Apparently I have no perspective on baby pictures.
So if you are on this ride for kitchen cleanup, sorry about the wait! I have to show you some more baby thoughts. I've decided that my babbling is in the photos. It would be unseemly for me to voice my thoughts. I refrain, for the most part. Sort of.
Tomorrow is the baby's baptism. I wish I could be there! His little body is so very cuddly. The smell of his hair is so very delicious. He loves my kisses, I just know it! He misses me!
There are truisms that you only fully understand when you experience them, such as that Southern California is sunny, or that being a grandma means you get all the wonderfulness of your very own baby without the soreness or lack of sleep! What a canard! But how true!
Mommy! Quit fooling around. Feed me! |
Where was I?
Right, baptism.
There are two sets of remarkably similar baptismal gowns, one from each side of his family. They are fine old gowns, but not as elaborate as some I have seen. They aren't super long, for instance. They don't have rows and rows of frills.
Both are made of a very delicate cotton — lawn? Batiste? You can't even find it now, as far as I can tell. Ours has a woolen coat, which has sadly decayed. Theirs is silk, I think — peau de soie? And a little more embroidered and embellished. Their cap matches its coat. Ours is handmade Belgian lace.
While I was there, I washed ours and starched and ironed both sets. Rosie and Philip can choose which one (or maybe some combination) to use.
I am honestly fine with whatever they choose. Ours isn't actually from my family, so maybe that's why I have some detachment, although each of our children and all of my husband's family used it.
Every once in a while I find myself getting a little touchy and panicky about it, in private, but that's just pro forma — completely knee-jerk. In my heart of hearts, I really don't mind, and the other one is beautiful, and in pretty much the same way.
I'm going to show you the Lawler one, and then the Turner one. First, I am just documenting the whole thing (I have many more pictures than these, so you got off lightly), for our family. Second, I thought you might be interested.
Ours:
The underdress. Buttons on the shoulders and a little lace all around. |
The simple lace-work at the hem. |
You can see the deterioration. These little holes are all over. This embroidery is machine done, which makes me think that the coat was added to the ensemble later. |
Theirs:
The underdress. |
The back of the overdress. |
The front. Don't know why they don't have sweat/drool stains on theirs. Humph. |
Beautiful hand embroidery. |
The whole ensemble. |
While I worked, baby Philip sweetly slept in his crib while his mommy had a shower. (She thrifted the crib and made the bedding. Soon she will do a nursery post. She promises!)
I want you to know that Bridget made the baby blanket according to my easy baby blanket directions, and it is most useful — generously sized and warm but not bulky.
He is just the most delectable pumpkin pie you ever want to see. He is so good!
However, I am all restraint. Horses could not drag from me the admission in print that he is indeed a Pumpkin. Pie.
Hanging above him is the baptism quilt which his Aunt Annie (Philip's sister) made for him. It's richly quilted and quite a difficult object to photograph in that pesky California sunshine!
Here is my unsuccessful attempt to reveal the dove quilted in the center. Isn't it lovely though? |
So either way, he has quite the outfit for the big day. His godparents, Nick and Natasha, will be there by a miracle of trans-Pacific timing.
Sigh. It all makes me so happy.
Ryn says
How beautiful! And I love the idea of carrying the baby in a basket rather than a car-seat-type carrier.
April says
Perfect timing! We're due with our first in June and so my family has begun explaining all of the hand-me-downs that will be bestowed upon us. One is the baptismal gown used for my mom and her sisters and brothers and then for my cousins and my cousins' children. I love the idea of using the family gown, but my dilemma is, it's green! It was bought (or possibly made) in the late 50's, so it's a light olive-y green. You might be familiar with that once popular color. The also had a couch from that era that was that color green and gold (eye sore! :). What do you suggest? I'm all for family tradition, but church tradition calls for white, and that's what I've always imagined too. Should we take a picture in the green dress and use a white one for the baptism? That's the only compromise I could come up with so far. Let me know if you have any advice!
_Leila says
Oh my! A green baptismal gown! I have never heard of such a thing! Can you bleach it? Just try it with a basin full of water and a little bleach mixed in…see if you get a lighter shade. If so, do it again!
Yes, baptismal gowns should be white — Mt 22:1-14 http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/matthew/matthew22….
One thing that always made us shake our heads was the insistence on the little white bib they put on over this lovely white gown. Finally we told the priest, THIS is her white garment, okay? Okay, he agreed!
Lucy says
Exquisite gowns! I am always soppy about baptism gowns, since we could not baptise our children until they were 4 and 14months, by which time beautiful family heirloom gowns were not going to work. When my sister has a baby I hope we will see the gown used.
