I met two amazing little girls yesterday. My newest nieces, Solaya and Giselle are here now, and already so completely doted upon and loved up by our big family. We're ready to watch them grow. Their Mama, my baby sister, was starry-eyed in her new role of Motherhood. With her sweet man by her side, two babies in their arms - a new family life begins. It's nothing short of magic - all of it, really.
I try to reserve my annoying oldest-sister advice for when it's truly needed or asked for. A new mom, suddenly with two babies, certainly there's a lot I could say. But all that really matters - the most important things of all in my mind - is to hold them and take care of yourself.
So that's what I told her. Hold them. Take good care of yourself.
My own Mama drove to and fro (because she's a rock star of a city driver, and I am not), while we talked about the latest of her grandchildren, and I sat knitting a dress for my own little baby girl, nearly eight months old herself..and growing, growing, growing faster than the dress is being knit.
Arriving back to my house full of my own babies, I was surrounded instantly by an almost eleven year old pirouetting through the kitchen, an eight year old singing so loud we could hear him through the whole house, a six year old at the painting board with a cat on her lap, a three year old doing flips off the couch, and a baby girl reaching out from her Papa's sling to me.
I can remember each and every one of them just as tiny as those little girls.
I know it's so cliche. But it's true, too. It goes so fast.
Hold them. Take care of yourself.
