I’m a godmother!

One of my good friends here in Arenillas, Rosa, recently had a baby girl, Andrea Victoria. She’s the tiniest little thing, born preme weighing only 4 lbs. For the first month, she didn’t officially have a name yet so we called her UGita. Since UGA is the office we work in, she was the little one of course. When she was just over a month old her parents asked me if I would cut her nails. Apparently there is some spiritual significance to being asked to be the person to give the baby her first pedicure, and later when it’s time her first haircut. Now being I bite my nails and have never had nails, and I currently have a horrible Ecuadorian haircut, why I was chosen for this role is beyond me, but I accepted. So one morning I headed over with some tiny clippers and scissors to try to cut these tiny little nails. I think her little nails may have been longer than her fingers, either way it was extremely nerve racking and a hard task to complete. First three nails cut, no problem. Then the fourth nail I must have missed the nail and I cut a little bit of skin. Andrea woke up screaming. From there it was down hill, as the mom held her fingers as I finished clipping the nails. One hand and three nails down, she twitched her hand and I cut another finger. I felt awful. She was clearly screaming in agony, but the job was done her first manicure was complete, the nails were shorter and there was only some blood on two fingers. Two out of 10 not too bad right?
A month later, I was visiting Andrea and Rosa again and they asked me if I would be the madrina de agua, the godmother of water. Now, I did explain to them I’ll eventually be back in the USA so I wasn’t sure I should accept this role, but they understood that and that´s why this little ceremony wasn’t the official baptism in the church. They also tend to have multiple godmothers and godfathers here. More than anything they wanted Ian and I to be part of the baptism and serve as role models for little Andrea Victoria. How could I say no to that, of course I will be the godmother of water.
The following weekend Ian happened to be visiting so we went to visit Rosa and her family, not thinking that the baptism would happen at that moment. After about half an hour at the house, the husband hands me a baptism guide he got from the church saying the order of the prayers and the process, next came the cup of holy water and the bucket, and a few neighbors. The baptism was on.
First, everyone recites the our father three times, then we recite the hail mary three times. Then the godfather holds the candle while the godmother puts the water over the baby´s head, and makes the sign of the cross after each prayer. At the end the two godparents blow out the candle and baby Andrea is baptized!
After the ceremony, we headed to a restaurant for a lunch with Rosa, her husband, and the baby. Here´s the pictures of my goddaughter!