Becky says
I enjoyed reading this post and seeing the beautiful baptismal gown pictures! We have the baptism for our 6th baby tomorrow so I have been getting our family gown all washed up and ready for the big event! I spent a bit of time shopping on line at major department store sites to find a warmer under gown that my baby could wear since it is very cold here. I was disappointed to see that now there are still gowns but they are for girls and the boys are wearing little white tuxedos. The tuxedos are certainly cute but are the gowns a thing of the past for boys? I'm old (46) 😉 so maybe I'm old fashioned, but I am sticking with the gown for our son's baptism tomorrow. (It was hand made for our first child 17 years ago.) I guess some of the people at church might think he's a girl!
Love your blog!
MamaHen says
I LOVE how you love having a grandbaby! My mother says you can't describe the feeling, it is just too good. I wish somehow all young moms could let themselves feel so overjoyed by their babies. I had a really hard time with performance when I had tiny ones and I didn't just let myself “be the momma”. I thought I had to still do everything else perfectly also. I don't know if that makes sense, but by the time my fourth came around I had put all that aside and I just relished being the momma.
_Leila says
Yes, dear MamaHen, I agree. Maybe if moms had a little more affirming help and a little less aloneness or pressure to perform they could just enjoy. Or maybe it's built into the whole system so that we get up and go. But I can't help thinking it would be better to enjoy a little more. I wish I had at first, that's for sure!
Jennifer says
What a blessing to have 2 beautiful gown to choose from! And the quilt is gorgeous! Congratulations on such a wonderful little addition to your family!
Gretchen says
How incredibly beautiful! What precious heirlooms to have to pass down through your family.
becky@oursweetpeas says
The quilt is to die for gorgeous! Love hearing you describe grandmotherhood (pretty sure I just made up that word) 🙂
I wanted to let you know that I put a George Macdonald book on hold at the library and look forward to it's arrival. “The Wise Woman” is the one I chose, which, has since had a name change that I can't quite remember. Mommy brain strikes. I blame my 6 month old and 3 year old twins. Anyways, thanks for the reccomendation.
Keep enjoying that Grandbaby and there are NEVER too many pictures. 🙂
Celine says
Pumpkin. Pie. I totally agree.
womanofthehouse says
He is the sweetest little thing! You~~and he~are so blessed!
Ann Turner says
A note from the other grandmother. How beautiful these pictures are! And what a joy to have a gandson to share, not that we haven't been doing that already with Annie's two lovelys. I can't wait for my turn to hold him next week. About our gown, the story is that my grandmother made it for my older sister, Mary Ellen who just turner 65 yesterday. So that is how old it is, and all of us 5 little Fischers wore it and then the next generation down has all worn it as well. Of this current, the third generation, there have been three baptized wearing the gown. The Lawler gown is indeed lovely as well. I would not know which to choose if I were Rosie and Philip. I am struck actually by how alike they seem. When our little Ned was baptized in the beastly Texas heat, we had mercy and did not put the outer gown on him. My mother was sore distressed as this was the first grandchild to not wear the whole kit and kaboodle (sp?). We ineptly took pictures of him in the whole thing on a cooler day. He looks quite pious in those 'fake' baptism pix. I suggest you create some of those just to confuse the geneoligists of the future.
Michelle says
Beautiful pictures as usual. I love the Moses basket. The gowns are both very beautiful and look very similar to the one that we have used for all of my children but the oldest child(he was older) . It was my Dad's Baptism gown made out of the same delicate material and lace. This is our gown: http://handmadeandhomegrown.blogspot.com/2010/09/…
He will look lovely in either. Maybe you can take pictures in both to have the memory of him wearing such a beautiful family heirloom.
The quilt is beautiful, what a talented family he is growing up into.
Cary says
It is so wonderful that you have shared these pictures with us. I agree that there are never too many pictures of the baby. The baptismal quilt is simply exquisite, what a gift! The gowns are gorgeous. What a difficult decision to have to choose. I absolutely love the caps/bonnets.
I was one of those who had a little “tuxedo” type for my sons. I didn't have any gowns handed down to me (my parents were the youngest and next to youngest of their large families). So, I made the outfit from the leftover satin from making my wedding gown. We lived in Yuma, AZ and the sweltering 120 degree heat made me think that a gown just would not be the best. All three boys wore it. However, our daughter had her own handmade cotton gown, bonnet and all. I am pleased that the boys had something that connected our wedding to them, but do wish they had a gown, somewhat. We'll see if they choose to use their outfit with their own children (and I won't be concerned if they don't) – but that's a few years away.
Congratulations to all!
jodi says
Welcome back, and congratulations, grandma! My grandbaby lives on the other side of the country, too, so I know the heart-tear. She lives near the “other” grandparents, but I'm not bitter. 🙂
Teresa says
Leila, the gowns (both sets) are precious and beautiful. You're right – the kids can't go wrong.
