The baptism of the Sadie

After three years in a row of baptisms, we're finally done. Sadie Grace got dunked today, and did not cry, but did look at the priest (as the priest himself said) like "WHAT are you DOING to me??" She held it together remarkably well, though, and somebody told me later that was the most beautiful baptism and the most beautiful baby she'd ever seen. I'm sure that's just like telling the bride that hers was the most beautiful wedding you've ever been to; there's no penalty for hyperbole, and what else are you supposed to say. But just as I did for my wedding, I believe it. And I'll also believe that she didn't see Jack's, because they were equally beautiful ceremonies and days and babies, just different.

For example, one thing that was different was that Jack got baptized in the spring and Sadie in the summer, so naturally Jack had a hot sunny day and Sadie had a cool grey day. (Because it's California, and nothing about our weather makes sense.) Jack had an enormous party and Sadie had an intimate gathering of family and god-family. Jack's was the day before his grandad's birthday, Sadie's was the day before her grandma's birthday (weird, right?). But the content of celebrations was the same-- local sustainable harvest, local happy meats, conscripting guests into chopping up said harvest and grilling said meats, eating, drinking, and being merry. A lot like our wedding, too, actually. We may need to branch out.

Nah. Why mess with a good thing? My favorite addition to this one was the chickens. And the children. The children chasing the chickens. And everyone traipsing about the garden, picking tomatoes and blackberries. I think our backyard has finally come into its own, and is approaching what we envisioned for it. Just a few more years til Jack's fig tree and Sadie's pink lady start bearing and we'll really be there. I just hope we don't have to move.

The whole weekend was special, not just baptism-day, because we got to spend it with Nick and Libby. Melissa and Bill took Jack for a special dino day at the Lawrence Hall of Science, to give us some special godfamily bonding time. We took Sadie and her godparents (and god-sister Clara) on a special pilgrimage involving beautiful vistas, hiking through redwoods, scrambling up cliffs that should not be allowed when carrying babies, let alone carrying babies while wearing sandals, gluttonous picnics, and beer.

There is a little public house called the Tourist Club, nestled into the side of Mt. Tam, that I have always wanted to go to. Nick and Danny went while I was at Libby's baby shower a year ago, so it felt like an appropriate homage to go back with the ladies-- with all the ladies! We have doubled our numbers since then!  It was such a lovely afternoon, we got all the sunshine we missed the following day, and the girls enjoyed romping around the deck overlooking the valley below, gnawing on bread, attempting to also stuff stinky cheese and salumi in their mouths (which we mostly successfully kept them away from, although Clara had a ball with the blackberries, as evidenced by the above photo), seal-mouthing our beer cups, and playing with each other.

Playing at this stage mostly involves grabbing each other's faces while the other one winces. But I think they like each other. I think they'll grow up to be great friends.  I just wish they could see each other more.  We were spoiled to have Nick and Libby so close to us in Sacramento for so long, and now they're in Portland, which is very convenient since we also go there to visit grandparents, but they'll be moving again (such is the life of a medical academic, or any academic if you're serious enough about it which I'm beginning to think I'm not), probably out east, which hurts my heart to think about. Why does the country have to be so large? At least we'll always have summer camp. And meximuse. Especially now that they're bonded to us for life-- they took an oath! I know it wasn't explicitly in what the priest said this morning, but reading between the lines, he was asking them "Are you prepared to undertake the work of going to see Sadie Grace every year, through rain, sleet, and snow, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, to celebrate meximuse with the godfamily?" And they said yes!

At least they knew what they were getting themselves into. I don't think Julia and Scott had any idea. But thank God for godfamily-- making the country smaller, one meximuse at a time.