South Park had it all wrong...

Dear Sonia,

There's a show called South Park, which is a cartoon and a little offensive. On that show, years ago, there was a character called Mr. Hanky the Christmas Poo. (Yeah, it was gross, and silly, but people loved it!)

Anyway, this year, we had the Christmas Pee! On Christmas morning, I went in to your room to take you from your mom and dad and give them a moment's peace. You and I went back into the other room and I laid down on the bed with you sitting on my belly. We were playing all nice and then you shivered. (This is usually the sign that you've peed!) And then, you felt warm! And I said "Sonia, did you pee? You feel all warm!" and then I felt something different, so I lifted you up and what did I see? The Christmas Pee, all over me! On my pajama bottoms, on my t-shirt, everywhere! All wet and warm!

So I got up and carried you into your parents holding you out from me and gave you back to your mom. I had to go borrow pajama bottoms from your Papa and a t-shirt too. (Your Nana is too short for me to borrow things from, usually.) I put your footie pajamas and my pajamas in the laundry right away.

And that is the story of the Christmas Pee that you and I shared on your very first Christmas morning. Let's NOT make it a tradition, okay?

Love,

Auntie K

Forcing people to look at photos of you!

Dear Sonia,

When you grow up and are reading this, you will get a kick out of how much we force people to look at pictures of you. And I'm not even your mother. Sometimes I feel dorky saying, "Look at this photo of my niece!" but then I get over it because I want to show people!

I called my entire staff into my computer the day your mom sent the photos of you with pigtails. I scrolled through the slideshow and said, "LOOK!" and "Isn't she cute!" at the top of my lungs. They work for me, so they humor me. And you are cute, so it's not like they have to lie to say it!

Apparently, your Nana has spent way too much money for Christmas for you, and although I've stayed in a reasonable amount of money, I keep finding other things to buy you and then I do! You already have everything a little baby would ever need, but you are the only one right now, so you get EVERYTHING! Wait till your Auntie K and Uncle S start having babies. Then you'll just be the oldest and nobody'll care any more about you than any other kid. (Course, you aren't the oldest on the other side, so there you go...I was the oldest on both sides, which was weird. You'll get to play two roles, which is nice!)

You arrive next Tuesday, and as promised, there'll be snow waiting for you. We are getting 8-12 inches today and tomorrow and another 6 on Sunday. It should be nice and clear for your arrival on Tuesday morning and then it might rain on Wednesday, which could wash it all away. So I'm glad you'll get here in time to see it all!

I love you, girly. See you soon!

Auntie K

17 degrees

Dear Sonia,

Today in Houston, it is 75 degrees. Here in Boston, where you are not, it is 17 degrees. Aren't you glad you live in Houston today?

Love,

Auntie K.

Happy First Holiday Season, Baby Girl!

Dear Sonia,

Welcome to the craziness that is the American holiday season. It begins with Thanksgiving and runs right through New Year's. Six full weeks of family, travel, food, gifts, marketing madness, turkey, pie and trees.

You began your season in Dallas with your Daddy's family, to celebrate Thanksgiving. This holiday celebrates the happiness of the pilgrims making it through their first winter here on this land. There's various versions of the story, varying in truthfulness versus legend, but it comes down to us being thankful for harvest, food, and continued good will in the world. It was designated as the fourth Thursday in November. This wasn't established permanently until 1941! Personally, I think it's too close to Christmas, and would be better placed in the spring, so families could travel to see each other at two times during the year not so close together, but I digress.

Apparently, you were a little overwhelmed there in Dallas with the fam. You kept crying when someone went to hold you until you'd settled in and gotten more used to the busyness. And that wasn't until it was time to head home! You're at that age, though, so it's normal.

Just before Christmas, you'll come to Boston and stay through New Year's. So your first Christmas morning will be at Nana and Papa's house. I'm excited to wake up with you that day. I don't really think you'll know what's going on, but I'm pretty sure you'll dig playing with the wrapping paper and a box someone gives you. And I bet you'll get some pretty sweet gifts! I got you two that I know you'll like.

So have a good few weeks before I see you again. Enjoy the pretty twinkly lights that you'll see everywhere in Houston. Don't cry too much if Mom takes to sit you on Santa's lap for a photo. And give good advice when you and Mommy go shopping! And get ready, because I'm going to personally arrange for there to be snow here in Boston for when you arrive. White Christmases are the prettiest, and I figure the prettiest new girl should have the prettiest Christmas possible.

Love you,

Auntie K

Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy

Dear Sonia,

I pretended to give you beer this past weekend to freak your mom out. Look how much you want it! Hands on the giant mug, mouth on the glass and all. You're gonna take after your Auntie K, Papa and Uncle Stephen and love beer! Thanks for a great weekend, chickie! You were so well behaved and smiley. It was awesome. Can't wait to see you again for Christmas!

Love, Auntie K

This might end up tedious, but...

Dear Sonia,

How much can one family talk about one little baby's hair? A lot, apparently.

Now you need three barrettes to keep your hair under control. Evidenced here:



And everyone says you look a lot like me. I'm hoping that's a good thing!

Love,
Auntie K

Your hair

Dear Sonia,

You have amazing hair. You are 6 months old and you have more hair than many 18-month-olds. It's pretty cute.

Here's some evidence:

Your mom twisted it up and pinned it to the back of your head this week and you had an up-do!

You suffer from some pretty bad bedhead. Which of course is adorable.


We all had a great visit with you in Houston, for your first Hindu ceremony, when you had your first bite of solid food. You looked so good and you acted like a champ until the end when you'd just had enough. You ended up asleep on the floor while we all ate yummy lunch in the next room.

And we get to see you again in only 3 more weeks (we're getting spoiled) at another wedding. Maybe I can live with this many weddings every year if it means I get to see you all the time!

Love,
Auntie K

Sophie

Dear Sonia,

I wanted to make sure that you had this story in print.

You have a little giraffe called Sophie. That's her in the photo. It's a traditional French teether toy for babies. Apparently every French baby has one.

A good friend of mine needed some medical advice and your Daddy helped him out for free. He has a little girl too and she has one of these that her Great Uncle got her when she was a baby (he lives in France, so he knows). He knew how much his little girl liked hers, so he ordered a Sophie and sent it to your Daddy for you as a thank you.

