Aunt Again

On October 1, my second niece was born! Since my sister and I are very close, I’m thrilled and emotional about a second generation of hermanas. When Niecy was born, Debra and Lance lived much closer. But now that they’re an eight-hour drive away, it was too complicated for me to be there for this baby’s birth. Instead, I flew down to Dothan last weekend for a good visit with the whole gang.

Since Niecy is no longer alone in niecehood, from here on out her name on this blog will be what she happily calls herself: Fifoo. Fifoo is now maturely calling Debra “Mom” and pushing her baby doll in a swing. She seems excited to be a big sister (unlike her mother, who at almost the same age asked when our parents would be taking our little brother back to the hospital). I realized this trip that I have to start being careful with my influence, because she picks up whatever Mom and Aunt B do! She was quick to notice my new tattoo, prompting a discussion about how it was okay for me to “draw on myself” because I’m a grownup.

I didn’t think any baby could possibly be chiller than Fifoo was, but Baby E has accomplished it in these four weeks of her life. She only cries when she’s hungry, and is totally content to be held and look around for the rest of her conscious time. I spent several happy hours this weekend cuddling her while Debra and I watched Gilmore Girls.

First on the agenda for this visit was the church fall festival. Debra made these amazing Care Bear costumes out of felt and terrycloth jumpsuits! I just put together a felt tummy for myself that morning and put my hair up in “ears.”

We took Fifoo to an event at the mall to get her picture taken with Disney princesses and other characters. In the end, she only consented to one photo with Doc McStuffins, but we had fun and counted 31 Elsas while we waited in line.

We also went to a church chili cook-off at someone’s farm.

On my last day, we went to the Dothan Botanic Gardens to see an exhibit of creative scarecrows. My favorites were the Ice Bucket Challenge scarecrow, an impressive Shrek and Fiona with pumpkin heads, and an unintentionally hilarious “Dreams Do Come True” scene featuring a little girl looking into her future as a headless bride. I mean, I’m assuming it was unintentional… otherwise that’s some dark stuff for a kids’ scarecrow display!!

Spending a few days with these guys was good medicine. I’ve been overextended and a little depressed lately, but at Debra’s I felt happy and relaxed, ate well, and slept better in a house with a newborn than I do alone with one hyper cat. I was sad to leave, but thankfully we’ll see each other again at Christmas!