Family Visit

I haven't been very present here lately because of this little girl! Debra and Niecy were in town for over a week - they just left yesterday afternoon. On Friday my brother Kevin came down from Indiana, making our family gathering almost complete (my BIL Lance was at camp with his church kids).

Niecy is 14 months old. It's a challenging but VERY fun age. She's running around and participating in conversations (although we can't understand most of what she says yet). I've never been involved in a baby's day-to-day life before, so I really enjoyed the week of helping to care for her and getting to know her better. She and Debra stayed at our parents', but I was basically over there any time I wasn't sleeping or at work. My diapering skills are pretty solid now!

We hung out at my house a couple of times and bonded over books and shoes. She's already a girl after my own heart.

 

On Saturday we introduced my sibs to Jerry's Sno Cones, a Memphis institution that my parents and I just discovered about a month ago. Kevin was agog at how long the line was, but I assured him that last time we were there, it wrapped around the building. It's worth the wait though!

Niecy hadn't seen her Uncle Kev Kev since April, but they bonded quickly.

Yesterday we attended my parents' church as a family. This is the only group pic we have from the weekend.


I'm very thankful to have had such a long sister and niece visit, but I am STRUGGLING now to get back into normal life and feel totally overwhelmed by my to-do list. It's rough when you know you can't accomplish everything for the week, but you can't cut anything out either.

Little Miss Sunshine Party

Last weekend, I went to Dothan with my parents for my niece's first birthday and dedication at church! I got back Tuesday night and am still trying to catch up on life, hence the quiet here on the blog. There's a lot to talk about, but I think the birthday party deserves its own post.

 

Debra planned this Little Miss Sunshine party for months, and her work definitely paid off. It was the perfect theme for happy Niecy. :) The party was held at the church gym. Most of the congregation's kids were invited, in addition to Lance's parents and extended family, me and my parents, some relatives who live in Decatur, and my grandma, who flew in from Miami.

Because so many kids would be there, Debra planned lots of themed activities like a bean bag toss, coloring area, Play-Doh area, and sensory station (a bucket of uncooked rice with some rubber ducks in it). I was amused as kids fought for a chance to get their hands in the rice. My educator sister just nodded knowingly.

To me, the most impressive activity was a memory game with covers of the Mr. Men and Little Miss books. Debra made the cards herself!

She also printed Mr. and Little Miss nametags for everyone.

There was a wall of Niecy's monthly photos all the way through her first year. It was fun to see how much she's already changed! People loved looking at these.

When it was time for presents, all the kids wanted to sit in a circle around Niecy. It was really cute.

 

A friend made the adorable cake and Niecy's smash cake. She says she's just getting started with cakes, but this looked like a professional job to me! Debra got the cupcakes from a grocery bakery and printed out the Little Miss Sunshine toppers herself.

Like most one-year-olds, Niecy wasn't sure at first how she felt about cake, but eventually decided she liked it. Later, fueled by sugar, she took TEN steps! And "danced" with Debra and me!

It was a great time. More trip recap to come.

Aunthood at Four Months

Contemplating life

Between the unexpected trip to Texas and the planned one to Nashville, I've gotten to spend a lot of time with Niecy this month! She's four months old now (gaining on five, really) and pretty much the best, cutest baby in the world. No bias, of course. :)

Last weekend I was present for her first experience in a jumpy/bouncy chair! She hasn't quite figured out the bouncing part yet, but enjoys playing with her toys in the chair. I'm sure she'll be a little jumping bean within the week.

Niecy has a happy, sociable temperament and likes visiting with everyone. On our trip to Texas, my dad played "race car driver" with her several times and she was enthralled.

She LOVES her Dolly. The joy on her face at every reunion with Dolly is hilarious and heartwarming. I think a backup is already being sought just in case. :)

She and the family cat are currently about the same size. I had to document!


Being an aunt has already opened a new world to me. I'm not much practical help to my very capable sister and brother-in-law, but my confidence with babies has skyrocketed. I've always liked babies, but I used to feel very self-conscious around them. Or, more accurately, their moms. I felt like no one wanted some amateur childless woman interacting with their baby, or chiming in during mom conversations. Well, aunthood has brought that wall down. Now I have a baby in my own family and am learning a thing or two about the whole deal. Even though she's not "mine," I can understand and contribute to discussions a lot more. I have several friends who had babies right around the same time, and it's fun to hear about them hitting different milestones together.

I'm determined not to be a cliche spinster aunt who acts like she's the child's mother. But I am really excited to be part of Niecy's little life. :)

Summer Family Time

I'm suffering from sister and niece withdrawals after getting to be with them for almost a week! My mom took them back to Nashville yesterday. Here are some pics from our time together:

First Family Fourth

At my Fourth of July party

Hanging with "Aunt" Myla

First trip to the pool! She loved it.

Swimming was exhausting!

I miss her and Debra (and Lance, the Best Brother-In-Law Ever) already, but we should all be together again in a month or so.

Aunthood

Sorry I've been absent from the blog this week, but I have a good reason! :)

My niece was born on Tuesday, May 1! 7 pounds, 7 ounces, full head of hair (of course), ten fingers and ten toes. She's the first niece and first grandchild on our side of the family. My parents and I have been in Nashville all week, and even got to be present for the homecoming since my sister and the baby were released so quickly. Debra had to have an emergency C-section, but was a champ throughout and continues to be so. I'm in awe of her, and of Lance, who is already a wonderful dad.

All the good pictures were taken my my brother and/or Lance's mom, so I might share a few of those when I get them. I've been asked not to use my niece's name on this blog, but I haven't come up with the perfect alias yet. I'm leaning toward the obvious Niecy. It is a legitimate name these days. :)

 

Whatever we call her, I'm crazy about her already, and so happy and thankful that I get to be a special part of her life!

An Announcement

This is me and my family on Labor Day weekend, when my sister announced via these T-shirts that she was pregnant! I'm going to be an aunt!!! :D Aunt B, to be precise. Debra is due on May 4. I know about ten other women who are due around the same time, so it's been very hard not to chime in with their discussions, but now I can tell the world. I'm very happy and excited!

This will be the first grandchild in our family, and the second on her in-laws' side. My gut feeling is that it's a girl. We'll know in December!

Any advice for me as a prospective aunt? :)