You love it, apparently. You are also surrounded by giraffes. You have Henry, which your other Auntie K gave you (he's so soft!) and a giraffe in your circus train (which I've never seen, but word on the street is that it's super cool) and now Sophie! Someday we'll go see real giraffes, not in the zoo, on a safari! (Right after your Auntie K wins the lottery she doesn't play or marries rich -- both are equally likely.)

It's also very funny that this giraffe is named Sophie. That might be sort of your sister's name if you ever had one, maybe. But with an "f" and with an "a". Sofia. So okay, not really that close, but you get the idea.

Anyway, glad you like the little toy a friend of mine got you. He's heard a lot about you even though he hasn't met you. It was nice of him to think of you, huh?

Love,

Auntie K

Grab thumb, engage dancing

Dear Sonia,
Your mommy has been dancing with you in the mirror in your living room. You love it!

She's been trying to teach you the sign for "more" by stopping dancing, showing you the sign, and then dancing again. You grab hold of her thumb when you dance together.

Yesterday, in what was thought to be a fluke, when she stopped dancing, you grabbed hold of her thumb and looked up at her. So she laughed and started dancing again.

Today, it is not a fluke. Every time she stops dancing and attempts to show you the more sign, you just look around desperately for her thumb and try to grab it. :) It'll be the Sonia/Mommy secret-squirrel sign for "DANCE!"

Hilarious!

Oh the Places We'll Go

Dear Sonia,

I am on my annual trip outside the U.S. This year I'm in Nova Scotia, Canada. I am with my friend Christy and she has a nephew who is 3 weeks older than you. She and I decided that we are going to take you and Zach for a trip together when you are both about 10. So start thinking where you want to go.

We are working on an organic farm as volunteers. We have been picking pumpkins, beans, squash, and helping to make tofu. Doesn't that sound fun? Want to do something like that some day?

I am your adventure-Auntie. You and I will have many adventures. I can't wait!

Here's some photos from the farm.








Love, Auntie K

The Top 10 Reasons Why You are Awesome

I love lists. Here goes.

10. You are cute. This is so basic, it goes at number 10. You are really really cute, but let's just leave it at the bottom line. You are cute.

9. You are a rock star traveller. You are good on planes! The couple behind you on the flight to Boston didn't even know there was a baby there, and on the way home, you slept and then looked out the window! So good. Keep that up for the next year or so, and you'll really be a rock star.

8. You can sometimes put your own pacifier in your mouth! And only 4 months old!

7. You are already 26 inches long. That's long! Perhaps you'll be as tall as your Auntie K.

6. You are always in good spirits. Always! It's so rare you cry, and then it's only when you need something or are pissed off about something. It's really great.

5. You make everyone happy. It's so weird how a baby can just make everyone happy, but it's true.

4. You found your feet. You hang on to them and play with them.

3. You dig a bath. And when your mom accidentally sprays you full on in the face, you just sputter a little and don't even get that annoyed! Amazing!

2. You smile with your eyes! You also smile with your mouth, but if your mouth is occupied, you smile with your eyes instead. It's really charming.

And the number 1 reason you are awesome:

1. You love me! Whenever I come into a room, you smile and you let me make you laugh a lot. It's pretty cool.

Well, helllllllllooooooo!

Hi Sonia!

Welcome back to Boston. You got here again on Friday. So glad to see your smiling face. And it is: smiling! You giggle and laugh and shake your head in utter glee. I love you!

I would upload a photo of us together, but I packed my camera cord and I have no idea where I put it. [Update: Uploaded the photo Wednesday morning after I unpacked!] I'm moving tomorrow, right in the middle of your visit! But only two days apart, and then I'm coming to Nana and Papa's house again for dinner on Wednesday. And we'll spend most of the weekend together, too.

This week, you love it when I make kiss-noises at you. And you also love another noise that I make by sucking my tongue in a weird wet-click. You really love that one.

Yesterday, you were Miss Crankypants all afternoon. Your Nana watched you in the morning while your Mom came with me into Boston to help me pack my apartment. We were gone for 5 hours all together. My new roommate, when I told her you were Miss Crankypants, wrote: "Cranky-pants Baby Sonia is jealous her aunty was scoring all her mom's attention today. One day she will understand the kind of moral sibling support needed to clean all your worldly possessions of cat hair." Ha! I'm moving (again) because my silly roommate here at this apartment got two cats, but seems to have forgotten that they need cleaning up after.

Oh! Tomorrow you will visit with Auntie K's oldest friend Sara and her three kids. She has a baby that is only 5 weeks old! She is looking forward to meeting you. Enjoy her and her kids!

Well, chickie. I'll see you soon. So glad you're here in Boston with us again.

Love,

Auntie K.

A Brief History of Boston

Dear Sonia,

There is a freebie magazine in Boston called The Improper Bostonian. It's well written and fun. Your cousin E was recently chosen by the magazine as one of Boston's Best Bartenders and a photo of her was in there! Very cool.

Anyway, this week, they did a huge story for anyone who wants to be a Bostonian quickly for everything they would need to know. The very first little section was a "Brief History of Boston" and it was hilarious. (Many of the little sections in the article were hilarious, but I thought you'd want this one for prosperity.) I am reprinting without permission from the Improper, but giving full credit where it is due, so hopefully nobody'll sue me. (If enough people are reading this for me to get sued, I'll throw a party anyway.)

A Brief History of Boston
Memorize. There will be a quiz.

1. 1620: Pilgrims arrive. Clear land, plant pumpkins, kill American Indians, later burn witches.

2. 1636: Harvard happens. Shit follows.

3. 1776: Bright idea hits Sam Adams (the man, not the beer) and other Boston hotheads: Boot Brits, steal fruited plains, prepare for world domination.

4. 1840: Irish arrive. Can't get work; elect selves mayor, governor, eventually president (see below).

5. 1858: Proper Bostonian Oliver Wendell Holmes in a fit of irrational exuberance, dubs city "Hub of the Solar System." Countless Parisians, Londoners, New Yorkers snicker.

6. 1863: Proper Bostonian Edward Everett delivers long-winded two-hour oration on fallen heros at Gettysburg, eclipsed by a pithy address by a guy named Lincoln.

7. 1947: Original Improper Bostonian James Michael Curley wins fourth term as Hub mayor, enters federal pen for mail fraud but somehow stays in office.

8. 1960: John F. Kennedy becomes president, inspires numerous pretenders (Michael Dukakis, kid brother Ted Kennedy, John Kerry); they all fail.

9. 2004: Having taught town how to dress, dance, etc. Mass. gays win dubious right to wed, divorce, pay alimony.

