CT & Baby Kate

If you happen to have facebook, you will see this as repeater stuff, but my sister has recently DELETED her facebook, so this is for YOU! 

I went to CT last weekend! My brother Jared and his wife had a baby girl in November and I've been taunted by pictures and videos for months and months now, and I couldn't stand it ANY longer. 

I booked a flight. 

I made arrangements to miss work. 

And for 4 glorious days (not counting travel days) I got to hang out my by new baby niece, Kathryn. Explosion of pictures below. 

Now this is where you "oo and ahh" over the cuteness of my niece. That's JUST WHAT YOU DO!

My first day there I woke up too early.. like 5 am early- I laid there going back and forth in between sleep and wake, waiting to hear sound of motion. I may or may not have mentally encouraged Kathryn to wake. Sorry parents... cause at 545 she woke. I just wanted to meet her so bad! I heard my brother moving around and I snuck into the tv room to find the little one, this happy joy that I had only seen in pictures.  She was there swinging, smiling up at me. She knew me already. She knew I'd come for her. There is a special about this girl.

 Check out those eyes! They capture my heart completely. Ah I miss her! 

      

I have to tell you that it completely warmed my heart to see my brother as a dad. He is such a doting father and looked at her with such adoration. 

 She's got a whole fan club, let me tell you. Mom has been out TWICE since she was born, Connie (Megans mom) has been there since January, Bek came out in December.. Colleen is going out next month AND Derek and Teana are going out this summer. Yes, we're all excited to see Jared and Megan too.. 

Jared sometimes would imitate her cry. (she's a cute crier. is that possible, you ask. i say YES!) 

 It was REALLY hard to catch her smiling. She'd clam up every time I pulled my camera up, but KNOW that she was happy and giggling all the time. 

 I thinks she looks like baby ben murphy in this pic. 

I love my big brother. And the fact that he has a serious expression in this picture. They are so rare. 

 Megan, Kathryn and I made an effort to get out of the house and go for a walk one day.. It was 84 degrees. Guess who doesn't own shorts? Oh me. I thought I was melting. It's obviously been a long long time since I've had to deal with an Arizona summer.

One of my absolutely favorite moments was when I had her laying on my chest and she was, of course, laughing.. So I would laugh, because it was the cutest baby gurgle of a laugh. I can't help but smile at the thought of it. But she stopped and would look at me and wait for me to stop, and she would laugh. We'd repeat back and forth. I'd give 3 good laugh/guffaws, tossing my head back, and she would lean her head back and give her laugh. I couldn't stop. We went on for ages. 

Bekki was convinced that she liked me because Kathryn probably thought I was her. (since bek and i are twins)

I also had the joy and pleasure of being able to see my childhood best friend from SV, Megan. (so so many megans..) She happens to live in New Hampshuh and drove down to see me. She and I went to the park with her 2 kids and had sandwiches and caught up. I haven't seen her in a few years. 

(i really like this pic)

All in all.. good adventures. Good times. I miss this little girl, and her bright blue eyes greeting me in the morning. .