Claire and I had a great time seeing one of my sisters yesterday. She had a connecting flight at our local international airport, so Claire and I drove out there, parked, got a good spot at a nice restaurant overlooking the other levels of the airport and waited for her arrival.
The last time Claire saw this particular aunt was December 2006 when we both had traveled from our respective states back to the Midwest. We look at pictures of her and talk to her on the phone all the time (Claire could talk to her for hours if I’d let her). She was so excited to see her that she’d ask if every woman she saw was her aunt.
Her plane landed, and she followed my hubby’s hand-drawn map to our location. Yes, he’d drawn a map for her. I’d scanned it in and emailed it to her. It was not drawn to scale and she was a bit disturbed by the picture of her plane crashing into the side of the building (I guess you have to know my hubby), but it was a great map. That coupled with a few clarifications via cell phone, and she made it! 
It was so nice to see her in person, even if it was just for a couple of hours. She couldn’t get over how much Claire had grown. We were talking about the last time she’d seen Claire and the last time she’d been to our neck of the woods.
“She’s like this real little person now,” she said. That sounds funny, and maybe you had to be there, but I totally understand what she meant. My sister was amazed.
In 2005, the year I had Claire, my sister was able to visit us twice. The plan was she’d be at our house for Thanksgiving and then stop by again on her way home from visiting the Midwest, right after Christmas. By the time Turkey Day rolled around, I was at the point where I could go into labor at any moment. I think my sister was more stressed than I was! We still laugh about the conversations we had that weekend.
“Are you sure you’re okay!?” she’d practically scream at me.
“Why? Of course, I’m fine.”
“You have a funny look on your face,” she’d say.
“Have you looked at me? I can’t move without making funny faces. I’m fine,” I’d say.
“WHAT IF YOU’RE IN LABOR??” she’d say with an urgent tone.
“I’m not in labor,” I’d say, much too calmly for her.
“BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW!?”
“Seriously. If you don’t stop it, I’ll sit on you.”
This continued throughout her whole visit. The poor thing was afraid Claire was going to fall out right there in the living room. And, actually, after seeing this, I can see why:
Click picture to enlarge. If you dare.
See my big ol’ belly? My sister was amazed when she saw me and told me it really looked like I was smuggling a basketball (or medicine ball, by that point) under my shirt. From the back it was hard to tell I was pregnant, but I’d shock everyone when I turned to the side.
“The pictures just don’t do it justice,” she’d say, laughing.
Awesome. Thanks.
She was anxious to meet her only niece, but Claire had other ideas. She decided to come early, but not early enough for her aunt to meet her that weekend. Three days after the above picture I went into labor and had Claire on November 30th.
She was a month old when my sister visited again.
Click to enlarge.
Since then, we’ve been able to coordinate our schedules for trips back to the Midwest, but that’s not always possible. We’re going to be seeing everyone else in June, so I’m glad we got a chance to see her for this special visit.
It is amazing how much Claire had changed since she saw her last. And, I was able to get a few good photos of our fun day at the airport. We wanted to get one of the three of us together, and, rather than have a random airport traveler take our picture, we took a self-portrait in the restroom mirror.
Click to enlarge.
People do say we look alike. I think maybe we have the same smile.
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Sounds like a great time! I’m sure she was surprised by how much she’d grown!