I’m going to take you back. Way back to the winter, to Christmas Eve. We were over at my sister’s house with her husband and daughter, Evie, sharing an impromptu Christmas Eve meal together. Nathan and I were keeping a big secret that we had planned on sharing with the whole family the next day on Christmas, that we were pregnant and Harrison was going to be a big brother. And then, Evie walked down the stairs from her nap wearing a shirt that said, “Promoted to Big Sister.”

And I stopped. And stared. After a long pregnant pause, I asked Spencer, “Is that shirt hers?”

“Um. Yup,” he replied.

And then the excitement and screaming, and yelling at Nathan to get over here and look at Evie’s shirt ensued. So much so that it scared Evie to have her aunt jumping up and down when she had no idea what her shirt said.

Nathan looked at me with the, “Are we going to tell them?” look. I just shook my head, not wanting to steal away from all the excitement that we were going to be getting another niece or nephew.

Christmas Day came, and at my parents’ house, they opened up two very special gifts. The first from Kendra and Spencer, gifting them with a good for another grandchild in August. More excitement and joy! And then, a gift from us, telling my parents that we too were expecting another little baby. Two new cousins due just a week apart. Surprise, confusion, excitement, overwhelmed. A perfect Christmas to remember.

It’s been so fun walking through this pregnancy with my sister. Commiserating in the same things. Thinking about getting to be on maternity leave together. Up late at nights together. It somehow seems even more exciting this time around getting to walk through this journey with her.

We are so excited to welcome these cousins late this summer!