I can accept that aspect and didn’t think of that part but the way it was all framed (with all of the Elizabeth’s arriving and, as you said “smother him in the crib”), will make that seem like the primary thing, as it is what has the most emphasis, and that aspect simply doesn’t work for me.

As far as the matter of smothering in the crib, the Booker they killed was the one from LATER in the timeline (I don’t think that Tears effected his age or anything), so again, it wouldn’t have done anything to harm the bookers coming out of the baptism.

If the Booker they killed was the one at the baptism, it would make total sense, I’d say, because in that context, you are ending it where it all began, but you’re not, you’re killing the one who went through it already in another universe (I do not think Elizabeth’s tears allow for time travel, unless stated otherwise, just travel between tears), so therefore it’s still superfluous cuz the one killed is not the Booker that was actually there, the one they’d need to kill to “smother him in the crib”

(Also you know, massive fucking paradox from everything in this context if they do actually wipe out Booker which is kinda unfortunate but that part is forgivable to a degree cuz time travel logic and weird stuff like this is always kinda nonsensical from a logical point of view)