It really is amazing what happens when you can bring together a rested, fed, and non-stuck (read: went poop) baby with a camera, decent lighting, and a moment of parental energy. Pressing the shutter button on the camera way more than in the film days resulted in a series of photos that does really capture Elia at her finest. Enjoy!

How different the third baptism was: Ezra’s was done in a church. Liam’s was done in a hospital. Elia’s was done at home. And each felt just right.

Surrounded by a lot of family, and embraced by the festive holiday season, Elia was baptized in the warmth of the living room of our house. Her Papa was able to lead the event, and as he has done for all three of our children, he was able to tie Elia to faith with a beautiful family-inclusive service. Everyone in attendance had a role in the proceedings, and by doing that, it felt that Elia was somehow also differently welcomed into the family as well.

The cherry on the evening was that Elia was able to wear the baptismal gown that has seen it’s journey in the family last through four generations and a hundred years. Worn by her Great-Grandmother and just about everyone since (including both Ezra and Liam), having the gown present is a wonderful way to bring along those that couldn’t be with us. As with any good celebration, food and games followed, creating a really nice down-home remainder of the night.

And just like her two brothers before her, Elia now begins a journey in religion that has many destinations and a very unknown road to follow. She will go in the footsteps of Ezra and Liam and be part of two religions as she grows up, embracing the best that each has to offer.

Very much like Ezra, Elia has an absolute unrelenting affinity for facing out, sitting up, and seeing what is going on in the world around. Occasionally, this disturbs her (like in a busy restaurant) but for the most part it’s her position of choice. She hates – and I mean hates – being on her belly (not even to sleep on us), so any attempt to even start the roll-over process is going to prove to be a long way away. However, she has channeled the energy normally reserved for the rolling over activities into strengthening her neck for her upright adventures. While we still place our hands in a position to support her head should she flop, the actual needs to catch her are becoming quite infrequent. She has taken ownership of the center of the couch (where if we are not careful, she will zoom in on the TV across the room), and has started to earn herself some Bumbo time. She seems to really enjoy the accomplishment of sitting by herself – for five minutes or so – before telling us that she is in need of some human contact again.