So Doug and Kari, my aunt and uncle, are having another baby. Surprise!! This is my mom's brother; she's the oldest, he's next in line. They have 3 kids; their oldest (Dean) is 17 and their youngest (Amy) is 11. They had Tracy, the oldest cousin, who would be 22 now, but she died when she was 2, and I was just a baby. Even Maddie--the current youngest cousin (of all 18 or so of us) is already around 7 or 8 or somewhere in there. I can't remember exactly. I guess they just knew that I'd need a cousin young enough to be a flower girl or ring bearer when I get married. Although this one might be too young. Hopefully! I just realized... I've been assuming this baby will be a girl. Heh. Anyways, from what my mom says, they're really excited. Once they got over the shock, of course! Wow... crazy times. That kid's going to be almost like an only child in some ways... I mean, Dean will be graduating from high school by the timeit's born, Scott a few years later, and even Amy will be graduating by the time it starts grade one. Crazyness!
So... I got an email from my Grandma today--I have a new baby cousin! Drew David. Mom and baby are doing fine... Grandma was telling me that Kari danced with Dean in their annual senior variety show that they had at the end of January. There's one number where the moms traditionally dance with the grade 12 boys... so Kari danced with Dean, 8 months pregnant. Kudos to her!
Wow. I can't believe I have so many cousins graduating this year. Jessica, Dean, Laura, Esther (okay, she's my sister, not my cousin, but it still kinda counts). They were always the little ones. They were the first of the littlest ones. Rob and I were the oldest, and then Bridget (who graduated last year) started the little kids on my mom's side. There's a whole swack of them around that age--the 4 graduating this year, Bridget, and Heather (who's a year younger)... then there's a group of about 5 boys plus Sadie and Amy, who are about Carl's age, and then a bunch of assorted little ones.
But they're not supposed to be graduating! Even my brother's group is in junior high and high school. Too bizarre! I feel so old... something's just not right with the picture!
Ah well... I guess baby Drew will keep everyone young for a while, and ensure that the youngest of my cousins won't graduate from high school until I'm well married, with children of my own. At least, I'd better be, by the time I'm 38! Wow. That's how old I'll be when he graduates. That's so weird!
I'm not planning on being in Chicago anytime soon, though. This will be the first baby cousin that I haven't been there to cart around at some point in their first year. I was always the one who dragged the babies around... it started with Sadie, when I was in grade 2 and we were there for Christmas. Then Amy, then Abbie, then Maddie. I've always just kinda comandeered the babies and not let anyone else have them at all.
Anyways. I should get some sleep. Big day tomorrow... bigger day on Friday... long shift on Saturday... early morning on Sunday. I should stock up while I can!
P.S. Trista chose Ryan! You should have heard Chelsea, Janel, and I scream when she said, "But unfortunately..." to Charlie. I don't think any of us heard the end of that sentence. But yeah. He was my favorite of all of them, not just my favorite of the final two.
infinite || abyss