Sugar, and Spice, and All Things Nice

I'm sure all of you who read this blog already heard our news, but in September we are having .... another GIRL!!!  I can't even explain how excited I am, and a big part of the excitement is knowing that Addy will be getting a sister!  

I'll tell you, I NEVER thought Mike and I would end up with two girls.  His family (as far as his cousins) consists largely of boys, with his sister being one of the only girls.  I considered myself lucky that we got one girl, but I'm telling you, when I heard the news that this little bean is also a girl, I nearly fell out of my chair.  Mike and I were so sure that it was a boy, and though my initial reaction was complete shock, it was immediately followed with utter happiness.  Another precious girl to love :)  And all that kept flying through my head was, "Addy is going to have a sister!!!  YES!!!"

Having grown up with a sister myself, I know how awesome that bond can be. I wish with everything I have that Addy and this new little nugget have as great of a relationship as my sister and I have always had.

Summer 1989

Now, I know that it's not all wine and roses as far as sisters are concerned.  We fought like no other growing up, and I'm sure I'm in for the same dramatics that my parents endured.  But the bottom line is, when you have a sister, you have a built in best friend for life.  You fight, yes, but you know that no matter what, your sister will be there for you.  Forever and for always.

I have so many great memories growing up, and all of them include my sister.  I am only 2.5 years older than her, so I don't remember life without her.  Just as I know Addy won't remember life without her sister.  It's so crazy to think about, since life is all about her now.  But soon enough, Addy too will have moments like these:

A little look back :)

A partner in cheer

A friend on every holiday

Someone to plot with ;)...

....to have "dance recitals" with...

...to wear fanny packs with.  Ugh.

For some reason we were still wearing matching outfits at this age.  Not to mention that it was the awesome stage of really, really baggy clothes.  That was a rough one ;)

Powder Puff buddies :)

Someone to run with

Always there for each other's big moments...

Love this pic :)

A beach buddy

Who would've thought we'd still run together over ten years later?

And now that I have a child, my sister loves her like no one else could.  I love the bond that Tina and Addy already have :)

Looking back at all of these pictures makes me smile.  How lucky am I to have such an amazing sister?   Our relationship is what made me want another girl so that Addy could grow up with that same unbreakable sisterly bond. 

Now, like I said, I am not unrealistic.  I know that in between these picture perfect moments there was screaming and crying and slamming doors.  But that is all part of the process.  Life is not perfect, and neither is having a sister.  I remember being so annoyed that she always wanted to play with me and my friends.  "Find your own friends!", I would scream. 

But, when I couldn't find any friends, I had a built in buddy to play games with right there at home :)  Any we did plenty of that.  Monopoly marathons that lasted days on end.  Playing Shoreline Properties at the dining room table.  Building a fabric shop in Grandma and Grandpa's basement.

Yes, there was drama.  But I'm telling you, it's everything combined that made our relationship what it is today.  Despite the fact that we live hundreds of miles away, Tina is and always will be my best friend.  She is the one who will tell it to me like it is.  She is my much needed fashion consultant.  She is the one I call first with any news, good or bad.  She is the one I can vent to, or the one I can call for no reason at all.

I love my sister more than words can say, and I will do my absolute best to foster a similarly amazing bond between Addy and her younger sister.  I am so beyond excited to be bringing another little girl into our family.  What a joy and an absolute blessing :)