This christening gown was made by Mary Virginia Wilson in 1904 for her grandson, Wilson Reedy who called her “Burr.” Wilson Reedy was my grandmother’s uncle, married to her mother’s (Jaunita Opal’s) sister, Thelma Ione. They never had any children and the gown was passed down to my grandmother, Nita Nell, only too late for her children to use so I was the first to wear it after my great-great Uncle Wilson. I wanted to be upright and my father had to put his arms up under it so I could stand on his hands. Then my brother wore it and they had to squeeze his chubby arms in. Then my cousin Leanne wore it. Then just under 20 years later, Madalyn wore it, and now almost 7 years after her, it was Charlotte’s turn.
In case you didn’t do the math it’s 107 years old and my mother worked and worked on it with some mixture and laying it out in the sun before bringing it with her.
After the service my grandmother (a minimalist to a fault) wadded it up, covered in Charlotte’s drool (6 drooly babies and a hundred years does a lot to a piece of fabric) and said “you can probably just throw this away now.”
WHAT??? My mother and I gasped simultaneously.
Sam wore Evan’s old outfit. It is so strange to dress Sam and Charlotte in Evan and Madalyn’s coordinating outfits. Like having those two all over again in a small way.
(Evan wondering if we can leave for church already.)
The dedication.
They put slide up with a picture of each child and their name meaning and a verse.
Samuel Thomas means heard or asked of God. 1 Sam 2: 26: And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with people.
Charlotte is a derivative of Charles and means “free.” John 8: 36: So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Afterwards people were coming up asking Shaun where he got the dress. (Not her. That’s my grandmother.)
Shaun said “I make them.”
Charlotte fell asleep on him.
It’s amazing how babies can sleep all contorted and twisted and not wake up sore.
Afterwards we came home and celebrated Sam’s birthday: two-years-old already.
He was on a birthday high for the following 12 hours and still has a blue bum dyed from this cake… apparently not much happens to it before it comes back out again.
Oops. Did I just ruin a rather lovely dedication post comment?
Ah, what’s done is done… the kids are getting wound-up as I type so I better continue on without editing…
My life is too wild to tame by editing.
No amount of editing will do because I live with these people:
Well this one is pretty sweet.
So far.
But even the grandmother is out of control. Look at this kind unfortunate soul who married a Kiss groupie.
And then the genes just trickle down.
After all they do have the same birthday.
Even the poor dog can’t get away from the Mayhem.
Aww, look how much fun he’s having?
You are having fun, right, Charlie?
