heart to heart blog

I’m excited and proud to share that we welcomed a new, adorable blessing to my family yesterday. My cousin, Rachel, (who is more like a second sister) gave birth to a sweet little baby boy at 7 lbs 4oz!

It’s amazing the joy that a baby brings to the family, and funny how the introduction of little ones have changed the dynamic of our gatherings.

Not long ago, before there were any children in our family (Rachel was the first to have “grandbabies”), we’d talk about our jobs, the search for a house, what our friends were up to and other grown up things. It’s easy to get caught up in the complaints or annoyances of everyday life… but when Rachel’s first little girl came along, it was amazing how things changed.

When the family comes to visit now, that little girl steals the show. We  still do our catching up, but now it’s a little harder to concentrate on our conversation; we’re too busy watching her trying to get up into her little child-sized chair, toddling around with her sippy cup and asking for, “MORE!!” grapes when she just can’t stuff enough of them into her mouth – her little cheeks still puffed out full.

She was just so darn cute, you could literally feel the air filling up with happiness from her giggles (and ours right along with her). Just the presence of a baby put us all at ease — allowing us to forget for a moment all of the “grown up” things we usually worry about.

Now that we have TWO babies, I find that I’m even more excited for the holidays and our future get-togethers. With kids in the familiy, holidays just seem to be more fun.

Valentine’s Day? Little Lady Bugs. First Birthday? Cabbage Patch Kids! I walk down the toy and baby aisles full of nostalgia and so excited to buy something sweet and new to put into a package and send across the country. And everyday I look forward to the next visit where I can be distracted from the “everyday” of life by the simple wonder of a child.

With this new little boy here, that joy is doubled and I couldn’t be more happy for Rachel and her family. Congrats, guys!!

How did your family change with the addition of a baby?