Learning to Breathe, Pt. 7

I can't believe how fast this year is flying by. The Fourth of July is this weekend and after that, it seems like the summer goes right down hill even though it has barely started. Summer is not my favorite time of year. I don't care of the hot humid weather, but I do enjoy being able to be outside and all the fresh fruits and veggies that summer brings.

On June 25, I saw several people post that it was 6 months until Christmas. That made me really happy for a couple of reasons. One is that I absolutely LOVE Christmas! The decorations, the food, the smells, everything! The second reason is that it will be cold outside. I am winter girl and love being cozy.

As I started thinking about the 6 months to Christmas thing, it made me realize that it defeats the purpose of me trying to breathe in the moment that I am in. While I know Christmas is coming in 6 months, I can't put all my focus on wanting it to come faster.

I have things to enjoy and that will be exciting this month. I am meeting my newest niece next weekend. I want to savor that time because she isn't going to be this small ever again. I will also get to spend time with my other niece and she is growing into such a sweet little girl. The time I get to spend with these cuties is precious and I don't want to rush it.

While my favorite time of year is still yet to come, I am trying to learn the fine balance of being content in the moment I am in and wanting time to move faster.

One of the Best Days Ever

At the end of September, I had one of the best days of my life. I met my niece, Brynley, for the first time. I had been waiting for that day for almost a month and it had finally arrived. I had seen pictures of her sweet face, but I was able to see her and hold her myself.

Right before I got to my brother and sister-in-law's house, Brynley had a melt down. I can only imagine how my sister-in-law must be feeling with a crying baby when she herself is sleep deprived and maybe doesn't know why Brynley is crying. 

I was only able to stay for a couple of days, but I really enjoyed my time just hanging out and not worrying about going here and there. It was really relaxed.

Brynley and I were able to spend some quality aunt/niece time together. Even with my limited baby experience, I loved holding her even when she was crying. I was even dubbed the Baby Whisperer, something I am quiet proud of.

My excitement of being an aunt is just beginning. I wish I lived closer so I could be a part of Brynley's life everyday, but that just isn't my reality. But I am able to be a part of her life in different ways. For instance, I just sent her a really adorable Halloween card.

While I never want her to think that I am buying her love, I will spoil her! But when we are together, I want to spoil her with my time and attention, not gifts.

I can't wait to watch her grow up to see the kind of little girl and young lady she will become. One thing she be completely confident in is that she has people in her life who love her, pray for her and only want the best for her.

The Blanket

As you can imagine, when I found out I was going to be an aunt, I was beyond thrilled. As a relatively new knitter, I wanted to take on the challenge of making a baby blanket for this new little baby. I pinned several ideas, but this was by far my biggest project yet. Up to that point, I had only made dish cloths and a few scarves.

I found a pattern I liked, but wanted to modify it a little bit. The blanket was like a rainbow and a little girly if the baby was going to be a boy. So I started with green. A good baby neutral color. When we knew the baby was a girl, I chose pink as the alternate color.

Although I didn't work on the blanket consistently, it took about 6 months to finish. Toward the end, I was ready to start on something new. The blanket is much larger than I thought it would be. It is definitely bigger than a typical baby blanket. According the the instructions, the final size should be about 36x42. It would say that is about accurate.

Whether or not Brynley likes it is not really the point. She is only 4 weeks old, so I don't think she will have much of an opinion about it anyway. I wanted to make her something because I love her and this is a way I can show her that. I choose to spend my time making something that I hope will someday be special to her because her aunt made it just for her.

Next week, I will finally get to hold Brynley and give her the blanket. She lives about 10 hours away from me, and this will be my first opportunity to get up there to see her and her newly minted parents. I am so happy she is a part of our family and love her so much.

Welcome to the World, Brynley Cadence!

Are there dates in your life that all the sudden have a new meaning? Yesterday was one of those dates. I woke up like any other Thursday until I read the text message my brother had sent several hours earlier. "At the hospital. Baby is coming soon!!!" That message completely changed my perspective on the day. And then a few hours later, I received a picture of my beautiful, newly-born niece, Brynley Cadence.

To say I was beaming would probably be an understatement. This precious little girl had made her entrance into the world after months of anticipation. August 22 now has new meaning. As a family, we will celebrate her birth for, God-willing, years to come.

Her birth gave me a new title...aunt. I look at my aunts to see the special places they have in my heart. Of course, I am closer with some more than others, but they are women I love dearly.

Since my brother lives in Wisconsin and I am in Pennsylvania, I am not going to meet my new niece until the end of September. But I can't wait to shower her with love and spoil her. Since isn't that my job as an aunt? Spoil her rotten and then give her back to her parents.

I am so excited to be an aunt, but I am more excited to have a niece. I am at a point in my life where I don't know if I want my own children. However, that doesn't mean that I don't want to be around kids. So I figure that being an aunt is the best of both worlds.

It is hard to believe that my brother is a dad. Even before Brynley was born I could see how much my brother was enamored with her. She has him wrapped around her tiny little finger. My brother and I were fortunate to have a dad who loved us and wanted to spend time with us. Unfortunately, Brynley is not going to have the opportunity to meet him, but I know that my dad's influence will show through the way my brother loves his little girl.

Brynley, I am so happy to finally see your sweet face! I love you more than you can possibly know. But your Heavenly Father loves you even more. He knit you together for His purpose. I pray you seek Him with your whole heart. I love you, my dear girl! Auntie Colleen