Baby Love

My dear friends from college, Erica and Keith, had their first baby on August 8. I am so excited to be an aunt for the first time! Sweet baby Clara is the first born of all our friends and just has me overwhelmed with excitement. I had told Erica at the beginning of the summer that if Clara came around her due date (she came one day after--way to go girl!) that I would try to make a trip up to see her before the school year started and weekend trips to destinations six hours away become much harder.

So this past Thursday I headed to Indiana, Pa to visit the whole family. Boy was it beautiful. Rolling hills and farmland everywhere you looked. And as luck would have it, even the leaves were showing a hint of color-change due to the fall-like temps! Ahh, I was fulfilled.

I stepped in the front door of Keith and Erica's apartment and quickly realized I was getting a crash course in parenting 101. As most parents of newborn babies would be, I think they were thankful for the extra set of hands and allowed me to be put right to 'work.' Changing diapers, rocking to sleep, tending to fussiness, etc. It didn't take long for me to acknowledge that this stage of life is a lot more overwhelming than I gave it credit for. Let me tell you, Keith and Erica are all-star parents. Clara is one lucky girl.

Erica also took me to the house they're building on Keith's family's dairy farm. It is gorgeous! And the views, breathtaking. She then showed me around their vegetable garden and took me to the barn. The second we stepped in to the cows' sanctuary Erica noticed we were witnessing a live birth. You can bet I high-tailed it outta there the moment I laid eyes on what appeared to be the cow's water sack. Absolutely disgusting. Needless to say I came off as quite the city girl to Keith's entire family, who equate cow labor with just another day on the farm. Not my life.

I am so thankful I was able to make it up to Pennsylvania for a couple days. Erica, Keith, and Clara, thanks for a wonderful visit!