Oh Baby!

The moment I've been waiting for oh so long has finally announced its intention of arriving this November - my brother is expecting his first child and I couldn't be more excited.

There's been a gaggle of babies coming in and out of my life lately - babies and talk of babies. One of the newest fathers in my office finally brought in his adorable bundle to show off. We've been teased and tantalized by the great pictures he has taken of her so far. He's a photographer so it may be an unfair advantage over us regular schmoes. But she is SO cute in the pictures, I told him I was certain everyone - every female, anyway - was chomping at the bit to meet this little girl. One day he walked over to my area with a long, pink pajama-footed Who in his hands - curly wayward string of blond hair and all - and we jumped. "Ohhhh! She's sooo cute! She's sooo long!" She was. She was even better in person. She smiled. She laughed. She finger grasped. She's 5 or 6 months old (my favorite age) and she is just perfect. That tingling that I get when I'm ready for another one? She set it off slightly. I mean it's not deafening or anything. One of the mini dogs who visits our office had my doggie bell ringing louder and THAT bell hasn't gone off in about 15 years. You have to have bionic hearing to recognize the baby bell I heard when the baby Who flashed that perfect grin but it was there. We apologized to her mom for not giving her the attention she deserved because her baby was so darn enticing. But she was gracious and I like her too, even if she's not from Whoville.

The soon-to-be-marrieds were hearing their own bells. For one of them, I'm sure she felt like she had just swapped places with the Hunchback of Notre Dame, the sound is so deafening. For me, I have to continue thinking about money and time and maternity leave and space in my house and my age now AND when the kid is ready for college. It's daunting. All I know for sure is this is not the year to go for broke, literally or otherwise. So now I have a wonderful distraction! My niechew! That's what I am calling him or her because I don't want to say "him or her" or "my niece or nephew" for the next few months.

My brother is younger than I and it's just the two of us so my chances for a blood niechew were uncertain. I've been waiting a long time, never wanting to ask because he's not quite 30 yet and he's got plenty of time, as far as I'm concerned. But when he said what was up, we talked about the potential challenges of his situation and then I settled into my personal bliss at the thought of becoming an aunt. I've got plenty of kids around me who call me Auntie Monica, and I love them all, but there's nothing like your own blood niechew to love and spoil and send home to their own parents. It's going to be rough though because my brother lives in Atlanta so I won't get to see the baby as much as I'd like. But I'd have to find a way. That's all I know.

It was all I could do to not buy anything for the kid yet. But one little item per month isn't too much, right? No. Of course not. It's my niechew after all! And you, dear niechew, are wanted and loved.