So there you go. Some clever person summed it right up. You'll be a Bostonian at heart yet!

Love,

Auntie K.

Your First Wedding

Dear Sonia,

Thanks so much for coming all the way from Texas for your Uncle S. and other Auntie K.'s wedding. It was so much fun and you were so good! It was great to see you. You just made everyone so happy (a baby usually does) and they couldn't stop talking about how cute you are.

After the wedding, before you flew home, you came to my house in Boston and we hung out and walked down the street to get sandwiches. You looked so cute in your sling, facing frontwards with your head and arms sticking out. I wish I had taken a picture.

And then as you were leaving, I didn't have to feel sad, because I sang to you:

"Leav-ing, on a jet plane, I know when you'll be back again, you're coming in only two more weeks!"

So, girl, I'll see you soon! In less than two weeks now. And I get to pick you up at the aiport again. Your Boston carseat has become a fixture in my car!

Love you,

Auntie K.

Your unborn self

Dear Sonia,

This is a post that I wrote in December, while you were still inside your mom. It must be on your blog too. :)

POW-POW-POW

Love,

Auntie K

Children's Books

Dear Sonia,

I wrote a big huge post on my other blog about kid's books, because I'm thinking of going back to school. You can read the whole thing here.

Thought I'd republish some of it here, so you'll know what I love the most and what to read later, because girl, I'm assuming you'll be a reader, like the rest of the Boss women!



I have had a place in my heart for children's literature for a long time. I think it probably began when I was a child, since I read an inordinate amount. I distinctly remember one time when we were planning to be away from home for two weeks at a cabin somewhere when I was about 12, we had to make sure I got at least 15 books from the library. I remember being worried I wouldn't be able to take enough out.

I have maintained that love throughout my adulthood. I mostly keep up with what's new out there for kids. (Not in an academic way; in a pop culture kind of way.) I took a Children's Lit class one semester at Glendale Community College when I lived in LA. That was great, because we studied some of my favorites, including Harriet the Spy, my all time favorite book of any type and some new ones I'd not read before, such as Hatchet. I used to go to this amazing children's book store in LA called Storyopolis when I lived there. I bought a few picture books that came out around that time, too. One called No David! by David Shannon (I actually went to a book signing for that one.) I also began reading all the Series of Unfortunate Events -- Lemony Snicket books as well. One of my aunts bought me each book and sent them along as they came out. I love hanging out with friends' kids because it means I get to read to them. I went to the Eric Carle (of the Very Hungry Caterpillar fame) Museum in Western Mass. I know about Olivia, Maisy, Walter the Farting Dog, Eleanor, and others. I remember Ping and Mike Mulligan and Richard Scarry. I read Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants when it first came out and I was up on the Harry Potter way before most people. I love YA lit as much as picture books.

I have scared the ex (who, remember, has a two-year old) with my knowledge of children's books. It began the first week I met his daughter, when I sat on the floor and read to her, saying "Oooh, look! Sandra Boynton!" or "Yay, Eric Carle!" like a dork. He was amazed and a little scared. He is still a little scared. Just yesterday, he read me the list of books he'd just bought her, and I recognized one or two.

I have kept some of my original copies of some books from when I was a child, including Harriet, which is a godsend because they have changed all the covers from the 60s, 70s and 80s and updated them. I guess that is a good idea, if we want kids today to be drawn to them, but it still makes me sad.

I love E.B. White, Judy Blume, Maurice Sendak (Little Bear was the first book I remember really being able to read myself), Louise Fitzhugh, Roald Dahl (oh Dahl!), Beverly Cleary, The Chocolate War, the Heidi books, Shel Silverstein, Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day (which I've been known to give to students when they are having a sucky time and has managed to maintain the cover I remember) and Oliver Butterworth. What? You've never heard of Butterworth?

This is worth a digression. I read The Enormous Egg in about the 5th grade. It was about this kid who finds and egg and hatches it and it's a dinosaur. I loved it. Loved it! I found out this author had written another book called The Trouble With Jenny's Ear, but the library didn't have it. Neither did the bookstore. (This was about 1985, so there wasn't an enormous bookstore on every corner and there was no Amazon and such.) I found out it was out of print. Somehow, my aunt and my mom managed to get me a copy. It was amazing. Jenny ends up with damage to her ear which leads to her ability to hear others' thoughts. (A quick search just found that it is available again in reprint from Amazon. I have my original hardcover copy (like the top photo) sans dust jacket (also like the top photo).

There's lots more to talk about, little one, but it'll come in good time.

Love you!

Auntie K

Happy Birthday to Your Mom

Dear Sonia,

Yesterday was your mom's 33rd birthday. It's her Jesus Year. Once, I had a colleague who said that if you make it to 33, you're doing great because you've made it longer than Jesus. Or something like that. Anyway, that year was a really great year for me, so I hope your mom will have an equally good year.

With you around, how could she not?

Love,

Auntie K

P.S. Next Wednesday, I get to pick you up from the airport at 1 p.m. when you arrive for Uncle S and other Auntie K's wedding. I can hardly wait!

Too chill

Dear Sonia,

Well, here I am again, not having posted in 13 days. And I hardly noticed that much time went by. Perhaps this is a sign of being too busy. And, I am not even really that bothered by the fact that I haven't posted, which is not a good thing.

We will have to remember not to become too chill about living far away from each other and not seeing each other every day. We need to remember to keep in touch and I need to remember to insist that your mom and dad send photos regularly.

I cannot wait to see you in only 16 days! You are coming for Uncle S and your other Auntie K's wedding. You will be totally worn out, girl, since you are going to meet everyone in the world. All your family and all our friends and everyone! They are going to love you so much!

Your mom had to find someone to hold you during the ceremony in the church because she is in the wedding and your daddy is walking your Nana down the aisle, so unless you are going to hang out in your bucket in a pew somewhere, someone had to be in charge of you. Your Great Auntie P and Great Uncle P and your second cousins L & M will take care of you. You should have seen your Great Auntie P's face when she told me that she gets to have you in the church. She is so excited! Isn't that nice to know how excited everyone is about you?

Okay, chick. It's late and I'm tired, so that's all for now.

Love,

Auntie K

Your Daddy

Dear Sonia,

Let's talk about your Daddy for a moment, shall we? He's a really amazing guy and you should hear about him here. Of course, you are going to totally love him more than you can even believe, but it's always nice to read something that someone else has to say about someone you love, right?

