Favorite {Photo} Friday--More, More, More

A year and a half ago, my sister (Tauni) had a baby and they named her Lily. I flew to Washington (state, and being from Oregon it annoys me that I have to specify that) for two weeks to help out. Mainly I helped with Emma, who was then two and a half and a bundle of energy. Or, rather, she is a bundle of energy and she was then two and a half. :) Of course there wasn't much help I could provide with newborn Lily, who slept like an angel for 20 hours a day, although I did provide some relief one night when she was fussy and I stayed up and rocked her so my sister and brother-in-law (Erik) could sleep long enough to get some REM. :) The great thing about being an aunt is that it felt like a privilege to rock her for hours in the quiet of the night!

A few months later I flew back because they had chosen me as Lily's Godmother, so I held her during her baptism. That was a super cool experience and I feel so happy that her parents chose me for this honor. :)

I was supposed to see them at Christmas but then the Great Freeze of 2008 happened and they couldn't come down to my parents' house. :(

I saw them for a couple hours back in March when I went to Seattle to visit Kellie and they happened to be in the area visiting other family.

And I'm seeing them now. Four times in 18 months is not bad, considering we live on opposite sides of the country! These little girls grow up so quickly, I'll try to see them as often as I can. So while I'm here, I'm just enjoying the time and eating them up!

Speaking of eating things up and wanting more-more-more, meet Lily.


You can tell me she isn't just the cutest thing ever, but I. WON'T. BELIEVE. YOU. I mean, hello, CUTE. Look at those eyes, puh-lease. Come on, eyes just cannot be that big and blue. She is covered in orange cherry tomatoes because her dad was making dinner and cutting up the homegrown tomatoes for our salads. And as I have quickly learned, at 18 months old Miss Lily is a chow hound. Her mouth will be full and she has a bite ready in one hand and she is already asking for more-more-more. She does the sign for it, too, which is so cute. If she sees food, she wants some. If you are eating something, she wants some. If you are drinking something, she wants some. She usually finishes her meals and wants some of whatever is left over. More-more-more and then, suddenly, ALL DONE.

I think she must take after her aunty Cameron... did I mention that I gained EIGHT POUNDS during my seven-day Orlando trip with Lori and Anke? EIGHT. Otto (Italian). Ocho (Spanish). Okto (Greek). Huit (French). Acht (German). EIGHT. It was an awesome and amazing trip and I can't wait to share photos once I get back home to Virginia. It fed my soul and my creativity and I'm so happy I went. But EIGHT POUNDS? I didn't know it was possible for me to gain eight pounds in a week!! I wouldn't really mind all that much, it was that worth it. But it is quite inconvenient, considering that I'm traveling and chasing small children and being seen in public in my now-too-tight clothes. Not to mention that I have my HIGH SCHOOL REUNION this weekend. (YIKES.)

The good news (I really must be an optimist to find a good side of gaining 8 pounds in a week!) is that those extra eight pounds have freed me from my anxiety about the reunion. I've found myself singing Popeye's anthem, "I am what I am and that's all that I am." And what I am is an incredibly lucky aunt, wife, and friend. I'm able to do what I love to do and visit the ones I love scattered across the country. My husband and I adore each other with a passion I wouldn't have believed possible when we married 9.5 years ago (and we were pretty passionate back then, lol). :) My parents are still well and still married (and how sad is it that this is unusual?) and are thrilled to have me home. I have dear friends in cities across the country that I could count on and stay with. I've had an amazing 15 years since high school so why should I be concerned in the least? I wouldn't change a thing. Not even these damn eight pounds.

Happy weekend, my friends. :)