California, part 2

You didn't miss California, part 1, so don't worry. I am retelling my trip back home backwards. After spending 6 lovely days in San Diego with my friends and family, I headed up to Los Angeles to spend the last leg of my trip at my sisters house. 

Sister Adrie is fortunate enough to live in Manhattan Beach and just a few blocks from the ocean! This view is just steps from her house. I'm a little jealous.

The highlight of my trip was meeting my brand new niece, Plum, or at least that is what we call her. Her real name is Samantha Rae Plum, but we've been calling her Plum since before she was born and we didn't want to stop. I think Plum is perfect and I think she is perfect. Look at her angelic, chubby, little face.

I loved Plum before she was even born, before she was even conceived. Sister Adrie had been trying for quite some time to have another baby and we all hoped a baby would come sooner than later. I was walking around Lake Murray with my friend Monique, who had just told me she was pregnant, when I missed several phone calls from my sisters. My sister Jamie sent me a text that said, "Call Adrie" and at that moment I knew Adrie was pregnant. Tears rolled down my face as we gushed in excitement about  Adrie having another little one. No one will ever be more excited for you to have a baby than your sisters, we have decided. There is just something different about your sisters having a baby. Once we found out that baby was going to be a girl, we started calling her Plum. When Plum was born, I was in Massachusetts, far away from that California hospital. But my heart was there and I cried all day knowing my body was stuck in New England. Another baby being born that I missed. Damn you, military life! It was some comfort knowing that I was going to see Plum in just 6 short weeks, but I still longed to be there the day she was born. From the moment I met Plum, I didn't want to let her down. She was just so tiny, so precious, so cute. I wanted to cuddle and smother her like I do Brawley. I didn't even want to let her go when Adrie had to feed her. I decided that Plum looked good on me and I wore her around like she was my child, even though she clearly does not look like me.  

The days at my sisters were spent making fairy gardens with my niece Lyla and her best friend, Gigi, shopping with Adrie, walking to the beach, going on Auntie dates and hanging out with family. My sister Jamie, her husband and their baby, Fern drove all the way from San Francisco to hang out with us. My dad and grandma even came up from Brawley one day too!

Fern is getting so big!

Another highlight of my trip was going on an Auntie date with Lyla. We decided that Lyla hasn't gone on an Auntie date by herself yet, since Adrie is always around, and we wanted to change that. Lyla and I went to get our nails done. It was so much fun. They did my nails first and Lyla waited so patiently for it to be her turn. I don't think I've ever seen a 4 year old sit so still. Every time I would look over at her, she would flash the biggest smile I have ever seen. She is really amazing. I also took her to get her first Slurpee! Four years old and no Slurpee! 

It was a good thing my flight was super early in the morning and my brother in law, Erik, took me to the airport. I would have cried my eyes out if one of my sisters took me. The night before I left was a little hard. Lyla was super tired and was taking a bath. I was in the bathroom with her and she cried out, "But what am I going to do without you?" while some tears welled up in her eyes. Lyla hates goodbyes as much as her mom and aunties do. She does not like people to leave her, and I do not like to leave her. 

I'm not sure when I will be in California next, but a piece of my heart is always there.