When your Mom met your Dad, she and I were living together in Los Angeles. We'd been living there for about 2 years and she had another sort-of boyfriend who lived in Argentina (the country! I know!) who she had met in Europe when she was travelling that summer. Anyway, she was trying to figure out how in the world to have a relationship between LA and Buenos Aires and then, quick as that, it didn't matter anymore. Because she met your Daddy at the UCLA hospital and that was the end of that discussion. She loved him! A lot!

At this time, he was living in an apartment with a mattress on the floor and a cardboard box for a table. That's what happens when you are a resident. You have no money and you are never home, so it hardly matters what your table is made out of. We hung out a little bit, but I was busy working at a college and I had tons of my own friends and stuff going on, and they were in a new relationship, so we didn't spend too much time together. About 6 months later, I left LA to go travelling (another story - another time). Then your Daddy left! And your Mom had to stay to finish graduate school. So they did the long distance thing between LA and Houston. It went well. It was hard for them to be apart, but they managed it. Then your Mom finished school and she moved to Houston too. She stayed for almost 2 years, and then moved back to Boston in with your Nana and Papa. This is the only point where your Mom and Dad weren't sure things were going to work out. But they did, of course!

Your Dad matched for a fellowship at Yale and moved to Connecticut, so he was only about 2 hours away from your Mom. And when he finished that year, he joined a practice in Northern New Jersey, adding only about another half hour to the trip. So they did that for 3 years until they got married in 2006. It took them almost 7 years, but they knew it would work out!

Your Daddy is very generous and very loving. He fit right into our family very quickly. He's a little like your Papa in that sometimes he just sits there and watches the chaos that is the women in our family, but he also contributes to the chaos sometimes (like when he's late, or he went to Cosco and he's not home yet even though we totally have to leave to go somewhere!). One year, your Mommy had to work on Christmas Eve, so your Daddy came to Christmas at your Great Auntie P and Great Uncle P's house without her! That's when we knew he was in!

He's a phenomenal skier. You'll be on skis very soon (let's see -- born in April 08, so you'll be on skis for December 09!). He has made your Mommy a much better skier than she would be otherwise. (They both make fun of me because I'm perfectly happy NOT climbing up a cliff to ski.)

Your Daddy has had Simba for a million years (okay, only 14 - but that's a lot). He used to go in his pocket to class with him and he had a terrible motorcycle accident when he was a puppy, too! Stuff of legend!

Your Daddy always is willing to talk to someone who needs help. He loves you a lot. And even more, he loves your mom a lot. It's pretty great to be born into that kind of love.

You are one lucky girl to have a Daddy like that.

Love,

Auntie K

Kayak happiness!

Dear Sonia,

I had promised you back on Mother's Day that I would update you after I took your Nana kayaking in Maine. We had a great time!

Your Nana is notorious for loving the ocean and also not liking to get her face wet. So this combination makes for an interesting life. She has never been in a kayak in her life and your Papa was a little worried (as was she, but her sense of adventure allows her to pretty much try anything -- good trait to have!). I've been kayaking a good bit so I wasn't worried and I knew she'd love it.

We met up with the two LLBean guides at 6. This was a new program for them this year, Women's Wednesday Kayak Trips. We were actually the first one ever! There were 12 of us in 6 boats, plus the guides. Your Nana sat in the front, so I could be in charge of steering in the back. After she really believed that the boat wasn't going to tip, she really settled in. She paddled like a champ as we made our way the 1.5 miles across Portland harbor to Fort Gorges. We arrived as the sun was going down and explored the fort a little bit and then had crackers, cheese, shrimp, and Martenelli's sparkling apple cider. It was really nice.

Your Nana refused to take off her life jacket or kayak skirt because she thought it would be too much work. So she looked like this as she walked around on the island (she wasn't the only one...):



I forced her to put on a jacket for the trip back because I was convinced she must be cold. (Who did I think I was, really?) On the way back, we lit up the front of our kayaks with LLBean lanterns in the front, so we looked like little fireflies going across the water. It was dark, then! Dark! It was 10 when we got back to shore on the other side. Your Papa was, of course, worried about us. He had called both our cell phones! We called him right away. (You'll learn this about your Papa. He's a worrier.)

It was a great trip. So much fun! I love getting out on the water no matter what, and your Nana loves Casco Bay harbor. Someday, I'll take you kayaking too! (And there's always canoeing at Cobbett's. Your mom and I have done that a bunch of times.)

By the way, your other Auntie K has declared you the cutest baby ever! We all can't wait until you come to visit in August.

Love,

Auntie K

Twelve days is too long to go without a post

Dear Sonia,

I just realized it's been 12 whole days since I wrote. Jeez. Slacker Auntie. I've been busy, though.

First, we had your Uncle S and other Auntie K's big party to celebrate their upcoming wedding. It was very fun. Out at Cobbett's, which is a pond in New Hampshire. Your great-great grandparents (Papa's grandparents) bought the house in 1920something and now Great Aunt F and Great Uncle J own it. They are tearing it down this year, so there's lots of parties happening there this summer.

Then, I had to go to Ohio to a wedding. That was a whirlwind trip. You can read about it here.

In the middle of all this, your Mom was getting ready to go back to work, which she did yesterday. She was having a hard time leaving you with your new nanny. She was so sad! She would call me up and cry a little because you were having trouble eating from the bottle. (You really like to snuggle up to your mom and breast feed. Who wouldn't?) I kept assuring her that you'd both be okay.

Yesterday, she had 18 physicals in one day! On her first day back! I think she didn't even have a moment to think about how sad she was, except when all the doctors and nurses kept asking her how you are and she had to tell them she couldn't talk about you because it was going to make her cry! (And nobody wants a physical from a NP who looks like she's been bawling, now do they?) She loves you that much!

When she got to the office yesterday morning, there was a special plant waiting for her with a note from me and you! I thought that if you had been able, you'd've sent her something pretty for her first day back. So I helped you out. It is a bamboo plant, like the photo here. She heard I had bought one and had mentioned getting one. It'll last for a really long time, so when you go to visit her in the office, you'll see it there!

Oh, you have to hear this story! Your mom and I were talking and she told me that you are a genius. Now, every mom thinks their kid is a genius, but after hearing this story, I think you might be! Your mom changed the little hanging toys on your bouncy seat. When she put you in with the new ones for the first time, you looked up, furrowed your brow, looked at your mom, and then when she cooed "Yeah, those are new friends for you" then you smiled. You knew they were new and you checked to make sure that was cool! Hilarious. Smartie pants. What are we going to do with you?

