Happy Birthday Brooklynn!

One year ago today, I became an Auntie. I had no idea how much I could love a child that didn't belong to me. But from the very first time I saw her wrinkly little face and her huge ton of black hair (which she would lose most of later, of course), I was smitten. Let me tell you how my day went on February 1st, 2010 (it's very brief):

My sister, Brittany, had called me Sunday night and told me that she was going to the hospital to have her baby. This was very bittersweet for me. Sweet because I was oh so excited to meet this tiny brand new person, but bitter because my sister had cruelly decided to move to Arkansas (a 10 hour drive for us), marry Blake and settle down. So I was in Indiana when she called me to tell me she was going to the hospital. Anyway, Monday, February 1st, I had classes all day and I couldn't miss them because it was my last semester of school before graduation and I really needed to be there. I drove home as fast as my little VolksWagon could take me (which is pretty fast), picked Kennedy up from school and sped to my parent's house because they have a webcam and I do not. We finally got the call that Brooklynn had arrived and Blake took Britt's laptop into the nursery so we could catch our first glimpses of the new baby. And I cried the whole time. I was emotional all day because I really wanted to be with my sister (also because I was pregnant at the time), but I somehow managed to not cry...at least until I saw this beautiful, chicken-legged baby with a huge mess of black hair that looked like it had blond highlights. It looked like she had gone to the salon to prepare for her grand entrance into the world. Cutest. Thing. Ever.

I don't get to see little miss Punkin Head as often as I would like. I've only gotten to snuggle with her on a handful of occasions in this last year. But I couldn't love her any more, even if she were mine. I love my sister for so many reasons, but mostly because she gave me the most wonderful neice south of the Mississippi.

Happy First Birthday Punkin Head!!!

Love, Auntie