I’m pleased to say that my 10 day trip really felt like 10
days. They went by too quickly (as always) and I feel like I need more (as
always), but it was so eventful!
The main attraction by far was little Miss Elouise Jean
Goding who entered the world on August 16th at 1:18 am, 10 hours
before my flight landed in Phoenix. I had just arrived in Las Vegas beforehand
for a 4 hour layover when I heard the news. Once again, I have technology to
thank for allowing me to be somewhat present for precious family moments. I sat
at the gate with my laptop as Mom Skyped me in on her iPad to witness Brynley
meeting her baby sister for the first time. I got to see the biggest
bright-eyed grin light up her face as she climbed up on the bed next to her
momma and eagerly reached for her new sibling. I heard her giggles of
excitement, her perfect pronunciation of Ellie’s full name, and her innocent
request to her parents: “Can I have another one?” She was oh so gentle as she
stroked her “fragile” face, and she was overjoyed to open the present from baby
Ellie of a new baby doll who she, of course, named Elouise Jean Goding. This highly
anticipated scenario (and highly unpredictable with a 2-year-old) could not
have been any sweeter. I will never forget it.
Now, allow me to gush about this 7 lb 6 oz perfect niece of
mine. She wasted no time preparing for her entrance with a total labor time of
about 5 hours. Her voice is loud and sweet. She has a super long tongue that
she sticks out all the time. Her fingers and toes are almost as long as mine.
She looks just like her big sister with darker hair. She eats and poops like a
champ. She sleeps well and is often content laying on her own and observing her
surroundings.
And my absolute favorite thing about her is her smile. I kid
you not, she has been genuinely this expressive since she was just a few days
old. She will look intently into your eyes as you talk to her and flash her
toothless, squinty-eyed, dimply smile that will melt your soul. I’m hooked.
As if our family didn’t have enough joy, I got to celebrate
my oldest sister Julie as a fellow bride-to-be! Her “Under the Sea” bridal
shower was a joy to be a part of. And I made pretty fantastic sangria for the
event, if I do say so myself. I’m bummed to have missed out on a lot of the
details and planning for her October wedding, so I cherish these brief times of
sisterly-bonding. I love that we get to be engaged together J.
This visit was chalked-full of added bonuses of visits with
people who I haven’t seen since before I moved. Have I ever mentioned how
stinkin’ much I miss Tucson and all my family there? Several of them made it up
for the shower, and I was just as excited to see them as I was for the party
itself! I was also able to catch up with numerous friends throughout the week
making the trip that much more memorable.
Amongst all the fun to be had, there was work to be done.
With my own wedding less than 6 months away, there is still soooo much to plan!
I was able to solidify a few details and made progress with a handful of
decisions, but some are more difficult than others (like how we’re going to
affordably feed all of these people). I did get to see our venue for the first
time in almost 2 years. I attended a friend’s wedding there which is how I
learned about it, and now it’s a little easier to envision our own event in the
large, lush garden space in central Phoenix. I feel little bouts of relief with
each confirmed decision, but I’m still pretty stressed about having to continue
the major planning long-distance. It’s also comforting to keep in mind that when
all is said and done, I will be married to the greatest guy I know!
In the meantime, I’ll be missing my family and my precious
nieces more than ever. My aunty-heart is doubly filled with love, but now it’s
doubly painful to leave the city that I call home. On the upside, I’ll be back
in 6 weeks with Uncle Cory(!) for Julie and Matt’s wedding! Woohoo!!!
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