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Martha in VA Forum Pro
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Posted: May 18 2009 at 9:23pm | IP Logged
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Please forgive this silly question but this is the first time we've baptized a child since becoming Catholic. This is also our first son. So what do infant boys wear when baptized??? Keep in mind he's still really small so sizing may be in issue as well. His baptism is on May 30th.
Thanks!
Martha in VA
__________________ Blessed wife & mom to
4dds,miracle son 4/09, 2 in heaven
My Conversion Blog
Our Family Blog
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stellamaris Forum All-Star
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Posted: May 18 2009 at 9:31pm | IP Logged
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Martha, we finally bought our last son a beautiful baptismal gown. It really could be worn by either a girl or a boy. I wish I had done this earlier, because it would have been a cherished family heirloom that all the children could have worn. If you have a baptismal gown from your other children, he could wear that. Our twins wore white Hanna Andersson infant pants and white long-sleeved shirts and were wrapped in white blankets. They also had on little white cotton caps, but those do need to be removed during the ceremony. So anything white is appropriate, even a sleeper if that's all you have. I think the gowns are beautiful, but they are very expensive (which is why once you've bought one, they can/should be worn by all the babies in your family)
__________________ In Christ,
Caroline
Wife to dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
Flowing Streams
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guitarnan Forum Moderator
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Posted: May 18 2009 at 9:31pm | IP Logged
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Our son wore a one-piece white garment that had a collar and was made of soft cotton, not knit. It was a boy's baptism garment that I bought at a local shop.
I have seen many baby boys baptized in the family's traditional baptismal gown, too, so that's definitely a possibility.
__________________ Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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guitarnan Forum Moderator
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Posted: May 18 2009 at 9:34pm | IP Logged
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PS - Our son was baptized on Pentecost, so we brought him into Mass in a red outfit, then changed him into the white garment after he was baptized. (17 years ago this was very unusual in our part of the world...)
My dh was baptized and confirmed on Pentecost...it's a big day at our place! (Dd would have had that day, too, except that Dh was going to sea and would have missed her baptism...she was baptized right after Easter instead.)
__________________ Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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CrunchyMom Forum Moderator
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Posted: May 18 2009 at 9:37pm | IP Logged
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I did a gown for my three boys, but my sister's dh was anti-gown for their boy, and I bought them an outfit similar to what Nan described (but I think it was sweater knit?).
Anyway, *my* opinion is that a baby boy doesn't look any sillier in a gown than the priest baptizing him does wearing his vestments, but obviously I'm not so attached to this idea since I did buy my godson the little suit.
__________________ Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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CrunchyMom Forum Moderator
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Posted: May 18 2009 at 9:39pm | IP Logged
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guitarnan wrote:
PS - Our son was baptized on Pentecost, so we brought him into Mass in a red outfit, then changed him into the white garment after he was baptized. (17 years ago this was very unusual in our part of the world...)
My dh was baptized and confirmed on Pentecost...it's a big day at our place! (Dd would have had that day, too, except that Dh was going to sea and would have missed her baptism...she was baptized right after Easter instead.) |
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Neat! My 2nd was born on Pentecost!
__________________ Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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anitamarie Forum All-Star
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Posted: May 18 2009 at 9:44pm | IP Logged
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My boys wore little "suits" that Grandma made for them. They had pants and a shirt that had panels attached to look like a vest over it. They were darling. They didn't take long for my Mom to make either. She made beautiful gowns for my girls as well. We've been quite blessed. You might check on-line or in your local Catholic store, if you have one.
Anita
P.S. Congratulations on the birth of your son.
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Mary K Forum All-Star
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Posted: May 18 2009 at 9:47pm | IP Logged
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Both our sons were baptized wearing the family heirloom baptismal gown. Since a gown is basically one size fits all, your son should have no problem fitting it.
God bless,
Mary-NY
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JodieLyn Forum Moderator
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Posted: May 18 2009 at 10:48pm | IP Logged
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the same baptismal gown that my dh and his brother's wore that their father wore.
I use gowns for all my babies - boys and girls for sleeping anyway.. you know the soft cotton ones that are open at the bottom but gathered in with elastic.. super easy for changing tiny diapers not to mention that they don't lose the legs of their jammies by pulling up their knees and not being able to get them back down (boy does that make them mad)
so it's not a huge stretch for the boys to wear a gown for baptism. But if that does bother you they do make little boys outfits all in white.. that look like little shorts and top in white satin type of thing.
__________________ Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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lapazfarm Forum All-Star
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Posted: May 19 2009 at 12:35am | IP Logged
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We have a family heirloom Baptismal gown for boys and girls alike.
It is very traditional and quite common for boys to wear gowns if that is what you are worried about.
__________________ Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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amyable Forum All-Star
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Posted: May 19 2009 at 5:35am | IP Logged
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We went with the suit option. After 4 girls, dh wants everyone to know our son is ALL BOY. My other girls wore a simple cotton eyelet gown that I made ... I don't think I would have liked that on DS either, but I would possibly used an heirloom gown if we had one.
