Henry's Baptism!

Whether you're religious or not, I'm sure you can appreciate how special it is any time you see your child go through a rite of passage. The first haircut, first day of school, whatever the event may be, it's crazy how much pride you feel for your little baby when they are taking these steps in life.

One of the less-spiritual things I love about being Catholic is the formality of the sacraments. There is always tons of symbolism, and each event usually requires a special outfit (which I am more than happy to go shopping for). Our church really likes to go all out. While it would be perfectly legit to just sprinkle some water on the babies' heads, they go as dramatic as possible for the full-on baby dunk.

He took it like a champ...

Then he got to wear a special christening gown from Tom's family. All of the Dougherty babies for the past 20 years or so have been baptized in this sweet gown...

The other couple that you see there are Henry's godparents. His godmother has been my BFF since 1st grade. And here I am with my sweet little guy...

We had a party at my parents' house afterwards, and there was a strong emphasis on dessert...

Henry got to change into boy clothes at his party...

It was a long day, and sometimes you need to take a nap at your own party...

It was a really special day, made even more special by all the friends and family that joined us to celebrate. Henry got a lot of really wonderful gifts, most notably a silver spoon from Tiffany's. Can you say fancy baby? If it was 2002, I'd probably put that thing on a silver choker and wear it around my neck. He also got so many great childrens books and bibles, and a little teddy bear that says the good night prayer. I'm so excited for him to get a little bit older so we can start teaching him about our faith and traditions. Thanks to everyone who helped make this day perfect!

Love,

Lauren