Auntie Jodi

Y’all, I’ve kept this quiet for a long time, but finally, I can spill it.

I’m gonna be an aunt.  Yup.  Auntie Jodi is in the house.

My little (clearly not so little anymore) bro is gonna be a dad.  To what will obviously be a kind, smart, beautiful and maybe-just-a-little-spoiled-by-her-aunt (but in a good way) little girl.  I seriously tear up a little when I think about it – he is going to be an amazing father.  There’s no one more loyal or honorable than my brother.   And his wife, though she’s relatively new to our little clan and I don’t see her very often, is amazing, and I can’t wait to see how she transfers her smarts and courage to her little girl.  Oh, jeez.  I’ve been weepy about this all day…s’cuse me while I go get a tissue.

Ok, I’m back.

Now come the fun parts: the planning of the gifts (and boy, do I have an awesome one), the secret plot to make her a Badger fan, the wondering about names, and the fretting over how little I’ll be able to help her when she asks me for advice on dating.  Thank god that’s a while off.

Somehow, she’s gotta meet her canine Arkansas cousin, right?

In all seriousness, I think a little piece of my blogging voice just fell into place.  Because here I have a ready-made place where I can share my thoughts with her from afar – or at least with her parents since as amazing as she obviously already is, she can’t read yet at T-minus 5 months.  There are thousands of parenting blogs…I wondering if there are aunting blogs?

So this is my first message to my niece:

Dear Baby B,

Today we found out you’re a girl, and little girl, you are already so loved.  I don’t know when I will see you, but you have the best parents a girl could want and an extended “family” of actual family and friends who will move mountains for you.  I can’t wait to read to you, to sing and dance with you, to show you how to serve a volleyball and pet my dog, and when you’re older, we will force your Dad to watch Anne of Green Gables with us a few hundred times.  Or another girly movie of your choosing.

Love,

Auntie Jodi (and Sadie)