Actually, now that I think of it, we did have sort of an heirloom "suit" - my MIL gave us the little white suit that dh was baptized in, but my DS was a big baby and it was a bit too small.
__________________ Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of
The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler
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Mary G Forum All-Star
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Posted: May 19 2009 at 6:09am | IP Logged
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Amy -- mine wore what's shown in my avatar! He was baptied on OLoG (12/12/02) in an ancient church in Austria -- he needed the cozy wool bonnet, sweater and socks over the christening gown ... and the wool blanket came in handy too!
ETA: when it's a baby, we've ALWAYS done a christening gown -- the one my mom made for my sister and we all wore (5 boys, 2 girls) and all our kids have worn (30+ grandchildren) ....
__________________ MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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Martha in VA Forum Pro
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Posted: May 19 2009 at 6:45am | IP Logged
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Thanks, everyone. I'm not opposed to him wearing a gown, but just didn't know what was most customary. I appreciate the help!
Martha in VA
__________________ Blessed wife & mom to
4dds,miracle son 4/09, 2 in heaven
My Conversion Blog
Our Family Blog
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Matilda Forum All-Star
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Posted: May 19 2009 at 6:57am | IP Logged
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Our boys wore simple cotton gowns that I made for them. We changed them into little white creepers later for the party. Baptismal suits are a more modern innovation (last 30 years). Remember, 150 years ago, babies and young boys wore gowns until they were breeched (dressed in breeches like their father) somewhere between 4 and 8 years old. It is only our modern interpretation that thinks of them as "dresses". (I am not saying that consideration shouldn't be given to modern sensitivities, of course, since it isn't something that the Church has spoken definitively about.) It's just my understanding, as someone said above, that the baptismal gown is a sacramental robe similar to the priest's garments, not a dress.
__________________ Charlotte (Matilda)
Mom to four (11, 10, 9 & 5) an even split for now
with bookend boys and a double girl sandwich
Waltzing Matilda
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crusermom Forum All-Star
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Posted: May 19 2009 at 8:06am | IP Logged
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I baptised my boys in a christening gown which was totally the norm where I came from (east coast) but raised some eyebrows with my in-laws and dh's extended family in Idaho. The baby is going to wear ..... a dress?
__________________ Mary
Army wife and Crusermom to 8 wonderful children!
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JennGM Forum Moderator
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Posted: May 19 2009 at 8:16am | IP Logged
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I never thought about different types of clothing for baptism for different genders until my husband hesitated on the "gown" for our son. I had to argue my case, but we now have one baptismal gown that we will use for all our children, even if we do have a girl. Some of my reasons for using the gown:
The way I view it is both boy and girl babies can wear those legless gowns in everyday, so why not the same for Baptism?
The Baptismal gown is the "white garment" and I love how the gowns flow and cover everything, like the overflowing graces of baptism.
I'm a traditional minded mama. Babies always wore the long baptismal gowns, and I'm not changing that.
Finally, it's a little reminder to me of the vestments of the priest, especially the alb. And think of some albs which have lace trimming and can be quite elaborate. Why am I bringing in the priest? Because (as Fr. Hardon puts it) "there is a true although subordinate sense in which all the baptized faithful belong to the priesthood of Christ. We begin to share in the priesthood of the Savior when we are baptized into the priesthood of Christ."
__________________ Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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MelissaClaire Forum Pro
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Posted: May 19 2009 at 8:23am | IP Logged
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All my kids (boys and girls) wear a baptismal gown my mom made.
__________________ Melissa
Mom to a dd ('02), ds ('03), ds ('05), dd ('07) and baby due 9/01/09
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Martha in VA Forum Pro
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Posted: May 19 2009 at 9:50am | IP Logged
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JennGM wrote:
The Baptismal gown is the "white garment" and I love how the gowns flow and cover everything, like the overflowing graces of baptism.
Finally, it's a little reminder to me of the vestments of the priest, especially the alb. |
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This is beautiful, Jenn. Thanks!
__________________ Blessed wife & mom to
4dds,miracle son 4/09, 2 in heaven
My Conversion Blog
Our Family Blog
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Mimip Forum All-Star
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Posted: May 19 2009 at 10:17am | IP Logged
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Baptismal gown here too
__________________ In Christ,
Mimi
Wife of 16 years to Tom, Mom of DD'00, DD'02, '04(in heaven) DS'05, DS'08 and DS '12
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Anne McD Forum All-Star
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Posted: May 19 2009 at 12:16pm | IP Logged
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My mother made a baptisimal gown when my first, a boy, was baptized, and they've all worn it. Here's a picture with number four, a boy, wearing it
When number 2 was born, he was baptized the latest, at one month old -- it was so tight on his chubby arms, and we couldn't button it all the way up the back!
__________________ Anne
Wife to Jon
Mommy to Alex 9
James 8
Katie 6
William 3 1/2
Benedict Joseph 1
and baby on the way! 10/14
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