Guess how much I love you...

I have a almost 2 year old niece. She is my older brother's daughter, and since she is the only grandchild/niece at this point, she is spoiled rotten. In a couple of months she's going to be a big sister. Susanna is due in November.

Sometimes I baby sit Leah. We like to play outside, read books, and watch Elmo, Barney, and Mickey Mouse movies. Elmo is a half hour of high pitched squeaky torture for us adults, but she loves him. So, we have Elmo movie marathons complete with popcorn and Diet Coke. (Usually caffeine free for both of us.) Her bestest friend in the whole wide world is her bunny. Bunny is a stuffed rabbit that started out nice and fluffy when Leah was a newborn, but almost 2 years later resembles the lint you clean out of the dryer after washing towels. An indeterminate color halfway between cream and tan with patches of "fur" loved off by hugs and kisses. His head is near falling off because Leah carries him around by the neck all the time.

Leah knows her colors, can count to 12, and can tell you what every animal says. Right now we are working on her ABC's and shapes. (The circle is her favorite because it goes "round and round." She is constantly asking "What's that?" and "What you doing?" But what keeps me wrapped around her finger is when she comes running up and says "Luv U Jo Jo" and gives me slobbery kisses and a big hug around my neck.

I want to be her favorite aunt. (She has 3 other aunts besides me.) I want to be the one that does all the fun stuff with her. Stuff like getting her ears pierced (or a tattoo...,) talking about boys, and taking her driving on the side roads. I enjoy every minute I spend with her. Even it it means suffering through the Elmo and Barney videos, because she is growing up so fast. You blink and you've missed something. I cant tell you how proud of her I was when she stopped me while walking down the drive way so we could stop and look both ways for cars before we walked onto the road.

Well gang, Its time for me to go to bed. I'm babysitting this weekend and even though Leah sleeps through the night, she wakes up at the crack o dawn ready and raring to go.