Dear Lily

Dear Lily:

I think you have such a beautiful name. Your mom called me Friday afternoon to tell me you had FINALLY decided to grace us all with your presence and I was so glad to hear you and she and your dad were all okay.

You’re my thirdlittle Baby-Of-Friends in the past eighteen months. I’m still not done being amazed that people I knew as little girls, people with whom I played Barbies and traded erasers and went to Sir Pizza with, actually carried other people around in their bellies and now they are mothers. I don’t know when I’ll stop being flabbergasted by all that. Maybe never. Fortunately for everyone…especially you and the other little babies, I guess…all these women are mighty and powerful and wonderful and beautiful and so they’re exactly the type of people we would hope would pass their genes along. Isn’t it weird to think that that’s you?

And it’s even weirder to think that one day you won’t be just this idea, like, filed under “My Friends Have Kids Now, Isn’t That Weird?” but will actually be a person with a personality whom I’ll be able to talk with and get to know. The next five or ten years are going to go just like that and I’ll be almost forty instead of almost thirty and maybe I really will be saying things like, “I knew you when you were in your mom’s belly, don’t you talk back to me!” I hope I’ll be able to be a good (if probably long distance) friend to you though. Your mom certainly has been to me, for a really stupid amount of years. It’s the least I can do, you know? Anyway, I had a lot of good grown-up non-parent friend people when I was a kid and I think that’s a good role for me, as I’m not planning to be a mother myself, unlike your brave mom. I hope that’s what I can be for you in the future…I’m really looking forward to knowing you as a person and not just My Friend Amy’s Little Girl.

In the meantime, get good at latching on and try to sleep some and don’t forget to make adorable little baby faces at all the people who come to visit you. I’m still working on this baby blanket I’m supposed to be knitting for you. I had really good intentions to do a lot of work on it when I was in France because I figured I’d be on trains a lot but first I finished this really ugly pink and orange hat and then circumstances have intervened since then and I haven’t had much time or inclination for knitting lately. But I have some long plane rides coming up for JournalCon and maybe I can get some of it done then. The blanket’s going to be different shades of green and yellow and I just really hope it goes with your nursery theme. You’ll let me know.

Anyway, welcome to here, little Lily. It’s rough being a little girl sometimes, I have to tell you, but I know you’re going to do great. I look forward to making your acquaintance soon and I love you very much.

–Auntie Chiara