Landon's Baptism

Landon wearing Uncle Billy's baptism outfit

Landon's baptism had quite the dramatic flare! We were all ready to leave for the church at 10 AM after a delicious creme brulee French toast breakfast, when Elaine thought maybe Landon had gone to the bathroom. Chad and I were rushing so we changed him (false alarm, just pee) and headed out the door. We decided not to dress him in his baptism outfit until we got to the church because we didn't want him to get his all white outfit dirty.

We all piled into the cars, Perry, Megan, and My mom in Megan's car, Elaine, Chad, Landon, and I in my car, and my dad and Billy in my dad's Porsche. We make our half hour or so commute to the church and when we were unloading the cameras I asked Chad for Landon's baptism outfit. Well, we didn't have it. It was still hanging on the laundry room door where he put it when I needed the diaper bag to change Landon before we left.

This all happened at 10:40, 20 minutes until Landon's 11:00 baptism. My mom and Megan gave my dad my mom's camera and hopped in Megan's car to race back to my parents house. Now this part of the story I was told later on. Megan's car was on empty and their credit cards were with my dad in my mom's camera bag. My sister reassured my mom they would make it (thankfully they did) back to the church without filling up, but my mom wasn't convinced. My mom, using Megan's phone, calls her neighbor, Annette, to go into their house and grab Landon's outfit and meet them at the BP gas station. My mom and Megan get $20 from the bank so that they could get gas. They met Annette and high tailed it back to the church in record time, however not in 20 minutes, so the ceremony was delayed.

On our end at the church cousins Johnny and Katie Nickerson arrived to meet us. The church was locked and Father kept asking what was going on and if we were ready to go, reminding us that he had other obligations for the day. This made me very anxious because I wanted this day to go so smoothly and we were clearly running late.

We started the ceremony around 11:30 and everyone seemed to be a bit more relaxed. Father was explaining how everything was going to go and our explanations. We were going over the importance of the ceremony and what our answers would be and their significance as their parents and godparents when Landon let out some loud sounds from his cute little butt. Everyone was sort of stunned and the priest asked Billy who was holding Landon, if that noise was from the baby. We all laughed and my mom checked Landon's diaper and confirmed he needed to be changed. The priest said, "Well, we've been delayed this long, what is another 5 minutes?"

Chad and I rushed into the ladies room to do the fastest diaper change of our lives! I carried him out under his armpits because I was afraid to smoosh anything out of the diaper. I was trying to keep the mess contained. Johnny was video taping the ceremony and has the whole thing on film. It will probably be something the priest will never forget.

Aunt Megan laughing from Landon's explosion

Chad and I returning from our bathroom  "break"

All fresh and clean!

After all of that the ceremony resumed and went smoothly, minus the fact that Landon was fussy and crying the entire time. Megan held him while the priest baptized him and after the baptism we walked to the foot of the alter. The priest explained us how important the base of the alter, that is where Landon will make his first communion, this is where he will make his confirmation, and if he chooses to become a priest or a brother, he will do this at the base of the alter, or if he decides to get married, that will happen at the base of the alter. And when his life comes to an end, 100s of years from now, he will come to the foot of the alter for his final blessing.

The priest baptizing Landon

 

After the baptism we went to the Charlotte Speedway to have a drink at the Speedway Club. Elaine, Johnny, and Katie had never been to the speedway so we took them inside to see the track and the club. It was a fun little detour. Dad and Perry went back to the house to get lunch ready, so they aren't pictured below.