Today Jackson Carmine was blessed and entered the world of the baptized. Mom and I are so lucky to have so many amazing people in our lives… family, friends and now Jackson’s God Parents- Vin and Trich.
It’s a crazy kind of day… thinking about Jackson being baptized at almost five months old… then looking back and realizing that he was born like three days ago. I feel like he was just born and everyone visited us in the hospital and now they are here to celebrate another step in Jax’ life.
Navigating a baptism is a work of art. It’s a day of joy for the parents, but for the kid… it must be scary as hell… I wonder if anyone has ever taken a second to consider what the baby must be thinking on their baptism day? Jackson: “So I’m just lying there and this guy in a dress tries to drown me… and I kid you not… my family just stands there taking pictures!”
Between family drama and wishing your great uncle’s neighbor hadn’t stopped bye for a drink, it’s one of those days that brings happiness, laughter and tears (not necessarily in that order). The day starts out with you watching your child scream in the arms of a priest who an hour earlier was chain smoking in the front of the church and ends with your child passed out in the arms of a relative who is four pieces deep in the cake.
The real tricky part of the day is being able to convince your wife, parents and in-laws that you are actually interested in taking 40,000 pictures in front of balloons, while you stream the Packers game live on the DirectTV app on your phone without getting stabbed with a cake cutter.
All in all, baptism Is one of those days that you will never forget… from beginning to end it is a day that you can look back on with vivid memories of your child being blessed and becoming part of the Catholic Religion. For someone who was raised Catholic… not just a little bit Catholic, like my beautiful wife Stephanie, who when she was young, went to Catholic school all the way through high school yet now thinks it OK to attend church on just the big two: baptism and marriage… which when you think about it, both wound up with her falling asleep with a male Fragola passed out on her lap!
Sorry Son: Chronicles of a New Dad 