first sacraments and first smiles

Isn't this little man absolutely edible?

And growing up so fast... too fast!  With Dominic, I remember the little old ladies at church warning me that he would grow up quickly.  In my completely overwhelmed and sleep-deprived state though, I wouldn't believe them.  I was convinced that he would be a baby forever, and I would never sleep again.  

This time though, I feel as though I am being pulled by time.  I press my cheek against Gabriel's soft, pudgy skin, and breath in his perfect little newborn scent, feeling as though time is already escaping me.  I see his big brother running and chatting up a storm, and I know that before I can blink, Gabriel will there as well.  I know that I will miss these days, and despite being tired, I try to soak in all of the joy found in these present moments.

Gabriel was baptized on September 24th-- it was so wonderful!  We had a private ceremony for him with Fr. Jerome (the same priest who married us) at our home parish.  We were blessed by the presence of our family and many friends, and we celebrated afterwards with a casual lunch, cake (and nap) at the park.  

I love the our boys are growing up so close to all four grandparents.  What a blessing!

Gabriel's godparents-- close friends of ours, Mitch and Robyn.

God's newest little saint!

Our party animal...

Baptism = cake.  That's all Dominic needed to know!

 In preparing for this sacrament, we were faced several times with the question of why we wanted it done so soon (granted, he was already 6-weeks old!).  For some reason this was seen negatively, as though we did not trust in God's mercy if something were to happen to our little newborn before he was baptized.  Of course I would not want to test the Church's teaching on limbo ect. with my child, but more than anything, baptism is urgent to us because we do not want to postpone the amazing supernatural effects it has on our baby!  In baptism, the baby is cleansed of Original sin, receives Sanctifying Grace in his little soul, and becomes a member of the Catholic Church.  He becomes a child of God and an heir of Heaven, and the Holy Trinity comes to dwell in his soul.  Why would we delay such a beautiful gift of faith for our child?  Seeing both Dominic and Gabriel experience this spiritual birth in baptism has been a very joyful moment for us as parents-- a moment that was preceded by nine months of prayers and hopes for these beloved boys.  God is so good!