I understand you did the bleach and the oxy thing for the neckline – I am dying to know if lemon juice and salt would have any effect. Next baby. 🙂
God bless your sweet baby P!!
Mrs. Pickles says
I love heirloom things for baptisms! I have the hand-made baptismal slip and gown (complete with tucks and handmade ruffles and inset lace — just gorgeous) that my grandmother and her siblings were baptized in 100 years ago, and all the generations of children afterward, down to 2 of my own. It makes concrete the idea of passing the faith down from one generation to the next.
I also see you're coming to the same conclusion my uncle made when he became a grandfather, that parenting is for losers, but being a grandparent is for winners. 🙂
Welcome to the family of God, little Philip!
margo says
makes me wistful to put my babies in those beautiful gowns. Sooooo lovely. And I can't believe that Aunt Annie quilt! That's not an antique? It's just gorgeous.
LOoking forward to the nursery post. mmmmmm. delicious babies.
Samantha says
I love seeing the gowns. So pretty! We didn't have a family gown, but a friend made an heirloom for us. I have since learned to do the heirloom sewing and embroidery and really enjoy making things that will be passed down through families in the future.
A question, though–why do you think the embroidery on that first coat is machine done? Is it obvious on the back? From the front, it looks like it was hand done, especially the edging. It just looks like it was done by someone really skilled. If that was digitized and machine done, then I'm impressed with the digitizer's ability to replicate handwork.
_Leila says
Well, Samantha, maybe you are right. I don't think it's digitized — I thought it was just done on a machine a long time ago, like in the 50s or 60s.
I thought that because I had an idea of going and putting similar embroidery scattered around to cover up the holes, of which there are many. Sort of like little random flowers or something. But when I actually looked at I felt that hand embroidering would be a bad contrast with the orderliness of the stitching that is there.
Elaine says
I have been looking at these beautiful photos for absolutely ages, relishing every detail. Ooh, those little caps. My babies were baptised in a gown from our side of the family, which was absolutely lovely but very tiny and Victorian. Thank goodness they weren't too big to get into it!
Loved reading all the comments, and am inspired by an an idea after reading several times that we don't know enough about our inherited baptism gowns. How about if every time a baby is baptised in a gown, we leave a note with the gown? Photos, perhaps, or even a blog link ?! 🙂
Judy@Learningtoletgo says
Great to have you back online, Leila! Wonderful photos–so happy to share in your happiness.
Cass-That Old House says
When my 90-year old father was baptized, he wore a China silk gown his mother hand-stitched and embroidered for him. It is still in our family, and many babies — all male! — have worn it, but now it is too fragile and it's condition too precarious to allow it to be worn even for a few minutes by an active baby.
Female babies in the family had to fend for themselves; I never quite understood that, but apparently Pop's baptism gown was the “guy” version. It's very long, in the style of 1920.
I'm so delighted you use “baptism” and not “christening” in naming these dresses/gowns. As my mother always said, “You christen a boat; you baptize a baby!”
Blessings to you and your family; he is indeed a pumpkin pie. (And pretty near as cute as my 3-month old twin grand-nephews!).
Best wishes, Cass
Mrs. Fordyce says
Oh that baby! That beautiful baby! Loved seeing the pictures. In my opinion, Grandmas should share lots of pictures of their grandbabies. I think it is charming. The gowns are gorgeous. Not having been raised Catholic, we have no family gown to pass down. Maybe they can use one for this baby, and the other one for the next baby!
Amy says
Beautiful pictures! I made very simple outfits for my 3 as we had them Baptized all on the same day. They were very simple white cotton one piece outfits for the boys and my daughter had a simple cotton gown with simple lace trim and simple hand embroidery around the neck. I also knitted a simple white sweater as the dress was sleeveless. Sometimes I get a little sad that we didn't use a family heirloom, then I remember that I made these outfits special for my kids and for their special day. Like you said whatever outfit tey coose will be perfect.
priests wife says
Amy- sounds beautiful. I was baptized Episcopalian when I was 6 with 3 other siblings- the girls wore brown dresses with red rick rack (!) and I don't remember what my brother wore. When my new sister was baptized as an infant at the same church she wore a nice white dress, so I don't know what happened to us. 🙂 We are all Christians, though 🙂
priests wife says
My mom had a new, beautiful baptismal gown made for baby #1 that would be worn by any later kids. Come baby #2 and we are living far away, but my mom makes it to the baptism. Little did I know, but the God mom (a grandma type herself) had purchased a new baptismal! So baby #2 wore 2 gowns that day…not easy
Donna L. says
Dear Auntie Leila,
I just loved the picture of you with your grandson! My Mum is far away from our whole family and it's hard when she has to leave…it's precious time, to be sure!
