Dear Sister K

Dear K,

Early yesterday morning I was sitting on your couch cuddling your four day old baby boy when you came out of your room with your still-little girl, now a newly minted big sister. You carried her into the kitchen for breakfast and then sat her on your lap as she ate Cheerios and chattered away, bright and cheerful as the sun. And you chattered right back as you held her snack cup of cereal, checked to make sure the new baby was still sleeping, and made lists for this upcoming weekend's festivities.

And I watched. Awed. Amazed.

The four days I spent at your house were a whirlwind of family, food, and the frenzy that comes with a new baby who arrives smack in the middle a major holiday. And there is nowhere else I would rather have been than right there with you and with this ever-expanding family of ours.

I know how hard it must be to have a new baby and an energetic almost-two year old at the same time. But I hope that through the sleepless nights and the haze of exhaustion you know what I know every time I see you with your babes.

That you are a beautiful mother. A fun and interesting one. You took to this new, most important, job quickly and seamlessly. You are raising bright and happy kids, and I love watching you do it. When it's my turn, everything I know about motherhood I will have learned from you, and I hope that I can be half as good at it as you are. It is a remarkable thing, really, to watch your sister become a mother, and it is my greatest pleasure to look up to you as you blaze this path for L and me to follow.

Thank you for having us in your house with all our noise and confusion during this huge transition in your life. For giving us babies to love. For being you. Keep doing exactly what you're doing, and if you need us, we are always here.

I love you, and I am so incredibly proud of you.

Love,

Sam