Hanging with Noelle

It was strange spending time with my sister for the first time in 2 1/2 years. I wasn't really sure where to begin. While it was a bit awkward due to the wildly different paths that our lives have taken over the last 4 to 5 years, I really was happy to reconnect with my sister and see where life has taken her.

While I expected that my new nephew would demand a lot of her time and attention, during our time together in Pagosa and Denver Seth Andrew amazed me at how much time and attention that an infant (and most children, I think) demands from a parent. The unending tasks of feeding, changing, and caring for an infant shocked me. My previously academic awareness of a parent's obligations came to mind before meeting my sister, but the daily practicalities and serious lifestyle implications involved with such a commitment never occurred to me. Even the tedious task of feeding an infant turned into a significantly time consuming event. The liberty to take 50 days and hike the Colorado Trail doesn't exist. I certainly couldn't stay out all night at clubs and bars. At times even the simpler luxuries of watching a movie, or going out for coffee are often out of reach.

Yet somehow my sister does all of this with near infinite patience, relentlessly working, sacrificing, and advocating for Seth Andrew's welfare and interests. She even at times enjoys the task, and finds it rewarding. She's probably going to be a great mother.

For the time being though, I think I'd rather be an uncle. While I've only known what being an uncle is like for four days, I'm already convinced that's where its at. So asked the greatest expert I know on how to deal with my new nephew (and the projected niece), my own Aunt Dee. As the best Aunt I know, she suggested, "Just spoil them rotten. Get them whatever they want and let them do whatever they want and they'll love you!"

Sounds like a plan to me! And you know what? Seth Andrew loved the new cell phone I gave him! (And why wouldn't he... Its delicious!)