The Godparents

Back in December while Rob and I went to Pescara for the Christmas holiday our number one priority was to meet Tommaso, our good friends Ilaria and Cristian's fist son. Tommaso was born on November 3rd and we were dying to meet him. He is absolutely adorable and it was love at first sight! Emilia had been obsessed with him since she saw the very first picture of him on my mobile; since then, every time she sees my phone she asks for *Aso* and literally showers him with kisses. How cute is that? Anyway, in that occasion Cristian and Ilaria also asked us a very important question: "Would you like to be Tommaso's godparents?". Wow, that was emotional, and of course a very easy question. We love Tommaso no matter what but now that we have such an important role in his life we just can't stop thinking about him. It is such an honour to be his godparents and we want to make sure to be the best godparents one can have!

Tommaso turned three months old on February 3rd and just a few days later we celebrated his baptism. Yes, we all did, together. Last weekend Rob, Emilia and I flew to Pescara to be part of this important event of his life, in fact the first and one of the most important ones, his baptism. It was a short stay for us but so intense and full of love. 

On the day of the baptism Rob and I went to Ila and Cri's house and then we all walked together to the church. Tommaso looked like a little prince. He was so beautiful and especially well behaved. 

 

The ceremony was short but touching and Rob and I fully played the godparents' role. Tommaso was adorable and even smiled when the priest wet his head. My parents came to the ceremony too and brought Emilia along. It was nice to be all together.

 

 

 

 

After the ceremony we all walked to the restaurant where we ate and drank for what felt like forever! I don't recall the last time I ate so much! It was all very good, of course, and look at the sweet decor!? It was a team effort: the restaurant wrote sweet messages for Tommaso on their boards, I designed the placenames, and the florist made these adorable fish-shaped centrepieces. It was such a nice day of family and celebration. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We flew back to London the following day. Needless to say, it was a bit stressful but it was worth it! Friends, family, Pescara it was very nice to see you all. It was a very short trip but it's always good to be with you. We miss you and can't wait to see you again soon.

Christening Day

Oh, what a day this was!

The day started early at the Asciutti's house. Emilia woke up around 7.00am and had everyone on her toes. In the end, it was her special day, so we all felt to spoil her. Getting all ready and getting Emilia ready on time was a bit of a struggle. No matter how many people are around you to help you, time always shrinks when you have a baby. Not to mention the impossibility to plan anything. I tried to plan her feeds and naps but I know I am not the boss. Emilia decides when she wants to eat and nap. So, of course, she ended up drinking her milk right in the middle of the baptism. Out of five babies, she was the only one having her lunch! But if you know Emilia, you know she has no patience when it comes to food. She is hungry, she has got to eat. Straight away! 

When we arrived to the church she was surprisingly very calm. She was looking around, playing with her godparents. However, I should have known that she was not going to be like that for the whole time there. In fact, soon after the mass started, Emilia's show started too. 

Not one second went by without Emilia not making some sort of noise. I must confess, it was funny at times. Five babies were being baptised and four out of five were super calm, either sleeping or peacefully absorbing what was going on around them. Emilia, on the other hand, made sure that everyone could hear her voice. Da-da ta-da da-ta were being heard in every corner of the church. And if she wasn't *talking*, then she was complaining about something. In short, she didn't want to be sitting down; as usual, she wanted to be entertained. Our bench was the messiest one: we had Emilia's shoes (she kept taking them off!), different kinds of toys, two milk bottles, binkies, and a pouch of apple, just in case.

When the priest came for the first round of oil to be put on Emilia's neck, she was drinking her milk. Even the neighbouring baby's godfather found it funny (see his face?).

 

 And when we went to the altar to receive the holy water, she brought her toy with her. I tried to take it from her hand but clearly I didn't succeed!

 

The only moment of calm was when the priest took Emilia and lifted her to the sky to show her to the audience. Boy did she love all the attention and the clapping! An actress in the making? :)

 

 

All in all, it was a lovely morning and certainly a touching experience. This was Emilia's first big thing! But I must say, I was relieved when it was all over and it was time for the godparents to sign the big book. Baptism part 1: over. Now, it was time to move to the restaurant for a nice lunch with family and friends. 

The restaurant we chose, Osteria La Corte, is a lovely old villa/barn that has recently been restored. It still has some of the original features, among which the old bricks and the wood on the ceiling. I was really happy with the choice. The place is so beautiful in itself that I didn't really feel to do too much with the decor. I only bought some pink and white flowers and had them arranged in small baskets to which we then attached pink balloons. The theme of the party was the circus, hence the circus tents as favour boxes and the design on the invite, the menu, and the place-cards. Everyone seemed to like everything, and of course I was happy!

 

 

I was also happy because I got to open lots of gifts! In fact, many of the gifts that Emilia received are good for mummy now! Pearls, necklaces, earrings, you name it! 

 

We ate very well and the food was delicious. Everyone raved about the cake and how good and fresh the custard and whip cream were!

Overall, we had a beautiful day and even if Emilia was cranky at times, for a seven-month-old baby who had just flown in from London, she actually behaved herself!