I'm so looking forward to seeing you again! You are coming to Boston in only 5 more weeks. I can't wait!

Love,

Auntie K

Look-a-likes!

Dear Sonia,

You look exactly like your Nana. It's official. Just look at these photos!

When your second cousins H & N got your birth announcement in the mail, your Great-Great Auntie E looked at it and said, "That's C!" (C is your Nana!) Then, on Father's Day, your Nana and Papa and I spent some time going through a bag of old photos that your Nana had stashed in some corner


somewhere, and there it was! This photo of your Nana and her Nana, and on the back it said "C - 8 weeks". That's the same as you right now! And you could be the same baby, 63 years apart! Amazing. Genes are cool, huh?

Well, you're in for a good-looking childhood and young adult-hood then, because your Nana was gorgeous. She still is, really, and hardly has any grey hair and looks way younger than she is, so there you go.

Your Mom looks a lot like your great-grandmother (your Papa's mom). We didn't even know that until not too long ago, when we found a photo of her and someone said, wow, that looks like S! How about that? Everyone looks like their grandparents!

Love,

Auntie K

What a Visit!

here you are, hanging in your carseat bucket

Dear Sonia,

We had a wonderful visit in Houston this past weekend! Here are some of the highlights:

1. R. Uncle was visiting too, so I got to know him better. He's really cool. His wife, G Auntie is having another baby this summer, so you'll be close in age to him/her! He brought you three GORGEOUS dresses, one of which your cousin A picked our just for you.

2. You learned to smile just in time for my visit. You smiled a lot at me. Your mom declared that I am your favorite person so far, since I made you smile so much. I think that you just figured out how good it feels to smile and kept doing it! :) We spent a lot of time laughing and me booping your nose, which you thought was hilarious! It was super fun.

3. You projectile pooped on Daddy! It was awesome. Your mommy and I were sitting downstairs and Daddy volunteered to take you up to change you. He hates poop. (When I say hates, I mean really hates, and you need this info to truly appreciate this story.) All of a sudden, Daddy yelled a not-so-nice-word and Mommy ran up to see what happened. You had pooped while your diaper was off, and it shot out across the room, onto everything (everything!) on your changing table, into your crib, onto the floor, EVERYWHERE! Your mommy was laughing hysterically and I came up to hold you so they could both don rubber gloves and clean everything up. Both your parents have COPROPHOBIA, which I just looked up: the fear of poop. So the whole thing was that much more hilarious! You, of course, smiled as soon as you did it and then just happily laid in my arms, clean bum and all and we watched them run around wiping everything in sight together. I'm glad I was there for the Great Poop-Bombing of 2008, which is what I dubbed it.

4. You can roll! You go wherever and whenever grown-ups need you to. You laid in the car, or went in and out of the stroller 13 times, or chilled in your bucket on the booth in IHOP while Mommy, Daddy and I had a late breakfast. It's super convenient and we appreciate it!

5. You are 10.5 pounds and 23 inches. We weighed and measured you at Mommy's office. Good job growing!

6. You are already growing out of clothes! I went through all the 3-6 month clothes and found the ones that look small and some of them are only going to get one wearing or so before they are too small! And speaking of clothes, your mommy has declared anyone who puts buttons on infant clothing (instead of snaps) to be idiots. I have to agree. :)

7. Your mom is chill! She is a relaxed mommy, at least where I was concerned. She handed you over no worries, trusted me to walk up and down stairs with you and never once said "Careful" or "Don't drop her" or anything like that. I'm not sure I'd be that chill if you were mine, so I give her major points for that. It's going to make being your Auntie much easier. And, maybe I can take you on some crazy travel adventures and your parents won't worry too much!

I think that's it, little one. You are really amazing. I love you a lot. Thanks for a kick-ass first visit. We'll have hundreds and hundreds of visits in your life, but there's nothing like the very first one.

Love,

Auntie K

You're the best!

Dear Sonia,

Your mom called yesterday and said that when she takes you places, you are the best baby ever. You sleep or hang out in your bucket and you don't complain about being in the car or in a store or in the doctor's office.

Fantab, girly. Keep it up!

Love,

Auntie K

Growing Pains

Dear Sonia,

Hi girl! Your mom had a hard couple of days this week. Your Uncle S and other Auntie K were there to visit you and meet you last weekend and then when they left, your mom got really sad.

Because your mom and I have both lived far away from home a bunch of times, we really know how this feels. It's horrible. You see people you love, and then they leave, and it's just this weird empty feeling. It's usually only when people visit you. When you visit, there's always the happiness of returning to your own home and your own bed and your own everything that somehow makes the sadness of leaving them bearable. When I was only 10 or 12, and your Great Auntie P would leave to go back to New York after a visit, I would have this icky feeling in my tummy that I couldn't explain to your Nana. Come to find out, this is what it was!

So, even though your mom has had this feeling before and knows how it feels, it still is hard when it happens. She'll be fine, of course, and your family is really great there in Texas. Your daddy, and your mom, and your grandparents. You're a lucky girl to have so many people who love you.

I'm coming to see you in one more week! One more!

Oh yeah! I just found out from your mom that you do the same twisty thing with your hair that I do! (Now, my dear niece, this is in fact a curse. Perhaps YOU won't be 35 and still doing it -- in the middle of meetings at work no less -- but maybe you will. We'll talk. Oh, and I'll teach you to tie knots in it with one hand, that's the best part!) I started doing it when I was tiny in my crib, before I even had hair. Just a little twisty motion with my finger. That's what you do. But since you have as much hair as a two-year-old already, you apparently sometimes get caught up in it and grab it and pull, and then you cry because you hurt yourself! Careful!

Anyway, I've included a photo of you with Uncle S. He digs you. He sent me a text while he was visiting you that said "U will love her." He has clearly understated how I am going to feel about you, because I already love you and I haven't even met you. Imagine what will happen when I hold you? Imagine!

Love,

Auntie K

Boston, Boston!

Dear Sonia,

I'm coming to visit you in only two more weeks! I'm so excited to meet you. I bought you this cool Jamaica Plain onesie so you can proclaim your allegiance to Boston in a secret way (because who would know Jamaica Plain is Boston in Texas?)

Here it is:



Cute, huh? I also bought you an adorable little pair of socks from Life is good. They are a great store that is headquartered here in Boston. They have little peas on them and on the shirt (which I didn't buy because it was $28 and that just seemed insane for a shirt that would fit you for about a minute and a half) it said "Sweet Pea".

