Welcome Baby Billie Rose!

Take two...

I wrote this blog previously, but when I hit 'publish,' it deleted.  Took some breathers and some time away and now I will try again!

Last month, I had the joy of celebrating my cousin Laura and her soon to be baby.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the company was even better, a small group of women from our family.  It was so nice to being able to have whole group conversations and celebrate in the new life that would soon be joining our clan.

Laura is an '83 baby like me.  We have three of us cousins all born within three months of each other.  As the only male, Craig may not have been invited to the shower, but he participated by taking Potatoes to the playground while the ladies took over the home.  

He loves his Uncle Craig fiercely.

They had a blast, and Craig came home more exhausted than Alexander!

The small group was perfect to get to spend real quality time with everyone.  This was my first time seeing my cousin Audrey, Laura's oldest sister, since my wedding nearly six years ago!

We had a wonderful time playing silly games, with Aunt Rose winning the prize in Pin the Poop on the Diaper.

Audrey and Rose surprised Laura with a trip to car to see her new stroller.

My mom did an amazing job, with lots of help from Heidi, in planning a beautiful shower with great food, fun games, and perfect company.

Surprise!  

As I was driving home to Florida, my mom called me to let me know that Laura and Charlie had welcomed sweet baby Billie Rose into the world- just two days after the shower!

Weighing in at just over 5lbs, she is a healthy and strong girl, and has been helping her parents, and puppy brother, adjust to their new family dynamic at home for the past few weeks.

I took advantage of being in Atlanta to take a quick trip down to Augusta to go through a storage unit filled with items from our rental house down there.  I was blessed to have Jan and Craig along for the ride (and heavy lifting).

We diligently went through every item, Marie Kondo style, and were able to keep, trash, and donate until the unit was swept clean and ready to turn back over.

It was a quick trip earning all of us a good long nap!

Welcome to the world, Billie Rose!  I cannot wait for the opportunity to meet you in person!