The Great Sunday Change

Tomorrow is another church day...
This used to not be a stressful event for us - in fact - this used to be a time of reflection, rejuvination, and centering. Now that we have a 9 month old, church has become anything but! For the last few months Jon and I have split the duties. Jon held him in the beginning during the readings and homily so I could focus and then I would hold him during prepartions for and during communion so Jon can focus. Now it just doesn't matter anymore.
When we walk into church in the morning Parker always so looks so angelic. I carry him in proudly, bragging in my mind about how sweet he is and about how lucky I am to have such an adorable and well behaved baby. People wave at him and he smiles and laughs in return. Then something happens. We sit down, the organ starts, we sing happily, and then just as we all sit down and a prayerful quiet comes over the church - something happens to my son. I bow my head to pray and I hear the click click of his thrown pacifier hit the ground 3 pews in front of us. "BA BA MA MA DA DA DA DA!!" he screams ecstaticly with the freedom of not having anything in his mouth. "Get the other one out of the bag" Jon snaps out of desperation to get him quiet as the looks from our fellow worshipers fall on us. "I didn't put one in there, you said you were going to get it - it's in his crib" I whisper LOUDLY pulling everything out of the bag even though I know it's pointless. "LA LA LA LA LA LA LA BA BA BA BA" He continues - even the priest looks at us. "No you were going to-" "Does it matter?" I walk three pews up, get down on my knees to retrieve the missing pacifier. Hurrying back, I pop it back in his mouth to shut him up. Quiet. Sigh. "click click click". and its gone again. "BA BA BA BA BA BA BA BA LA LA LA LA LA LA".

Ok so we go to the nursery. No one is working but there is another mom in there with her son, Ethan, who is about Parker's age. They play quietly together and his mom and I isten to mass going on through the speakers. Then Matthew and his dad come. Matthew is a huge 1 year old and he is a bully. After 3 minutes of "Matthew stop hitting, Matthew don't take that. Matthew don't pull his hair. Matthew don't sit on him. Matthew Matthew Matthew...." it is time to leave.

Back in the pews it's time for communion. All is quiet, respectful, and reverent. Well excet for our pew. Parker is kicking the seat in front of us. This is new so Jon and I are looking around like everyone else trying to figure out what the thumping noise is before we realize it's OUR child. He is writhing in my arms trying to break free, kicking his feet violently as I walk up to take communion all the while singing along with our Holy Holy Holy "LA LA LA LA LA" louder than the organ is playing.

Jon takes him to the back of the church because clearly we are moving past being a distraction. I can hear him all the way from the back "MA MA MA MA MA MA MA MA MA" getting louder and louder. And it's time to go. i grab our stuff and hurry towards the back signaling Jon with my hands to get outside "go go go go go"!

And wouldn't you know he sleeps all the way home?

I don't know how it happens or why. I just know that the sweet and innocent looking angel we bring into church is not the same bewitched banshi we rush out with an hour later! And I also know we are doing it all over again tomorow.