Glad you made it back safely…I'm content to wait on the kitchen ideas since you had more beautiful baby pictures! We had baptized two of our children, (of our 5) and didn't know it would be neat to have a gown for all to wear. Maybe I will make one when I am older and have more time!
God bless you,
Donna
Breanna says
I trust you that it's cotton because you handled it, but I'd say from the looks of it that the fabric you have there is handkerchief linen. (I suspect it's probably a cotton version of handkerchief linen, actually, that was a bit less expensive back in the day.)
They're lovely gowns. I have one I made, with handmade lace and embroidery, for my future children when I was 16 and had no idea whom I'd marry yet, but I did have a lot of fine crochet thread. 🙂 My husband wore a lacy little white sweater made by his German grandmother over his outfit. So far with our kids both have seen use, and we're getting ready to need the boy outfit again…
Such a lovely baby.
Jan says
Whilst both outfits are undeniably beautiful I think it's a shame that there should be rivalry in the family as to which outfit should be worn (as evident from both your post and the reply from the other grandmother in the Comments.
The baptism should be enjoyed for the occasion that it is, bringing families together not making someone unhappy and dissatisfied because their heirloom garment isn't being worn.
Also what a dilemma you have given the parents who have to decide which outfit to use, without upsetting either side.
It will be hard to handle with grace but perhaps you could suggest your outfit isn't really up to the occasion – stained and full of holes (moth holes?) and gain a calmness for your spirit by being generous.
_Leila says
Dear Jan, I am afraid you misunderstood. The other grandmother, Ann, and I are old friends — since back when the kids were quite young.
We can duke it out the old-fashioned way if we have a disagreement –we're also neighbors — but in actual fact we are both fine with stepping back and letting the kids decide — which, by the way, they both asked to see both gowns.
I had asked Ann to contribute any history she had on her gown, which she graciously and with a dollop of Texan humor did in the comments.
Ann and I each have a ton of kids (she has 8, I have 7), so we have no doubt that the gowns will get worn at some point by our many (God willing) future grandchildren. Even if they don't, we just want our families to be happy. I am very blessed to have a wonderful, warm, generous, selfless friend as “the other grandma”!
_Leila says
And I say that with the inkling that it's her family's gown that will be chosen. She loves me too 😉
priests wife says
It is lovely when love is shared!
Alishia says
I wish you could be there, too.
Lisa says
Oh, how funny…. Leila, I sure did miss you while you were away, but figured you were out visiting.
These pictures are great! Everyone looks so very happy. Take care. Oh, and Bridget looks a good two years older suddenly! Beautiful, all of you.
sarah harkins says
Love the traditional gowns! My babies have worn a very old gown that is similar to the one with the wool cape. I wanted to let you know I was inspired by your kitchen sink link party to do a screen saver party. I just had a baby myself and have a very fun screen saver that I had to share and wanted to see others as well. I linked your blog.
Joy says
Wonderful pictures! I don't know how Rosie and Philip will choose. They are both exquisite outfits. Love the baby blanket that Bridget made. I've bookmarked the instructions for the next time a friend is having a baby.
Thank you for sharing. I'm glad you had the opportunity to go out and enjoy your grandson. He is the most precious little guy.
Sarah Ellison says
Many congratulations to Rosie and the Lt.! If he were my baby, I'd be strongly tempted to pair the Turner gown with the Lawler bonnet. 🙂 Our little A. was baptized in a crocheted gown previously worn by John and his sister, which his mother had commissioned from a lady who'd won first prize for crochet at the county fair.
deidra says
*sigh* This is just lovely. The next children in our family will be grandchildren. There will have to be partners and a wedding or two first, perhaps. But the next children will be grandchildren. I have baptismal gowns tucked away and I've wondered if it was wishful thinking. This post is beautiful. All of it.
Charlotte says
We have an old gown and my mom embroideries each baby's name on the slip in white. It's so great to be able to look at all those names each time we welcome a new child into God's family.
Thanks for the wonderful blog. I'm a mother of 4 boys and it feels like we are in the trenches right now. It's nice to read about your life after this craziness, messiness and loudness all day.
melissa says
The babtism gowns are nice and all…..but that baby is ADORABLE. Some babies are not cute. He is not one of them. What a doll. He is really just so handsome….congratulations!
Trish says
Late to this – Congratulations on your family's new little one! What an adorable gift.
Hand Embroidery says
Such a cute baby. Thanks for sharing his some of the memorable moments with us. I liked the designs of baptismal gowns very much.