moderately decent to wear (i had the foresight to buy a few floppy sweaters when i was still pregnant - and my black maternity pants came in handy) and made sure to look like i was singing along during all the songs (since one of the knights' good friends was running the camera and another on the feed). and the best part is that the minister (we know him well) did all the "do you accept jesus" "yes we do" part and hank, being an ordained methodist minister and all, did the actual water-on-the-head bit! it was incredibly sweet, and you could see the tears in his and paul's eyes from where i was standing.

here are a few pics.


oh hell! i forgot two of the best parts! first, we asked laura to be parker's godmother. we have so many wonderful friends that we could never choose between them to be godparents. and we didn't have that older-family-friend-type to be a godparent like paul and laura's godmother. laura seemed to really dig the honor. additionally, it was as if paul and laura's godmother WAS there, because parkerton was able to wear the very same baptismal gown that paul and laura wore - and came from the store that she owned. the trend these days in baptismal clothes is to put the boys in these little all-white suits, but my little man looked tough in his dress!