I have to really be careful, because I was at the SOWA Open Market (an amazing artisan market in Boston in the summers) and everything I saw I wanted to buy for you! Alas, your Auntie K is not made of money. Oh well.

I'm counting the days till I meet you!

Love,

Auntie K

A Uncommon Name?

Dear Sonia,

For someone with a relatively uncommon name, there are sure a lot of you around all of a sudden.

I've already posted about Sonia Gandhi and I sent your mom a card when you were born that said "Hello Sonia" cut from a Target ad, because they have a new line of beauty products by Sonia Kashuk.

And now, Sonia Chang-Diaz is running for State Senate here in Boston. She has a headquarters building right down the street from my house.

You can check her out here.

And here I thought you were so lucky to get a more unique name, considering I've got one of the top 25 most popular names for the decade I was born. I guess this is all a little weird, actually, since a little research just proved that Sonia has never broken the top 150. In fact, when it was at its most popular in the 1970s, it was only ranked 183 and in 2007, the most recent year for data, its rank was 646. (Of course, in Spain, it's in the top 100, but has declined in popularity over the past 5 years.) So there you go.

Okay, little one. It's a nice day and it's supposed to rain later, so I'm getting off the computer and heading out to take advantage of the lovely weather.

Added on July 29, 2009: Sonia Sotomayer was just approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee to be the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice and the third woman Justice.

Love,

Auntie K

Lookin' like me

Dear Sonia,

Today I got a text message from your mom that said this: "Can I just tell u that today it looks like I gave birth to you! :)"

So I called her right up and she, of course, was running low on minutes, which is why she texted to begin with. She said that for some reason, you really look like your Auntie K today!

Cool, huh?

Love,

Auntie K

Three P.M. Pride

Dear Sonia,

Today your mom called me and said she was proud because she'd managed to get you and herself out of the house by 3 p.m. to do some errands. You were happily sleeping in the car and she went to the drive-through (I don't know the drive-through of what, actually), and then was headed to the library. You are a champion car sleeper (just like your favorite Auntie was!).

Anyway, anyone being proud of being able to get their act together in only 8 hours to leave the house sure puts parenthood in perspective for those of us who aren't parents!

Love,

Auntie K

Mother's Day

Dear Sonia,

Today is your mom's first Mother's Day! She didn't have to wait too long after you came along to get a whole new holiday with presents and everything! Thanks for making her feel even more special than she already is!

I got her a special magnet with you on it! Here's a not-very-good picture of it. It's on your fridge, but this way, it'll be here on this blog, too.


I got your Nana a kayaking trip to Casco Bay Harbor in Maine, one of her favorite places on earth. She seemed a little worried that she wouldn't be able to kayak, but I know she'll be fine. I'll update you on how it went after we go in June.

Anyway, I hope you and your mom have lots and lots of good Mother's Days in the future. She'll sure remember the first one!

Love,

Auntie K

Photos galore!

Dear Sonia,

Your Nana has gone insane with the photo messages. Or maybe it's your Mom on your Nana's phone. But I keep getting them. And then, yesterday, I told your Papa that I got a great photo of you yawning, and he said "Yeah, Mom sent it to me too!" What? What? Since when does your Papa know how to open a photo message? Everyone's getting so tech savvy!

Anyway, here's the photo I got today. Clearly your Mommy took this one.



Your Nana might hate this photo, since it shows her sleeping, but as long as it isn't bigger, she should be fine. And it's so sweet! Look at you, snuggled up on top of her and you're both sleeping!

You get to have more Nana time tonight, because your Mom and Dad are going out for dinner to celebrate their wedding anniversary, which was yesterday. Fun!

I can't wait for you to take a nap on me. Only 1 month from today, and I'll be in Texas to meet you.

Love,

Auntie K

Big YAWN!

Dear Sonia,

So here I am, sitting at my computer at work on a gorgeous sunny day. It's only about 65 degrees out, which is my absolute favorite temperature, and we just came through about 5 days of rain, so I really hate that I'm inside.

All of a sudden, my phone, from deep inside my bag (my new bag, which I love (it has a penguin riding on a rooster on it!)), my phone goes "BING BONG!" This is the sound for receiving a picture-message on my phone. I knew it would be your Mommy or your Nana, sending me a photo of you.

It was! Look!


How totally hilarious are you? Look at those nostrils!

And then Nana texted me (which, by the way, you should note that your Nana knowing how to text is so great!) to say that she sure is going to miss you. She is leaving Texas to come home to Boston on Friday. She's been with you for three whole weeks! It will be hard for her to leave, I'm sure. (And even harder to go back to work - it's really easy to get used to not working after three whole weeks!)

Well, babe, this is two posts in one day, but this photo just couldn't wait!

Love,

Auntie K

You share a name with....

Dear Sonia,

You share a name with...Sonia Gandhi.

And in the annual issue of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People, she is honored. Click here for the story about her.

She's Italian! And she's so important in India. She is an Indian politician, the President of the Indian National Congress and the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi. It's really very interesting. She even spells her name the same way you do.

I just thought you should know about her.

Love you!

Auntie K

Sleep, little girl, sleep

Dear Sonia,

You lay in your cradle happy as a clam after eating during the day, and drift off to sleep. Why, oh why, then, can't you do that at night?

Your poor mommy. Your poor daddy, who has to sleep so he can get up and do surgery!

You are such a snuggler, I think it's just a ploy to get into bed with your mom. For now, you're gonna get away with it, because you are only two weeks old! But soon, crying it out is going to become a way of life, I think. :)

We love you, girl, but sleep, already!

Love,

Auntie K

Bad Days

Dear Sonia,

Yesterday wasn't such a good day for your mom. She has an infection, so she had to go to the doctor and then the pharmacy, and she apparently dinged the bumper of the car. The very bumper on the very car that your mom and dad just spent a bunch of money fixing up!

And, your Papa had to go back to Boston to go back to work! Luckily, your Nana is still there and was able to hang out with you and Simba (and Rudy, too) while your mom took care of herself.

You are 10 days old today. You already had your first doctor's appointment, and you only lost 1 ounce! (And your mom says that ounce was from the gigantic spit-up you did in the car -- all over your adorable go-to-my-first-doctor-appointment-outfit!) You are nursing like a pro, which is a good thing, because apparently your mom is making more milk than she knows what to do with! She's freezing it like crazy. You'll be able to have yummy, nutritious breast milk until you're 5! (Not that you will. That was a joke!)

