It was too dark

Dear Sonia,

Even armed with the protective forces against evil of your Daddy and Uncle S, you did not successfully eat a meal at Rainforest Cafe.

You said you cried because it was too dark.

I said you didn't have to go there ever again until you were a grown up.

Your mommy said perhaps not even then. (Shows what confidence she has in you!)

Some things are just too much, right?

Love,

Auntie K

A Boogie Woogie Oogie Animal Video

Dear Sonia,

Check this out. You'll love it!

Love,

Auntie K

Call me back!

Dear Sonia,

Tonight, while I was eating dinner, my phone rang. I ignored it since I was eating and reading and having a nice quiet moment in my day.

I went to see who called and I had a voicemail from you. It went like this:

"Hello Auntie Karen!"

"I'm eating dinner!"

"What are you doing?"

"Call me back!"

And then you hung up. Cutest little message in the world. Turns out you had tortellini for dinner.

Uncle S is coming to visit you tomorrow and you are going swimming with him and perhaps back to the Rainforest Cafe, although it made you howl with fear the first time you went with Mommy and your friend T and his mommy. Apparently, you decided that if your Daddy was there, all would be okay and you could go back. So, armed with the double protection of Daddy and Uncle S, you may venture again to the place of loud animated animals, fake lightening storms and walls made of fish tanks. Good luck, my adventurous (but trembling with fear) niece.

Have a great visit with Uncle S. Then, as you can now recite, Nana and Papa come in July and then I come in August! Yay. A parade of Boston visitors for you this summer.

Love,

Auntie K

Look at that Face!

Dear Sonia,

Here is a photo of you and your sister (sort of!).

Look at your cute little face! I just want to bite you.

Last night, you called me and sang "Karen Karen bo baren, mi my mo Maren, bananafana fo Faren, Karen!" and I knew what you were saying! Very cute - you.

Love you,

Auntie K

And, it's a....

Dear Sonia,

Today we found out that you are going to have a sister! It's a GIRL! Woot!

We've known since April that your mommy was going to have another baby. You wore a cute little t-shirt that said "I'm going to be a big sister!" on it down to the table one night when you were visiting Nana and Papa's house. Of course, everyone screamed and yelled and were all excited and it terrified you. You burst into tears, ran to your Mom and refused to talk to any of us.

Your mom is about 20 weeks now (out of the 40 it takes to grow a baby) and this morning she had an ultrasound and an appointment and found out that all is well. And, as you've been insisting for a few weeks now, it's a girl. Look at that, you're a psychic!

Anyway, here's where it really begins. Being a sister, and having a sister is one of life's true gifts. Just ask your Mom and me. It doesn't always start out so nicely - I pushed your Mom down when she first started to walk - but it can end up pretty awesomely! You and your new sister will be 2.5 years apart, almost exactly. That's THE SAME as your mom and me. (Like, exactly the same, pretty cool!)

I have all kinds of things to teach you about being a big sister to a sister. Good things. When it comes time, we can compare notes. And it's good, because your daddy was the oldest in his family and your mom was the younger sister in our family, so someone knows how everyone feels most of the time. (Although, your mom was a middle child, so there's that, but...)

I wonder if whatever this girl is named, I'll be able to find as good a nickname for her as I have for you. Sonia-ita just rolls right off the tongue...and it makes you smile. I'm so excited to have another niece and for you to have a sister. Two little girls in your family!

I can't wait to meet her - your little sister! Only 20 more weeks to go! It'll fly by, really. Before you know it, your mom's belly will be enormous and then you'll be whisked off to your grandparents' house and soon after that, you'll get to visit your new sister in the hospital (I think. Do they let people as little as you go visit?). How awesome will that be?

She'll be super little at first, and not much fun. She'll cry and poop and need to nurse a lot. But your mom will totally let you help, so that'll be fun. And mom can tell you stories about when you were that little and the things that happened. I bet you'll be as different as night and day - your mom and I are. But you know what? Sometimes that's a good thing - more than one way of looking at something always helps! As she gets older, you can help her with stuff, like learning to color and dance and walk and run. And you can teach her stuff, like her letters and colors and animal noises. You can show her things at the zoo and the nature center and you can take her to story time at the library. You'll get to show everyone your awesome new baby sister.

I'm so happy, Sonia. So happy to get to meet your SISTER soon.

Love you,

Auntie K