Pat Kelly

I love being an Aunt. I get the benefits of children without all the junk. And believe me there's lots of junk, I was a daycare worker for 3 years. I've been an aunt for most of my life. My first niece was born only a year after me. Not only that but I'm also so close to all my friends that their children feel like family and I am often loving referred to as "Aunt Liz". All of this is wonderful. However now I have this:
My little brother's wife, Janet, is preggers!!!! From the moment Gardner told me I loved our new family member. This feeling is extremely different from all the other babies in my life. Gardner is my little brother. The one that drove me crazy in the back seat of our GMC Safari making horribly annoying noises, the one that would smash all my play dough into a gross gray color, the one I would dress up in girl's clothes. I could go on a on. Fond memories of us growing up together (mostly at each other throats). I love my brother and I love Janet, and now I love this baby. This baby represents all the dreams kids have about being "grownups". I always imagined our grownup life as married and children and a house in the same town we grew up in. And although some of that has and hasn't happened, one thing is for sure this baby will be loved, despite our silly nickname (Pat Kelly) for he or she.