Anyway, here in Boston, it's raining like crazy today and a water main break messed up all the gas lines downtown this weekend, so lots of the restaurants and bars are closed. There's nowhere to even get lunch! It's probably 75 and sunny at your house in Texas.

Love you,

Auntie K

And now your Papa

Dear Sonia,

Your Papa chose to be called Papa because he loved his own Papa so much. You couldn't be luckier with this one either. (Seriously, you lucked out. Not everyone gets so many great grandparents!) There he is last winter eating a hot dog out at Cobbett's.

Things to really love about your Papa: - He'll always worry about you. - He appreciates the little things in life, like being "on vaaaacaaation" and a good martini. - He skis like a pro! He's a great person to teach you how to drive. - He's fun in the pool! - He cries, at all the right moments. - He really really loves your Nana and your mom, which means the amount he loves you is completely immeasurable. - In your first week of life, he was afraid to pick you up out of fear that he might break you. - He'll show you the stars and the constellations. - His hugs are amazing. - He'll hold your hand and you'll never feel as safe.

There's some good stories about your Papa, too. His corvette was stolen right from his apartment building parking lot with the skis still on top! He used to rub my back every night in my crib as I was going to sleep. He used to do this thing called a "froggie dive" into the pool and your mom loved it. He's had some of the same friends for almost 50 years!

The best part about your Papa is that he just sits amongst the craziness that is our family. He's usually listening and taking it all in (and enjoying a beer or two), but he just doesn't get involved in all the drama that the rest of us do. He provides an unbelievable stability to our family. We get impatient with him sometimes, because he doesn't remember stuff you just told him (or, he does remember it, but just wants to hear it again).

If you ever catch Papa just staring at you, it's because he's trying to figure out how he got so lucky to have a little granddaughter like you.

Again, he's far away from you most of the time, but the time you do have with him will be great. He's not one for email right now, although by the time you are ready to write to him, he'll be hooked, as he claims he's going to learn once he gets to retire sometime soon. He'll take all your school artwork and put it on the wall of fame, just over his desk. (Nana made him clean it up recently, but he still has all these little things up there from your mom, and me and Uncle S. I'm sure it'll be pretty quick and you'll take over all the space!)

My little baby niece, Papa loves you!

Love,

Auntie K

Of the Nanas and the Papas

Dear Sonia,

You should know about your Nana and Papa. Since there's way too much to say about each of them, I'm going to give them each their own post. Let's begin with Nana. That's her hand in the photo, telling someone to wait a minute while she was telling a story in Vermont this past winter.

Oh niece of mine, you are lucky in so many ways! You have a fantastic Nana. She has waited a lot longer than she thought she would to get a grandchild, so she's pretty happy you are here!

Things to love about your Nana:
- she's fun! - she always has an adventure (your mom, Uncle S. and I used to go on "Mummy Adventures" all the time with her) - if you're bored, she'll give you a dustcloth and make you do the dining room, so never say you're bored - if you ask for a creative project, you'll get to do all kinds of stuff! - she's a reader, she'll always read you a book or tell you a great book to read or take you to the library (she's why your mom and I are such amazing readers, too) - she's noisy! - she will teach you how to buy great stuff at a yardsale - she'll teach you how to find a bargain at Marshall's, TJMaxx and a million other places (although, your parents are quite the bargain hunters themselves!) - she can cook! - she throws a great party in the backyard in Chelmsford - she buys great presents - she really really loves all of us.

Nana is the subject of legendary stories. Like the time I was a little baby (your mom wasn't even born yet) and she bundled me up, put me in my car seat, got in the car and drove right through the garage door without putting it up! Or the time she threw up in Papa's glove compartment in his Corvette! Or the time she was mowing the lawn and went right over a hornet's nest and got stung a million times!

Best of all, your Nana listens. She puts herself second and she hunkers down to listen to your big, long, sometimes happy, sometimes woeful story about whatever is going on with you. She doesn't claim to have all the answers (or even one answer sometimes) but she will take the time to listen to you. You can tell her anything. I'm serious. She is my mom, and I told her things that most normal kids never tell their moms. As your Nana, you have even more leeway on that.

I know you live pretty far from Nana, but I don't think that's going to matter all that much. There's planes and Skype and all kinds of ways to make sure that you get to spend great time with her. And you know what? The post office is underrated. Everyone should write more letters (spoken by your Auntie K, who is writing you a blog!).

Enjoy your Nana this next week or so while she's there with you. Of course, you won't remember that she was there from age 1 day - 2 weeks, but she will!

Love,

Auntie K.

Another big primary.

Dear Sonia,

Let's talk about politics for a moment, shall we?

You chose a banner year to come aboard. We have a historic democratic primary going on here in the U.S. A woman and a bi-racial (black & white) man are running against each other. One of them will be our candidate. (I say our because your Auntie K. is a raging liberal left-wing Democrat. It's only gotten stronger as I've aged. But that is a story for another day.)

I am sincerely hoping that when you are my age (in 2043) the very idea that a woman or a person of color could be president is as normal as the sun rising and setting. Right now, though, that is not the case. We live in a time today in which there have only been 2 elected black governors of any state ever (Virginia a while back and now Massachusetts). We live in a time where today, April 22, there is an event at the MA State House about women and wage. Women still earn only $.77 for every dollar men do and today marks the day that women would match their male counterparts 2007 salary (they would have to work through 2007 and up till today in 2008 to match a male salary). We live in a time where race is still a factor in how we feel about other people, without even knowing them.

Back to politics, though. Today is the Pennsylvania primary. Nobody really knew that in a year with the first primary all the way back in early January, we'd be in late April with primaries still mattering and the race still being incredibly close. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama could viably be our candidate. The polls this morning are showing Hillary ahead 48% to 41%, but this year, polls have been largely meaningless, with many people having no clue who they will vote for until they actually enter the little booth.

There's been a bunch of brew-ha-ha this year, too. Hillary is Bill Clinton's wife. He was our president from 1992-2000 and he's been shooting off his mouth a bit. Obama's Reverend at his church shot off his mouth about race relations and the state of black people in the U.S. and that set off a whole mess. Obama gave an amazing speech in reaction to that, though, which really helped him a lot. This followed by a statement recently saying that people in small towns cling to religion and guns which, as you can imagine, didn't go over well with the small town livers all over the U.S. (and there are a lot of them). He's now been branded an elitist. Hillary "mispoke" about when she was First Lady and landing in Bosnia where she had to dodge bullets to exit the plane. This apparently never happened. Hillary gets hammered in the media because she can be pretty hardcore in her demeanor and because it's still okay in the U.S. in 2008 to be hard on women. Course, this is just a very quick, un-academic summary of what's been happening.

