Little Love Letters

For some of the best people I know ~

Names have been changed to protect the innocent, nicknames the same to maintain the silliness... and perhaps someday they will all want to be a pierogi too, like their crazy but extremely lucky aunt.  Hopefully I can show them how it's done.  ;)

1. Nichole Sunshine (brother's first born) - Oh my sunshine, where do I start?  You've taught me a lot about babies and now little girls and somehow you even managed to convince me that pink isn't the worst color in the world.  Yours was the first diaper I changed, yours was the first voice I heard so tiny, yours was the first smile I saw that made me deliriously happy and in love.  You are the exclusive inventor of the "Nichole Why".  You're a comedian with the things that you do and say now that you're three and a half (although you've been doing and saying cute things for a long time now!).  You told me this at age two: "I'm a big girl, because I know what to do and I know what not to do.  I know what I want and I know what I don't want."  We should all be so wise.  Your big beautiful blue eyes are curious and you question as much as you can.  Your dimple shows when you smile and your little personality is getting bigger all the time. You are incredibly smart and I love to hear your thoughts, logic,  and "ideas".  You are full of wonder at everything you see and you are, well, just wonderful to me! :)

2. Denali Pie (LEL's first born) - My pumpkin pie, how I love you so!  Since I already had a niece, I was able to realize and understand more fully all of the fun and the love that I had to look forward to when you arrived.  Before you were born though, you and your doctors gave us all quite a scare...because we didn't know if you'd be a healthy baby.  I prayed and prayed for you, as did so many others, and when you were born you came out miraculously perfect.  The first time I saw you, I was overwhelmed with just how tiny you were but I was also overwhelmed with gratitude for your good health and happiness for your parents.  Your mommy and daddy let me reach inside your incubator to touch you, and I'll never forget the smallest knee propped up in the air and my finger stroke on your knee that touched my heart.  You had the cutest cry as a baby and I couldn't help myself - I had to smile when you cried (and your mom would just shake her head in amusement at me).  Every time I see you, I'm amazed at your precious little features on your beautiful little face... and how tall you're getting at almost age three.  You're a very good big sister.  You're quite a rambunctious little girl who also has excellent manners, and I have the best time when we play together.  Your hair is an impossible to describe but superb light brown color that I wish I could bottle.... so that I could use it when I have to dye my hair in a few years! :)

3. Marie Love (brother's second born, my first godchild) - Love of my life, you are so lovely!  As your daddy would say, you broke the "cute-ometer" like your big sister.  It surged to the MAX point and then it broke trying to record your levels of cuteness.  You're one and a half now, and you're the happiest baby, so pleasant and smiling all the time.  You want to do everything your big sister does and you try your best to do it.  Your baby laugh makes me feel like I am The Absolute Funniest Person in the World when we play peek-a-boo and our made-up games together.  I wish I could have your sheer joyfulness resulting from practically anything you see.  I'm amazed at how big you're getting (much too quickly for me) and I wish I could see you more often.... I can hardly believe that you're already counting in your little baby voice!  I marvel at how I got to be so lucky as to be related to you and your sister.  God has blessed our family with the two of you.  Again, as your daddy has said, "How did it happen that I won the Powerball twice with these little girls?  And this is even better than winning the Powerball."  :)

4. Elizabeth Sweetheart (LEL's second born, my second godchild) - Sweetie pie, you're sweeter than all the sugar in all the marshmallows in the whole wide world.  Your parents couldn't decide on a name right away after you were born, so when I met you on your birthday, you were a sweet unnamed angel.  Since you're almost ten months old now, you still have those beautiful chubby cheeks that I admired on your first day in this world.  You have the softest hair, which I am pleased to see is growing into a perfect color like your big sister's.  You have your mommy's eyebrows and nose and your own little machine-gun laugh that I love to hear, with two centered front teeth on the bottom and just one coming in on the top!  I am lucky and proud to be your godmother and I think you are very happy about it too....you smiled frequently as I held you during your baptism ceremony.  I was doing my best to pay attention to the priest, but I had to keep looking down at you because any time I stole a peek, your little baby mouth turned up into the biggest grin!  I hope I never forget how sweet you were that day! :)

5. A fifth niece! (JLC's growing babycakes) - Mystery baby, I can't wait to meet you!  I hope you have your mommy's enthusiasm for life and your daddy's patience, your mommy's expressiveness and your daddy's perceptiveness.  I hope you have the strong faith and kindness of both of your parents.  I already know you'll have lots of love in your life and I can't wait to be a part of it to love you too... you mean so much to me and you're not even here yet! :)