On the other side, John McCain has been the republican candidate for months now. He's 71 and was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for 5 years back in his day. He's a pretty middle-of-the-road republican, which is a good thing, but also a bad thing, because people who aren't die hard dems might vote for him in the end. He's nothing as bad as George Bush, but he's still a republican. I want the White House back!

So, you had the serious misfortune to be born during the presidency of George W. Bush, arguably the worst president we've ever had. (Don't feel bad. I was born during the presidency of Richard Nixon, and he lied and had to resign before we impeached him.) But, you've also been born during arguably the most exciting presidential election we've ever had and the most historical.

Love,

Auntie K.

Boston Sports Happiness!

Dear Sonia,

I don't want to forget to tell you about how great Boston sports was the weekend you were born. On April 19, around the time your mom really started to have a killer time getting you out, the Red Sox beat the Rangers. They beat them again on Sunday night. After not winning a World Series for 86 years due to a horrible curse (which I'll teach you all about), they won in 2004 and again last year in 2007! We have high hopes for them again this year, and they are already number 1 in the American League!

Also on Saturday night, the Bruins beat the Canadiens in Game 6 of the first round of playoffs, sending them back to Montreal for Game 7, which is tonight. Your Uncle S. says the Bruins suck, which I countered with the fact that they are in the playoffs, and he said "Okay, they suck less than they usually suck."

And to round it all out, the Celtics played Game 1 of the first round of NBA playoffs Sunday night and they won too!

Today is Patriot's Day, a Massachusetts holiday which commemorates the Battle of Lexington & Concord in the Revolutionary War. It is also Marathon Monday, the day of the Boston Marathon, arguably the most difficult marathon in the U.S. We have perfect weather for it, cloudy and only about 50ish degrees. Someday you can come here for the Marathon and we'll watch it together. It begins 26 miles outside of the city in Hopkinton and the runners run into Boston. I thought all Marathons were like that until graduate school, when I found out the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. is just run all around the city. I thought that was pretty silly at the time, until I found out it's Boston that's weird!

You may be a Texan, but it's my job to make sure you remain connected to Boston. You should definitely know what happened here on the weekend that you were born. We had a great weekend in sports!

Love,

Auntie K

It wasn't easy!

Dear Sonia,

Well, girl, it wasn't easy, but you're here! Welcome! And happy birthday! April 19, 2008! Quite a historical birthday, considering it was that date that Paul Revere was yelling about on his famous ride the night before! We had plenty of warning about you, too!

Your poor mom. She had to push and push for 2 hours! You kept slipping sideways. And the doctor would right you, and your mom would push and you'd slip sideways again! As a result, you apparently have a huge cone head. You can't tell in your debut photo, though. So all is well.

Your Great Auntie P told me this morning that the women in our family have to work hard for their babies. Apparently! Your birth and mine were both a thing of adventure. I'll tell you the story of my birth one day and we can swap war stories! That'll be fun!

You scared your mom and dad a bit in the delivery room, from what I've heard, but then you cried out and let everyone know you had arrived. I can't believe how cute you are. I mean, I thought maybe you'd be cute, but I wasn't sure. Not all babies are, and another story for another time is how your mom struggled in the looks department when she was tiny. But, Sonia, you are just unbelieveably adorable. Your little round face is so cute and all that hair! You sort of look like an anime character! (Which is cool because Speed Racer is gonna be the big summer movie this year - the year you were born!)

Thank goodness I decided to come to meet you in June instead of waiting for when you come to Boston for Uncle S & Auntie K's wedding in August. What was I thinking? I took one look at your face in the photo daddy sent and fell straight into love with you. I didn't expect to love you this much so quickly. I can't imagine how much your mom and dad must love you.

Well, chick. This is the beginning of a beautiful relationship. I think Aunts are just one of the best things around. And you got yourself a kick-ass one, I have to say.

More later, girly, as the week unfolds. You are just shy of 12 hours old. Keep on keepin' on. We love you.

Love,

Auntie K

Your Birth-day

Dear Sonia,

Today is going to be the day (we think)! Your mom, my only sister, went into the hospital last night at 10 to be induced into labor. You were due on Thursday and you weren't looking like you were coming on your own, so the doctors and the hospital and your medical-world parents are taking matters into their own hands. That and the doctor your mom really likes is the one on call today who will deliver you, which is a good thing.

Your grandparents, my parents, arrived in Texas on Thursday from Boston. Your other grandparents live just around the corner, making it easy to have everyone there with you when you arrive.

Right now, it's a little after 10 a.m. in Texas and my mom (your Nana) just called me to tell me that your mom told her that there's still nothing. You aren't making a peep. You are just curled up in your nice warm happy swimming house refusing to come out. And this after months and months of kicking around like a madwoman. You've been moving and grooving and kicking and dancing all over your poor little mom. Three weeks ago, when I came to visit, you were moving so much that I could watch your little hands and legs right through your mom's shirt. Far cry from Christmas, when I had to put my hand on her belly and lay there waiting for you to do something cool.

Your mom just called me! You are so lucky to have been born in a time when cell phones exist and people can stay in touch even when they are in the maternity ward. Apparently, the contractions are getting a little stronger and the nurse is commenting on how sound of a sleeper you are. (This to compensate for dancing around so much when you are awake, I think.) Here's hoping that you sleep as soundly after you arrive.

Your Uncle S., Auntie K, and I are going to be together tonight, out hearing someone's sister's band. I love that all three of your maternal aunts and uncle will be together on the day you are born.

A spring birthday! The best time of the year (here in Boston, anyway). Things are growing, little flowers are popping up all over the place, fresh life, gorgeous sun, and new green! You'll get that every year for your birthday (although, I'm not clear on how that works in TX, but we'll see.)

Well, little girl. I already love you and you aren't even here yet. Best of luck coming out! It's an great world out here. You'll dig it, I think. There's some bad stuff, and some painful stuff now and again, but mostly, it's a big place ready to be explored and lived in and enjoyed. We'll do a lot of that together. See you soon!

Love,

Auntie K